CHAPTER 8:DEATH?

Rius used magic to bring down the floating body of the child near enough so he could have a close look at him.

COLD.

That was the first word that came to his mind when he saw this child. When he said Cold, it didn't mean the pure white hair he possessed nor the white lashes closing down his eyes. This Child looked defunct, as if his soul was on the verge of collapsing into a cold, painful slumber. His red eye bags and the traces of tears around his cheeks held a painful feel to them.

When Rius examined the child's body he discovered traces of freshly healed scars around his legs and back. Those scars were testimony to this child's tragedies.

"Who was this child? How cruel must be the world outside for a five year old to go through so much hell at such a young age." Rius thought to himself. He then scanned the body of the boy for untreated injuries. Fortunately there were none.

Rius then looked around him. He was surrounded by the mighty expanse of the ocean. Their island was a place isolated from the outside world. He didn't knew how huge the length of this ocean was nor did he have any idea on how his father venture out of their home. He then looked at the boy again.

There was no telling when those eyes would open again. There was also a chance of those eyes not opening again. Moreover the child was so young and at such a vulnerable age. He felt conflicted to leave it be and pretend as if he didn't saw a child floating in mid air in the middle of nowhere. After all, Rius was already an old man by soul.

"...." If he doesn't take responsibilty for this child, he would be the most trashy creature to exist in this world. If it were an adult, he would have never bothered to care even if this person were to die but this was a child. A five year old floating like a dead fish before him. There was only ocean everywhere. And there was only one island. He didn't knew how to send back this child to the outside world but even if he could do so, the outside world was probably not a safe place for this child.

He blinked his eyes for a second before deciding on what to do.

When he made his next move he tried to be as quite as possible. Although he was sure that this place was far away from the island, he had to make sure not to stir up a freaking Tsunami.

"Atlanta." He casted a spell.

The numbing sound of something rising from the surface of the sea caused the sea floor to rumble a bit. When the spell was about to release strong shockwaves, Rius manipulated the displaced water to rise above sea level. Then he made a huge bottle shaped vessel to contain the displaced water, pouring it into the vessel made of his mana, he opened a small gap at the tip of the vessel from which the water could pour back into the ocean. Calmly and silently. As for the small mass of sea floor he had ejected from down there, he casted some earth magic onto the landmass before placing down the boy on it.

The child was still as a dead rock, his closing eyes never fluttering once. It was as if his body had stopped responding to everything.

Rius checked the child's current conditon. His pulses were normal. His body was healthy. He had made sure to add some edible plants when he casted earth magic onto the land mass. Though, he had to return home and come back again so that he could place something more appropriate things to eat for the sleeping child.

But the boy didn't arise.

Rius has been checking up on him from time to time. Yet the boy had his eyes closed everytime he came over. The food he had brought for him was left untouched.

The state of this child somehow reminded him of sleeping Beauty.

Just like this, a few days went by. The sleeping child had yet to awake from his slumber.

**ZING**

The faint feeling of warmth coursed through his soul. He could feel the state of the surrounding he was in right now. It felt light, fresh and pure. But his blood was still warm. His white lashes fluttered a bit when he felt someone take a step closer to him.

Rius who had just come over to check on the child's conditon, paused when he felt a slight movement from the kid's body. He stepped a bit closer to examine. Then he halted when he heard a fragile voice speak to him.

"Are you the reaper of the abyss?"

Rius heard the child ask him, with his eyes still closed.

"No. I am not." He replied.

"Then did I die?" The child asked him again.

"No." Came his short reply. Rius then saw the child give an indescribable face of regret, that expression being directed at himself.

"What a shame."

Rius heard a small whisper. His voice sounding lifeless.

"....." Rius felt as if the history of this child was beyond tragic, For a kid to say him being alive was a shame.

He stared down at the face of the child.

As expected the Coldness around this child was getting darker and denser than last time.

"Open your eyes and look around." This time Rius was the one who spoke.

But the boy didn't listen.

The sea waves coursed through the surface of the ocean, a chilly breeze gave its greetings to the ocean.

A pair of ruby red eyes curtained by white lashes made its gaze known. The lifeless gaze falling on a face staring down at him.

Chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes. The seven colours of the Rainbow reflected in the eyes of the other child.

A... "A Girl?"

"I am a boy though." Rius replied calmly staring into the cold eyes looking at him.