5 A New Day in a New Life

With my one hand still being held by the boy, I extend my other hand towards the door.

I tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

'Locked...'

"Ca- can I try?"

The boy with red eyes hesitantly stood between me and the door and.... punched a hole next to the doorknob.

'!?'

What did they feed this kid while they imprisoned him??

He then proceeded to reach his hand through the hole in the door and open it from the outside.

*creaak*

The door opened.

"How did you know it wasn't locked from the outside?"

I asked him curiously.

"When he came in... I never heard him using keys... to open the door."

He could hear that from the corner of his cell?

I swallowed my retorts and pushed the door the rest of the way open. I peeked outside to see... yet another alleyway.

'Sheesh, how many alleys do I have to walk through today?'

The boy continued to look towards the building we had just come from.

On the outside, it was just an unassuming, unmarked building. It might look a little suspicious for the lack of windows, but its actually not that uncommon. Theres many houses that don't have windows or always have their windows closed because of various factors such as theft, cold, and bugs.

'I'm sure he has a lot of feelings about leaving this place.'

"...Burn"

He mumbled something.

"Can I...burn it?"

He spoke more clearly this time as he looked into my eyes imploringly.

'Does he want my permission?'

"Can...you do something like that? We shouldn't spend much time here and run away before anyone comes back."

'!'

His eyes lit up happily.

...You want to burn it that much huh. I cant say I don't understand the feeling though.

"Will you.. wait for me? Just.. give me.. one minute!"

'Oh? He looks quite happy.'

"Promise! You'll wait!"

"Huh? Yeah okay."

He nodded at me with a serious expression before going back in past the door. He closed the door most the way so I couldn't watch what he about to do.

I don't think even half a minute passed before he jogged back and opened and slammed the door hurriedly.

"Let's go!"

He grabbed my hand and towed me along behind him.

'I wonder how he burned it down so quickly. In the past I probably would have been against it considering my position but... I now understand the desire to obliterate something that hurt you...

something that will continue to hurt others...'

I looked at his messy black hair swaying as he weakly ran.

'Why was I ever so eager to forgive?'

I felt my own weary body more intensely as my mind calmed down.

'Ah right. I was in bad condition even before I got kidnapped.'

I started to stagger a bit in my jogging steps.

"Ah!"

I missed a step and I my arm stretched forward as my hand was still in his.

The boy turned around as I was still stumbling.

He was a bit shorter than me so as I was falling we seemed to make perfect eye contact.

He grabbed my other hand and supported me using his upper body's strength.

...How can this kid who's even shorter than me support my weight? He doesn't even seem to be in good condition after being locked in that cell.

"Ah...thanks"

He stared at me wordlessly for a moment.

"Can you keep moving?"

"Hm...Can you give me a minute?"

The boy hesitated as he looked back at me.

'Is that a yes?'

"....should I carry you?"

Eh? I can't make a kid smaller than me carry me... even if he is a bit strong.

"No... Just give me a moment."

I closed my eyes and remembered the feeling of magic I had been using daily during my time in the temple.

Since I still had an abundance of mana, I didn't need any mediums to access my mana reserves.

Most sorcerers and healers need a medium such as a mana gem or a magic circle to use magic at all. However, I only need such a thing as a crutch when accessing a large quantity of mana or to use a complex magic.

I held my hands together and encased my body in a light magic.

In the past I had only used recovery magic like this on myself in emergencies since the temple took every drop of magic they could get from me.

My mana reserves right now are fuller than I ever remember. That's why I don't have to hesitate to splurge and use magic on my own body.

Besides, from now on, my magic only belongs to myself.

If I have another chance, I want to try living selfishly this time.

The magic felt warm and tingly at first but as my thoughts wandered, it began to tingle a bit as well.

But regardless of the secondary effect, my body felt lighter and refreshed. I could feel my muscle aches and cuts and bruises disappear in a moment.

I reopened my eyes.

"Okay, I'm ready."

I stared into the boy's red eyes and plastered my usual business onto my face.

The expression he made back at me was a bit taken aback.

Well, the reason I gave him my business smile was to try and calm him if he noticed my magic ability and it made him nervous.

Even though everyone had always praised me for my so-called Holy magic and they called me a blessing from the heavens, people often seem scared when they saw a glimpse of my true abilities. Of course this was nothing compared to what I've done in the past. However, I suppose I just don't want to be looked at with the same eyes as in the past.

Or would it be the future?

But even if the boy looked taken aback, he didn't look scared or look at me as if I were something inhuman.

He simply looked surprised.

I let out a sigh of relief I didn't know that I had been holding, took his right hand again and pulled him to continue running far from that place.

Before long he took the lead again.

'Perhaps he has somewhere he wants to go?'

I didn't really mind since I didn't have a destination in mind.

Last time I ran without a destination in mind I got kidnapped.

....Should I be happy he knows somewhere good to go? Or should I be wary of following a stranger to an unknown place considering I was just kidnapped....

Well... I'll keep him company a little longer at least.