Responsibilities (4)

All the unwanted luxuries such as the mounting school tuition had to be paid back somehow. It wasn't like I could return the investment made by Luke's family by working for my entire life. It just felt unfair how I was forced to receive everything and then pushed my entire life in exchange for the deal.

"It's just too unfair!" I shouted.

"Why do I have to go through all this when I'm from the third district?" I cried my heart out.

My not-so-great childhood of studying day and night. My pains of not being able to eat the way I want, go to the places I wanted to explore to what I could wear. Even visiting my parents was a rare occasion that my younger brother and I were almost strangers. Why was everyone telling me to give more things up when I had enough?

My former life where I died before I could take my SATs was much better than this. I lived with my loving family and hung out with my friends doing normal things whenever I had free time. I was never thankful for having such a normal life since it was given to me like a free plate of food.

I was aware I became a bit selfish after my first death. But who wouldn't be when you had lots of regrets before dying at a young age? I wanted to experience everything this world offered me before my second death. Nobody knew when they would die even though people in the first district had a longer lifespan than others.

The average lifespan in my last life was around eighty years old, but I couldn't even live a quarter of it. And the second chance card was ambiguous to the point it didn't guarantee anything. In my own way, I was trying to live my current life with the least amount of regrets.

"Let's go back into the car," Alex pulled me towards the hover car.

Before Alex could continue dragging me against my will, a desperate scream for help rang throughout the forest. As the scream continued, Luke and Alex looked the other way as if they were ignoring the person in help. Meanwhile, Shelly stood in her spot, taking turns at looking at my face and Luke.

Of course, both Luke and his fervent supporter Alex would force us inside the hover car. I knew how Luke wanted to avoid any signs of trouble if it wasn't his problem. I took the chance when Alex seemed a bit surprised from the presence of another person. I slipped out of his tight grip and started running towards the direction where the shout came from to help.

I ignored Luke's angry, warning shouts as I continued to sprint with my heightened hearing. One minute or even several seconds could be crucial when saving one's life. I had enough mana to help and I wasn't going to a safe place alone. I skidded across the dirt ground as I looked up at the hideous creature looming over the orphan who I recently healed.

What was this? It couldn't be a person at the same time it had some presence of humanity within it. The creature's skin was ashen grey, and its veins popped out in crimson red. It stood like a human being while being completely covered in fur in the areas of its hands and feet. However, the rest of its body appeared to be covered in tough scales.

"Monster," the orphan spat out in disgust while being held by the creature's long nails.

Monster? I stared at the creature more closely. There was no hideous creature such as this in the other districts. But at the same time, I was only exposed to the safer parts of the first district with an abundant amount of security. If this was a world with mana, there had to be monsters in return.

I wondered why I have never thought of this notion before, when it was almost in every comic book I read. It was clear what the orphanage was for when it located close in proximity to this creature a few metres in front of me. They were training young children to fight those monsters.

When I was about to mutter a spell, Luke grabbed my hand to prevent me from initiating it. I turned to Luke in annoyance, "What's your problem? Don't you see he's about to die?"

The boy was slowly being choked to his death as the creature's nails dug in deeper with a bright smile. Every cough spurted more blood as his arms became limp. I could tell he wouldn't last long as his skin was turning pale blue from the lack of air. His weapon was a distance away on the floor, damaged like it was distorted beyond its use.

"We have to help him," I struggled to escape his grasp.

"But you could die in his place," Shelly appeared extremely worried while she agreed with Luke.

Just how powerful was this monster? Why were we just watching him die? What else were they keeping from me? It was like they wanted me to escape with them to a safer place while we could. I could sense fear in all of their eyes, hidden behind their annoyance of why I wouldn't follow them.

"Let's go Rika. We might not be able to visit your parents the next holiday, but mine," Luke pulled out more threats.