Slowly and silently, we moved away from the settlement. Garfiel followed me with a perpetual expression of suspicion on his sharp face.
I didn't have a prepared speech, nor a subtle way to introduce it. I simply started talking.
"This scenery is truly beautiful, don't you think?" I gestured around. "There are many places like this, but you'll never see them if you stay at the Sanctuary."
"Tsk. I'm not interested in what might be beyond the barrier! Whatever it is... I don't care."
"It scares you, actually. You really don't know anything about the outside world. I understand, I used to think the same. For all the clichés! I just used the 'I used to be like you' trope."
However, it was true. When I was in my own world, I was certain that nothing wonderful awaited me outside my bubble. Perhaps I wasn't wrong, but I would never know if I didn't try, and I certainly wasn't happy to remain in doubt.
The problem was my lack of self-esteem. My insecurities outweighed my desires, reducing any idea to a mere fantasy. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up writing a fanfic where I was the protagonist, living all sorts of adventures and experiencing new things.
Unfortunately, my lack of motivation prevented me from doing even the simplest things, like writing stories. Every literary project was a failure, not because I wasn't satisfied with the concept, but because I rarely made it past ten chapters.
Looking back, I knew I'd changed quite a bit. This adventure, these people, everything that happened to me... it didn't make me grow up too much, but it helped me get to know myself better, and with that, I discovered I'm more strong (and stupid) than I thought.
"Clinging to the past or fearing the future is why you get stuck. When you decide to abandon that attitude, you'll see that everything starts moving again."
"I said I don't care!" Garfiel snapped defensively. "You think you can tell me how to think just because you beat me?! Fuck you!"
Of course, it wouldn't be easy to convince a stubborn teenager.
"I just want to give you another perspective. We don't even think that differently. I also think the world is a fucking mess."
"Huh?"
"Every day, someone dies. Every day, someone is hurt. Sometimes it happens naturally or by accident, but mostly it's someone else's fault: some heartless son of a bitch, or some fucking idiot who doesn't think about the consequences of his actions." I smiled ironically, because I fit that description myself.
"Why are you suddenly bringing that up?" Garfiel was still flustered, but my argument had piqued his interest.
"Because I want you to understand something: life is a bitch, and you can't avoid its hardships. No matter where you hide, you'll always run into some damn problem. Take this situation as an example. Even though you stayed inside all this time, it didn't stop Roswaal from coming here and endangering everything you know because of his obsession with the witch."
My words made him lower his gaze, taking a moment to consider that logic. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize where we were going.
"If you're a coward and run from your problems instead of facing them, regret will always haunt you. Do you want to feel like that for the rest of your life, Garfiel?"
"No."
"Did you say something?" I put a hand to my ear, pretending to be deaf. "I didn't hear you."
"No..."
YOU ARE READING
A Random in Re:Zero
FanfictionWhat would happen if someone else took Subaru's place in the story? What would his path, his decisions, and his relationship with the characters be like? Would he have more power or intelligence than Subaru? Would he choose the same route, take an a...
