Chapter 8: The Letter

As the morning sun bathed the village in a warm, golden light, the villagers slowly gathered in the village center. Their whispers filled the air, creating a somber melody.

"Such a poor thing, she was still young," one villager said, shaking her head.

"And Kai… How will he survive now?" another added, his voice heavy with concern.

"If only those adventurers had arrived a little earlier…"

Amidst the whispers and condolences, Kai sat in his wheelchair, his injury covered with bandages, face a mask of stoic calm. He felt their eyes on him, their words of sympathy doing little to ease the pain in his heart. The village elder approached him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Everything will be alright, Kai," he said, his voice gentle yet firm. "We're all here for you."

The villagers began the grim task of burying Emily. Kai watched from a distance, his gaze fixed on the sight of his mother's body being lowered into the ground by their burned-down house. Each shovel of dirt that fell onto her grave felt like a physical blow, making his heart ache with a pain he had never known before.

"It's all my fault… If only I had…" Kai thought to himself, as he continued to observe the event.

After it was done, the village chief, Eadric Fletcher, came over to him. "Kai, come with me," he said, leading him to his house. Kai simply nodded, his mind still reeling from the events of the day. Once at the chief's house, the village chief offered him some water and sat down with him. His voice was soft as he spoke, "Your mother's death was very shocking to everyone. She was a very cheerful woman." Kai couldn't do anything, but listen to him while lowering his head. "Even after your father's death, she worked hard to raise you. But… she had a secret, which she wanted for you to know."

Upon hearing this, Kai looked at the chief, his heart pounding in his chest. The chief went to another room. "Something she wanted me to know…?" Kai wondered aloud.

Soon, the chief came back and handed him a letter. "You should read it, Kai. Your life is going to change now," he said, leaving Kai alone with the letter.

As the chief left, Kai opened the letter. His heart pounded in his chest as he unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the words written in Emily's neat handwriting. As he read the letter, his mind raced with questions and anticipation.