Hope - A new start

During that brief journey, every moment seemed eternal. Finally, I could contemplate the beauty of life. Though my life may be extinguished at this very moment, I harbor no regrets. As my time draws near and I make my way to my destiny, I pray to Zephyr that this elf finds a haven where peace is her home.

I do not fear death, I think again and again, trying to accept that my life will be extinguished in an instant. I am ready to leave this wretched life and I scream with the last strength I have left. Suddenly, the duke's daughter approaches me. In her face, sadness is glimpsed. I sense that she does not wish to fulfill the duty of taking my life. To pressure her to do her duty, I insult her with all my might.

Until I go so far as to call her a "damned bitch" and threaten to take her life and set fire to the castle on my own.

She understands my intentions and refuses to take my life. Deep inside, she knows I am a good person. In tears, she asks me my name. At first, I am reluctant to say it; after so many years of captivity, I came to believe that my life was worth less than a bronze coin blackened by time. But seeing the sadness on his face, I confess my name in a breathy voice. I am Steve, a descendant of the elves, and I proudly identify myself as a farmer.

She introduces herself as Amelie, the duke's firstborn, and as she weeps inconsolably, she orders her escort to take an axe. Fear overcomes me, and I close my eyes, hoping to find Zephyr's grace in the afterlife. Time passes, and suddenly I feel an indescribable pain in my legs. I open my eyes in fear. The escort has only cut off my two legs and places the corpse of a young elf next to me. I cannot assimilate what is happening.

Amelie takes my legs and puts them in a bag, while tearing her dress. Disbelief overwhelms me, and I ask her why I am still alive. She tells me that when she tried to take my life, a group of wolves attacked them and devoured my small, battered body. The only thing they managed to recover were my legs. Then, I remember the marks the duke used to make on the legs of his slaves with his seal. Amelie hands me some silver coins as payment for all the years of abuse and forced labor.

She leaves with her escort, wishing me a better life. I still can't believe what has just happened. Tears begin to well up in my eyes. Not long ago, I was resigned to die, but Zephyr has given me a second chance. The memory of this noble deed will never fade. With complete serenity, I profess my loyalty to the future duchess, Amelie.

I begin to crawl through the vast forest, unable to use my cursed ability, as I had long ago, voluntarily, suppressed that ability. I could not stand the exhaustion and pain it caused me when I used it, and, without the ability to regenerate my wounds, the duke lost interest in me, but held me captive for so many years.

My hair has changed color, my teeth have lost firmness and have fallen out one after another. So much time has passed that I can no longer remember how beautiful life can be, even though at this moment I have a long way to go to find a place I can call home.

I don't know how long I've crawled until I start to lose consciousness. My head spins over and over again, until I collapse in the middle of the forest. In the distance, I can hear a voice. Maybe my mind is delirious from lack of food, but between whispers, I hear a somewhat familiar voice. I slowly open my eyes and see a young silhouette. I can't believe that the elf I saved is standing in front of me.

Although some years have passed, she retains her beauty. I can trust what's left of my life in her hands. I want to believe that she does not hold a grudge against me and that it is a miracle of Zephyr that she is still alive and that she found me. I don't remember what happened, I let myself be overcome by weakness and lost consciousness.

When I wake up, I realize that I am in the middle of a plain covered with flowers. I see flowers of all kinds and many colors. The elf approaches me. I think her name was Nari or something like that, but I can't be sure. It's been so long that I can't remember it. As the elf approaches me, I suddenly remember that her name was Nariel.

With trepidation, I ask her if she remembers me. She tells me she doesn't. Then, I ask her if her name is Nariel. She is surprised and confirms to me that yes, I knew her grandmother many years ago. She introduces herself to me as Juliet. I can't get over my astonishment that they are identical.

I ask Juliet if she lives with anyone. She tells me that her mother committed suicide when she found out who her father was, and her grandmother died a few years ago. She has lived alone ever since. Hearing about her mother's death, I intuit that the daughter Nariel had is the perverted, dirty duke.

Then she asks me where I'm headed. To hide the traumatic events I have been through, I lie to her and tell her that I have no place to call home, that for years I have traveled the world, until I had an accident with a pack of wolves and that, in the intense struggle to save my life, I sacrificed my legs to once again see the sunlight.

She, with a smile, invites me to live with her in a small stable on her property. She tells me that her grandmother was a fugitive during the Great War and that thanks to a kind gentleman she managed to escape. Since then, she has fondly kept a piece of her noble savior's cloth. I can see that this piece of cloth was the one I used to heal her wounds.

That's how some years passed until your arrival, Max.

With tears in his eyes Steve mentions that perhaps I should feel cheated to learn that Juliet and he are not related by blood.

With an exuberant tone Max tells Steve that he doesn't feel cheated and the only thing that provokes empathy and that he admires him now more than ever