3

In a foreign land where huge multiple mountain ranges can be seen and a large unending field full of unknown plants grows, an old rusty car can be seen running in its unpaved road. Through the window, we saw a man in his 30s driving the car, and behind him was a boy wrapped in bandages from his poking ginger-hair until the tip of his toe.

The sound of a cranky mechanical engine, a Rocky Road, and poor driving skills woke the young man.

The young man regains consciousness and slowly opens his brown eyes, magical as it is as the sunlight passes through his pupil it glows golden in color but soon returns to its normal state. The boy tried to move his body but his whole body was screaming in pain. Painful as it is, the boy couldn't even scream as his sight slowly dwindled.

(Panting~) (huff~)(huf~)

He soon adjusted to the painful feeling he has with his body he tried to move but his current strength can't support his whole body and with his present strength, he only managed to lift his right arm and saw the bandages wrapped around it. The boy tried to check his surroundings, but he couldn't even tilt his head or even look at his reflection in the car's windows, only he could roll his eyes and stare at the car's interior.

Suddenly a man's voice called up to him.

"Don't try to get up, your body is in a very bad condition Rustain" Mysterious Man

"How did you... Who are y---" Rustain

(Cough!) (cough!)

Rustain couldn't finish what he was going to say because of his throat being sore. But to every pain, he felt his eyes would turn gold without him noticing. But the man gave him a warm smile.

He was born with brown-hair before but now it's become ginger and his tan skin became lighter only his brown eyes remain. It's as if he was in a different body. Rustain's body that is.

The morning sun continued to beam over the antic looking car as it ran on the road.

In front of Rustain was a guy driving the car. The person has a well-built physique, silver hair, tan skin, and deep blue colored eyes. He is dressed in white long sleeve polo, black pants, and old school design shoes.

"Don't worry we're headed to a hospital right now, we'll find a healer there and treat your wounds" Mysterious Man

The rear mirror view of the car reflected the uneasy face of Rustain in return the mirror also reflected the Mysterious Man's face as he frowned his eyes showing that he felt guilty but changed this by giving a tender warm smile to Rustain as he continued his talk.

"You can be at ease Rustain, I'm Rouge, a contracted mercenary of your mother and my job right now is to protect you until I can send you to a trusted place. So rest assured you're in great hands" Rouge/Mysterious Man

*A contracted Mercenary?! How did this man know my mother, having a lot of questions right now makes me more anxious for answers... But with all the energy and strength left in my body, I can only ask one* Thoughts of Rustain

"Where's my mother?" Rustain mumbled, but enough for Rouge to hear.

Rouge's warm smile faded as he went back to driving and ignoring Rustain's question he set his eyes locked on the road.

Minutes have passed but there was no reply from Rouge and that's all Rustain needed to know for him to understand that everything is not a nightmare. That moment Rustain is flooded with emotion the sadness and anger of losing someone he loves to the mysterious assailant and the rage clouded his mind but one thing is certain he cried, that's the only way he was able to express all of his feelings and when that happened Rustain's eyes responded to his emotion it glowed gold in color for a second.

(Sniff!) (groan) (sniff!)

*I promise, I'll harvest vengeance when the bounty is full* Thoughts of Rustain

In agony, he told himself.

••••••••••

|Road to Shkatle|

The antic-looking car carried Rouge within along with Rustain who managed to stop himself from crying further and the crying sound that filled the car soon vanished and only left is the cranking of the engine can be heard.

The road where they are driving was a rocky one and as Rouge continues to drive over the messy road the groans of Rustain in pain grow louder.

"Mmmm!!" Rustain

"Just hang on, we're almost out of this pathway, bear with it!" Rouge

(Groan)

The groaning of Rustain continued to get louder soon the first aid Rouge applied to Rustaind slowly became useless as the wrapped bandages are slowly turning red, Rustains wound reopen especially on his shoulders and waist the spreading of blood is much faster there, the pain of the reopened wound send a continuous shock to Rustains body.

*I just need to bear with the pain and trust this Rouge guy, I don't have a single choice for the moment, but this pain will soon be overbearing even for me, I could feel my insides screaming* Thoughts of Rustain

Rustain clenched his teeth trying to stop his mind from drifting away or to be taken over by the pain, but out of nowhere while on his back Rustain suddenly spewed blood out of his mouth, and coughing repeatedly soon followed.

"Cough!!... Cough!!" Rustain

(Cough) (cough) (splattered blood)

"Crap!! Hang on I'll be there" Rouge

Rouge immediately stopped the car and went to Rustain's side, Rouge assisted Rustain's head by elevating it to prevent the blood from going back to his throat and suffocating him.

"This should do it for now just a few kilometers and we'll reach Shkatle city" Rouge

Through an intense moment, Rustain managed to stop coughing blood and gave Rouge a sense of relief. Rouge placed a soft cushion on Rustain's head without prior notice. A strong gust of wind suddenly passed by Rouge's hair making it flow as it entered the car.

*Was I imagining for a moment I felt a sudden surge of energy passed by* thoughts of Rouge

Before going back to his seat he looked around and scouted the area for people but only the tall grasses, trees, and other plants that dance with the singing of the wind can be seen and no other near life forms can be detected by Rouge.

"The sun is almost setting, we're gonna arrive in the hospital by nightfall, so just hang on Rustain" Rouge said warmly.

Rouge was about to close the car's door but then Rustain suddenly grabbed Rouge by the hand, this made Rouge panicked because of the fact that his joints in the arm are dislocated and some fractured with deep cuts, the bandages slowly sucks the blood of Rustain as his wounds bleed.

"Can I trust you!?" Rustain

Rustain looked Rouge straight in the eyes. As if he was an animal in the slaughterhouses hoping to escape Death's door.

"Is that even a question!?, of course, you can trust me and it's okay also not to, but what's important right now is for you to believe in me, believe that I'll put you in safety" Rouge

Rouge went back inside the car, started the engine, and continued their travel to the hospital.

The trip lasted 3 hours and it was already 17:00 when they arrived at the hospital. The hospital is located in a small city called Shkatle, a land inhabited by Sidhe, a subclass of fairy species that excels at the art of medicine.

'Alchemy is a type of magic that utilizes mana and science to achieve in obtaining the very essence of healing magic.'

The route to enter the city is surrounded by large walls but inside modern infrastructure is built, and even though it's already night the roads are still flocking with people and cars, cars that are much more decent than the one Rouge uses.

"Rustain we are here, I'll go get help" Rouge

"Yes," Rustain answers back to Rouge, this lightens the tension between the two.

Rouge left with a warm smile and rushed inside the hospital.

|Shkatle Hospital |

The inside of the hospital is designed in modern architecture, there is a lobby, a counter made out of quartz, and modern looking doctors and nurses but only one thing that differs is everyone has pointy ears.

As Rouge looked around the lobby he immediately saw a familiar face.

"Hey, Frieza!! it's been a long time, I need your help" Rouge said as he waved his hand.

The blonde doctor standing by the counter reviewing some case files turned around as she heard Rouge's voice...

"Look who showed up, you better be here to pay your debt of 100 gold coins, and else I'll beat you to death." Frieza said and gave Rouge a smug face at the same time her eyes glowed bright yellow as to when she was attempting to start a fight as she walked closer to Rouge.

"Wait!? I have more pressing matters to deal with, I really need your help!" Rouge said.

Rouge pulled out a black card from his left pocket and immediately gave it to Frieza. Rouge's attitude became intense as he handed over the card.

Frieza's eyes tripled in size when she saw the card, her hand trembled trying to hold it with her right hand, she glared at Rouge, he avoided Frieza's eyes as he bit his own lips showing how angry he was for his mistakes.

Frieza looked at Rouge as she waited for him to answer an expected question at the moment.

"It was two days ago, she called me but when I got there it was too late, tried to get her body but after securing her son's life a dozen people showed up and after that, couldn't even retrieve her. Her son needs your help." Rouge

He whispered when explaining the situation to Frieza, Frieza's face showed resentment towards Rouge.

"You bastard, Her son!! You can't even call Rustain properly, you're the worst kind of scums. Did you forget the price when passing the rift!" Frieza

Frieza grabs Rouge by the collar, her eyes glowed deep blue this time and murderous intent leaked around her body but Rouge just stands there letting her blame him, Rouge also feels the same.

"The sacrifice is worth it, the only regret I have is the inability of arriving sooner, if I did things would be different." Rouge said with conviction but to Frieza it was something else and gave Rouge a disgusted look.

*if just I have arrived faster, I broke my oath in the hopes I could save them both, but I don't regret it, I manage to save Rustain, at least that it be my retribution to be with him* Rouge

"Umm..?? Doctor, what's wrong who is this guy?" Random Nurse

One of the nurses (bystander) approaches Frieza, she immediately lets go of Rouge collar and sends off the nurse.

"So where is her son? Knowing you would not go here if it wasn't serious, lead the way and tell me the case" Frieza

Frieza asked as she continued to follow Rouge outside the hospital.

|Outside|

"His inside this car! A Server case!" Rouge

Rouge pointed at the shabby antic looking car.

"Can't believe you drove him with that thing. Cheap bastard" Frieza

••••••••••

Rustain waited for roughly ten minutes inside the car then suddenly the door above his head opened. It was Frieza a Sidhe that opened the door and the lifeless eyes of Rustain suddenly got its lights back beaming with curiosity.

Frieza wore reading glasses, white long sleeve polo, a pencil skirt, and a lab-grown. She has blonde hair that is tied from the back keeping a neat look, emerald eyes looking straight at Rustain, a pinkish skin, and long pointed ears.

"Stop staring like that young man is this your first time you've seen a SIDHE!?" Frieza

*she looked like the fantasy elf in one of my favorite games* Rustain

Rustain though as he continued to stare. His eyes beamed with curiosity as if he had forgotten the sadness in his heart.

"Hey, it's going to sting for a bit, oh I forgot to introduce myself I'm Frieza, just call me Aunt Fri your mother and I are best friends." Frieza

Frieza grabs a small sealed syringe in her right pocket and a small bottle of sedative in the left pocket. She immediately filled the syringe with enough dose for Rustain to lose consciousness.

"Huh?! What are you going to do with that?!" Rustain

Sidhe aimed the syringe needle on the left shoulder of Rustain and injected it. For the first time, Rustain felt the flow of magic in his body although he didn't know what it is all he can describe as a warm and soothing feeling.

"Calm down it's a Magic SED this will make the transferring process easier" Frieza

*Did she just say Magic!?* Rustain

Soon Rustain falls into slumber and two men in white coats walk in with a hospital bed where Rustain will be transferred.

"Okay boys gently transfer the patient it's a level 5 severity, treat the patient like a hunter that is injured from an 'A-class' dungeon" Frieza

"Yes ma'am!!" Synchronize tone

The two men then proceeded in taking the proper measures to address Rustain's case Rouge on the other hand approached the doctor.

"Hey, Frieza what happened to your cheeks?!" Rouge said and pointed out the blood that is dripping down her cheeks. Frieza mysteriously got a small cut just below her left eyes.

"Ah??! Where did I get this?" Frieza

Frieza immediately cast a healing spell on her cheeks.

"/Hylios Gran/"

As she invoked a spell, the wound on her cheeks disappeared instantly.

"Seriously a Holy spell Frieza and a 6th tier spell too top it off, what a show-off, just for a scratch" Rouge

Rouge followed where Rustain was being transferred. Frieza was left alone outside the buffer to what happened to her.

*What in the world was that like?! No more importantly I'm coated with 6th tier magic barrier how did that happen I couldn't even feel a thing that's is before Rouge pointed it out.* Frieza

••••••••••

*What is this feeling?! So cold so empty, it feels as if I'm sinking, damn I can't feel my body.* Rustain

He is struggling inside his mind, unable to move and a few moments pass he is able to manage and open his eyes and sees nothing but pitch black of nothingness. Rustain slowly regained his bodily functions.

"Where is this? Hello anyone there!!?" Rustain

*My body it's not hurting anymore. The longer I remain in this place the more nostalgic I feel, but what makes me feel the longing for this place, anyway everything is just absolute darkness* Rustain

"This is driving me crazy!!" Rustain

Rustain sat down just waiting and hoping that everything will be l revealed soon, but the longer he remains the shorter his patience gets.

"Ughh..!!!! Where is this!! How in the world did I end up here in the first place the last thing I remembered is the elf-like creature injecting me with something and the weird black smoke hovering around me" Ristain

Rustain shouted to the top of his lungs hoping someone will get him out of there. Now he can fully move his body he tried to run to the other side but endless darkness covered the place.

Rustain stopped running when the floor where he was standing started to crack.

"What was that?!.. AHHHH!!!!" Rustain

Suddenly voices of young children laughing field the empty space. The floor where Ruatain was standing started to crumble. He was caught with it, he shouted as loud as he could.

At the end of where Rustain is falling blinding light coated the end.

(Stud!)

Rustain appeared to have landed on solid ground, he instantly shaded his eyes from the sunlight as if it was his first time being exposed to one.

*Ugh. Where am I?! The floor just started to fall apart all of a sudden* Rustain

Around where He landed Rustain is surrounded by kids playing around the playground. He noticed that from afar most of the people around as blonde, hazel, and brown hair.

*Where is this?! Wait are those women wearing 18th-century dresses? This seems very hard to grasp the situation, but what's happening over there?* Rustain

Rustain saw from afar a ginger-haired kid being bullied by other children. Some called him names and some who are far worse threw rocks at the kid.

"Freak!!!, your family should have stayed where you belong, just seeing your disable mother makes me puke, FREAK!" Child 1

one of the kids said to the kid who is being bullied, Behind those said children their parents just laughed at the scene of bullying.

Children continue to throw rocks at the kid Rustain who saw this can't help himself but to rush over to aid the ginger hair child.

"Hey!! Stop that!?" Rustain

Rustain went in between the kids in an attempt to stop them from continuing. One of the kids threw a rock but to Rustain's surprise, it passed through him as if he was not there.

"What?!" Rustain

*What in the world!! Am I in someone's memory?* Rustain

The women behind the children continued to watch and some gossip to their heart's content while others just laughed as they watched their children bullying the ginger hair boy.

"Hey isn't that child the son of Latiza household" Bad mother 1

The one in the pink dress said in a disgusted manner.

"Yeah, the new immigrants," said the blue dress woman.

*Who is he? Latiza?* Rustain

Rustain felt pity while looking at the child. Rocks continued to be thrown at the child and Rustain was there helpless.

But in the midst of it, the kid lifted his head then looked directly stared at Rustain's eyes. It startled Rustain even though in his mind he knows it's all a memory but he can't shake off the feeling that this child really knows he is there in front of him.

"SHJ₱&&₱#-#-#-!MF" Ginger child

The child's voice was static this made Rustain unable to understand why the kid was talking about.

The kid suddenly stood up and held Rustain's right hand the moment their skin came in contact five meters surrounding Rustain's body suddenly fell into this suffocating pressure that put Rustain into his knees and to feel the sensation of being choked.

Rustain panicked and tried to grasp some air but it didn't help, he can feel his lungs being squeezed and the longer it gets the harder it is for him to breathe.

Rustain clenched his fist against my chest and looked at the face of the child, he wanted to ask him to stop but the sound of his voice won't come out from his mouth, he was helpless and desperately reaching his hand out to the child, but the kid stood up and bypassed him.

Instantly screams filled Rustain head, when turned around the blood of the women and children who bullied the child slowly gushing down from their necks as the child mercilessly slaughtered everyone in the park with only the use of his small hands but those who tried to run away was chased by him only to meet a gruesome death.

The child turned his gaze toward Ristain and smiled, it is when his dark black eyes glowed bright blue, he laughed a little, and that moment sent shivers down Rustain's spine. He started to walk towards Rustain and placed his right hand on his throat then he whispered something to Rustain's ear.

"Don't leave me behind" ginger child

The kid said, looking directly in the eyes. He has this very domineering aura against Rustain...

The child swiftly slides his hand at Rustain's throat.

*wait is he going to kill me?!! I can't move the body it's stuck on place* Rustain

(Cough!) (Cough!)

Rustain's throat was slit open by the child and blood flowed down into his shirt.

*My throat feels hot, what happened?, I can feel my strength fading, is this death?? This is far worse pain than I ever felt I can't even scream.* Rustain.

Rustain became paler and paler until he fell flat to the ground blood continued to spew from Rustan's neck it continued until Rustain took his final breath.

••••••

|Hospital Room|

(Huf!!) (Huff!!) (Puff!!)

"It's all a dream!!, it's all a dream!" Rustain

As Rustain woke up he immediately gasps for air and noticed he is in a hospital room

*Where is this?! A hospital? Ugh... My head hurts, what is this?? These memories, my memories, everything is not a dream, my mother is dead and some people want me dead! If I remember correctly there is someone named Rouge he saved me that night where is he?* Rustain

Rustain thought to himself of all the events that have happened to him, all of it flashing right in front of him as if he re-enacted those painful moments.

Rustain noticed yet another unbelievable thing he noticed every wound and bone fractures he had vanished, no trace remained as if his body was changed to another.

*Amazing how on earth? Wait why is this my skin?!* Rustain

"My skin is lighter!! What the hell is going on" Rustain

Rustain tried to get off his bed, the moment he stood his feet wobbled. Rustain looked around and saw Rouge sleeping next to the window. He approached the window and saw his reflection which shocked Rustain.

"AHHH!!?? What is this!!?" Rustain

That moment Rouge woke up on high alert he immediately drew his sword and stood on guard.

"Rustain!? what happened!?" Rouge

•••••••