Episode 5: Morning (1)

The Lakeside Town, Yumin—The Cottage [9:06 PM].

"..." Walking back towards the cottage all alone, Damian helplessly stared at the opened lights of his home. "...everything's left on, huh?" he sighed to himself as he closed the doors behind him.

Soon after, he headed over towards the switch, quickly turning off the lights that had been left turned on for the past hour and finally—he walked up towards the second floor of the cottage.

"..." Upon reaching towards the doorstep of his bedroom, Damian solemnly turned towards Fei's, which was directly in front of it. "...sigh." Taking a look at the entrance, he helplessly shook his head as he then made his way into his room. Moments later, he lied on his bed and finally, fell asleep after a long day.

...

Within a deep void, a young boy aimlessly walked through the darkness. His eyes tired with shock and his body with great fatigue.

"..."

He continued walking, however, he stopped at his footsteps. In the next moment, his knees fell onto the ground.

"W-Who... did this?" Muttering out in disbelief, he turned to the darkness as if scrutinizing it. "...this can't be."

"...Keke, my little child," as if in reply to his helpless words, a strange voice replied. "This is very real as it can get. Now come, why not take upon my hand?"

"...huh?"

Moments later, a hand enshrouded in darkness was protruded out from the void.

"Accept me, and they who has brought upon sin shall receive the judgement in this forsaken world."

"I... I..."

As the young boy was about to mutter out his reply, a sudden light appeared, quickly shining a bright luminescence over the void and ridding away the darkness. As it did so—the young boy was soon enveloped by the light.

"...ahh...!" Letting out a scream, he could do nothing but slowly disappear away.

...

The next day—[July 27th, 7:21 AM].

As the morning sun seeped into Damian's room through the windows by the side of his bed, Damian, who was sleeping unsoundly on his bed hurriedly woke up with a sensation of uneasiness.

"...!" With sweat dripping down his forehead, he glanced around his room in a frenzy. "..." Noting that he was in his room, he took a deep breath. "...just what's with that dream?"

Still feeling uneasy, he continued taking deep breaths as he soon averted his gaze from the tidy space around the room over to his windows. "...to accept and bring forth judgement to those who sin, huh? I guess there's truth in those words..."

Closing his eyes as if in deep thought, he suddenly recalled the words said by Orelia: "Don't worry about the past and just look towards the future. Nothing is set in stone, so, you can always change it."

"...sigh. I guess... I'll try my best and do what she said," he rubbed his eyes in a tired manner whilst getting off his bed. Soon after, he began to make his way out of the room and then down to the stairs where he was greeted by the quiet atmosphere of the cottage. "...right. Fei's over at the guildhall and... he isn't here anymore."

...

The Lakeside Town, Yumin—Guildhall [8:17 AM].

Within Orelia's room, Fei who had slept overnight at the guildhall quietly laid rest on a bed by the side of the room. "Dad..." Whilst her eyes were closed soundly, she muttered out certain words as she tightly held onto the letter within her hands.

As she slept away silently, from the entrance of the room, the door slowly creaked opened as it revealed a figure of a man with red spiky hair quietly stepping foot into the room. Soon after, he made his way over to the sleeping Fei.

"...she's still asleep, huh?" Upon reaching the bed, the man—Xander, helplessly sighed.

"It's been a long night for her," From behind the back of Xander, a soft voice uttered out in reply. "Just let her rest a bit more. It's still early in the morning after all."

"...It has been a long night, huh?" Xander solemnly glanced at Fei as he turned around to see Orelia. "Did everything that occurred last night really happened? This is the first I've seen Fei like this in a while..."

"Apparently so..." Orelia helplessly replied. "From what Damian informed me, Kruz left just like that without another word."

"...and no one knows what kind of job this was about?"

"Unfortunately," she shook her head listlessly. "Kruz didn't inform me nor Roy about the matter. When I tried to ask Balmar about it, it seems he didn't know the details either."

"Ugh... So we're just left with him leaving urgently like that?" Xander frowned.

"...sigh. It can't be helped," Orelia sighed. "With the way things are right now, there's no way to find out what Kruz is doing."

"Mmm..." Whist Xander and Orelia quietly whispered to one another, Fei, who was lying on the bed muttered out. "...he said that it was an important job for the greater good of the two of us."

"...!!" Hearing the sudden answer from Fei, the two hurriedly turned towards the bed, where they noted that she was getting up. "Did our discussion wake you up...?" Xander uttered out in a sorry tone.

"...I guess it did," Fei answered with an expression of sadness as her eyes stuck to the letter within her hand. "But... It's fine. I can just go back to sleep again."

"Huh? You're going back to sleep?" Orelia raised her brow. "Then what about breakfast? You still have to eat you know."

"Can I just skip it?" Fei frowned. "I just feel like sleeping today..."

"Oh come on!" Orelia clicked her tongue. "At the very least, you should eat first."

She shook her head. "I'll come down for lunch. What are we having today?"

"Hehe. We'll be having my mom's speciality curry fish!" Xander stated joyfully. "It's your favourite dish, right?"

"...curry fish..." Upon hearing the words coming out from Xander's mouth, Fei's expression darkened. In the next moment, she hurriedly lied down on the bed. "...I'll try."

"...F-Fei?" Xander blinked at Fei's sudden action.

"...sigh. If you're like this..." Orelia shook her head in a defeated manner. "Just come down when you feel like it. Even though today is supposed to be your first day of being a guild ranker... We can just start tomorrow."

"...thanks, Orelia," Fei uttered out.

"Fei..." Xander looked at the back of Fei as he quickly turned around. "...have a good sleep." Unable to make up any words, Xander shook his head as he left the room with Orelia following soon after.

"..." Noting that Xander and Orelia had left the room, Fei silently stood up from the bed as she glanced at the letter once again. "...today's 27th July, huh? Way to go. Happy birthday, dad..."