Father [2]

Without wasting any more time, I started walking towards the central area. To get there, I first have to go through several corridors until I reach the one that gives access to it, but that won't be a problem, I've been down this path so many times that it's already engraved in my memory.

I'm in no hurry to get there either because we're already late and Emma wouldn't have the courage to get there without me, the most she'll do is wait for me at the door so we can go in together. Besides, the little feeling of premonition that had formed in my chest was already telling me that we would be punished for being late.

It can't be helped. If I hadn't come here to wake Emma up, I'm sure I wouldn't have been punished, but what's done can't be undone. Now all I can do is prepare myself for what's to come.

"Tsk. Damn choices..." I grumbled.

I continued walking through the labyrinthine corridors of the house while mentally preparing myself for a possible beating from Dad. Besides, I couldn't help wondering what he would do to punish us, after all, in five years, Dad had never interacted with any of us, anything coming from him was something new.

With every step I took towards the central wing, the premonition in my chest grew a little stronger, but it didn't scare me or affect me at all. Over the years, I've felt it many, many times, more than I can count. Most of the time, I just ignored it and let it happen.

After a long time of arduous walking and mind-boggling corridors, I finally reached a door that was different from the others. The normal doors in this house were the same as the wooden doors in my old world, Earth, but this one was a little different.

It was practically a gate, five times wider than normal corridor doors and three times higher, and it only opened if you pushed on both sides simultaneously. Decorated with intricate red and gold details, it exuded elegance and dominance to anyone who looked at it.

Normally, this door would be filled with an oppressive aura to anyone who approached, but today it wasn't there. That aura kept Emma and, technically, me, away from that door. The truth is that the aura of that door didn't affect me at all, it was obsolete and practically non-existent for me.

But for Emma, it was like the gates of hell, she trembled with fear at the thought of going near it. The last time she tried to approach it, she was immediately smashed to the ground, which caused her to bleed from every orifice in her body. She was four years old when it happened.

I remember that Kristy panicked and had to get in the way of father's training to ask for money so that she could take her to a doctor in Caesen, a small village south of here.

Unexpectedly, father didn't allow it, told her to leave Emma in her room and warned her not to come any closer. Kristy couldn't think about it anymore, so she just helped Emma with some herbal remedies for three months until she recovered.

Since that day, she shudders at the very mention of that door. I tried to approach it myself, but I never felt anything, I looked in every corner of the door and felt absolutely nothing. Which I assumed was a feat of purple energy, which never appeared again after I was born, not even to explain why it made me ask for my useless memories back.

To be honest, after I realized that this door didn't affect me at all, I never came here again, as I considered it a waste of time. There are better places to get a view of the whole central area; the rooftops, for example, were the best place I found. But that doesn't matter now.

Returning to the present, I found Emma standing just outside the door, waving at me.

"There you are, Kai, you took too long. So, how about you go first? What do you think?"

Although she tried to keep her composure, her smile was shaky and her body trembled. She was still terrified of this door.

Approaching, I grabbed her by the arm as I took long strides towards the door. "Let go of your fear, we're already screwed because of you, I won't fall alone, if I suffer, you come with me."

As I spoke, I reached the door and pushed with all my strength. Contrary to what I had expected, the door was surprisingly light, and I didn't need much force to open it.

When I opened it, I could once again see the splendid scene of the central area. A large lake with crystal clear water, carp and fish in abundance, herons and much more was right in the center of it all, birds flew freely in the sky in flocks, others landed in the tall, dark trees that filled the view as far as you could see around the lake.

Everything was vibrating with life in abundance, the serenity of the harmony you felt just being there was surreal, an absurd and unparalleled peace.

"Wow... How beautiful, it's all so pretty, so this is where Dad stays every day..."

Emma, standing next to me, couldn't help but marvel. As far as I know, it's the first time she's seen the central area.

I grabbed her again and we followed the path between the trees, which led us to a more open and spaced-out part, a large circle with no trees.

Sitting in the middle of this circular plain was our father, his back to us and his sword resting on his lap. His black kimono and long hair in a ponytail fluttered slightly in the wind.

'He looks like a great Sword Sage that the WebNovels described in my past life. Very mysterious...'

I started to walk carefully towards him, but quickly stopped.

'Fuck! What's that?!' I felt the premonition in my chest increase a hundredfold as I approached him, making me hesitate to continue my steps. Emma hadn't moved so far, she feared her father more than that infernal door, she didn't even have the courage to breathe out loud here.

As I pondered whether to continue or stay here and wait, a deep, heavy voice sounded.

"You're both late." Each word was spoken slowly and deliberately. Pointing out our mistake and casting a shadow over our hearts.

Silence settled in. The sound of the birds or insects previously present suddenly disappeared, everything seemed afraid to pronounce its presence before the owner of that voice.

The premonition in my chest became a thousand times greater, I can no longer calculate its size. I was shaking as I kept my body upright. Unconsciously, even though I wasn't afraid of my father, something in me made me tremble just imagining what would happen if this man got angry.

Emma was in no better condition, she had already fallen on her butt and was struggling to get up, although her legs were shaking with every little movement.

The silence continued for a few more minutes, until father decided to speak again.

"Reason?"

A single word, that single word seemed like an opportunity for amnesty for Emma and me, if we gave her a good reason, we wouldn't be punished.

'But we don't have a good reason.' It occurred to me. The reason for the delay was Emma's laziness, if I told her that, we'd be screwed.

"I-It was Kai! It was him! He stayed up late last night looking at the forest again, and I had to call him many times until he woke up, because of him we were late, it was all his fault!" shouted Emma, stammering as if this was her only chance of getting away with it, not hesitating to throw me into the fire with her lies.

'Fuck.' I thought incredulously as I looked at Emma behind me. It seems my little sister was born with a limited brain, she's just thrown us both into hell with her terrible lie and her terrible motive.

I didn't dare speak, the shit was already done, from now on we were completely fucked. Emma had thrown us into the fire with her stupidity.

Behind me, Emma smiled triumphantly as she sighed with relief at being free from her father's punishment.

'Don't blame me, brother, sometimes we have to make hard choices. It's going to hurt me more than you, believe me.'

After what seemed like centuries of disturbing silence, Dad slowly began to stand up. He released pressure that immediately threw Emma to the ground, with every inch he followed the pressure increased even more.

'Shit, what is that?! Emma is already on the floor, but I don't feel a thing. I can't pretend in front of him, this guy is an expert, he'll realize my lie and the consequences will probably be terrible. What do I do, what do I do?!!'

While I was thinking, Dad had already gotten up. Grabbing his sword, he turned to us, with his freshly shaved face and a stern expression that sent shivers down my body. Without giving me any more time to think, he started walking towards us as he spoke.

"Pathetic, Emma. You're weak, both mentally and physically. You hide your fears and insecurities behind your veil of mischief and lies, refusing to face them. You're not fit to hold a sword, little one. Not yet, anyway."

With each of his words and steps, the pressure increased more and more, leaving me paralyzed, not because I was affected, but because the dominance emanating from him was such that it paralyzed my thoughts.

Turning to me, he continued: "And you, Kai, really impressive. Your body trembles, but your eyes remain firm, as firm as a rock, my pressure doesn't seem to affect you, but I don't think that's the case, you're resisting well for your age. You, unlike her, at least dare to look at me." He praises me in a calm tone as she gazes into my eyes.

A hint of happiness can't help but well up in me at having this man's recognition.

"But you're not much better than her. Lost and aimless, with no reason to live at such a young age, watching every day from afar, yearning for something but still hesitant to try to get it. You're no different from a boat adrift in a storm. You're even worse than her."

His words shattered my fantasies of being recognized by him, he hit me where it hurt the most. Leaving me speechless.

'Damn it, man, we're just kids. Give us a break!' I grumbled, trying to divert my attention.