I pushed previous the damaged door and stepped inside. It was a little bit darkish inside due to the frosted home windows.

However that didn’t imply I couldn’t see.

I turned and appeared round the home.

The small cabin was furnished with an previous mattress, a desk, and a hearth.

My curiosity was piqued on the thought that this was the place Liel had lived once I didn’t know him.

He took a candle and a match from his pocket, lit it, and set it down rigorously on the desk, then walked over to the hearth to see if there was any kindling left.

I crept up beside him and watched his actions.

He deftly tossed the kindling into the hearth, adopted by the match that ignited the fireplace.

Regardless of his carelessness, the fireplace roared to life, illuminating the environment.

My naturally frozen physique melted.

“Sit right here.”

He took off his cloak and laid it on the bottom. I did the identical, slipping the scarf off my shoulders and letting it fall to the ground.

“You sit right here too.”

I stated, plopping down on the cloak first, and he blinked, then set free a smile.

Cease smiling and sit down!

Once I added that I’d sit on the naked ground if he didn’t sit down, he, who hesitated for some time, then sat on my scarf rigorously.

He appeared awkward as he squirmed this manner and that.

“Is it mushy?”

I joked to Liel, hoping to interrupt the chilliness within the air, and he set free a small chuckle at my remark.

“Thanks to your thoughtfulness.”

Liel responded with out dropping.

I might hear snow falling towards the window. By now, Liel’s eyes have been closed.

I held my breath and watched from his aspect.

He appeared misplaced in thought.

I questioned if he was reminiscing about this place the place he lived along with his mom.

Usually, Liel would inform me his secrets and techniques, however he hardly ever talked about his mom.

Even the occasional reminiscences of his mom had ceased after he entered the Academy.

So even when he wakes up, he received’t inform me about her.

However that was okay.

I didn’t significantly need to dig into Liel’s reminiscences both.

If I might simply fill within the gaps whereas he reminisced, that was all that mattered.

***

In his reminiscences, his mom all the time gave the impression to be on edge, like she was being chased by somebody.

She by no means stayed in the identical place for greater than three months, and she or he was all the time shifting.

However on the time, Liel didn’t see something unusual about Arinel’s habits.

He was too younger for that. He was barely sufficiently old to carry his mom’s hand and preserve tempo together with her.

However time handed and he was sufficiently old to be curious in regards to the world.

Curious to know what Arinel prayed for every single day, he requested.

“Mom, what’s God?”

Arinel, clasping her arms collectively in prayer, answered with out opening her eyes.

“……He’s the creator who gave start to us.”

At that, Liel shook his head and retorted.

“I assumed it was my mom who gave start to me?”

Nonetheless smiling, Arinel turned her head to reply her son.

“As a result of God created us, I used to be capable of give start to you.”

Arinel was all the time this manner.

For her, God was an absolute, and she or he spoke as if solely by believing and following him would their lives be saved and pleased.

In response, Liel started to have doubts.

His mom was as religious a believer as anybody, however she by no means appeared pleased when she prayed.

“Forgive us our sins. Forgive my foolishness, and have mercy on this lamb.”

What have we carried out, he questioned, to deserve such an apology from his mom?

As he listened to his mom pray, Liel paused to look out the window on the evening breeze.

And for the primary time that day, he noticed what they’re being chased by.

An eerie determine stood in the dead of night woods, carrying full black armor.

In response, Liel unexpectedly turned his head away from the window and thought to himself.

I ought to pray like my mom. If solely God would forgive me for my misdeeds, I wouldn’t need to run from them anymore.

However earlier than he might consider the rest, the 2 of them needed to pack up once more at first gentle. There was all the time contempt in Arinel’s eyes as she packed.

It will occur repeatedly.

Regardless of the Black Knight’s identification is, it continued to pursue them, and every time, Arinel would transfer from place to position as if on the run.

***

“Hey, I heard your mother was loopy?”

Youngsters’s innocence was generally merciless.

As soon as, whereas her mom was away, a brown-haired boy got here as much as Liel, who was raking leaves outdoors.

Liel narrowed his eyes and thought for a second.

What the hell is that this?

“What’s that?”

“Your mother.”

“……?”

Apparently not amused by Liel’s response, the kid quickly left.

He stood there for a second, dumbfounded, staring on the fallen leaves and scratching his head.

A powerful hand on his shoulder introduced him again to actuality.

“I stated you shouldn’t be wandering round alone!”

Liel appeared up and noticed his mom, her complexion even paler than earlier than.

Her good blue hair, the colour of the sky, was as dry as straw, and her blue eyes, as soon as as good as the ocean, now not held a ripple.

Regardless of Arinel’s each day prayers, their sins had not been forgiven, they usually have been nonetheless being hunted.

“Let’s go. They may come for you at any second.”

Liel thought as he was dragged obediently by Arinel’s hand.

What does it imply to be loopy?

He didn’t know precisely what that meant, however he didn’t actually care.

It doesn’t matter what anybody says, Arinel loves him.

The truth that she all the time got here to him and guarded him was sufficient for him to consider that her love was legitimate.

“Pull up your pants.”

Arinel shouted as quickly as they received again to the home, a process that was obligatory each time they went outdoors.

“Shortly!”

Pissed off with the actions of Liel, Arinel yelled once more, till Liel squirmed on the ground and pulled up his pants.

A small snake tattoo was revealed on his ankle, writhing.

“Ah, why, why received’t it go away……!”

Like a madman, Arinel started to rub his tattooed ankle furiously till Liel’s flesh was sore.

The ache radiating from his ankle made Liel chew his lip and grit his tooth towards the ache.

“God, please…….”

Arinel gasped and lined her face together with her arms, sobbing.

She all the time cried for Liel. At any time when she did, Liel would wipe away her tears and say, “Mom, don’t cry.”

Mom, don’t cry, it’s my fault.

Not realizing what he had carried out unsuitable, he would ask her for forgiveness.

And she or he would all the time shake her head.

It’s not your fault.

That day she repented to the gods from daybreak until nightfall, and Liel stayed by her aspect and slept soundly all evening.

***

As the times handed, Arinel slept longer and longer. Even when she ate, she misplaced weight and coughed extra typically.

As Arinel’s physique grew skinny, she apprehensive extra about Liel, who was crying subsequent to her, than about herself.

Then at some point, lengthy after he had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying, he felt one thing he had by no means felt earlier than.

An intense ache, the likes of which he had by no means felt earlier than, flooded his head.

Unable to bear the ache, Liel opened his eyes and instantly noticed Arinel clutching his head, tears streaming down her face.

“Mom, mom, it hurts……, let me go, it hurts!”

His voice, unable to scream, grew to become a sob. Liel grabbed Arinel’s skinny wrist and struggled.

Arinel didn’t loosen her grip, not even when she heard her little one moan in ache.

“Liel, my pricey son, my little one……. This mom can now not defend you…….”

Tears pooled in Arinel’s eyes, rolled down her sunken cheeks, and spilled over onto Liel’s cheeks.

“Alas, my poor boy, once I die, you’ll be alone on this world.”

Arinel’s voice rang in Liel’s ears whilst he struggled to flee the ache.

“Bear in mind my phrases, Liel.”

From Arinel’s hand got here a beam of sunshine, stronger than earlier than, which rapidly enveloped Liel’s head and started to darken his hair.

“There isn’t any one in your aspect however me. Shut your eyes, shut your mouth, and don’t belief anybody.”

Liel’s nails scratched Arinel’s wrist. The kid’s nails left marks on her white wrist. Nonetheless, she didn’t let go.

“Even when it’s a human who reaches out to you, you should not inform them of the ugly sin in your ankle.”

All of the whereas, the sunshine continues to run by way of Liel’s hair and into his scalp.

“Even the gods is not going to forgive our sins. Besides…….”

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than all of Liel’s grey hair had turned black.

“Please stay, please stay with the sins of your mom who even the gods have turned their again on, and please stay away from the evil that seeks to hurt you.”

With that, Arinel eliminated her arms from Liel’s hair.

Liel, lastly freed from her torment, groaned and clutched his head.

BANG!

The previous door collapsed with a loud crash, shaking the home.

Arinel’s head snapped towards the door on the sound. 

Black hair tangled between her fingers.

“You’ve been hiding right here.”

A dismal voice echoed by way of the dilapidated cabin.