A Chance towards Happiness

Chapter seventeen: Fields of hope

A sky filled with dark clouds, a red sun, rubbles and destroyed buildings everywhere. Piles of corpses of people in the kingdom. The smell of rotting flesh. The dry feeling of wind.

Cale walked around the ruined kingdom, he passed by many people he knew but they were all corpses. He didn't stop walking, he continued. Then he saw the body of his old butler, his chef, their knights, his brother, his sister, his mother, and his father.

This place is the same, Cale thought as he continued to stride.

Then, he saw the body of the first prince, the prince's father and siblings, his friends, followed by the body of the heroes Lark, Rosalyn and lastly Choi Han. He hadn't met any of the heroes yet but seeing them die like this was something he didn't want to see once again.

"Should I say it's a good thing that I am familiar with this scenario?" Cale asked as he stared at the piles of corpses.

Once again, he was reminded of a time where he was the only person alive after that dreaded war. Scattered bodies and corpses of allies and enemies filled the area. An arid wind blew past his face and he turned his back and then the scenery changed: he was inside his room.

But there was something amiss in his room. It looks like it was unused. He walked out of his door and walked along the hallway. The wall where his mother's painting hung was not there. It was replaced by a family picture of four: Deruth, Violan, Basen, and Lily. He was not even included.

He rushed towards his mother's bedroom and saw nothing there. No furniture, paintings, or anything, just an empty room.

"Wh-What's the meaning of this?" Cale asked as he sweats coldly.

He rushed towards the dining room as it was morning and everyone should have gathered there. As soon as he entered, he saw the perfect family without him.

"I'm glad that the war ended thanks to the heroes of Rowoon," Deruth said.

"Yes, dear. Now we can live peacefully," Violan chimed in. Deruth smiled.

"But how about Cale-hyung?" Basen asked. Deruth had a disappointed look and sighed.

"Let's just stop thinking about that child. He ran away during the most crucial time, it was disappointing. I expected something from him," Deruth said.

Both Basen and Lily wanted to ask more but they stopped and now were happily eating and conversing with their parents.

Cale was dumbfounded and couldn't understand what was happening.

I ran away?

He ran outside but as soon as he stepped out, the scenery changed once again and this time he was inside a banquet hall in the Royal Palace.

There he could see all the heroes being glorified by the people. The crown prince, now King, was being praised for his valor and wits. Choi Han was standing beside him with a pleased expression, like all his problems and sufferings were all gone. The same goes to the other heroes.

"I wonder where that trash went, the bastard got scared and ran away," some nobles snickered.

"Such a disgrace to the Henituse where they were supposedly the one protecting people," another chimed in.

"Count Deruth has it hard to have such a son," another one added. All of them agreed.

Cale was in the middle of the hall, no one could see him. The test he was currently in just made him watch what was happening. They all cheered and one way or another slandered the firstborn son of Henituse. The people who knew him frowned in disgust and wore a disappointed look.