16 Moving Day
4 Months Later...
The sounds of moving furniture and orders being barked can be heard from the first floor. Lucian's room is cleared of all personal items. Three boxes rest on the floor by the doorway, filled with toys, books, and various other possessions. The wind howls outside as Winter comes to full bloom in the Kingdom of Aesludor.
Lucian is now 4 years old. His appearance has not changed, the same being for his stats. He has continued training every single day with no stat increase, a consequence of the limitations of his childish body. Lucian's relationships with others have diminished over the recent months due to him speaking the bare minimum and keeping his thoughts to himself. Though, this hasn't affected him in the least, as his focus isn't on socializing but becoming stronger.
'It's time to leave, I guess.'
Lucian rises from bed, his feet touching the cold hardwood floors. His eyes look to his trusty tunic, one of the only pieces of clothing he owns, it's once fine seams now frayed from countless days of laboring. Grabbing the tunic, he begins to strip from his sleepwear.
"Lucian, are you up yet?" Layla asks, her voice passing through the doorway.
The door swings open, following her voice.
"Hey!" Lucian shouts at Layla's sudden intrusion.
Layla's eyes can't seem to move from Lucian's body as her face blushes a bright red color.
"S-sorry!" Layla screams, realizing her mistake, quickly shutting the door.
Layla's back slides against the door as she drops to the ground from the sudden rush of emotions.
"You could at least say you're changing before you force me to see that!" She shouts at Lucian with anger.
The door opens behind Layla, making her fall backward from the unexpected action.
"You could at least knock before barging into a man's room." Lucian retorts.
"Hmph!" Layla grunts, her face pouting at his remark.
"You'll get wrinkles if you keep pouting like that." Lucian snarks at her.
Lucian's expression goes back to a neutral state.
"What did you need me for?" He asks.
Layla pauses for a moment before replying.
"I wanted to talk to you. Since you're leaving n' all..." She responds with a tinge of sadness.
Lucian looks over Layla's expression, not knowing how to respond.
'It's my fault for letting her get attached. I'm a monster for letting the poor girl think we were truly friends. I protected her, but only because my fucked up head made me imagine that she was Julie.'
She takes Lucian's silence as him waiting for her to continue.
"Can we sit on the bed?" Layla asks.
Lucian sits on the bed with Layla sitting close next to him.
She pauses, taking a deep breath.
"You're the only real friend I've ever had, even if you're an idiot who never wants to play. I'm still your friend."
"You beat those guys up who wanted to hurt me that night, and now the only time I feel safe is when you're around. So I don't know what I'm going to do when you leave..."
"Thank you for always being by my side, even when I'm mean to you."
Childish tears run down Layla's cheeks as the fever dream of having her first friend starts coming to a close before her eyes.
"Momma said that they're taking you away because you can do magic."
Layla takes another deep breath before wiping her tears away.
"One day, I'll be able to do magic. So I never have to say goodbye again."
Lucian's mouth opens wide, hearing those words and seeing the determination in her eyes.
Layla hugs him in a one-sided embrace as he is too shocked at her childish dream to move a muscle.
'I really am a monster. Haha. I can't believe I would be so naïve to allow someone to feel this way about me. What will she feel when I burn this world to the ground for Atrioch. I can't think about it. I can't be soft. I need to be strong. But maybe I can just be selfish for a moment and just enjoy some of the things I never had in my life?'
A few moments pass before Layla lets go of Lucian.
"Your mom sent me up to get you, but I got a bit selfish, I guess..."
'See being selfish is okay...'
Layla shyly gets off the bed and starts to walk towards the door, turning to Lucian before walking out.
Lucian stands and grabs his boxes of possessions before heading down a few steps behind her.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the noises of moving have ceased, and the sounds of the Marquis' deep voice reach the stairwell.
Opening the door, Marquis Harald and Lucian's parents stand in a semicircle conversing.
"Thank you so much, my lord. The move would have been much harder without your men." Siegfried says, bowing his head in thanks.
"No need for thanks. Your son's apprenticeship to me dictates that such care should be given to his family." Harald responds with a smile.
"Creak!" The door shuts behind Lucian.
Hearing the door's noise, the Marquis turns around to face Lucian, his smile widening.
"Lucian! What a great time for you to come down. We have just finished loading everything, and it is time for us to depart." Harald says enthusiastically.
Lucian nods.
The family walks towards the shop door, Lilith and Siegfried taking one last look before getting into a horse-drawn carriage parked in front of the exit.
As the last inside, Lucian pauses in the doorway. His hand grips against the doorframe, feeling the texture of the wood one last time before he shuts the door.
A convoy comes into view as Lucian turns towards the road. Two horse-drawn carriages in front and a supply wagon filled with boxes in the rear. At least twenty armed soldiers surround the small convoy, split between the vehicles and about a dozen on horseback positioned in a circular formation.
Lucian tosses his boxes into the back of the wagon, nodding to the wagon's driver while doing so.
He then walks towards his parent's wagon to depart.
"You will be riding with me. We have much to discuss, Apprentice." Marquis Harald says in a commanding tone.
"Oh, alright." Lucian replies with curiosity.
He enters the carriage behind Harald as a solemn atmosphere engulfs the small room.
"Hyah!" The carriage driver shouts, kicking the horses into action.
The carriage begins moving, Layla waves to the convoy until it moves out of view. Lucian watches all the while.
