Edited by: dragonsam656
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"Allen, straighten your grip a little more." Arnette walked up to Allen as he helped him adjust his grip and tighten his hold on the sword. "Ahahahaha... Sorry, Arnette, it's just that it's a little bit hard I was trying a new spell." He smiled as he looked at Arnette with a grin.
Looking at Allen and Arnette from a distance Ray sighed at the childish act of his twin. "Allen, come here for a second," Ray dragged Allen away to someplace a little bit far away. He crossed his hands over his chest as he looked at Allen with a complicated face and a little bit of annoyance, "I get it that you feel this world is too fantasy like but it is because of that fact we are training, right? So, we cannot have you going on trying to be an anime character."
Allen pouted as he looked away in anger, "I'm doing my best here too. So, what's wrong with me having a little bit fun." He starts to walk away.
"Nobody is stopping you from having fun but you can try to be a little bit more serious about this." Ray stops Allen by clutching his shoulders in a tight grip. "You are weak Allen. I am weak. In the world, we are now even if we have powers we are still not strong enough."
"I'm more than strong enough for kids my age," he said as he freed himself from Ray's grip which was tightening every second. "That's a bold statement you are making. You are still not stronger than me." Ray said as he catches hold of Allen's right hand and twisted it behind his back to subdue him and forced him to kneel on his knee.
Allen helped balance himself by putting his other hand on the ground. Then he jumped up and wrapped his leg around Ray's face and freed himself once again from his hold.
Meanwhile, as they were busy fighting they missed the shadow which was watching them from the top of the tree.
.................
Melinda was inside, looking over some documents which were addressed to her from the ministry of magic. She put the papers down and let out a deep sigh, full of frustration. She massaged her temples and looked outside, only to find none of the Kelis boys on the training ground.
She stood up from her place and started to walk, just as she was about to open the door Reind opened it first. Surprised Melinda was taken aback, she looked at Reind who had a look which shouted, screamed, and yelled hesitation and complication. Lilian who was following Reind from behind too had the same expression and was refusing to meet Melinda's eyes.
"What happened? Why are both of you so riled up?" she asked. Lilian and Reind both diverted their eyes and looked somewhere else and refused to answer any of her questions. Melinda's suspicion was now more certain than it ever was.
"Lilian!" Melinda called out in a loud voice causing Lilian to tense up as he reluctantly looked up and faced her. On the other hand, Reind who was standing beside him was growing more paler as time passed. Melinda didn't miss any of this and then presented some questions to Lilian, "Lilian, were you with Reind this whole time?"
Lilian stole a glance of Reind who was begging him to keep his mouth shut and don't let her in on their secret. 'Please Lilian, keep quiet or the consequences would be very dire.' He advised Lilian through his eyes. Lilian gulped a bit of his saliva down and answered, "Yes." With a solemn face, he knew there was no lying to her and if he did lie to and it gets caught there was no saving him. "I see, and where were you this whole time?" She asked as her eyes narrowed in on him, making him feel very uncomfortable and suffocated.
"I was in the garden, near the pond where master Reind was left to complete all his paperwork which was yet to be done." Lilian felt someone's intense gaze falling on him. He looked away from the owner of that gaze as felt guilty for selling out Reind. 'Sorry, Reind-sama but in front of Melinda-sama I'm powerless.'
"Ha... I think I know where this all is leading to. So, I am giving you one last chance, come clean by yourself and I will forgive you, Reind." Melinda looked at him directly startling him and making him think twice before he finally decided to keep quiet and not say even a single word to her or let out a single word out of his mouth.
'No, I won't say anything to her. She doesn't go there at all, she won't know anything about it.' he thought and kept looking at Lilian with intense eyes once again in hopes of getting his message across the flustered guy. Melinda sighed, deeply, as she continued, "Then you leave me no choice," she walked up to Lilian and kept her hand on his right shoulder as she began interrogating him once again, "Lilian, was there alone in the garden with you? Was he actually completing his work? If so, please show me the documents."
"Ah... " Lilian clutched his hands into fists tightly, trying to think of some reason to save Reind and himself from Melinda's anger. "That's why we came back running, Melinda you won't believe me but trust me on this one thing I tell you. All the papers we completed were eaten by a dog." Reind spoke up as he secretly winked at Lilian who immediately got what he was planning to do. But rather than taking part in his lie and Lilian just sighed at his master's stupidity.
Melinda looked back at him with a sharp eye. "Was the question addressed to you?" she asked him which got Reind to immediately shut up.
She once again directed her gaze towards Lilian who got more tensed than before, "So, was there anybody else there too, Lilian?" Lilian once again stole a glance of Reind and then looked at the floor as he answered 'yes' by nodding his head.
The feeling of dread crept up on Reind as he looked at Lilian with the eyes that said how could you betray me like that. Lilian turned his face to look away from Reind. He averted his eyes from him. " How many times have I told you that you can't play with Alvian until you have finished all of your work?" Melinda asked.
"Fifteen times," Reind answered. He was dripping cold sweat as a horrified look was adorning his face.
Melinda took a step towards Reind chanting a spell under her breath. Reind in reaction to that took a step back but this was brought to a halt with a loud sound of an explosion and a huge cloud of dust. The location of that dust cloud was where all the kids were training. Melinda, Reind, and Lilian immediately ran towards that place without sparing any second.
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Allen jumped out of the dust cloud covering his eyes and coughing. 'Where is he? Damn it, when did he become so strong?' His opened his right eye a little bit and checked his surrounding when suddenly he felt a presence behind him. But before he could react to the presence he was kicked in the face which sent him flying to a distance. 'The hell! I couldn't sense him at all. When did he get behind me?' Allen manipulated his body as he landed on the ground though roughly, his face was covered with wounds and dust. A little bit of blood was coursing down from the side of his mouth. He wiped it off as he looked straight at the person who assaulted him with eyes full of anger. 'Don't think you will get away with this just because we are close, Ray.'
From inside of the dust cloud Ray walked out as he returned Allen's glare with his own. Allen took off running towards Ray, on the contrary, Ray just put his hand up chanting a spell under his breath. Just when Allen closed the distance between him and Ray he forced back by the sudden emergence of a wall of earth. "You think this wall can stop me? Ray, you think to less of me." Allen said, pissed off by the trickery used by Ray. 'That's where you are wrong you overconfident kid. It's what follows this trickery what stops you. This is not anime or manga we are fighting for lives here.' A ball of fire appeared from Allen's blind spot, unable to completing getting hit by it in time Allen's left ankle received damage which left unable to stand properly.
"Allen! You are weak." Ray said as he pointed his wooden sword at Allen. Allen looked up at Ray in frustration. He closed his fist taking some dirt with it as he bit his lower lip.
He stood up one leg at a time as he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. "If you want me to fight you then that's what you will get." Allen held his sword parallel to his eye level as he looked at Ray through the sword. His foot stance was also different from the Reind had taught him. With his right leg out and pressure on it, the stance looked like that of a samurai. "Then, I shall start," Allen suddenly took the first step and went for the strike. Ray was taken was the surprise for a few seconds before regained his composure and blocked his attack with ease. "As I said just because you learned how to use magic doesn't mean you are invincible. " Ray said as his eyes glinted in a dangerous light." Allen gritted his teeth in anger as he answered Ray's advance with his own attack.
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Everyone was starting to gather around near the place they were fighting. It was in the least they were taken by surprise to say that they surprised by this fight. Ray and Allen were at each others throat attacking at every opportunity they got. Ethan watching that fight felt a little bit overwhelmed and frightened by the two but he was not the only who shared this emotion. All the kids present felt the spine chilling feeling from the two out of control boys. When Reind, Lilian and Melinda reached the boys were already worn out.
Allen jumped up in the air as he got ready to attack Ray, slash him down when an image of the scene of bloody hands and a man's body with had a huge cut appeared in front in Allen's mind and distracted him. Ray took note of this distraction and stepped in and swung his sword and won the fight. Allen fell on the ground back first and clutched his stomach which was targeted by Ray.
"Ray! Allen!" exclaimed Reind and Melinda together as they stepped up. Just from a look on their face, one could tell how angry they were. Everyone was silent until they were dismissed to their rooms.
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"Seriously, even those two can fight. Haa... I can see why Arnette-san and Rodney-san are so strict with us during practice." Layne said in an exaggerated voice as he sat down on his bed. "I know right. It was kind of awesome fight though how both of them were able to fight so well and use magic at such a young age. Man... I want to be like them." Edgar sighed in dramatically, he leaned back on Layne's bed taking the support of his hand.
"But to you the truth I was a little scared of Allen. When he attacked Ray if it wasn't a wooden sword rather a real one he could have injured him." Annis said with a concerned look on her face. "Well, those two before fighting were talking about something very weird," Hyde said standing next Ethan. "Something weird?" Layne asked Hyde to elaborate more. He looked at all of them before starting, "Well, they were talking about how this is another world or something like that." Hyde explained.
"What do you mean by another world?" Edgar asked.
"How am I supposed to know?" Answered Hyde.
"Now now all of you calm down. Reind-sama and Melinda-sama are taking care of it now." Ethan tried to calm everyone down.
"I know right. You guys are too tensed, don't worry Reind-sama won't let anything happen to the two of them. He is a total idiotic proud father of those three after all. Ahahaha..." Allard said as he walked up to the group Ethan and everyone else.
Behind him were the three group of boys who are always with him. "Will Allen be ok?" Ambert asked with tears threatening to fall from the corners of his eyes. Hiding behind Brishen he looked like a puppy who is scared of everyone. Hyde sighed, he got from the bed and walked up to Ambert. He squatted down to his height and while patting him answered, "I'm pretty sure other than Melinda-sama's lecture nothing is hurting him more." He smiled at him.
"Really?" Ambert looked at Hyde wiping off his tears. Hyde just nodded his head with a huge grin.
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Ethan and River had been summoned by Melinda and as they walked down the hallway the only one who was talking was the captain of the young knights in training.
"But seriously Allen should know how powerful he is. What would have happened if Ray had gotten hurt? I guess in anger he really doesn't think before doing things. That's why he didn't get fazed by killing that bandit." Ethan sighed with hands behind his head. River who was walking behind him suddenly stopped walking and stood in the hallway looking at Ethan with bloodshot eyes.
At that time, Brishen and Allard who were walking on the other side of the corridor happened to listen to their conversation. They hid behind the wall and decided to eavesdrop. And as the tension in the atmosphere heightened they found themselves on a spot where they wanted to run away but also know more about the topic at hand.
'Allen has killed somebody?' Was the question that crossed both their mind.
Ethan realizing that River was not following turned around only to get his back knocked on the wall River. Seeing the anger in his eyes Ethan had figured out that he had said something very wrong. River tightened his hold on Ethan's collar and spoke in a dangerously low voice, "What do you know about Allen? That he is cheerful? Carefree? Childish? He is strong so does that mean he has to give up his childhood for us?"
Ethan after hearing that stiffened as he remembered why Allen had killed the bandit. He opened his mouth to say something but found it hard to bring himself to say anything as whatever he would say will sound like some excuse. He shut his mouth, gritting his teeth in anger as he realized how his thoughtless words had hurt his friend. Sorry was the only thing he found himself speaking when the hold on his collar was loosened.
River from peripheral view saw a maid with some blankets walking towards them, thus, he let go of Ethan's collar. Giving him a final warning, "Don't talk about things when you don't the whole truth," before he resumed his walk to the garden.
Ethan looked at River's back for a few seconds thinking something before he too started walking. He bit his lips and clenched his hands realizing how much he hurt River with his thoughtless words.
After River and Ethan had left the two boys who were in hiding stood and faced each other.
After a stretch of silence Allard broke it as he asked Brishen, "Allen killed someone, did you anything about?" Brishen shook his head in denial. They both had a complicated expression on their face. "So, that's what they were talking about before we decided to enter the conversation," Brishen spoke thinking back of the time before they joined in on the conversation with everyone.
"What should we do about it?" Allard questioned.
"Obviously, we cannot ask Allen directly about. How about Reind-san?" Brishen suggested. Allard nodded his in agreement and the boys took off in the direction of Reind's study.
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"Do you boys get it?" Melinda asked. Allen and Ray simultaneously nodded their heads in reply. "Good, now go back." Both the boys immediately left the room after they were dismissed by their mother. The elders in the room sighed. Arnette sat down on the sofa tiredly. Melinda found a seat for herself and too settled down. And as for Reind he sighed sitting on his desk.
"Well, they both do fight from time to time but this fight was far more serious than the others," Reind said, picking up some documents and organizing them. He gestured Louis to get some documents from the shelf. He searched the shelf and brought the documents to Reind as he stood behind him.
"By the way, where is Lilian?" Reind asked Louis. "Lilian is taking care of young miss as Stella had some matters to take care of today," Louis replied to query of his master. "I see. When she will be back?" Added Reind. "By noon I believe, master."
Melinda shot Reind a look which reminded him that he has no escape and Stella will not be able to help him meet Alvian anymore. He sighed in defeat and despair.
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As they exited the room Allen without saying a word to Ray walked towards Alvian's room. Ray watched Allen walk away but didn't try to approach or stop him as he started walking in the opposite direction. While walking he came across Stella who was hurriedly walking to Alvian's room. Both of them were surprised to cross ways during the day time.
Most of the time Stella doesn't have the time to meet and play with them during the day time since the day Alvian was born. It was like the second running of their birth. Reind trying to play with every chance he got, sometimes even trying to fool Melinda. Asking her to bring Alvian so he can play with her which added to her list of work. Frankly, she didn't even have the time to sit down and take rest.
"Oh! Ray-sama, why are you so angry?" She questioned the boy even though many wouldn't have been able to tell that he was angry from looking at his face. When he was still an infant she sometimes did think that he may have facial paralysis ( but he doesn't).
He looked at her before telling shaking his head as he replied, "nothing." Stella knew he wasn't telling the truth, thus, she stared at her young master pressuring him to tell her the truth.
For the first few seconds, it didn't seem to work on him but as time passed he started to awkward, "Wh... What is it?" He asked feeling weirded out as she continued to stare at him, "You already know what I want to know, Ray-sama!" A few minutes he complied to her pressure and told her about his and Allen's fight.
"I see, so, where is Allen-sama right now?" Stella asked as she rested her chin on his hand. Ray looked in the direction where Allen went and said while pointing, "He went in that direction so most probably he went to Alvian's room." Stella after listening to Ray's word was shocked. Looking at her face he was able to make out that her surprised reaction was due to something he said. But before he could ask what it was Stella herself came out and said it, "I mean since the day Allen made those butterflies of light."
"Eh?!" Ray exclaimed as he thought that Allen was always going to meet her during the practice and night time. Getting that something was out of place and weird about this whole thing he ominous feeling that he got during Lilith incident. He scrunched his forehead as he thought about various reasons Allen didn't talk to him about what he has been going through. 'What has been Allen going through?' The question appeared in his mind.
He walked to Alvian's room in search of Allen. But as he was informed by Stella Allen was nowhere to be found in that room. He walked out of the room resigning a tired a sigh. Thinking what could have been the cause of Allen keeping secrets from him Ray decided to confront Allen himself.
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During the dinner silence dominated the atmosphere. No one spoke to anyone and everyone was giving their undivided attention to the food, this was especially true for Ray and Allen. Everyone in the dining hall wanted to get out of their as fast as possible. Ethan scanned the room from the corner of his eyes to search for Lilian who wasn't present there as he was taking care of Alvian in place of Stella who had to run back to her home to take care of her mother who had come down with fever.
"Aw... Awkward," Everyone in the dining hall except the twins thought in unison. Usually Allen is the one who would initiate the talk but today he was silent throughout the dinner. Though Reind did try to start a conversation several times he failed every time. With the sound of a chair sliding the silence was broken. Everyone turned to look where the sound was coming from and saw that Allen was wiping his mouth clean, "Excuse me, I'm done so I'll be in my room."
"Ye... Yes," was Reind's reply as he watched Allen walk away from the table and up to his room. Following Allen Ray too finished his dinner and made his way to the bedroom. As the boys left the hall everyone present resigned a sigh of relief.
As if following on their steps Annis and Garrick to finished their dinner and walked away from the dinning hall.
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Garrick as he walking down the hallway of the second floor saw Ray sneakily stalking Allen. After a bit of thinking and observing the usually quiet boy do something which was very uncharacteristic of him he decided to follow Ray and Allen.
Allen entered Alvian's room. Lilian who was sitting beside the cradle was surprised to see Allen at such a late hour.
Allen walked up to Lilian and asked, "Lilian, May I touch Alvian?" Lilian felt the question was kind of weird. But none the less he answered by nodding his head, "Yes."
Allen who was very cheerful and unruly was suddenly acting docile and obidient. He walked up to Alvian's cradle where she was deep asleep. Lilian picked Allen up so he can see her. Allen extended his arm to touch Alvian's cheek but suddenly stopped half way through. He retracted the extended arm and tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Lilian who saw Allen suddenly crying put him down and looked at him.
"Allen-sama, what is wrong? Why are you crying?" Lilian asked confused. He looked at Allen who bawling off non-stop. He tried to calm him down but that only got him to cry more. In a muffled voice then Allen answered, "I don't deserve to touch Alvian." Lilian who heard this was shocked hearing such words coming out of Allen's mouth. He grabbed his shoulders as he questioned, "Why are saying stuff like this?"
Allen looked up tears still flowing down and staying his face, "Because she is so pure and I'm not..." Allen coughed a little and continued, "I have killed a person. If I touch her she will get tainted. On the day I created those butterflies I realised that I'm not deserving of touching something which is so pure." Allen started crying once again after he completed his explanation. Hearing that Lilian felt a combination of both anger and sadness. He hugged Allen as he tried to calm him. Then as if remembering something he seperated Allen from himself and made some distance between. He searched the pockets in his coat for something and when it looked like he found what he was searching for he extended his hand in front of Allen. He opened his fist and there was a pair of white gloves on his palm.
The gloves were plain white with a beautiful embroidery design at the end of the back side of gloves.
Allen looked at him in confusion. Despite having hicups because of crying so much he still managed to ask Lilian who did those gloves belong to. Lilian with a look of nostalgia apparent on his face answered, "They are mine. When I was young and was in the same situation as you are in right now someone very dear to had given this to me." As he said that Lilian remembered the time when the gloves were given to him.
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"Lilian, don't cry," the woman pleaded as Lilian hugged her waist, crying. "Here take this," she gave him a pair of white gloves and continued, "wear them when you're not fighting. So, it will be like your hands are still clean." A young Lilian looked at those gloves tears stained face and gave the woman a slight nod.
Then he remembered another scene of the woman walking in to a blinding light as she said goodbye to Lilian as she turned around and left. Lilian asked her to stop but she just kept walking without looking back even once.
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"Then won't it get dirty because of me?" Allen asked. Lilian Shaked his head "no" as patted Allen's head. "They will not get dirty, Allen-sama. Wear them when you're not practicing. Please take care of them Allen-sama, they are very dear to me." Allen stared at the gloves for sometime before he started crying again as he hugged Lillian, telling him everything he had felt since the day of the bandit incident.
'This is the glove that makes the red on my hand go away. I can touch Alvian again. I can touch Ray again. I won't taint them with red.' Allen thought as he cried himself to sleep in Lillian's arm. "Thank you, Lilian nii-san." Allen said in a small voice but Lilian was still able to hear him. At first Lilian was shocked but then a smile made its way to his face.
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Through the door three figures were watching the confession. Ray when heard Allen's feelings had felt ashamed of himself as he felt once again he failed to be there for his brother. He clenched his fist in frustration and anger. He didn't know where to vent it as looked down hiding his face from everyone. Ray at this moment was enlightened about how Allen was once again suffering alone. He realised more than Allen he was the one who was finding this place more livable.
Annis who had suddenly joined the party in the middle of their eve's dropping was now feeling awful for her words back then. She kept her hand on her chest as she felt like going in there and apologising for whatever she had said before.
Garrick after seeing Allen felt a tug in chest. He had frowned hearing whatever Allen said. He looked at the Allen who was not his usual cheerful and happy go lucky self. At that moment he made a decision that only he shall know.
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(Phew! Finally it's over. This chapter took way longer than I thought it would. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
So, do you find this story enjoyable? Is there anything you want to ask me? And how are you?
Thank for all the love you have shown me and this book.)