章節 25: Behind the mask
As the sun began to set, casting the forest in hues of gold and orange, I found myself drawn to a familiar place in the cave near a waterfall—a secluded spot where I used to meet with Alexius. The memories of those moments were bittersweet, a mix of joy and longing that tugged at my heart. I walked slowly into the cave where we had shared so much.
I sat down in the spot where we used to talk, where the air was thick with the echoes of our past conversations. My thoughts were a whirlwind as I watched the dim light filter through the cracks in the cave walls, the distant sound of dripping water adding to the stillness. The victory against the goblins had been hard-won, but it had come at a price. I had taken lives, even if they were the lives of monsters, and that weight was not something easily shrugged off.
Here, in this quiet, sacred place, I allowed myself to feel the full weight of my actions. I could almost hear Alexius's voice, reassuring me, comforting me, but now it was just an echo in the silence.
"I wish you could just appear out of nowhere... so I could hear you talking about your day... so I would forget about mine..." I whispered feeling my eyes watering slowly.
The cave, once a place of solace and connection, now felt heavy with the reality of what I had become—a protector, yes, but also a taker of lives. The conflict within me was as deep as the shadows that filled this hidden chamber, and I found myself wrestling with thoughts that I couldn't easily silence.
"How many lives have I taken since I've been born? Why does it seem so easy and yet so..." I stopped and sighed. It was so hard.
"DAMN IT ALL" I growled angry at myself... I had to get it together... My family shouldn't see me like that.
"Orphe?" Zephyr's voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to see him approaching. I almost had a panic attack, backing away and stumbling upon a rock.
Did he hear?
"Hey, Zephyr," I replied quietly and cautiously.
"Can... Can I join you?" He asked permission before entering. I just nodded my head still on guard and trying to look calm.
Zephyr came in and sat down beside me, his wings folding neatly against his back. "You did well today. We couldn't have done it without you."
I sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "We all did our part. It was a team effort." I said struggling to keep my calm and neutral exterior.
"Still," Zephyr insisted, "you led us. You kept us focused and made sure we didn't lose sight of the goal. That's not something everyone can do."
I glanced at my friend, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.
"Thanks, Zephyr." I relaxed a bit. It seemed he just wanted to praise me and talk about what we did...
"But..." the griffin spoke again and I sighed. Of course, there had to be a 'but' somewhere.
I looked at Zephyer seeing him struggling with words...
"Zephyr, you know you can always be honest with me, right?" I asked. Maybe he wanted to say he doesn't want to go on such actions with us anymore?
"Thanks. Ok... Huff... Yeah so... Please don't be offended, ok?" He asked unsure.
"O...k?" I tried to smile lightly.
"Sometimes... I get a feeling that you're not saying and not showing a lot. Today... in those caves... There were moments when I saw in your eyes things I never had seen... or rather I've never noticed them. It made me realise that I think I might've been a bad friend. I always talk about how great you are and follow you around... I put expectations on you like everyone around... but we're both still kids... and we all have feelings... I... I want you to know that I'm sorry for never coming and actually asking if you feel ok... if it's hard... That I never asked how you're dealing with everything... That I never let you nag or cry on my wing. Sorry for not being a good friend Orphe..."
He was looking down this whole time. Maybe that's why he didn't realise earlier that tears started to pour from my eyes. I tried to hide it but it was difficult. When he finally looked up at me and saw it, he looked sad and hurt in a way.
"Oh, Orphe..." He whispered in a sad voice and he hugged me to himself with his wings. "It's ok Orphe... Please... I'm here, don't hold it in."
"I just… I don't know. It's hard to feel good about taking lives, even if they were goblins. It's hard to be perfect all the time... to do well all the time... to plan and train all the time... to never nag, to never cry to never be vulnerable..."
My tears were the start... and then it became easier. A river of words came from my muzzle.
Zephyr nodded in understanding. He kept listening as I told him how difficult it was for me, and how painful it was. How I was afraid I'd be a disappointment.
"I don't want to disappoint again... to be abandoned again" I kept crying. He knew about my story but he didn't know that I kind of knew the same thing happened in my previous life. He didn't even know I had one. And yet he still nodded and cooed at me.
"Oh, Orphe... You know your family wouldn't abandon you... But it's not me who should tell you this. I think you should go and talk to them about how you feel..." Zephyr words were calm and quiet as he kept nuzzling me with his head.
"I'm... afraid..." It was difficult to say it out loud.
"We all are... You know... When we first met, I was very scared. My mom found out you're the adopted child of the Queen and King and she started panicking that she'd be punished for trying to hurt you. She knew she shouldn't attack a kid like you but we were so hungry. My dad wasn't returning and she was weak after caring for the egg. So she had no strength to hunt anything stronger. I happened to hear her talking about her worries to one of her friends and I got scared I'd be all alone... That you'd take my family from me..."
I took a step back looking at Zephyer with huge, wet eyes. I didn't know...
"Was that why you acted that way towards me back then?" I asked and smiled kindly as he nodded visibly ashamed.
"It's ok... If not for your mom, I'd never met my family" I tried to lighten his mood.
He chuckled.
"Hey. We were talking about you. And yet here you are, trying to keep my spirit up and forget your own problems," he cocked his head.
I rolled my eyes at this comment. He sure became a perspective bastard, damn it.
"But thank Oprhe. I told you this coz I wanted you to know that after some time I talked about this to my mom. I was afraid she'd be angry or disappointed... But instead, she thanked me and helped me with what we were dealing with and feeling. So... I think you should believe your family and talk with them. They love you Orphe. We all do..." Zephyr looked at me with warm, soft eyes.
"You're right..." I nodded after thinking for a moment. "Thanks Zephyr... I guess my pride and fear got me stuck a bit... I think I should really talk with them."
"Good. Oh... and about the fight... Sometimes, we have to do things we don't like to protect what we care about. That doesn't make it easy, but it does make it necessary. It may not help you but I want you to think about how many lives we've saved and not how many lives we've taken... And don't hold your feelings after such situations but talk about it... Like now. With me. I'll always listen. I wish I could bring you that human boy, but until we get you both back together, I'll be here to listen." Zephyr smiled at me cheerfully.
I didn't respond immediately, letting his words sink in. I knew he was right, and I realised that some of the weight had dropped off my back.
After a moment, I activated my Eyeglass skill, wanting to assess the situation one last time before we all headed home.
[Activating skill: Eyeglass]
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Name: Orphelin Alba
Age: almost 6 years old
Gender: Male
Current User Level: 15
Current PIA System Level: 4
PIA system gains 1 level whenever the User gains 5 levels.
Titles:
-Reincarnated,
-Member of the Wolf Pack,
-Son of the Wolf Queen,
-Great Protector - proves that the one wielding the title is capable of risking their own life to save and protect those in need. When doing so, the Great Protector title makes the User's resolve stronger and enhances them.
-Forest King's Heir - title given to the heir of the King of the Forest, which Nature accepts itself. It makes the User able to connect with Nature to be able to draw the power needed to cast spells and use magic.
-Goblin's Horror - every Goblin will feel fear when it sees you.
Rare Abilities:
-Special Level Up
Conditions: Face a stronger enemy with deadly intent, fight while putting your life at stake to protect others, don't give up, and push your abilities to the maximum in a critical situation.
-Basic Elemental Affinity: Earth & Wind
Racial affinity with air and gained an affinity with earth thanks to living with the wolves and learning their ways. The user is capable of preparing spells bound with those elements.
User Skills & Abilities:
-World Languages | Level 5
High probability of quickly learning or understanding a language known in the previous world or used by a race or breed connected with the User.
-Eyeglass | Level 5
Ability to get more detailed information about oneself or any object of interest.
-Stealth Prowess | Level 4
The ability to move silently or blend into his surroundings allows for stealthier approaches in the forest.
-Enhanced Senses | Level 3
Honed natural senses (sight, hearing, smell) further, allowing him to detect hidden threats or resources in the forest more effectively.
-Tactical Thinking | Level 2
Strategic skills, enabling the user to better plan and execute actions during battles or when facing new challenges.
-Evasion Mastery | Level 3
The skill to better dodge and evade attacks, increasing the user's survivability in combat.
-Poison Resistance | Level 2
The skill shows the level of resistance towards toxins or poisons.
-Ambush Mastery | Level 1
Enhances the user's ability to execute surprise attacks with precision, increasing damage and accuracy when striking from concealment. It improves stealth and reaction time, making initial attacks more effective and often leading to critical hits. This skill is particularly potent when used strategically with the element of surprise.
-Foresight | Level 1
Grants the user an enhanced sense of anticipation, allowing them to predict and react to incoming threats or changes in their environment more quickly. This skill improves decision-making in critical moments, helping the user avoid danger and make more strategic choices during combat or challenging situations. It also slightly boosts the user's awareness, making it easier to detect subtle shifts or movements around them.
Negative Effects:
-Soulmates Apart - when the User is from a race which possesses a Soulmate, after finding them, they may get a negative effect affecting their statistics and skill and cutting them in half, if the User and the Soulmate didn't create an official mate bond.
Changes: As the User is trying to train hard to meet with their Soulmate, the User develops an effect that boosts his resilience and emotional strength, making him closer to gaining a rare ability known as "Mind over Pain". The change in the status must continue for 3 more years, for the User to get the ability.
PIA System Options:
-Conversations with PIA [Unlockable at PIA System Level 5]
PIA gains the ability to converse more freely with the User, like a more sentient being.
-Suggestions [Unlocked]
PIA may suggest when the use of the Eyeglass ability or other skills may be useful sometimes.
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'Goblin's Horror'? Now that was interesting. And when did PIA add it?
As the stars began to twinkle in the sky, I stood up next to Zephyr, feeling a little lighter. I had done what needed to be done, and now I had to face my family without my mask... I had to talk to them. This world would get more and more dangerous. I couldn't do everything alone. It would break me.
Together with Zephyr, we walked back to the den, where we said our goodbyes and I watched him fly away. I sighed... I had to do it now... the talk...
---AUTHOR'S NOTE---
MC: Brute...
Author: Oh. You're alive. And who's a brute? o-o
MC: Ofc it's you! Giving me another trauma? Were those goblins necessary? REALLY?
Author: Well... they kind of... happened.
MC: ... Be careful or my paw hitting yer face will happen -.-
Author: And who's the brute now?
MC: Still you. Look at how much trauma I've got!
Author: Nowhere near a high level...
MC: YOU WANT TO GIVE ME MORE?!
Author: What? No... I mean not what I meant...
MC: HELP! READERS! CHILD ABU...
Author: Shut it you bird brain! o-o I'm not abusing you! >.<
MC: HEEEELP!!
Author: Ok... that would be the end of the conversation I guess... *leaves*
MC: HEEEEEL... oh... the monster left. Ok, now I can play some games hihi
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創作者的想法 
DragoAMI
DragoAMI Thank you for the power stones and for reading! <3
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