"Do you not love Naru anymowe?"
Cale, who was gripping Fredo's clothes with all his might had a look of betrayal on his face. The tears that were falling down one by one was making their hearts clench. But the words that continued to flow out from Cale's lips were breaking their heart and soul to pieces.
"Why awe you giving me to them? Who awe they, Papa? Why do they want to take me?"
Cale's continuous questions made Eruhaben snapped out of his shock as he felt a hand landed on his shoulder, tightly gripping it as if to support himself from falling. It was Deruth who was looking at the scene with despair written over his face.
Deruth was feeling really jealous. He was so envious of how Cale calls that vampire 'Papa' so affectionately. This was his greatest fear. With how he neglected Cale when he was just a child, his fear of Cale finding a new Father figure was driving him mad. He didn't want Cale calling anyone 'Father' aside from him. That's right, Henituses are greedy and selfish by nature. And Deruth didn't like to share his son.
"C, Cale?"
Rosalyn was the one to call out from Cale. Choi Han was frozen on his spot and was looking at the little Naru who was holding on to Fredo's clothes as if he's going to die if they force him to let go.
Cale didn't even look at Rosalyn who also has a distressed look on her face. She was staggering while her hand was gripping her wand so hard. The red mana that was surrounding her was chaotic as what Cale said earlier was continuously running in her mind.
"Cale."
Eruhaben was the one to call out to Cale who turned this time, but the expected emotion that should be plastered on Cale's face whenever Eruhaben calls him by his name wasn't there. Only hostility, annoyance and how a stranger would look at another stranger were painted on Cale's face who was in Naru's form while looking at him.
"Shut up, will you? Who's Cale? I am Naru! My name is Naru von Ejellan!"
Everyone was flabbergasted with this as Cale—Naru, turned away from them after sparing them only seconds of attention and turned back to Fredo who was still standing frozen while holding onto Naru who clearly didn't want to let go of him. He has a surprised look on his face and was staring at Naru with shaking eyes.
"H, Human?"
"Meow..."
"Meeooow..."
The three children who followed Choi Han and was expecting Cale to welcome them with open arms and pat them on their heads felt like their hearts were being crushed right now. They were so close to crying as their eyes were already turning misty.
"Cale-nim..."
Choi Han called out and took a step but a red streak of light hit near his foot. It was a small thunderbolt that Naru had launched while looking at Choi Han with glaring cold eyes. This made Choi Han stop— no, everyone felt like someone had sucked out the oxygen inside their lungs and break their heart in the process too. They feel like their dying with how Cale's looking at them. Especially Choi Han and the three children who treated Cale as their only family since the day the redhead keep them next to him.
Choi Han who spent, possibly, hundreds of years inside the Forest of Darkness, surviving with all he can just so he can live. He had been through despair in his moments inside the Forest of Darkness and had to go through another despair when the people in Harris Village was massacred and he failed to save them even with his strength. But he found hope, he found happiness again. It was Cale who showed him light through his despair. And now... Choi Han feels like he's going crazy.
"Take another step from there and I'll shoot you again."
That was Naru's sharp remarks towards the frozen Choi Han. It was cold, the words that flowed out of the little Naru's lips were ruthless that it continues to rake and break Choi Han's everything.
The three children who're watching this had their eyes reflect despair and fear. They were scared. Why? Why can't Cale recognise them? Why is their Human acting like this?
"You idiot weak human! You're not Naru! You're Cale Henituse!"
"Stupid Cale! You're not Naru!"
"You idiot! Your name is Cale! How can you forget your own name?!"
The three children blurted those out making the other look at them with concerned eyes. Eruhaben knew that they were the ones who are more affected than ever as they were closer to Cale and, of course, the redhead human always doted on these three.
The three children had their eyes closed tightly and was wishing that this time, Cale will remember them but what came next was a giggle from the little Naru who was looking at the three children with a scorning look, as Naru's lips tugged up into a mocking smile, revealing his fangs.
"Calling a prince stupid and idiot. How brave of you. Let me introduce myself again, and make sure to drill it in your heads, our dearest guests. My name is Naru von Ejellan, the only Prince of Endable Kingdom."
The last strands of control on the three children's eyes were cut. Tears flowed out one by one as Raon cast an invisibility spell, even though the falling tears were continuously dropping on the ground, Naru paid it no mind. Although he slightly patted his chest when he felt a stinging pain in his heart when he saw how the three children started crying. However, Naru still ignored it. Who were these intruders to come here, take him and started calling him with another name?
"...Naru."
This time, Naru's face turned bright as he looked up to Fredo who finally spoke.
"Papa, don't give me to them, please? You love me wight? Naru loves you so much! So please don't give me to them..."
The absurd words that were flowing out of Naru's lips were continuously breaking every broken pieces of their already broken heart.
Now, why was Cale acting like this? He was here for only two days and he forgot them? It doesn't make any sense!
"...This is why I told you I need to go here first and meet Cale Henituse."
Relia grumbled as she looked at the scene with a frowning face. Eruhaben and the others who heard her turned their heads towards her in a fast motion as Eruhaben strode towards her with an agitated face. His mind was going haywire from this situation and his sanity is threatening to break with how this situation is going.
"What did you say?"
As soon as Eruhaben reached where Relia is, he stood in front of her and asked that. Relia flinched with that but sighed as she looked at Fredo and Naru who was talking.
"The second stage of the curse is taking effect."
The curse that was cast on Cale has entered its second stage last night. The first stage consisted of 7 days where the individual will turn into a child, this is the stage where the individual will weaken significantly plus the side effect of emotional instability and the bodily abilities like speaking will also become affected. This was evident to Cale who was lisping and turned clumsy, plus the fact that over the week there were times when he'd uncontrollably shed tears.
The first stage wasn't really alarming, to say. It gives the individual a leeway to think that the curse was a blessing. However, a curse is a curse. The God of Youth wasn't merciful, although she signifies the innocence and purity of the springtime of life, this doesn't mean that she's forgiving. Her curse was, to say, a nightmare dressed in a beautiful dream.
And right now, the second stage has begun. This was why she had to go here and delay Cale's party for three days as she will take those three days into consideration to delay the first of the three effects of the second stage.
"Cale Henituse is suffering the first effect of the Second Stage. A memory loss for a year."
~~~
Aight, lemme cut this into 3-4 parts 😂 I'll be writing the next chapter after I post this😂 Imma eat first then write another one.
My heart can't take it🤧 I feel bad for the children and the others— mostly for Choi Han(;'༎ຶД༎ຶ') and damn, I can hear the crunching noise of my heart being crushed while writing and imagining what's gonna happen next ಥ_ಥ