Inescapable Fate (3/3)

His mind blurred again.

The man saw before him small houses and huts, smoke billowing from them as children ran around playing. He saw some of the adults, they were farming, taking care of livestock, or were watching over the kids, gossiping and playing cards. A sight full of happiness, simplicity, and heart.

He sat on a chair in an old schoolhouse, looking at the sight happily and blankly at the same time. It took him a while for his mind to reel in. For some reason, he had found himself relishing a memory from 5 years ago, when he had stumbled upon this village while saving an orphaned little girl. Thinking about the girl made him smile with pride. It was there that he had decided to put down his previous identity and settle down in this little village. Ever since then, he had become a part of this village, becoming a teacher of sorts. As for the girl, back then, she had been an orphan and grew up mischievous and adventurous, the event back then only served to feed her confidence. However, he took a liking to her and decided to adopt her, but in the end, she was still the village's daughter.

"Enjoying the sight?" an old voice drifted beside him.

He looked back and saw an old man, his hair grey and grizzly but his face gave off an expression of happiness and satisfaction.

"Village Chief!" he immediately tried to stand up, but the chief stopped him, mentioning him to stay seated.

He truly respected this man. He cared for the people under him and truly sought to make everyone's lives better, not just his own. In his opinion, he was leagues above those nobles with their mansions and gold.

"It's been five years since you stumbled in this little village. You've become a bit of a hero since then, bringing in knowledge about the outside world. It's been a while since I've seen anything interest those youngsters. Maybe they can get out and see the world, this place is way too small after all."

"The outside world really is marvelous, alas... it's not all meadows and flowers, William..." a wistful look appeared on the man's face.

William Terrace, the village chief, immediately changed the subject knowing he touched a sore spot.

"So how's the girl been like lately, causing any trouble?" William asked.

"Aye, her? She's been getting more and more rebellious! Just yesterday Miss Erran came up to me asking for her private wear back! The little one stole it from her backyard along with some of her prized apples! It's as if I haven't taught her a thing!"

Though he spoke as if he's become tired of her, his face said otherwise, beaming with happiness.

"Hehe, as an orphan, she has grown under the care of the village. She sees the whole village as her home, hers to come and go as she pleased. Now with you protecting her, what doesn't she dare do?" William laughed out loud, "Anyway, the reason I came here is to confirm the arrangement would be the same right? Her birthday feast would take place here again, right?

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You do remember her birthday is today, right?"

——

His mind blurred again, the scenery changed once more.

He sat in the same place but the sun had set. In its place, countless lanterns has illuminated the small village. In the middle of the road, a long table were set with all sorts of food, drinks, vegetables and fruits. Even a roasted boar was set in place. This was a poor village, having meat is rare, much less an entire boar! Children were running, eating, and playing while adults stood by the side, talking and gossiping. This wasn't just a village, it was a family bound by something even stronger than blood.

He looked down and saw a beautiful young girl beside him, holding a plate and ravishing the boar meat with vengeance unseen throughout the world before, ruining her beautiful demeanor. How can someone so beautiful have absolutely zero table manners? It was quite unsightly, but the villagers that passed by only laughed a bit, they were used to this little rascal. Her table manners got even worse as she was eating boar meat. Ever since that event, this girl with red fire sprouting out of her head held a hatred for anything that looked like a boar.

"Hey. Hey. Mister. Where's my gift now~?" the red haired girl asked him, foolishly grinning.

*Dong*

The man struck her on head lightly. She quickly covered her head and pouted.

"Hey. Hey. This 'Mister' here had been taking care of you for five years. Can that be your present?"

The small girl poured even more, and even stuck out her tongue foolishly.

"Hai..." he sighed, "Here, here little one, there you go," he took out a small package wrapped with a white cloth.

The girl switched faces in less than a second, her smile beaming with happiness as she reached out for the little package.

"Hehe~. Old man, I knew you had something. Gimme~ Gimme~"

She jumped into his arms and grabbed the white package as she hurriedly unwrapped it. Seeing his little one beam with happiness, he felt his heart go up the heavens. This right here was happiness.

----

His mind blurred once more.

This time he knew something was up, something tugging at his subconsciousness.

Don't look down, it seemed to say.

He saw what was all around him. The burning buildings of a village he loved. The strong burning smell assaulted his nose, but other than the crackling of fire, there was nothing else. Then he saw it.

William Terrace lied on the ground, his heart pierced with a spear.

Miss Erran, her body draped over her prize apple trees, decapitated.

Don't look down.

Mr. Cabenza, the town's carpenter, lay dead on a nearly finished bench, never to be completed.

Mrs. Evans, who had always passed her day on her porch waiting for her grandkids, had an arrow piercing through her head as she sat on her chair.

Mr. Nell, who baked the villages best apple pie. His head pierced by a crossbow bolt.

Mr. Aren...

Don't look down.

Mrs. Renault...

Mrs. Corran...

Don't look down.

Mr. Tiella...

...

Everyone. Dead.

Children he saw and taught everyday splayed across the ground, arrows stuck in their little bodies. The elderly killed with no mercy. Everyone he knew, gone.

Don't look down. Don't look down.

He felt his head going down. He can't stop it. His subconscious screaming and wailing.

Don't look down. Don't look down.

"Dad... "

He looked down.

Her beautiful face. Her beautiful brown eyes. Her beautiful red hair. Her beautiful new dress. At this moment, everything about her was beautiful. Even her stillness was beautiful...

At that time, something within him broke.

"No... No. No... Not you too, no! Not my little one, no... Why? Why won't you move? Out of all the times, why won't you move now? Why? Move! Move!!"

His eyes watered. His hands trembled. His ears rung. He clutched her body in his hands. He felt a warm liquid oozing out her stomach. He felt panic rise within. He tried stopping the bleeding with his arms in vain. He took out that healing potion he had saved all these years and poured it all into her mouth. He didn't care if it spilled or not, but it did nothing. He patted her head, combing her messy hair with his bloodied hands.

"No please no. My little one, my little one. Not you too. T-that was the first time you called me dad! Say it again! Please! My daughter, my little one! Nononono. Call me dad again, please. Not like this. No. No..."

A booming voice appeared in the background, but he didn't pay attention.

"Former Captain Regalus Afielle, from the orphanage of Saint Afielle the Merciful. The last member of Battalion Avastra of the 23rd Legion. You are charged with the crime of treason, subversion, falsehood of information, mutiny, and the killing of Baron Gerald Relein II and multiple other crimes. You are to be executed and hung atop the walls of Evernoll Castle under the orders of his highness Duke Gerald Relein I...

... This village is charged with the crime of hiding and aiding a fugitive under treason and hence faced summary execution...

Do you repent?"

Regalus carefully put down her body and closed her eyes, as if afraid of waking her up, and stood up. His eyes burned like fire and his chest heaved up and down.

"Repent? REPENT?! YOU DAMNED DEMON!!!"

He turned around and rushed at the fat bastard who spoke earlier. But before he could take a step forward, he saw a white flash beside the bastard.

"What a weakling. Don't kill him, just knock him out."

"[Guardian God of Order, please bless me with powers to drive out the bleak evil away. Tier 2 Spell: Force Push.]

*Bang*

He slammed against a rock as the world around him turned black.

By the time he opened his eyes, he was already in a cage on a horse driven cart, with nothing but the barest of his clothes. He was to be hauled away to god knows where before executed.

He saw before him the remains of the village. Just barely out of his sight, he saw a familiar figure. He subconsciously reached out for her. His little one. Her eyes closed. Her fiery hair laid flat, resting. Her cute dress silently flapping in the wind. Her tiny body, which was always moving and running around, even in her sleep, for the first time, motionless.

"Sleep. Sleep my little one, my daughter. I'll take care of the big, bad boar, just rest tight. I'll come back."

A white hue suddenly covered the landscape. He heard a wizard behind him chanting.

"[... cover the den of evil. Tier 4 Magic Spell: Land Reform]"

*Woosh*

The soil turned over, like waves on a beach, and upturned everything, covering the entire village and his little one.

'Power...'

'Power to protect my loved ones.'

'Power to avenge them.'

'Power.'

'Power.'

'The power... of magic...'

'[Martial Skill: Piercing Spear]!'

He punched against the cage, piercing its steel bars. He felt severe pain in his hands as his knuckles break and its bone shards pierce his skin... but that didn't matter. He instead felt a different kind of pain. The mage behind him stared at him with fear in his eyes as the two made eye contact.

The eyes are the windows to the soul, but he saw nothing.

——

Regalus Avastra woke up, but didn't move. He slowly patted the sides of his eyes with his index finger and felt a wet sensation.

"I... cried..."

But his eyes were blank and tired. That unyeilding will of his were gone at this moment. That rebellious look when he found himself reborn in this world,that overbearing demeanor as he denounced the heavens, those experienced movements as he battled, those can no longer be seen in his eyes.

His eyes now looked old and tired. It was sick of the strife. Sick of the hardship. Sick of the violence. Sick of... humanity.

He heard a knock on the door and just absentmindedly answered, "come in," without the intention to pay attention to whoever came in.

But when he saw the figure come in, he immediately ran toward the figure and hugged her. His eyes became brimming with tears and emotion, as if he saw the very person he needed to see.

"My little one, I've come back..."