Winter Night

I was five years old when I realized that I had a special talent that allows me to see a part of people's lives in exchange for losing a little bit of my eyesight.

"Mirren! Get the hell out of the way!"

"Mom, Dad, I'm special!"

"What the fuck are you talking about, you little shit?!"

"Please, listen!"

Look at me.

Love me.

That day, I innocently told my parents about it with a smile, it was probably the biggest mistake I've ever done in my entire short-lived life.

I regret it.

Being the pathetic bastards they were, they exploited my ability until I could barely see anything that was three meters away.

"Useless!"

"Can't you use your abilities more?!"

"Just one more time!"

"Damn it!"

I cried and kept my silence. I already told them I was blind. Not the exact truth but close enough.

'I helped them, isn't that enough of a reason to love me?'

What's so wrong with being a little selfish? I don't need to see it clearly. Just getting a glimpse of us being a happy family was enough for me, but even that was impossible.

At age eight, we were back to square one.

"P-Please... some change..."

On a winter night, where death loomed over me much more persistently than usual, I walked at the streets of the market carrying a basket of flowers with my frost-covered hands. My lips were pale and trembling and my eyes had black bruises around them.

Not only do I sound like a thirsty horse, I even look like a panda's twin.

"Don't come here!"

"Daddy! there's a monster!"

"Go away!"

I looked at the noble people and thought of how lucky they were. It must be warm to wear those fur coats. Those children, do they ever realize it? How nice to have such loving parents to spoil them.

'Ah, fuck everything. I hope their houses burn to hell.'

I turned away and started walking to the forest. Who knows? Maybe I'll find some valuable stones to sell.

'I can't go home without money. Dad and Mom will kick me and my ribs will break again. They just healed recently.'

Suddenly, my feet stopped moving. I was already deep in the forest when I saw something that caught my blurry eyes.

"Huff... ugh..."

A dark figure, no, a figure of a man crouching and looking down as if he had given up on life. I can't blame him. There was a puddle of crimson liquid around him.

'People who bleed that much die sooner or later.'

"...Someone... is someone there?"

The weak voice came like a gentle whisper. I was wrong. He didn't give up on life, he was fighting to live. Desperately.

"...I'm here."

I walked towards the man. His clothes suggested that he was some kind of assassin but I didn't care that much. Dangerous? I've had my fair share of it.

"...W-Who are you?"

"I'm Mirren. Mister, are you a criminal? That famous one I hear about in the streets all the time."

"..."

The man was silent.

I was near him now so I could see him a little clearer. His unique white hair glimmered under the moonlight like silver threads of white gold. It was proof of a certain race that was thought to have gone extinct.

'I was searching for gems. Why did I end up finding such a treasure of gold?'

"Armaros, the biggest criminal who killed the previous king."

I heard of the name so many times. He was a superstar in the alleys. If I hand him over to the knights, I'd get a lot of money for it.

"...Are you g-going to tell them... about me?"

Cough, cough.

He coughed blood. Despite his weak state, he found the strength to raise his aura. The pressure was enough to kill babies and suffocate weak children.

Thankfully, my body was a bit durable thanks to a constant dosage of abuse every day.

"I won't."

"...What?"

"If you get caught, they'll reward me and my money will go to my parents."

"..."

There was silence as if he could not believe the words I was saying. Fair enough. Those weren't words that would leave a normal child's mouth.

'I must be feeling good today.'

I raised my hand and touched it to his wounded belly. It's been a while since I used my ability for a purpose that wasn't decided by my parents.

'Did I finally go crazy? I wonder why I'm doing this...'

Light emerged from my palm and slowly, his wounds sealed as if it was never there. And with that, one meter of sight was taken from me. Now, I can barely see anything that was two meters away from me.

"Magic? No..."

"I read in libraries that it's a divine gift. My parents didn't know about it until the end."

"Why did you use it on me?"

"Who knows? I just saved you on a whim."

If he was going to die here, I'm confident that I'll never see such a beautiful man like him ever again. Though I can barely see him, I could tell that he looked angelic. Even his voice was ethereal and gentle.

"Do you want anything?"

"Yes."

The answer instantly left my mouth. Whoops. I indeed saved him on a whim but a part of me also wanted him to repay me.

'Should I have waited a bit more?'

The tense situation continued until I noticed that his lip was twitching.

"Are you laughing?"

"No. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Mister, can you adopt me?"

Bluntly, I asked the villain. His dull eyes looked down on me and ever so slowly, he grabbed my waist and raised me with his blood-drenched hands until we were eye to eye with each other.

"Are you not afraid? There is only darkness in the path I follow."

"If you can take care of me properly, I will even follow you to hell if you want to."

He stared at me and I stared back, not breaking any eye contact even though I felt like crying. My short, rust-colored hair kept piercing my eyes.

'How long are we in this staring contest?'

"Pfft!"

This time, I saw it undoubtedly.

'He smiled!'

A wave of dizziness brushed over my head as a breeze passed by us. This white-haired criminal slowly fixed his gripped and started to carry me like how a father carries his child.

"Are you cold?"

His voice, slightly awkward yet still gentle, brushed across my ears like a lullaby.

"Yes. I'm also hungry and sleepy."

"I still have work to do. Bear with this for a bit more. I'll wake you when we arrive at the mansion."

"...Okay."

I closed my eyes.

'This is a dream. I should cherish and enjoy this bizarre dream while I still can. There's no way I got lucky like this.'

For the first time in my life, I felt warm in my dreams.