Chapter 1.7 (1/2)

Chapter 1: Kind and Cruel (7)

While I was searching for corpses of other monsters, my eyes saw a body that was unusually smaller than other soldiers.

No way, is that a child?

When I got close, the figure seemed to be that of a young boy, roughly around my age. He lay curled up on the ground unmoving. From the lack of a uniform, instead clothed from head to toe in plain black, it was evident that he wasn’t a soldier, but rather a mercenary.

“I wish you peace…” I expressed my condolences, letting out a deep and melancholic sigh. Although I looked like a kid in this world, my mind was most definitely that of an adult. I had already lived one life and so I knew what I was doing but this boy was different. He was just a child. The fact that he had died at such a young age weighed on my heart.

“Ugh, uh…….”

Suddenly, the body shuddered with groans.

“AHH!” I was scared speechless aside from the terrifying scream that tore itself from my throat. My knees felt like jelly as I collapsed to the hard ground. My mind replayed what had happened over and over in my mind – the body had made a sound. I braced my palms on the earth below me, still slightly damp with blood. I didn’t know dead bodies could respond to someone in this world. Sure enough, this world was different and fantastical….

Realization suddenly dawned upon me.

“Wait! He’s not dead. This boy is still alive!”

As soon as I came back to my senses and comprehended that the boy still breathed, I shouted for help, asking for anyone that could aid me…

“Over here, there’s a survivor!”

After shouting urgently, while waiting for the soldiers to come, I examined his body. It seemed like he had an injury on one side of his abdomen. So, I managed to turn his body around, making sure to be slow and careful. Fortunately, the boy’s eyelids were fluttering and opening slowly. He was conscious!

I patted the boy on the cheek and spoke to him in a quick but calming tone. “Can you hear me? It should be okay now. Don’t panic, I’m here to help you.”

“Who’re…you…”

His blue-gray eyes peered up at me unfocused. Optimism grew within me like a flower in fertile soil. If he displayed consciousness to this extent now, there was a good possibility of his survival. He might live- the thought echoed around in my head like the ringing of a bell.

Despite being stained with blood and dirt,  the boy appeared beautiful upon taking a closer look. He had hair as dark as a shadow and blue-grey eyes that although blurry due to his injuries, reminded me of the rain before a thunderstorm. He was undoubtedly attractive, he must have been even more so when he was healthy. Why was a pretty child like this here of all places?

I could have sworn I had seen him before. Although this seemed to be my very first time meeting him, he appeared somewhat familiar. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it…

At that moment, the boy suddenly looked over my shoulder, his eyes widening like saucers.

“D-danger..” His rough and disused voice croaked out.

“Hmm?” I finally snapped out of my reverie, looking at him quizzically.

“Magician! Dodge!”

I turned around at the same time the soldiers yelled, my head snapping to attention as I heard my title being bellowed from across a lengthy distance spanning the battlefield. However, before the events could even properly register in my mind, the boy’s hand suddenly shot out and reeled my arm in towards him. Unprepared his action and the strength behind it, we rolled over to the side.

BOOM!

A heavy noise resonated through my ears, causing my head to ring slightly. The sound had shaken the air seconds after we had rolled over, barely escaping its radius. Guessing from the sound, a collision took place around the area that we were. I gazed at the spot I had been crouched moments ago, dazedly.