Chapter 99 Chapter 99 - Yesteryear III (1/2)

CHAPTER 99

YESTERYEAR (III)

A young boy sat underneath a tree, his eyes watching birds pecking at it. He appeared weak and sleepy, his eyes void of joy and innocence someone his age should proudly display. Lino hadn't seen Alison for two weeks; rather, he tried his best to avoid her. He felt bad about it, but he couldn't figure out how to behave in front of her. Rather, he was ashamed to behave any way.

The reason she was suffering was because he was weak. She was suffering because he wasn't strong enough to endure, smart enough to avoid. He saw her yesterday. She appeared much weaker, her body thinner, eyes void of that simple joy. It was heart-breaking for him, yet, all the same, he couldn't see her. Not until he figured out how to help her. Go and tell someone? Who would believe him? Rather, who would even help him?

He was just a poor boy without a copper in his pocket, while Sister Roa and the fat pig had coins lining up theirs. It snowed yesterday, yet he couldn't feel the cold. Even while his fists rested on the frozen soil, he couldn't feel its chill and frost. It wasn't supposed to go this way, he thought. She needn't have sacrificed herself for him. Sooner or later, she would have left this damned place and found a proper home. She would have been taken care of. And she was denied that because of him.

He hit the ground lightly once, ignoring the pain and blood coming from his knuckles and getting up. He was weak, timid, insignificant. But he had to help her, whatever way he could. As he turned toward the courtyard's exit, a familiar face entered his view, standing no more than a few meters in front of him. She wore a sleeved dress, thinner than cicada wing, and was shivering. Her eyes were moist as she stared at him.

”Hey, Lino.” her voice was coarse and her nose was red, as were here cheeks. He realized she has a cold.

”H-hey...”

”I'm sorry...”

”W-why are you apologizing?” he bit his lip, lowering his head, too ashamed to look her in the eye. ”I... I should be apologizing.”

”...”

”You should have just let me die.” he said. ”Then, you wouldn't have to sneak around and you would soon find family that would take you in.”

”Let you die? I... I could never do that,” Alison chuckled bitterly. ”Don't be stupid.”

”But I am stupid!!” he exclaimed. ”No, you are stupid!! How--how could you even... even think about it?! Am I worth it?! No!!”

”Yes you are!!”

”No I'm not!”

”You don't like me anymore?”

”Of course I like you!” he said as tears streaked down. ”I'll never stop liking you!”

”T-then we'll figure it out! Together!”

”No... no. You... I'll fix it. I swear to god, okay? Just... don't do it anymore. I promise I'll fix it.”

”Lino--hey, wait, don't run!! Lino!!!”

He ran past her and out of the courtyard onto the snowed streets of the little village. He ignored her fading pleas and pressed onwards, determined to find one way or another to help her. He didn't care what would it take, he had to help her. It's only been a week, yet how different she was? If it went on for longer, what would happen to her? He couldn't imagine.

He ran frantically through the streets, looking for a sign, for anything that would give him answers. Yet, he was just a little boy. He wished he was the sun so he could burn the cold away and wake her up every morning with perfect shine; yet again, he wished he was the moon so he could watch over her when lights dim out, and could strip the stars from the sky to give her. But, he wasn't. He was just a little boy who liked a little girl whom he couldn't protect and be there for when she needed him the most.

He sought left and right, yet there was nothing. Everyone ignored him, shunned him away as though he was just pure filth. He ran for hours till all strength left him and he collapsed onto the floor. It was cold, but he didn't care. He still stubbornly looked around, yet all feet were ignorant of his pain. They pressed on, stamping their mark onto the wet snow and moving onward with their lives. They were all ignorant of his circumstances. But he couldn't blame them. Not at all.

”Aren't you cold, sitting there?” suddenly a fresh voice jolted him and forced him to look slightly up. A girl slightly older than him stood there, coated in thick clothes with red scarf heaving around her neck and a hood covering her startlingly crimson hair. Her eyes were green like grass and shone like pearls as she stared at him with curiosity. ”Are you hungry?”

”A... a fairy...” Lino uttered as he watched her. In his vision, there was a pair of wings fluttering behind girl's back, pulverizing the cold away with a simple flap. ”Y-you're a fairy...?”

”Eh? I'm not a fairy, silly, he he.” she chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand. ”I'm a cultivator.”

”C-cultivator?” Lino mumbled, appearing confused for a moment before shaking his head as though to expel the complex thought. ”I... can you help me?” he asked with pleading eyes.

”Help you?”

”Y-yes, yes! T-there's a girl... a girl just like you, fairy!”

”Just like me?” the little girl arched her brow as she looked at Lino with curiosity.

”Yes, just like you! She... she also shines and glows,” he explained with enthusiasm. ”A-and, and she's really magical!”

”Oh? Can you take me to see her?” the girl asked with faint smile.

”Y-yes, yes! Of course! Come with me!” Lino's tiredness was immediately washed away as he saw a sliver of hope in the time of despair.