Aether : Calraem

Chapter 33: Uncertain Sense of Morals

It's been months since he had last left the house.

He was a high school student, a second year in fact, but after years of attending he suddenly stopped attending. He no longer so the point or held any interest in attending school at all.

Friends? Never heard of 'em.

Good grades? Maybe back in elementary school.

Girlfriend? Hah! That one's hilarious.

A life? Ah, now you're just being harsh...

Sprawled on the bed, Hikari watched the boy staring at the ceiling of the strange house that he had been in. Trying to find the right words to describe the environment that he found himself in, the only word that came to mind was "modern".

This place - the boy's room - was "modern".

The boy lying on the bed was the polar opposite of Hikari. Instead of the muscular body that Hikari possessed, the boy was really scrawny. His clothes were loosely fitting and his facial features were as average as they come.

Hikari was not sure why he was in this boy's room but he knew something was... familiar about the boy. Like it was reminding him of something that he had long forgotten.

Or something that he didn't want to remember.

Knock! Knock!

There was a sudden knock on the door. And with it, came a feminine voice from behind the door.

"... Kazuma? Are you awake?"

Hikari immediately turned his head to the voice at the door. His eyes widened as sweat trickled down his forehead. He audibly gulped as his hand trembled.

He immediately recognized that voice. He did not even need his memories to be sure if it.

... Mom...

"Mom..." Hikari walked towards the door.

Grabbing the handle, he pulled as hard as he could onto the handle.

The door wouldn't budge.

"Mom!" He cried. "Open the door! It's me! It's..."

Who... am I?

He turned to the boy who remained unmoving on the bed, completely ignorant of his mother. He even turned to the wall so that he could remain could avoid having the door in his field of vision.

"Kazuma," his mother repeated. "Are you still not going to come for... dinner?"

"... Leave me alone." In a resolute voice, the boy answered. "I said I'm not hungry."

"... I see," his mother replied in a sullen tone. "Well, if you become hungry, let me know. I'll bring you something to eat."

Footsteps could be heard treading away from the door and slowly receding, as if reluctant to leave.

"Tch," Kazuma clicked his tongue. "... Just give up on me already... Like everyone else..."