Capítulo 2: A Woman Named Marie
"Huh? Who's that handsome guy?" Phen asked as he stared at the blurry image of a young man on the surface of the hot, bubbling liquid in front of him.
A few seconds later, his eyes brightened in "realization."
"Isn't that...me?!"
Phen Morroc guffawed as he combed his white hair upward.
He looked like a buffoon, but the people wearing ragged clothes passing by didn't seem to mind. To them, this was just an everyday thing.
Though one should not mistake their nonchalance for disbelief.
Phen's words were not empty.
He really was someone with attractive features. For a 15-year-old boy, he looked mature, and this was definitely a source of charm. He had a well-chiseled jawline and a pointy nose. He had deep brown eyes that exuded confidence, and his lips, although a bit chapped, hid a certain type of plumpness. His white hair that contrasted his tanned skin looked odd, but it was quite unique amongst their people.
On top of all that, he was a good cook, relatively speaking, which made him even more popular with the ladies.
….
In no time, the aroma of the soup that Phen was cooking began to permeate the air. It wafted towards the noses of the people and tickled their taste buds. Some of them had even started to drool.
"Oh, it's almost done," Phen said as he stirred even faster. A grin spread across his face as he made sure that the spices he had added would be evenly mixed.
After another minute, the food was cooked. "Alright, guys. Time to eat!"
The passersby immediately stopped and formed a line, their speed comparable to that of their warriors falling into formation. They weren't just wandering around earlier. They had been waiting for the food to finish cooking so that they could be the first ones to get their share.
Their antics indeed paid off.
Phen distributed the food with a smile. And as he was doing so, he did not forget to have a small chat with each person.
There was not a person Phen could not get along with. Be it young or old, he had a certain way with them. Given any situation, he would always find a way to strike a conversation with a person.
….
Phen was chatting with a lady around his age when he suddenly heard someone yawn beside him.
"Sweet! The food's ready!" the person who had just arrived said. His eyes were a bit droopy and his black hair was ruffled, probably because he just woke up from sleeping. He wasn't particularly handsome like Phen, but based on how effortlessly he was carrying himself, it looked like he was not someone who cared about self-presentation.
The guy with droopy eyes, for some reason, was holding on to a bowl and a ladle even though he was never handed one. And, out of nowhere, he started scooping large portions of the food with a blank face.
Phen rolled his eyes. Without warning, he smacked the back of the person's head, making him yelp in pain.
"What the…what was that for?!"
Phen confiscated the bowl and ladle before pointing towards the people who were falling in line with his thumb, "back of the line, Rem."
"Eh?! But I'm already hungry," the guy named Rem grumbled feigning a pitiful look, "you know I work early and it just burns my energy."
Phen sighed. He couldn't deny what the guy just said. Rem did work early. As a patrolman, he needed to wake up at midnight to take his shift. Moreover, he was someone who volunteered to do that for the security of their people. Most patrolmen were forced to be one.
Phen pretended to look conflicted, even though his mind was already set, just to make it difficult for Rem.
After a few moments, he shoved a fair portion into Rem's bowl before returning it to him.
"Alright fine. Here, have my share."
"Hehe," Rem laughed cheekily, "I know you can't resist me."
"Oh shut up."
Rem devoured the food that was just given to him. He even greedily slurped on the soup that was dripping by the corner of his lips.
….
While the white-haired cook was bickering with the young patrolman, an old man wobbled by the side of the large pot. He was smiling and was waiting patiently to be served. Phen had only remembered that he was still on duty when Rem started gesturing awkwardly towards the old man.
"Mr. Mako!" Phen greeted, "how's your body? Are you feeling better now?"
"Haha," the old man tried his best to straighten his body, attempting to show off his renewed strength. "Of course. Your parents are really good doctors, after all."
Phen beamed at the good news and responded respectfully, "I know. They're great."
"You know, young man," the old man said as he received the bowl of soup that Phen handed over, "in the few years that you have been cooking for us, this one right here is my favorite."
Phen looked at the old man with a smile. However, beneath his gaze was that of pity.
He had naturally been acting. He was not happy. Rather, he felt sad.
He was perceptive enough to see that Mr. Mako wasn't as healthy as he claimed to be. Even after his parents had done their best, they just couldn't restore the old man's lungs that were ravaged by the dust-ridden environment they had been living in. Mainly because they didn't have enough resources.
"I'm glad that this handsome young man has served you well," Phen bowed exaggeratingly, making the old man chuckle.
As the old man wobbled away, Phen looked towards the sky.
It was still noon, and the two suns were high up in the sky, peeking through the clouds. Yet, they didn't give enough light as he expected them to.
No...Phen reminded himself. The suns of the planet they were living in had always been that way. They made the place look dull and lifeless. He just wasn't used to it.
Even after 15 years.
….
Phen had finally served the last person on the line. The only people who hadn't eaten yet were him, his parents, and their warriors.
Knowing his parents, he decided to feed them last. They didn't want to be disturbed and would usually eat late anyway.
"Hey Rem, help me carry this pot, will you?" Phen asked.
The two lifted the pot and moved it all the way to the back. As they got closer to their destination, they started hearing the resolute grunting of men and women.
The sound of the heavy blows they were exchanging made Rem cringe.
The people who were sparring with each other were the warriors of their small community. Essence Practitioners as they would call them. They were responsible for protecting and putting food on their plates by hunting wild animals and Faros.
As they fought, green flames covered their hands, reaching up to their elbows.
By the side, a huge man was slammed hard on the ground. The air was knocked out of him and he struggled to prop himself up. The person who had managed the throw, a woman, had to assist him for him to be able to get up.
"That's all for today," the woman declared as he patted the big guy on his back.
As soon as she saw Phen and Rem carrying a large black pot, her eyes widened in excitement. She waved her hand to greet the two.
Phen looked at the middle-aged woman with a toned body. Her name was Yna Rolfe. Out of all their 17 warriors, she was the strongest. Considering her high affinity to the elemental law of fire which she, herself, did not know about, it was only natural. Her diligence had only made her better.
Phen lifted the lid of the pot and he immediately began scooping portions for the exhausted warriors.
For the past four years, except for the three recruits who replaced those who died, their warriors were pretty much the same. Because of this, Phen had already memorized all of their habits and personalities. Consequently, based on what he knew about them, he could also determine which laws they were most compatible with.
Though he never really shared his thoughts.
After all, how would a kid like him know about cultivation?
He could only continue observing and cheering them as they practiced Earthflame Arts, a cultivation technique the forefathers of their community found somewhere.
Phen shook his head. When he was alone with his thoughts, he would almost always end up thinking about cultivation. For the past 15 years of his current existence, he had failed to get rid of that bad habit.
Well, he couldn't blame himself either.
In his previous life, for an entire millennium, it was all that he thought about and it became as common as breathing and eating to him.
Phen's thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard someone scream. Looking at the confused warriors' faces, he realized that it wasn't just him who heard it. He immediately closed the pot then rushed back along with the others.
There were only a few tents in the area where their people gathered, and they immediately found the woman who screamed. However, now, she was surrounded by people and was weeping.
Phen could barely make out her figure through the crowd, though he could see clearly that the woman was holding onto a limp hand and was crying her eyes out.
He immediately understood.
"May you rest well in eternal slumber, Mr. Mako," Phen whispered under his breath.
….
Phen opened his eyes. It was already nighttime. The light of the moon peeked through the large glass window of his room, vaguely illuminating it. He got out of his bed and slowly walked towards the windowsill.
As he approached the light, his features became clearer.
His skin was pale white, completely in contrast with his black hair that slightly curled. His eyes were a deep yellow color and his nose was pointy.
He was the handsome prince in every woman's fantasy, though he was still quite young.
Phen was wearing a fine silk robe that glistened in the dimly lit room.
Slowly, the doorknob turned and the door opened slightly, just enough for the visitor to sneak in.
Her young feminine voice echoed within the room as she giggled. She slowly approached Phen with mirth in her eyes. "You cooked for the people again? Y'know…I'm surprised."
"That's my job," Phen replied with a laugh.
"They were all smiling while they ate. Must've been tasty."
"Well, we're talking about 'my' cooking so that is only natural. But I still couldn't compare to you."
"Soon, the apprentice will surpass the master."
"I doubt."
The two laughed together. They looked at each other dearly as if only the two of them existed in the world.
One could immediately tell that the two were deeply in love.
The kind that was extremely pure.
"But I don't understand something," the young woman reached for Phen's hand before staring deeply into his eyes. After a pause, she asked…
"Why are you doing this?"
Phen's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He didn't know what she meant. "I just told you…this is my duty."
The woman shook her head.
"You could help them," she said. "But you choose not to."
With these words, Phen finally understood. He couldn't look into the woman's eyes, so he turned away. He was sad, but he didn't feel any guilt.
"You could provide a better life for these pe—"
"I don't want to be a tool anymore!" Phen snapped at the woman, stunning her.
Silence enveloped the two.
He felt bad for yelling, but he wanted to show her that his decision was firm.
"I just…" Phen breathed shakily, "I just want to live my life. For once, I want to be a person, not a tool."
"This life may just be a pebble among a bed of rocks compared to my previous life, but I'll make sure that tiny pebble weighs the heaviest."
The woman did not respond to what Phen said.
She surrendered.
She patted Phen's hands to calm him down before she advised, "Just remember. Not everyone wants to use you, Phen."
After speaking once more, the woman started aging at a visible rate, her hair slowly graying.
Phen realized that his time with her was up.
The hand he was holding onto began to shrink. The vitality within them was disappearing, only leaving her flesh and bones.
"Marie…"
He desperately clung to her, his eyes filled with agony.
The woman named Marie gave him one more gentle smile before finally fading into stardust.
"It's okay."
Her last words echoed in the room.
Even though he could no longer see her, Phen could still imagine her smile as she said those words.
Just like she usually would, every single day.
….
Phen woke up.
He was back in his shabby tent.
Although his tears were flowing down the sides of his face, he remained unmoving.
He stared blankly as he reminisced.
He had forgotten every single person in his previous life to start anew, except her.
….
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder