Atlas' Day

-The Town of Voltin, 12 Years Ago, Atlas age 5-

"Alright Atlas ya ready?"

It was my first day of school, and I was incredibly anxious. However, the sound of my father's voice calmed my nerves.

"Ye— yes I am…"

I was horrified of strangers back then, they always treated me like some sort of animal… they never stopped at something small like insults.

"Well then let's get going.' My father said while smiling at me.

I never knew whether or not he realized how I was treated by the townspeople. Perhaps he did and that's why he showered me with affection.

The second we left the store I could immediately feel the stares, little me thought it was because of the scar… I hated that scar, I used to try and scratch it off, believing it would fix that problem.

The closer we got to the school the more scared I became, I started to shake, and my legs felt weak…

"I'm so excited, my little man is finally taking the first big step in his life." My father said joyfully.

He was the only bright thing in my dull world, he always cheered me up and treated me like an irreplaceable son.

My father noticed me trembling and grabbed my hand, which calmed me down a lot, I felt safer when he did that… however, we soon reached the school, and I wasn't as nervous.

"This is far as I can go alright," my father said as he gave me a nudge.

I looked around… I saw other parents waving to their children as they walked into the building.

"Come on hurry up!" Dad said loudly as he started nudging me again.

I began to walk toward the others, my nerves slowly returning to me.

"I'll meet ya here later alright!" he called out to me.

"Yep!" I called back, giving him a wave… I noticed a slight smile on his face, I smiled back before turning around and making my way inside.

By the time I entered, nobody was around, looking down the hallway I noticed a woman that seemed to be guiding the others into one of the rooms. I hurriedly made my way there, she noticed me, however, as I was getting closer she gave me the cold shoulder and closed the door behind her.

"Huh…" I said anxiously…

Silence filled the air, what was that just now?… I made my way back to the main entrance but there was no one behind the desk.

"Uh, Hello?" I called out, hoping someone would answer.

No one replied.

"Ugh! I can't believe myself! Sleeping in on a day like this!" I heard someone say frustrated and angrily as the doors to the building swung open, causing a loud noise. I wouldn't be surprised if the handles left a dent in the wall.

"Which way is it!?" said a girl nervously… she had long bright blonde hair with half-up twin tails, I think that's what they're called, her hair wasn't tied at the back.

I noticed she was looking around frantically while glancing at something in her hands, she then noticed me and began making her way over.

"You lost as well?" she asked me.

"… oh uh, no not really." Why is she looking at me like that?

It wasn't like a weird look but she didn't have a face of disgust or anger at all...

She tilted her head.

"What do you mean not really?… do you know where the classroom is?" she asked me again, slightly confused.

"Well, I saw them go into that room," I replied while pointing toward the door they went through.

"Oh that so, thank you." She said turning around and quickly walking to the door.

I let out a disappointed sigh as I turned back around.

"Maybe I should just wait here until the day's over…" I mumbled to myself.

But Dad would be upset, he looked so excited this morning.

~~~~

"I'm so excited, my little man is finally taking the first big step in his life."

~~~~

As I remembered what my father said I felt a heavy force strike the top of my head.

"Ow!"

I turn around to see what hit me… it was the girl from before.

"Wha— "Don't tell me you're already skipping class on the first day!"

As I tried to ask what she was doing she immediately cut me off with a stern and serious tone.

"No I wasn— "Just come on already!" she cut me off again as she snatched me by my wrist, pulling me.

She was headed to the room I pointed at. we quickly reached the door. she knocked on it. the door began to open, I instinctively looked down at my feet… I was used to avoiding eye contact with grown-ups.

"Ah! Fraya, I was wondering where you were." The woman said in a happy tone.

So her name's Fraya… Wait! Isn't that the Knight Commanders' daughter!?

"I accidentally slept in… sorry," Fraya said with a slight chuckle.

"That's very irresponsible of you, especially of someone with your standing, you know better!" the woman said in a serious tone as if it was her mother.

"Yeah, I know…" After saying that Fraya turned away from the woman… as if to hide her face. I couldn't see the expression she was making.

"Ah!" I yelped.

What I did realize though was that her grip on my wrist had become incredibly tight.

"Oh sorry!" she quickly said while letting go of me.

"… hurry on in then," the woman said.

I immediately noticed that the woman's expression changed from a happy, warm face to a cold, disgusted one… it was as if she was saying, 'What the hell is Fraya doing with a piece of shit like you'

We then both made our way in to the room, as I walked by, the woman backed away slightly. Once I was inside I looked around, all the others were already sitting in chairs talking in groups.

The second they noticed Fraya all their faces lit up, both the boys and girls… I stood there staring until I walked over to one of the three chairs that hadn't been moved.

"Hey Fraya, what were you doing with that."

"You've heard who it is right?"

"it might get weird ideas you know."

As I picked up the chair I heard everyone around her asking those questions… they weren't even being cautious about it. I then turn around to move my chair closer to everyone but feel a heavy pressure on me. It felt like I was being pierced by daggers.

I place the chair down still a fair ways away from everyone and sit on it, soon they looked away and gave all their attention back to Fraya.

After a while I slowly peeked at what everyone was doing, it looked like Fraya was overwhelmed by everything that was being said.

"Okay everyone, take your seats!" the woman said.

"Hey I'll grab your seat for you!" said one of the other girls as she grabbed the second chair behind me, paying me no mind.

"Oh you didn't ha— "It's fine don't worry!" Fraya was cut off by the same girl who got her the chair

I noticed she was still looking toward me, there was a confused expression on her face. She started to open her mouth to say something.

"Fraya sit down please." The woman said.

Not wanting to get in trouble even more she sat down, a little defeated… I wonder why.

"Okay, first, I would like to welcome you all to the first day of your lower education. You'll be learning many different topics and skills that will help you through life so take this seriously. And for this year I'll be your teacher, you may call me Miss Foli… are there any questions as of now?"

"…"

So she's our teacher, well that makes sense. After those words, the entire class got quiet and started paying attention. I kept noticing Fraya glancing at me back and forth. She then raised her hand.

"Yes Fraya?" the teacher said as she pointed toward her.

"Why is he so far away from us?" Fraya said pointing at me.

The entire atmosphere changed, everyone was shocked… I was the most shocked, however, 'why would she ask that' I thought to myself, doesn't she know the reputation surrounding me?

"Hey Fraya come on… don't get involved with that." Said the girl sitting to her left.

"Yeah, all the grown-ups say it's dangerous." Said another person in the group.

She started looking around frantically and confused again. 'Just drop it, why is she going this far' I mumbled to myself, a bit nervously… I didn't like all this attention, I thought I could just hide myself away, not bothering anyone.

"I… I don't understand?" Fraya asked the teacher.

"Maybe it just doesn't like large crowds." The teacher replied.

"Oh I see!" she said, as if she just got a bright idea.

I sigh as I tilt my head back and look up at the ceiling, we can finally continue now, I need to blend into the back now, that's the best chance I have at making it through these days.

"Alright, let's start class… now… Fraya what are you doing?"

"Hey where are you going"

"The teachers starting now"

Still looking up at the ceiling I hear the sound of a chair scraping on the floor, it was getting closer to me… I look toward the direction of the sound.

"Eeeh! What are you doing!?" I said loudly due to being caught off guard.

She had grabbed the other untouched chair and moved it next to mine before then sitting down.

"This is fine right?" Fraya asked the teacher.

My attention then turned to everyone else. all the other kids had shocked looks on their faces as if she had just committed a crime. I then looked at the teacher and all she had was a blank expression.

"If that's your decision then so be it." The teacher answered.

I glanced back at Fraya, I could still see a confused look on her face. She noticed I was staring at her and locked eyes with me.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked me while pointing at herself.

I looked away, it's not that she did something wrong…

"You should learn to read the room," I said back in a nervous tone.

"Oh… okay." She replied in a slightly saddened tone.

I could still feel everyone's gaze on me.

"What's got them all worried." I accidentally said out loud whilst gritting my teeth

It's not like I've done anything to them… I don't understand why they treat me like this.

"Alright, everyone! eyes to the front, I'm going to explain what you should expect for the term." The teacher said to the class, everything went through one ear and out the other for me…

…Every time I bring this up to my father all he does is blame himself saying that it's his fault… I love my old man but whenever he says that it pisses me off. Like, I should at least know the reason why I'm treated this way.

"Hey, why do you look so mad?"

The second I heard that I immediately snapped back to reality… Huh!? What the hell's she doing! her face was mere inches from mine, she was staring straight into my eyes!

This caused me to suddenly flinch in the chair from the sudden shock, it made a loud scraping sound causing everyone to turn back around to stare… Fraya acted as if nothing happened.

"Can you not interrupt the class!" the teacher yelled at me sternly. I nodded.

After the room calmed down again I heard a quiet giggle come from Fraya, oh I see, fine then, so be it…

…

"Ugh!…" I groaned to myself, 'who knew sitting down for this long would be so painful' I thought to myself as I stood up out of the chair.

I had waited until everyone else left the room before I moved, I did not want to deal with all the stares walking out of there… they might also complain to the teacher about how I'm in the same class as their kid.

I picked up the small bag my dad gave me this morning and slowly made my way toward the door, turning the light off in the room I then open the door and step out, closing it behind me.

"Listen Fraya, it'll be best for your safety if you stay away from that thing."

That was the sound of the teacher's voice, I cover my ears and walk back to the main entrance, hopefully, now I can fade into the shadows, it's better if no one knows I'm even there.

"I was wondering when you were coming out."

After I opened the main entrance and stepped out I heard the familiar voice of my father, he had a soft smile on his face but I could see he was a little anxious… he was waiting to know how the day went.

I then slowly walked over to him… I was tired, It wasn't that I was physically tired, it was something else. I just felt exhausted…

"How'd it go?" he said scruffing my hair.

"You know how it went, Dad," I said snarkily, now making my way back towards our home.

It irritates me how he asks things like that when he knows full well what happened, yet he still refuses to tell me why. That's the one thing I dislike about him.

"Wait Atlas…" my father said, there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

I continued walking, I felt the stares of everyone on me yet again, I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.

"Why… just why…" whilst turning the corner mumbling that I slammed into something… it was a man that looked my Dad's age, maybe around his mid-40s.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" I said quickly.

"…" he stared at me for a few seconds.

"Oh! You're Marx's kid aren't you!" he said excitedly.

Huh? How does this guy know my father… and why is he treating me like this. I look around, everyone was staring once again, I look back at the man, he had a big smile on his face. he was laughing as well.

"I was wondering when I'd get to see you." He paused and looked at me once again, this time closer.

"You look just like him back when we were your age!" he said while laughing once again.

"I'm sorry… but how do ya know my father?" I asked him, maybe slightly intrigued.

"He hasn't mentioned me before!" he said shocked.

I was taken aback which caused me to take a step back.

"You've never heard of the great Kuga Sage," he said full of confidence.

Kuga… Sage? No, I don't think my father has mentioned that name to me before, now that I think about it. He's never told me anything about his past either… especially Mother.

"No I've never heard of ya" I replied.

"Oh, that idiot! What's his problem!" he said slightly angry.

"Hey, sir. What's ya relationship with my father?" I asked confused.

I have no idea who this man could possibly be. From what I can see, he was quite tall with short jet-black hair and a close-trimmed beard… he was quite handsome, so I couldn't see my dad hanging around someone like this.

"Well we were childhood best friends… but recently he's grown distant, ever since—" he said whilst in deep thought, however, he didn't finish what he was going to say.

We stood there staring at each other for a few seconds before a voice broke the silence.

"Hey dad where are you! Look who I found!" said a familiar voice.

I then noticed Kuga's attention shift to the voice that just called out… he was looking behind me, I turn around, it was Fraya. And not only that but she was dragging my father by his wrists, just like she did with me.

"Oh sweetie it's you, I was just about to pick you up," Kuga said, he seemed surprised.

"Dad look who I found! I remember you telling me about him!" she said excitedly.

I looked at my dad and noticed that his face was slightly red… was he embarrassed!?

"Well look who it is! Nice work sweetie." He said as he gave her a pat on the head.

So he's her father huh.

"Atlas why'd ya run off like that?" my dad asked me. He was visibly upset.

"Hmmph!" I turned away from him.

Why should I tell him, he never tells me anything.

"Parenting isn't easy huh old friend," Kuga said to my father as if he were making fun of him.

"I never once thought it was easy." My father replied.

There was a moment of silence where the two of them stared at each other. I noticed that Fraya was looking around frantically, she was now holding her dad's hand. I looked back at both their faces… it was as if they were holding back laughter.

"Hah…"

They both then erupted into laughter, practically falling to their knees.

"Lo— look at you trying to act cool!" Kuga said trying to hold in his laughter to no avail.

"Ya haven't changed a bit have ya!" my dad replied still laughing as well.

They both then gave each other a hug, they were shedding tears. But I don't know whether or not they were sad or happy tears.

"You okay Dad?" Fraya asked Kuga.

"Yes I'm fine sweetie, don't you worry." He replied to her while wiping his tears away smiling.

I just stood there with a perplexed look on my face. I just wanted to know what was going on.

""Hey how about we go somewhere else—"" they both said at the same time before bursting out laughing once again.

"It's great ta know we still think alike… how about ya come ta ours for dinner?" My Father said while he slowly regained his composure.

"Do you even need an answer to that?" Kuga replied.

He seemed a little upset now for some reason.

"No, I guess I don't." My Father said with a snicker.

"Well let's get going then! Here hop on sweetie." Kuga said as he knelt down signaling for Fraya to hop on his back.

They both then began walking in the direction of our house before stopping and turning around… waiting for us.

"Your turn Atlas c'mon," my father said as he knelt down as well.

I sigh, I guess this is the least I can do for him… I'm still mad though. I then climb onto his back as he stands up, lifting me up into a piggyback. I felt defeated like I just lost something.

I noticed that Kuga had now started walking again, Fraya then turned around and smiled at me 'Bad-ump' huh! What the hell was that just now… Weird. She then quickly looked back, resting her head on Kuga's shoulder.

…

By the time we reached the house, it was around 17:30. the sun was now starting to set… I think on the walk back I actually fell asleep because I don't feel as tired like before.

"I won't be long." My father said as he knelt down for me to get off.

"Did you need any help?" Kuga asked

"Nah you can just take a seat." My father replied as he rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen.

What followed for the next half hour was the most awkward silence I've ever experienced. Not because we didn't have anything to talk about, but because it seemed that Kuga wanted to wait until Dad was finished.

"Alright, here we are!" Father said as he walked out of the kitchen carrying a tray.

It was a familiar scent. The smell of freshly cooked beef, however… there was a tiny bit of sweetness mixed in.

"You didn't!" I said excitedly as I jumped out of the chair.

"Uh-huh! Ya favorite." My father replied as he placed the tray on the table.

It was one big pile of beef and raspberry skewers… I stood there, practically drooling.

"I thought I would surprise ya since it was the first day of school." My father said smiling.

Even though it's frustrating being left in the dark, I still love him for the things he's done.

"Thanks, Dad," I said gratefully as I grabbed a skewer.

"Oh right! Did you two need a knife and fork?" my dad asked Kuga and Fraya.

"Man, we may be rich but we ain't nobles come on," Kuga said back.

What is that supposed to mean, why does using cutlery have anything to do with nobility.

"Yeah, yeah, right." My father said back, he seemed annoyed… was it because he didn't realize it was sarcasm?

They then all grabbed a skewer for themselves and started eating.

"Dad this is good!… I wouldn't have thought fruit would go well with this!" Fraya said to Kuga, still with a full mouth.

"That's lovely to hear, but where are your manners!" He said sternly to Fraya.

She then waits until she swallows the food before speaking again.

"Right, sorry."

Kuga then looks at my father.

"So how long has it actually been Marx? Like 5 years?" Kuga asked my father.

5!? 5 years! We've been living here for that long… so why haven't they met earlier?!

"Yeah I think so…" my dad said nervously

There was yet again another painful silence. They both looked at me and then looked away… am I, the problem? I look down at the floor and place my head on the table.

"It was my fault." My dad said, causing my head to shoot up and look at him.

His fault, what does he mean? What did he do?

"Ever since Dalia passed I kinda isolated myself. I severed the connections I had," he said.

Dalia was the name of my mother… I don't know very much about her except that she died while giving birth to me, I place my hand on my scar. 'Maybe that was when I got this' I thought to myself. Father never told me how I got this, all he's said is that I should wear it with pride.

"I guarantee she's pissed off at you for that," Kuga said with a snicker.

"Definitely, kinda scared to see her again, I'll get the beating of a lifetime." My father said with a slight laugh before smiling.

Does my dad believe in an afterlife? I suppose that's for the best, knowing that our loved ones are waiting for us somewhere… I wonder if I'll be able to meet her someday.

"Well that's in the past now, it seems to me that something has changed," Kuga said with a cheeky smile as he kept looking at both me and my dad.

Father then rubbed the back of his head with a smile, and a face saying that 'Oh no, you've caught me' There was then more silence, however, this time, it felt happier, It felt comfortable.

"Hey, Dad can I ask something?" Fraya said, breaking the silence.

"What is it, sweetie?" Kuga replied as he took another skewer.

"What's his name?" she said, pointing at me.

That's right, we haven't even properly introduced ourselves. I know her name because I overheard it, but my dad is the only one that calls me by my name.

""That's right!"" they both said in surprise.

""We never introduced you to each other""

They were now talking at the same time, saying the same things. It was like they were reminded of something important. My name isn't that important.

""Come on go on!"" they both said loudly looking at me… putting me on the spot

"Oh uh… my name's Atlas," I said nervously, no one has ever asked me for my name.

"That's a cool name! Well, I'm Fraya, but you probably found that out this morning haha." She said with a joyful expression.

Co— cool… did she just say it's cool, what the hell, that's stupid. I never thought I would hear those words from someone.

"Someone's embarrassed!" I heard Kuga say with a grin on his face

"I— I'm no— not embarrassed!" I tried to say as I started tripping over my words.

What the hell, why am I stuttering so much, this is weird. I don't like this, I feel weird… am I sick?…

"I also had another question," Fraya asked again.

"Yeah, what is it?" Kuga asked, more curious now.

"Everyone was treating Atlas like a monster at school today, why is that?" she asked.

The entire room fell silent once again, this time the air felt different, Kuga looked shocked whereas my father looked terrified. My weird feeling went away in an instant. Now I was worried.

"Wha— what do you mean?" Kuga said confused.

My father looked like his entire world was collapsing as if he was caught doing something bad.

"Well they didn't call him by his name, only 'it' 'thing' and 'that' Also the other students told me to stay away from him, that he was dangerous." She replied.

Why is she saying this, who cares about that, I'll just drag her down with me, especially now that she told her father this. He's definitely going to scold her because of me… I shut my eyes tightly and prepared for what was to come.

"Marx! Care to explain!" Kuga said furiously.

I opened my eyes slowly, my dad had his arms on the table looking down with a blank expression, it seemed he was waiting for this moment. I then look over at Kuga, his face was filled with anger and a little bit of sadness, his entire body was tensed up.

"What is there to explain Kuga! You know why!" my father replied back loudly… it wasn't a shout, just a louder tone of voice.

"Is it because of he—" | "Kuga! Let's not talk about this with the kids here, let's go somewhere else."

As Kuga was about to say something my father cut him off, my dad had broken into a sweat, it was practically dripping from his chin.

"You're right, sorry," Kuga said as he stood up out of the chair. My dad stood up as well.

"I won't be long okay," Kuga said as he pat the top of Fraya's head once again. she nodded back.

My father on the other hand walked straight into the other room, not saying anything to me… did I do something wrong?

Soon they both entered the other room and shut the door, I could then hear their muffled voices, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. I wanted to know what they were talking about but… whatever.

"Did I do something wrong again?" Fraya then asked me, pointing at herself like before.

I don't know whether to be mad at her or happy, I feel mad but at the same time, I feel relieved… like a massive weight was just lifted off my chest.

"How would I know, adults are weird," I said, over-exaggerating my words, causing her to let out a small laugh.

"Anyway, why do ya care so much… about me that is?" I asked her.

"Because I feel sorry for you."

Oh I get it now, she just pities me. I'm just one out of many out there who got the short end of the stick that she's helped. A feeling of sadness washed over me. as I placed my head back on the table.

"And I don't understand." She added.

Doesn't understand? What doesn't she understand? The way I'm being treated perhaps? But why though, we've never even seen each other. Why would someone care so much…

I didn't say anything after that, I just stayed in the same position, with my head on the table, I was trying to make sense of the situation… around 10 minutes later both my Father and Kuga stepped back into the room. Dad had a defeated look on his face but I could still tell that he was relieved about something.

"Fraya let's go it's getting late," Kuga said, he looked and sounded betrayed.

"Oh okay…" Fraya replied slightly confused and worried.

I sat there as I watched them both leave the house. As Kuga was shutting the door he turned around and asked.

"Let's do this again sometime, how about it Atlas?" Kuga asked me… shouldn't he be asking my Dad that.

"I uh, don't see why not," I replied

"Well then, until next time." He said smiling at me.

Before he fully closed the door, I noticed that the second he switched his attention from me toward my Father there was a visible glare on his face. 'What did they talk about?' I thought to myself.

The door shut, filling the silent atmosphere with a click, I continued sitting for a few more seconds before I stood up and looked in the direction of my Father.

"I'm not going ta ask, it upsets me but you must have a reason," I said to him as I walked around the table and up the stairs.

I then opened the door to my room, stepped in, and shut it behind me. I was once again dropped into silence, but the silence of my room was calming and warm. This place is my safe haven… I walk over to my bed and fall onto it, too lazy to even get undressed, I felt myself immediately losing consciousness.

…

The next 7 years passed by in a flash from what I can recall. After that night Fraya constantly messed with me, whether that be at school or whenever Kuga would bring her over to the house.

Slowly I started to notice that everyone began looking at her the same way… except these eyes weren't full of hatred, they were full of disgust. Most likely due to her being close to me.

I quickly became attached to her. She was my only friend… before meeting her I never really took care of myself. But as we got older I started to care more and more about how I acted and looked… I still don't know why I did that, I guess ya could say that I was indebted to her.

As we went through our lower education which lasts for 7 years she was constantly protecting me, from the stares, insults, and physical confrontations… she was incredible, it must have been because her dad was the Knight Commander.

However, something began to worry me. About a month before the accident I kept having dreams, terrible dreams. Dreams where something horrific happened to her. And every time, I would wake up, drenched in sweat with tears in my eyes. I never remembered the details, just that something bad was going to happen.

I didn't pay it much mind, thinking it was just a silly dream. That was a mistake, a mistake that I would have to live with for the rest of my life. If I said something… maybe I could have saved her…

…

-The Town of Voltin, 5 Years Ago, Atlas Age 12-

"Ugh finally! We don't need to enter that building ever again!" Fraya said loudly and happily as she stretched her arms above her head.

"From one building ta the next," I replied.

I was then punched in the side.

"What the hell Atlas! Can't you let me be happy for at least 5 seconds," She said, quite pissed off.

I loved messing with her, the reactions she would give me were entertaining. I did know when I shouldn't though, the last thing I want is to make her sad… plus, I need to get back at her somehow.

"I was joking, I was joking," I said with a joyful expression.

For the last 7 years I've done nothing but cause problems for her, the least I can do is treat her as best I possibly can. She lost all her friends after being around me. I've never actually bought up that subject to her… I haven't had the strength to.

"It better have been!" she said with an annoyed expression… turning her head away from me.

"Anyway! Did ya want ta go to our secret hangout spot? my Dad isn't expecting me home until dinner."

Around 4 months after we met, one day we were running around the town just killing time. That's when we challenged each other to a race… because Voltin was situated on the steady incline of a mountain we wanted to see who could reach the top faster.

At that time, I thought I had won, but it turned out she beat me by a landslide and while she was waiting had found a secluded spot that overlooked the swampy region on the other side of the mountain from the town.

"Oh sweet! Let's race again!"

"Ugh, not again!" I groaned.

It's one of those days where she's full of energy, not my favorite days because I usually end up running around with her due to her being a competitive person.

"Alright get ready, because the loser has to carry the other back down the mountain." She suggested.

That's new, she's never made a bet like that before… maybe she's actually tired today, I glanced over at her… under the shadow of her hair I could make out a slight red tinge on her cheeks. Huh?

"Alright you ready!" she said quickly.

"Wait hold on— "Go!"

Without a choice I broke out into a sprint alongside her. Voltin was a big town, so from where we were, the distance between us and the finish was a little over 2 kilometers, sounds like a lot but we've done it so much that it now feels like a light jog.

As we were running I noticed that we had been running at an equal pace, which was weird because I would always lose massively… is she not feeling well.

I run a little faster. I get a better look at her face. She was smiling while looking down at the ground, her cheeks a bright red. She then looked up, noticing me staring at her.

"Huh!? Why are you looking at me like that!?" she said whilst freaking out, trying to cover her face.

What the hell did I do.

"I was just worried about you?" I said with a confused expression, I thought it was obvious.

"You… were…!" as she processed what I said her face turned a bright red in a matter of seconds.

Oh shit! something is wrong with her. I don't think we should be doing this. I begin to slow down.

"Don't slow down keep running!" she said while looking away.

"Ugh, what the hell," I mumbled under my breath.

What is up with her? seriously. Now that I recall, she's been acting weird ever since the topic of our future education was brought up.

Due to her dad being the Knight Commander of Voltin, she's going into the central kingdom to study at one of the most well-known Blade Academy's. in the world. I, however, just want to become an adventurer and travel.

This empire consists of four education levels. Lower, Middle, Higher, and Upper. The first two are required by everyone whereas the last two are optional. Higher is meant for those that want to become an expert in that certain field. I'm pretty sure Fraya's dad 'Kuga' did the first three levels. He needed higher education to become a Knight Commander. I also heard that Upper is extremely difficult and expensive as it's usually completed by individuals that want to work under nobility. Whether that be as a servant of the house or as a royal guard under the king. I heard the pay for those jobs is incredibly high.

"Why else would you want a job like that," I mumbled.

Snapping back to reality I noticed that we were nearly at the finish. I increased my speed, seeing we were running at an equal pace before, this is my only chance at beating her… I won't let her hear the end of it.

I reached the top and immediately came to a stop.

"Took you long enough," Fraya said… she was sitting on a rock in front of me.

"You're joking, how?" I said.

I didn't even see her go ahead of me that entire time. If anything I thought she was behind me.

"You zoned out, so I took the opportunity… looks like you're carrying me down the hill!" she said in a loud tone with a snicker at the end.

"Ugh whatever, fine," I said defeated.

Fraya then stood up from the rock and we both made our way to the spot. It was hidden away around the corner. the entrance was covered by vines which made it hard to spot, still don't know how she found it back then.

We both made our way through the little tunnel which led to the spot that overlooked the swamp region and the Massive lake on the other side. I'm pretty sure it's actually the biggest lake here in this Empire.

I then made my way to the overhang and sat down on the grass. I notice that Fraya was still standing.

"Ya gonna sit down?" I asked.

That seemed to have snapped her back to reality as she jumped a little.

I then watched her as she walked over and sat down next to me… she's never done that before.

"You alright?" I asked her.

"Why wouldn't I be." She said. I could tell that something was worrying her.

"No, you're not. Please, what's bothering you?" I asked. Extremely concerned.

She's never acted like this in front of me, I wonder what it could be. Have the townspeople been treating her terribly? If they have I swear I'll kill all those bastards.

"Are you still planning on being an adventurer?…" she said, a bit depressed.

"Yeah of course I am… why?"

Why did she ask me that? Shouldn't she be excited about going to the capital? But instead, she seems sad for some reason.

"I see…" she said quietly with a sigh while leaning onto my shoulder.

We both sat there in silence as we stared out at the view, sunset nearly upon us. The sky was slowly turning a golden yellow.

"I'm leaving for the capital in a month…" she said blankly.

"For that Blade Academy right?" I asked.

"Uh huh…"

I wonder what's got her so down. She's not acting like her joyful self.

"You don't seem very excited about it?" I asked, slightly concerned.

Does she not want to go there? Is she just trying to make her Dad proud?

"Oh no, I am! It's just… he's going to be there…" she said slightly shocked, realizing I was confused.

"Who? Ya, mean Evan?…" I answered.

~~~~

Evan was the mayor's son. Most towns from what I know around the Empire are run by a mayor. Which most of the time is a low-class noble. Someone that bought their way into nobility, so most of them have a massive ego… especially in this town.

The last 7 years, due to Evan being of nobility, could get away with practically everything. He showed up late to class. sometimes he didn't even go. And obviously everyone, especially the girls, thought of him as the number one guy at school… except for Fraya, she never paid any attention to him. Probably because she was too busy messing with me.

As time went on he became interested in her. Either because she was the Knight Commanders' daughter or due to her ignoring him. How the hell would I know.

However, I noticed that he got more and more aggressive and frustrated whenever she would reject him to continue messing with me instead, whenever I asked her about him or even mentioned him she would have a look of disgust… always shutting me up.

I think he was the catalyst for my nightmares because the day I first had one was actually the day I got into a fight with him.

As I was taking a shortcut down an alleyway he cut me off, saying things like.

"What does she see in a monster like you." Or "I'm a noble, so obviously I'm better than trash like you."

Honestly, it was hard just listening to him. He was like a spoiled brat that was confused about why something wasn't going his way.

"You took her peaceful life away." That was something he said to me that day.

I couldn't help but agree with him… those words cut deeper than any blade could.

"So if I get rid of the root, she'll finally be purified." He said to me, pulling out a knife.

At this point, my trauma of small blades wasn't as bad as it is now. Back then it would only send sharp pains through my scar, it felt like it would tear open. I could bear through that pain.

He then tried attacking me with the knife. Instantly I could tell he had no idea what he was doing, he spent his whole life full of himself so he was never good at anything, Unlike me, who during those last 7 years was basically being trained by Fraya from all that running we did.

I, of course, beat the living shit out of him. As I watched him squirming on the floor I had the feeling I needed to say something.

"As her friend, if you can't even win against me, you'll never win against her. Calling me a monster, you noble pricks are the real monsters. So stay the fuck away from her." I tried to say calmly, It took everything for me not to kill him right then and there.

…After falling asleep that night I had that nightmare for the first time. Another reason I never mentioned anything about it was because I knew he wouldn't be able to do anything…

~~~~

Fraya nodded, confirming that it was Evan, she looked a bit scared.

"Don't even worry about that idiot, I doubt he's capable of doing anything," I said, trying to calm her worries.

"You don't know that!" she snapped at me, sitting up, removing her head from my shoulder.

Tears began welling up in her eyes. Shit! I was only trying to make her feel better.

I reached my arm out in an attempt to comfort her until all of a sudden she threw herself on top of me, knocking me to the ground.

"These last… seven years… the only reason I got close to you… was because of him… I thought he would leave me alone… due to your reputation." She said through her sobs with her head buried in my chest.

I laid there not saying anything for a while, all I could hear was the sobs coming from her.

"That's quite smart."

"Huh?…"

She then slowly pushed herself up, now sitting a little away from me. She was still crying a little.

"You're not… mad?" she said wiping away the last of her tears.

"Nah not at all, it actually makes me happy. All this time I've done nothing but cause you problems. So knowing I helped you like that is a huge relief." I said trying to give her a warm smile.

"But!… what do I do without you around!… what if he tries something!" she said in a desperate tone.

Looking at her face I couldn't quite tell what she was thinking, it felt like she was calling for help… at that time I didn't really know what to say, so I just suggested the first thing that came to mind.

"Just find someone ta replace me, I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends at the academy, haha," I said with a snicker.

It's true though. This is her chance to get away from me, she can finally meet other people and make good friends without me getting in the way.

"And better yet, I won't be getting in your way," I said with a smile.

As I was waiting for an answer I sensed a sudden shift in the atmosphere.

"Why… why would you say that…" Fraya said… she looked incredibly hurt.

Did I… do something wrong?

"Aren't you relieved? Ya won't have ta worry about me anymore." I said, still smiling.

I'm just happy that I won't be tainting her life anymore… no matter how much I deny it, I am still a monster In their eyes.

"How… how can you say that… while smiling…"

This time her face changed to anger… was she mad at me. I try opening my mouth to speak.

"You think that for all this time! I only cared about you because I felt sorry for you!" she shouted at me.

Well, seven years ago she did say so herself… that she only did what she did because of pity.

"You said so yourself seven years ago? And just then you told me it was now for your own safety? So what's wrong with replacing me with someone who's probably better?" I said incredibly confused.

Was what I said wrong. Have I made the wrong assumption or something?

"That was then! People change Atlas!"

I started feeling uneasy now. Why is she getting so upset? I don't think I've said anything to cause this reaction from her.

"…"

I couldn't think of anything to reply with.

"Do you really want me gone that badly?… because if so I'll leave!" she said.

From how her voice sounded I could tell she was holding back tears.

"Well, I would be relieved if you had better people around you."

That's right, I only want her to live a happy life free from the hell that I inflicted on her. She doesn't deserve everything that's happened.

"I see…" she said, emotionless.

Fraya then stood up and began to walk through the tunnel.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She must be tired.

"Home…" she said again, emotionless.

I look out at the sky. It was starting to get dark, perhaps I should get going as well. I lost the race I'll need to carry her back down. That's still a pain.

I then began standing up myself… picking up my backpack and brushing the dirt off of me.

"Then I'll head back as well, I owe you a—

"No!"

Fraya shouted as I started to catch up.

"What…" I replied with a surprised tone.

"Forget about the bet, I'm going down alone…"

She's what… she's never canceled a bet

"Wait but—

"Don't follow me!"

Those words shocked me. I couldn't do anything but just stand there. I watched as she walked through the tunnel and turned the corner…

…

I was then surrounded by an empty silence. The slight breeze that was usually warm and calming now felt cold and sad.

I don't remember how long I had been standing there for but by the time I started moving the sky was already a dark abyssal black. There were no stars, the sky was cloudy, and the moon not visible. I felt… a bit empty.

"I've fucked up haven't I…" I said to myself.

While I was frozen still, all I could do was think about the conversation we just had, I still didn't know what upset her so much but I had a strong gut feeling that it was the things I had said.

"I should head back."

As I went to walk through the tunnel I stumbled over something. Due to it being dark I just assumed it was a rock so I paid it no mind.

As I made my way back down the mountain I was surprised by how loud it was, there were still people everywhere, filling the streets. They seemed to be dressed in fancy clothes.

"Was something going on."

There were food stalls, merchant stalls, and other stalls all over the street… something else surprised me though, no one was looking toward me. It seemed they were all too engrossed in what was going on to even sense my presence.

I slowly made my way through the massive crowd and arrived back at my house, opening the door I was immediately greeted by my father.

"Oh Atlas you're back!" he said as he peeked his head from around the kitchen corner.

"Now I know the festivals going on but could ya please do me a favor."

Festival?… oh that's right, it was today. This day was very important in this Empire as it celebrated the anniversary of when the kingdom was founded by the royal family.

"Sure what is it I don't mind," I replied to my Dad.

"Well I accidentally busted my favorite knife, do ya mind taking it ta the blacksmith real quick?" my father asked with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, no problem."

I was hoping that I would be able to relax and have some time to think about what happened but, this might take my mind off things instead.

"Thanks, kiddo, now I know you're not the best with small blades so I wrapped it up in this blanket, not having visual of it will help." He said with a smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

I then dropped my bag next to the door and went to exit the house.

"Oh and dad."

"What's up?"

"When I get back did ya want ta walk around the festival?"

"Yeah of course… but I expected you'd rather do it with Fraya."

Fraya… I wonder if she's looking around the festival right now. It's none of my business what she does anyway… so then why, why do I feel this empty.

"Nah… I want it ta be you. We haven't done anything together in a while." I replied.

"Well alright then." My father said… I could tell he was worried.

Leaving the house closing the door behind me. carrying the knife with me I start to make my way to the blacksmith, it was still extremely busy so I found myself pushing through the crowd, the crowd was filled with laughter and joy. Everyone seemed to be having a blast. I started to enjoy it a little bit. I finally felt normal, no one was looking at me, no one was throwing insults at me. It was wonderful.

…

The blacksmith was a fair distance away so the crowd started to shrink as I got closer. When I finally made it to the entrance of the blacksmith I decided to look around. In the distance, I could still see the festival lights and stalls. There were maybe around 10 people where I was… they all seemed drunk though.

"Ah Atlas' it's you again… your Dad break his baby again."

As I stepped inside I was greeted by the man who ran the joint. He was a big burly man, pretty stereotypical for a blacksmith these days as being one requires a lot of manual labor. I often visited him because of my clumsy father, but I enjoyed these visits, he was the only stranger that treated me like a normal person.

"Yep, just one of my many chores."

He laughed at that comment.

As I walked over to the counter I placed the wrapped-up knife on the bench, even though these visits were enjoyable, I still couldn't stay long, as all the sharp blades would make me feel ill.

"Alright won't be long, you just wait outside, was just about to lock up, don't want more people coming in you know." He said with a laugh.

I nodded then walked back out of the store as he locked the door behind me. He then stepped into the back room and came out around 5 minutes later.

"That was quick!" I said surprisingly.

"It was only the blade that snapped, nothing a little magic can't fix!" he said in a happy tone.

"However, your father should think about getting a new one, it'll only break easier and easier."

"Yeah, I'll tell him."

We both then waved goodbye as he re-entered his store.

I went to start making my way back… however, I heard something. It was a ways down the now-empty street, it sounded like a scream of terror.

I slowly made my way closer to the noise. Soon after I heard it, two blond short-haired kids that looked to be around 2 years older than me came running out of an alleyway, they looked panicked… I watched as they ran in the direction of the festival.

I was about to turn back but I got hit with a sudden feeling of dread. Something felt off, very, very off. Every cell in my body was telling me to go toward the noise.

I made my way to the alley the two people ran out of and turned the corner, walking into the alley… I noticed a third person with blond hair, comparing it to Fraya, it was slightly darker.

What I then noticed was that he was crouched over someone, with his fingers on their neck. As I looked closer my eyes widened with horror, it wasn't just any person laying there… it was Fraya, she was covered in blood. It was gushing out of her face.

"What… what are you doing," I said. Stuttering.

My entire body felt light, the sounds of the festival and the crowd fell silent, I unwrapped the knife with shaky hands, my fingers around it, gripping tightly… the boy turned around.

"I'm… going to kill you." I tried to say, except, all that escaped my lips was air.

The boy's mouth started moving, his eyes filled with horror… but I didn't hear what he said, the only things I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat and breath.

With the knife tightly gripped in my hand, I dove toward him, aiming the knife at his head, he grabbed me by my arms, trying to force the knife away from him, but I was strong… much stronger than him. he was putting up a fight. I only managed to dig the knife into his skin above his lip. In one quick movement, I slice from the right of his lips down to the left of his neck.

I could tell he was screaming, but I couldn't hear it. I wasn't looking at him anyway, my eyes were locked onto Fraya, it was as if my brain didn't want the image to be real, what if I was just hallucinating… but, I wasn't, what I was looking at… was real.

"What are you doing to Zeff!"

It was faint, but I heard it. Whoever was saying that grabbed me by my shoulder and tried to pry me off this other person.

Without thinking I swung the knife in his direction, spinning myself around, leaving a deep cut in not just one, but two people… they were the two that I saw running out of here. One of them now had a deep cut going across his nose while the other one had a small cut on the right of his face going down to his neck.

I stood up off the other person, digging my foot under his back I launched him away from Fraya, down the alleyway. At that moment I never should have been able to do that, I was only 12 after all. I shouldn't have been that strong. But…

During that time, it felt as if I didn't have control over my body, I was acting on pure rage, hatred, sadness, and despair.

"It was you three… you did this…" I said.

I noticed their mouths were moving as well but, I didn't hear them either anymore… one of them looked angry. the other looked scared. Was he scared because of what he did to her...

…

I quickly closed the distance between us and slashed his face again, it was the same as the last, he now had two practically identical cuts on the right of his face.

I then switched my attention to the other one, however, he dodged my attack. Instead of fighting back, he began yelling something while helping the person I kicked onto his feet.

The three of them then ran out of the alley… covered in blood.

I stood there in a daze for a few seconds before I dropped the knife… it hit the ground and shattered instantly.

The sound of the shards hitting the ground caused me to snap back to reality.

I quickly made my way back to the injured Fraya, crouching down next to her.

"Fraya!… Fraya!…" I shouted through my nerves.

I placed my ear near her mouth to check for breathing. It was faint… she was still alive.

Making sure I wasn't dreaming I then checked her pulse, which was faint as well.

"Hey Fraya!… please respond!…" I started to feel tears making their way to my eyes.

The alleyway was faintly lit by the outside streetlights… I moved out of the light as much as possible to get a better look at her.

She had a massive mark on the left side of her forehead… It looked like she was hit by something in that spot… but.

As I looked at where the blood was coming from, my heart sank and my eyes that were filled with tears widened.

There was a deep cut that started above her right eye, going around that eye it cut across her eyebrow and made its way to her right collarbone…

"Who… who did this…"

It wasn't the cut that terrified me… it was the resemblance I saw… it was the exact same shape as mine.

Not knowing what to do I tried taking my shirt off but it got stuck, not wanting to waste any time I instead tore it from my body. I then put as much pressure as I could on where the blood was gushing out from, I made sure I wasn't hurting her either.

What worried me was that throughout this entire ordeal, she laid there… unresponsive.

"Atlas!" I heard a voice say.

I turned around… it was Kuga, Fraya's Father, and he was running toward me, those three blond bastards were behind him waiting at the entrance to the alley.

"Kuga!… Kuga!…" I said through a shaky voice.

He stood there above me, he looked at the bloodied shattered knife next to me and then looked at Fraya… his face filled with terror.

"Atlas… what happened here…"

"Kuga!… Kuga!… it's Fraya!… what do I do!…." I struggled to speak.

The hand I was using to apply pressure on the wound was shaking so much that it slipped off, revealing the now clear cut… Kuga's face immediately freaked out. crouching down he lifted her up with his arms.

"You owe me an explanation," Kuga said, his eyes basically protruding out of his skull.

"Where… where are you going…"

"To the hospital you idiot."

Kuga then broke out into a sprint, I stood up and followed him out the alley, as I made it out, one of the blond kids tripped me… as I was getting up again I noticed that practically every person in town was now surrounding me.

Once I recovered my balance, I turned around and threw the hardest right hook I could have done. As it made contact the person who tripped me flew straight to the ground.

I then turned back around to chase after Kuga again… however.

"Hey! Get the fuck out of my way!"

It was the voice of my father, the second it reached my ears I lost control. My legs lost feeling and I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around myself I started uncontrollably sobbing… soon I started screaming as well. It was so loud the people around me covered their ears.

I then saw my dad crouch down in front of me looking into my eyes with his hand on my shoulder. He had an extremely worried expression.

He was trying to say something, but I couldn't hear him over my screaming and crying… my body then started shaking uncontrollably. My whole world started crashing down and millions of thoughts poured into my mind.

'It was all my fault'

'It's because I let her get close to me'

'If I said something different maybe she would still be safe'

'I should have stayed with her'

'I should have listened'

'Not like this'

…

'I hate myself!'

…

'I hate myself!'

I HATE MYSELF!

My screaming was then replaced by maniacal laughter. everything came crashing down…

I soon felt the warmth of my father… the world started to spin. my vision became blurry from the tears. That was the last thing I remember… of that night.

…

I then awoke in a bed… it wasn't my bed. I looked to the left, my dad was beside me in a chair.

"That was one crazy nightmare," I mumbled as I placed my palm on my forehead.

"You're awake… thank god." My father said with a sigh of relief as he proceeded to hug me.

"Where am I?"

"This is the hospital."

"Hospital?"

What am I doing in the hospital…

"Dad I had this crazy night—

"It wasn't a dream Atlas."

What… what is he talking about. That had to have been a dream. There's no possible way. My body started shaking again.

"I'm gonna need to tell ya something very important so I need you ta calm down… alright."

What does he want to tell me? Is, is.

"Then is Fraya fine!"

He looked into my eyes. His eyes were filled with sadness.

"There's… no… way"

"She's still alive."

A wave of relief washed over my body.

"That's good, where is she?'

"Here, in this hospital."

That's good to know, I should probably go pay her a visit.

"What room?" I asked as I stood up and made my way to the door.

"…"

"Dad… what room?"

"…"

Why isn't he answering me?

"Hey Da—

As I started to speak the door suddenly opened… someone stepped in, it was Kuga, his now nicely shaved beard was bushy and messy. He had dark bags under his eyes.

"Kuga, What room is Fraya in, Dad isn't telling me."

"…"

He just stood there, staring at me.

I look around the room at the both of them, worried.

"Why isn't anyone saying anything?…"

The relief I felt earlier had now completely disappeared, I felt lightheaded. As if I was going to throw up.

"…"

I watched as Kuga made his way over to the closed blinds and open them… the bright sun rays filled the room. I covered my eyes, waiting for them to adjust.

"Look outside Atlas…" Kuga said as he opened the window slightly.

I heard the sounds of people, there were a lot of them.

As I made my way to the window I started hearing what was being said.

"Why are you treating that monster!"

"Keeping a murderer in there!"

"Our children are scared!"

"It needs to be punished!"

"Get it out of this town!"

The abundance of people were shouting these phrases… they were talking about me… I'm no murderer. They—

"That thing attacked my boys!"

The sound of a man caught my attention… looking in the direction of it. The person had short blond hair, maybe around 40 or so. Surrounding him were the three kids that I found in that alley.

I stepped away from the window, slamming into the wall out of view. I looked toward my father and Kuga, they looked tired.

"It… it wasn't me… you don't believe them do you…" I said through a shaky voice as I wrapped my arms around myself.

They both looked at me and sighed.

""We know it wasn't you."" They both said

My nerves immediately went away… Kuga walked over to me and knelt down so that we were at eye level.

Through his tired expression, he gave me a smile.

"Thank you Atlas, if you didn't find her when you did… she may not have survived… thank you." He said to me with a smile as he placed his hand on my head…

…

…I was then told that the reason I couldn't visit her was because everyone in town believed I was the culprit and that Fraya's room was being guarded in case of a second attack… Kuga offered me a way to sneak in but I didn't want to get him in trouble if I got caught.

I was also told that even though she was alive. She wasn't conscious, she had been in a coma for the last 2 days, although I was told that her condition was stable. Apparently, I was also unconscious for those 2 days as well.

4 days later I was put on trial and treated like a full-fledged criminal, the entire town had been shouting for a public execution… I was scared out of my mind. However, with the help of Kuga and his status of Knight Commander, as well as being her father managed to save me from that fate.

Instead, I was banished from the town indefinitely, I was to leave the town immediately and I wasn't allowed to return for as long as I was the confirmed culprit of the incident.

Everyone agreed to that as it was no worse than a death sentence anyway… I was only 12 years old then, I would have died outside the town at that age

Before the trial, my Father and Kuga conducted a plan. They didn't tell me about this plan, I assume it was because they wanted the town to believe I was truly gone, my reaction would have been suspicious if I knew of the plan.

I don't know exactly what the plan was but under Kuga's protection, he sneaked me back into town, where I then returned back to my home with my Dad waiting for me.

For the next 5 years, I spent my days living under the radar. With Kuga's help once again I figured out a way to sneak into Fraya's room where I often talked to her about what had been happening throughout the years… I cried, every single time.

I slowly lost myself over those years. I started treating my dad terribly, I wanted him to hate me, just in case if something happened to me it wouldn't hurt him.

For the first year, I isolated myself, the only thing I did was sneak out to see Fraya and lay in my bed. My dad tried talking to me every single day but I pushed him away.

It wasn't until my 13th birthday that something changed… my dad gifted me a bow, but not just any bow… it was my Mother's first-ever bow. According to my Dad, he bought it for her when they met… That's all he said to me.

the next 4 years were spent training in archery, often sneaking out of town to practice my shooting, Dad taught me some techniques but that was about it.

Sometimes I would come across adventurers that would teach me something as well… they didn't know who I was so they just thought I was some kid messing around training. They were always kind to me.

…

"And then…" Atlas paused.

"You showed up… Auric."

章節 15: Atlas' Day

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Baitozz

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章節 15: Atlas' Day

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