Vel's steps quickened as he approached the orphanage, his mind set on sharing his newfound abilities with his friends. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cobblestone path.
"Celia!" he called out, spotting her familiar figure near the entrance.
She turned, dark hair swaying. "Vel? What brings you here?"
"I need to show you and Kein something. Something... amazing."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. "Is it about your recovery?"
"Sort of. Let's get Kein first."
They walked together through Elnor's winding streets toward Kein's house. As they rounded the corner, both froze at the unexpected sight.
Two armed guards stood rigid at attention before Kein's modest home. Their polished armor gleamed in the sunlight, hands resting on sword hilts.
"What's going on?" Celia whispered, gripping Vel's sleeve.
Through the open window, Vel glimpsed an elegantly dressed man inside. His rich burgundy coat and golden chains marked him clearly as nobility. He gestured as he spoke with Lorene, Kein's mother, who sat with unusually straight posture. Kein sat quietly beside her, his expression unreadable.
"Should we..." Vel started forward, but one guard's stern look stopped him.
"No entry," the guard stated firmly. "Wait outside or move along."
Celia tugged at Vel's arm. "Maybe we should come back later?"
But Vel couldn't tear his eyes from the window, watching the noble's animated conversation with Lorene while Kein remained unnaturally still.
"What could a noble want with Kein's family?" Celia wondered aloud.
The guards maintained their stoic stance, making it clear they wouldn't answer questions or let anyone pass.
The noble strode out, boots clicking on stone. His sharp eyes passed over Vel and Celia, making them tense. His guards followed in formation, armor clinking as they marched away down the street beneath the midday sun.
Vel and Celia approached the door wordlessly. Inside, silence pressed down like a weight. Lorene sat stiff-backed, hands clenched in her lap, eyes distant and unseeing. Beside her, Kein slumped forward, head down but jaw tight.
"Kein?" Vel's voice broke the quiet as he approached cautiously.
Kein didn't respond at first, not even a flicker of acknowledgment. Celia stepped closer, her brows knitting together in concern. "Kein? What's going on?"
Slowly, Kein turned his head to look at his mother. She glanced back at him with a mixture of guilt and unease etched into her features. The unspoken tension between them filled the room like an invisible wall.
"It's about my father," Kein finally muttered without meeting their eyes.
Vel blinked in surprise. "Your father? But I thought—"
Kein cut him off with a bitter laugh that lacked any trace of humor. "He's not dead." His voice trembled slightly before hardening again. "My mom... she lied to me."
Lorene flinched at his words but forced herself to speak up softly, almost pleadingly. "It wasn't... it wasn't like that. It was for your own good, Kein." Her hands twisted together anxiously as if searching for something to hold onto.
Kein's gaze sharpened as he finally lifted his head fully to face her. "For my own good? You weren't honest with me either."
Lorene opened her mouth but faltered under his scrutiny before lowering her gaze to the floor.
YOU ARE READING
GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation
FantasyWhen renowned game developer Giri meets his untimely end, he awakens as twelve-year-old Vel in the magical realm of Aeonalus-his own creation. Five hundred years have passed since he crafted the world, and Vel finds himself in the village of Oakhave...
