Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was insane.

To think that the pain accompanying him could be so easily, so quickly, stopped.

Of course, he liked it, it was the thing he was looking for the most, outside of being able to stop all of his pains.

Although, this is, in a way, something able to stop his pains.

Minerva was a nice woman, as he'd come to realize. She would help anyone in her path, be it friend or foe, without any hesitation, offering food, or using that strange ability she calls a 'Witch Factor'.

He felt like that didn't make sense. If you leave your opponents alive, would they not come for you after?

Then again, she can go fast, faster than nearly anything he has ever seen, so he guesses the strong can allow themselves some luxuries he couldn't.

Well strong isn't the right word... Actually, has he ever seen Minerva fight?

In any case, they were always on the move. He didn't know if she was being hunted, he never smelled a scent that was consistently present while they slept, so he wondered, just what they were running from?

When he asked that question, Minerva always dismissed it, saying they were running because she liked to jog a lot. He didn't know what jog was or why she was doing it so much, but he accepted it.

As for what they were doing right now...

"Nerva." Eryx mumbled through chews and bites of an apps, the juice running through his mouth, chin and falling onto the walking Minerva's hair. "Why do you whelp evwerything you shee?"

"Don't talk and eat at the same time! And don't chew with your mouth open!" She scolded before answering anything. Her face softened slightly. "To answer your question, I... Simply hate fighting and injuries."

"But... Isn't that something normal-"

"I know." She interrupted sharply. "But I hate it anyway. I hate war, I hate death, I hate them." Tears started welling up in the corner of her eyes, and her voice wavered slightly. "I got this... Ability, and with it I can save people. If I can do that, then I'm happy."

Her eyes spoke of sadness, anger, and resolve.

He only stared at her in awe.

She seemed embarassed under his gaze. "What? Why do you keep staring?"

"You're... Funny." He said quietly. "Why do you care about them?"

"How would you feel if I died?"

The question was unexpected, but it made Eryx feel distraught. "Bad." He answered, not knowing how to express himself further.

"Exactly." She said. "People have other people they care about, and I don't want them to grieve as much as I did."

"Nerva."

"Yes?" She said softly.

"What's 'grieve'?"

She sighed. Minerva wasn't surprised he didn't know. It has been less than a year since he started to learn the language. "It's when a person goes through a lot of emotional turmoil and pain, from wherever that may be."

"Hmm..." He hummed.

He thought that, in a way, he has been 'grieving' since he woke up in this cruel world.

He didn't feel safe.

Currently, they're walking around this big city— Picouttate, as Minerva called it. —to buy things, mainly clothes for him. Hooded, of course. She said she didn't like to be seen around here. Minerva knows how to wash clothes on rivers, but he doesn't know that he can't get too close to thorns or they'll rip, even when she tells him over and over again.

It's not his fault that he can't see them in time, he retorts back. But Minerva always finds a way to make him feel like he's the one to blame, specially when she stomps the ground like some of those beasts like him do when they seem to be angry.

Currently, though, it wasn't the time to remember good memories.

Picouttate was a big city, as he'd come to know. Only that one city he saw that was atop a mountain with a grand stone structure was bigger than it. And that could only mean trouble for him.

He felt them. Those piercing glares from the 'demi-humans' that have been chasing him for all of time he has been here. Those eyes that speak of hostility that he can't shake off, wherever he goes. It is one of the things he hasn't healed from, even after Minerva.

"I don't like this place." He murmured while sitting in Minerva's shoulders. Clutching her neck with his feet to keep her close. "I don't like how they look at me."

"It'll be fast." She reassured him softly. "Remember that we're here because of your dumb mistakes."

"I didn't know they were-"

"Shh, bad boy." She cut his retort, which hushed him quite easily.

"We're going to talk with people I trust, they'll be fine with you and me."

That didn't reassure him enough. Trusting that something won't hurt you, in the life he has lived, is foolish. He has done so many times, and yet, he has been hurt.

It is true that Minerva is someone he can trust, but she is the exception in his mind, not the rule.

As she walked through the bustling city, Eryx, for the first time, could get to see such a city up close. Ignoring the hostile gazes he could feel were coming from the 'demi-humans' as Minerva called them, it was big, overflowing with activity basically everywhere he looked. Merchants offered their goods, some with 'discounts' he didn't care enough to ask Minerva for the meaning of, people trading objects for one another, carriages with those scaly creatures he had come to see a lot of near the settlements of beasts like him.

The murmur and chatter filled his ears. Merchants shouting, scaly creatures trotting and walking while carrying carriages filled with various different types of goods. It was all... Somewhat chaotic. Is this how every city looks and sounds? If so, he'd rather live outside of them. With company, of course.

Or, if he's forced to live here, he'd like to live like those beasts like him that play around while their mothers and fathers are near. He has seen a few, and they look happy. He wants to be happy too.

"Nerva." He mutters. "What are those scaly creatures?"

"Oh, those are earth dragons." She answered simply. "They help with moving carriages and goods around."

Earth dragons...

"Like the one you found me sitting on? But they look so tiny..." He said, slightly disappointed. Of course, having dozens of Valgrens in a city doesn't sound like a fun idea, but Minerva said that Dragons have different personalities.

"No, not at all. That Dragon you fought against was just a 'true' Dragon. These were created by Volcanica." She said.

"What's a Volcanica?"

She sighed deeply.

Now that Eryx has received a thorough history lesson on many important figures— More than she cares to admit —, they finally reached one of the few allies she has that isn't willing to sell her out— the Suwen company.

She knocked two times. "Kahrl." She said simply, causing whoever was behind the door to open it up in a hurry.

Holding the door open stood Kahrl Suwen. A grey-haired man with a slightly disheveled appearance. His shirt was dark blue with splashes of light green, although dirtied and damp from various errands he has been doing all around the city, same as his brown pants and black boots. He wears a green hood around his neck, tied with an orange tie Minerva knows was given by his wife.

"M-Minerva-san!" He stammered. "I didn't expect you here. What happened for you to come...?"

His gaze landed on the child that rested atop her shoulders. "Minerva-san, is that who I think-"

"W-what?! No it's not, you idiot!" She quickly retorted, flustered at the implication. "This is Eryx. He fell asleep on the way here." She quickly informed him before dropping Eryx in a chair and taking off both his and her hood. Kahrl closed the door as soon as she did that. "Where's your wife and daughter?"

"They're on a trip to the Royal Capital, said she had to settle a business there, and since my daughter hasn't gone anywhere other than Picouttate, she brought her with her." He informed. "So, Minerva-san, to what do I owe the visit?"

"Eryx had his clothes ripped by stepping through thorns. I want to buy some of yours." She said.

He froze. "W-well, about that... I... I got roped into a scam and lost most of my assets in the process."

She only sighed, already used to this. "How much time will it take?"

"About 5 days-"

"5 DAYS?!" She shouted. "I can't stay that long!"

"I-I'm sorry, Minerva-san! I don't have any excuse for this blunder!" He said, kneeling and facing the ground.

Minerva clicked her tongue. "I can't wait for that." She said, suddenly grabbing her hood and heading toward the door.

"U-uh, Minerva-san? Wait- Minerva-san?!" Kharl panicked. "I can't take care of a child so suddenly!"

"You'll find a way, you always do." She reassured emptily while opening the door.

"B-but how?!"

"He likes appas and steak the most, make sure to feed him that."

"That's not what I'm-"

The door closed.

For the second time in her life, she hesitated.

Hesitated to help people.

She knew they had reliable people protecting them, she knew they would be okay. And yet... It hurt.

She wished she had more time, that this world wasn't submerged in ruin.

Maybe if that happened... She would raise them like she has to.

Faces flashed. She wished she could be a happy mother, she feels they would like eachother. Before a smile could set on her face, she slapped herself.

"There's no time to waste." She thought, and started walking.

"Eryx!" A voice he didn't recognize shouted with worry and horror in her voice. "Eryx, you'll be okay, you'll be okay! D-don't worry, you'll live! You'll..." He could hear her crying. He didn't want her to be crying. Why didn't he? He didn't know her. He can't see. He feels pain in his torso.

Who is she? Why is she making him feel like this? He only feels like this with Minerva, he shouldn't feel like this with anyone, he couldn't.

Then, the ground shook. Deep stabs into the ground quakes the earth near him.

The woman gasped. He couldn't see, but he felt the raw fear in that gasp. Something strong, something that meant a lot of pain, was incoming.

"Mmm~? Oh, it's the villagers!" A childish voice, one that didn't fit the strength and horror that was oozing out of it, spoke. "I hope you're tastier than the others-"

"Wait!" The terrified woman said. "I-I have a Divine Protection that can be useful to you! In turn... I want you to help me."

"Mmm~? And how do I know you aren't tricking me? If you have a Divine Protection that can help me, use it now."

"Only if you promise me something."

"And what is that? Be quick, I'm hungry."

"Help me... Revive him."

He woke up with a start, drenched with sweat, and highly disturbed for a reason he can't quite put into words.

He clutched his heart.

"Who were they?" And "Why was that woman making me feel like that?" Were some of the questions running through his mind while he clutched his heart tighter, tighter to the point of digging through his sullied clothes and skin, twisting his chest around. His heart aches, but it's a different type of pain, one he hasn't experienced a lot of.

It's one he hates even more than physical pain.

It is only now he looks around and realizes he is in an unfamiliar environment. A somewhat dirty, dim house with only two windows, both of which have various products surrounding them, and also drawers underneath them. The drawers were made in such a way that they align perfectly with the bottom of the windows.

He got up from where he was sleeping— a chair —and began to walk around.

"I swear-" He could hear a voice coming from one of the rooms, along with loud chops coming from that room. "Minerva always has to leave me with problems! First, she tells me to babysit Typhon, then tells me to buy copious amounts of medicine for the elves!"

The chopping intensified in both speed and noise, before ending in a frustrated chop. "Seriously, does she think I'm her lackey?!" The man shouted in unison. He sighed before looking at the meat he was chopping down.

"Minerva?" A voice repeated from the door of the kitchen.

He yelped and turned around frantically, eyes wide with surprise as he looked at the small frame next to the door. He let out a relieved sigh. "You're awake now?"

"Where is she?" He asked. "Who are you?"

"She's... Gone." He said. "She couldn't wait for me to make you clothes, so she just... Left. I'm Kharl Suwen, by the way."

He looked deep in thought until he realized something. "Oh, you're that guy she mentioned that was going to make me clothes!" He said.

"I'm only someone who makes clothes in her mind?!" He sighed and, with a forced smile, continued. "Y-Yes, Eryx. I am that guy indeed."

"So you don't know where Minerva is?" The kid questioned with a small, sad frown.

"No, sadly. She's hard to track, and even if you found her location, she's most likely gone by the time you reach it." Kharl explained.

Eryx looked down, but Kharl knelt down and put a hand in his shoulder. "Don't worry, Eryx. She'll be back soon, I'm sure of it." He reassured the kid with a big smile. If there was something Minerva could be credited for, is her timing. She's fast and will not wait extra time when what she needs done.

"How soon?" The kid asked.

"About 5 days, more or less."

"And what can I do in those 5 days to pass the time?"

Kharl sighed. "I don't know, do you know how to... Not, release so much miasma?" He asked sarcastically.

"Mi... Asma? What's that?" He asked, confused.

Kharl only sighed once again. Minerva hadn't even explained the fact Eryx oozes miasma, it's comparable to even hers. Even with a Divine Protection, something that should make him immune to the miasma's effects, he feels a bit dizzy.

"Miasma is corrupted mana, and it is what you're releasing an obscene amount of." He explained briefly.

"How does the mana get corrupted?" He asked yet another question, and it began to get in Kharl's nerves.

"Ask Minerva, she's the one also releasing an obscene amount of miasma as well."

"Why does she release-"

"I don't know!" Kharl said in a louder tone than he wanted, which made Eryx flinch. "... Sorry, just don't ask a lot of questions."

"Why?"

"Because people will get irritated."

"Are you irritated?"

"Yes."

"Oh, sorry." He apologized shyly.

"So that's why Minerva sounded mad!" Thought Eryx.

"It's fine, Eryx." He sighed. "I have some appas if you want, do you want so-"

"Where?"

"Kharl, what do you sell in this store?" Eryx asked with curiosity.

"Eh, nothing in particular. I sell whatever I can produce and buy, so clothes, food, bread, meat, egetables, friuts..."

"Where do you buy them from?"

"Many places, mainly the Royal Capital when I decide to do a trip there."

Eryx looked around the house of Kharl Suwen. It isn't particularly big, neither is it particularly fancy, but he hasn't seen either of those types of houses, so he's fine with it. A few plants, small and recently planted, are beginning to grow out of the soil in some of the pots the house has here and there. The plants are ones he has seen before, which gives Eryx some bad memories. He tries to remember the times he has seen them with Minerva, and he likes those times, but he doesn't know what to feel.

The man, Kharl Suwen, was a rather ordinary merchant, one of his only extraordinary things, apart from the Divine Protection he said was very rare, was that he ran multiple businesses while also being a merchant. Be that a tailor, a blacksmith (although he has to take another smith's workshop for that), or a messenger for those who can afford him.

He left a good impression on Eryx after a while, the man's eyes spoke of kindness, athough veiled in fake bravado, anyone with a sharp eye can notice it is fake.

"Kharl."

"Yes?"

"When you associate something with bad things, and also good things at the same time, how do you need to feel about it?"

Kharl looked confused at the question for a bit. "That's... A bit tricky. I would say that, if something gives you conflicting feelings, you should feel what you feel is right."

"What you feel is right..."

It's decided, he likes those plants.

"Didn't you have other people here? Nerva told me you lived with your... Wipe? And Taughter?"

"It's 'Wife' and 'Daughter', and yes, but they're away in a trip to the Royal Capital to take care of business."

The Royal Capital is something he has seen before, and Minerva explained it to him before, that it is where the king and most nobles reside. He doesn't care about all of that, anyway.

"I feel like you would get along with my daughter... It's sad she's not here." He said, looking at me, as if looking at something through him, not at him.

Kharl gets up from their appa-eating break. "Alright then, I should just..." He seems to realize something and looks back at Eryx. "Ah, you shouldn't stay here alone, you're coming with me."

"Where?"

"Outside, to buy things I need."

"What are you buying?" Eryx, in his usual fashion, asked while perched on Kharl's shoulders.

"A lot of things; egetables, friuts and silk. Some for cooking, some for reselling, and some for making you the clothes you need."

"Can we buy appas?"

"... Sure, I have enough for that." He said. He wasn't sure he did, but there's no problem with sacrificing some tatoes for an appa. He's grown to like Eryx in the short time they've spent, after all.

"When are your... Wife, and daughter, coming back?" He said, sounding a little proud of the fact he got a simple word right.

"Soon. If Minerva takes some time, you might meet them, although she's very timely, so it's unlikely." He said, buying two appas for the both of them and handing one to Eryx. Eryx thanks him and he says it's no problem.

"Do you love them?"

"Very," Kharl answered without hesitation. "I love my daughter as much as I love her mother."

Mother... It is a word he has heard before, but he doesn't know the meaning of. Some of those red-eyed beasts— Minerva called them mabeasts —called another one of their kind 'mother'.

"What does mother mean?"

"Eh?" Kharl was surprised he didn't know the meaning of that word. Minerva must not be a good teacher, and it makes sense, considering she doesn't ever rest, she musn't have a lot of time. "W-well, mother means... It's kind of hard to explain, honestly. You can consider it as the one who birthed you, as your maternal figure in life, or even your partner, if she's... Like that."

"What do you mean 'like that'?"

"It's better you don't know, you're too young for that."

Mother...

"Who's my mother?"

"Well... I'm not sure if Minerva is your biological mother, but she's definitely your maternal figure. She'll probably like it if you call her that, she needs that reassurance."

Eryx hums. "Nerva is my... Mother! I will call her mother then." He said with childish conviction and pride, which earned a chuckle of Kharl.

"You should." He repeated.

"Hey, Kharl."

"Yes, Eryx?"

"Who's your mother?"

Kharl stopped his stride around Picouttate to think. "If you mean my biological mother, I don't know her." He answered bluntly. "But I was raised by a man that was the best influence one could ask for in their life, atleast as a merchant. I consider him my father, although I haven't seen him in a while." He said, eyes softer than before.

"Who?"

"None other than the great Ho-" Kharl was about to proclaim proudly, but it was interrupted in Eryx's mind by the sound of someone gasping. He could feel the terror in that gasp, he has done some of those before.

"Drop everything you've got, now!" A hushed voice spoke with hostility and silence, and then, some rummaging around what Kharl called a 'purse' was heard. "Hurry up, or I'll stab you!" He said.

No one seemed to notice. Why were they not acting upon it? Why weren't they helping whoever was being threatened?

He has been on the receiving end of that, and he doesn't like it, so why is no one doing anything?

"Hey, Kharl." He said. "What would you do if you saw a robbery happening?"

Kharl hummed at the strange question. "I guess help in any way I can to stop it, like calling the-"

His voice was interrupted when Eryx, like an insect, began crawling down from his shoulders at a speed no kid should have and rushed to an alleyway. "W-wait, Eryx!" He said, trying to catch up to him.

But Eryx was faster.

Like a seasoned warrior, he weaved through the people and slipped in the alleyway, observing the scene he had heard before.

It was a demi-human dog woman, who was being robbed by another demi-human, a lizardman, who carried a sharp knife. The woman was dropping everything she had in her purse, but not what she had on her pockets

"I said, Give me everything!" He said, threatening to punch her.

He could wait for the guards. Some of the few people watching this take place must've called them already, but... It is not what Minerva would do.

He rushed through the narrow alleyway, reaching the Lizardman who turned as soon as he smelled him. "Don't get involved in other people's business, brat!" He shouted, managing to predict Eryx would jump, and stabbing him through the shoulder.

Eryx let out a scream he drowned out quickly, instead using the closeness he had to grab the Lizardman's head's side and drive it down to the concrete with strength not normal of a child, knocking the Lizardman out.

He steadied his breathing while removing the dagger, trying to appear calm in front of the person he saved, although it was hard to hold back a loud grunt.

"Miss, are you-"

*BLEEEGHH*

The woman vomited.

"Miss-!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She shouted, trembling while holding her mouth with her hand and scurrying back to the wall, as if scared for her life. Then she looked at him.

"YOU MONSTER!" She said, about to vomit again, the scent of the witch was too strong for her.

He only stared in horror, a myriad of emotions running through him, all of them negative.

He thought he'd escaped that stare, that accursed glare that chased him wherever he went. He thought that he would be thanked, like the heroes of the stories Minerva sometimes narrated him to sleep. He thought that, with Minerva, with Kharl, he wouldn't feel like this.

He was wrong.

Those eyes, full of hostility, of horror, like he was a monster, kept coming back to him, he couldn't escape them.

He stepped back, looking at her like she had stabbed him, and for him, she might as well do that.

"Eryx!" Kharl's voice rung out through the narrow alleyway, his steps increasing in volume as he rushed to him. "What just-" He stared at the scene in confusion, then grim understanding.

"... Eryx, come with me." He said, grabbing Eryx's hand and swinging him back to his shoulders, then turning away quickly from the scene.

He walked away quickly while the people flooded the area, apprehending the Lizardman and helping the dog woman. She could only stare in horror, her gaze following Eryx right until he was out of her sight completely.

She was convinced, that kid would kill her, that amount of miasma... It is no lesser than a Witch's, and it only amplified once he was stabbed.

Eryx only did the same, feeling the horror and disgust his existence meant to her right up until the last moment of their gazes crossing and through a lot more of the time he'll live.

"... Kharl." He spoke shakily, on the verge of tears. "Are heroes supposed to be called monsters?"

"... No, Eryx. But you are a hero." He said, trying his best to console him.

"Then why..." He began tearing up. "Why was that miss looking at me like that?"

"She..." Kharl tried to justify her actions, to do so without placing the blame on something Eryx doesn't have control of. But that's impossible.

They remained silent through the rest of their shopping.

"It's been 5 days..." Eryx commented to himself, looking absent-mindedly at the calendar perched on Kharl's walls.

Ever since that shopping trip, he hasn't been the same. He isn't at all curious, or filled with the childish innocence Kharl liked and reminded him of his daughter, no. He was closed-off, retreated into his shell. If he was the normal Eryx, he would ask about the meat he had brought just now, if it was as tasty as steak, or if he could have an apple.

The clothes he needs should be finished today, if he has enough time. His wife and daughter said they'll be back soon in a letter three days ago, but he isn't sure exactly when. For all he knows, they're entering Picouttate right now.

"Kharl." Eryx spoke, with no motivation in his voice. It pained him. "Can I go to see how you make my clothes? I'm bored."

Well, atleast his curiosity isn't completely dead, he still has a chance of saving.

"Sure." Kharl answered. "But it's pretty boring for a child. Atleast that's what my Liana told me."

"I'm not your daughter." He said, without any sarcasm or cutting tone, like he'd expect out of any adult who said that, only a matter-of-fact tone.

"... I guess you're right on that." He chuckled softly, handing Eryx an appa.

"I'm not hungry." He denied quickly.

Kharl didn't believe that, but he accepted Eryx's wish anyway.

Lunch went by quickly, the steak and roce combined with tatoes was quite tasty, but he didn't feel the flavor of it, he was still absorbed in what had happened before 5 days ago. He followed Kharl to his backyard, somewhere he would've explored if it was the Eryx before the shopping trip, but he retreated into his shell before he did so.

In the backyard, there was a rather small shed, where Kharl went to from time to time to make steady progress on his clothes. Eryx had seen him go at night, when he had nothing else to do and turned on the light that seeped through the cracks of the old wood and the windows near the roof of the structure, where he never knew what happened, or what was there.

Now, though, he found himself right there.

The shed was humble; clearly something only meant to store things, but the desk and lantern told Eryx Kharl had made it into somewhere he could work as well. He is really hardworking.

Kharl pulled out a half-finished cloak, the outside being Jet black, and the inside orange. It looked cozy. The other clothes that seemed to be his were brown trousers, brown boots and a green shirt.

Those clothing pieces reminded him of something, but he couldn't tell why.

"I got inspired by someone else." He said. "Although it's not the same cloth. I still don't know how he gets that smooth feeling." He commented, frustration thinly veiled. Eryx didn't care, he was only staring at the clothes in wonder. How could leather and silk turn to that?

So he stayed, sitting in a corner, observing curiously how the cloak was embroidered and turned into something more valuable, more entertaining than just silk.

He watched how strands of silk were put through the needle's eye, how they intertwined themselves in layers, that then were covered in layers, and then covered in layers.

He was awestruck.

He thought the process was beautiful.

He sat there, for the entirety of the time Kharl spent making the cloak, and once it was finished, Kharl sighed in satisfaction. "Well, it's done now." He said, grabbing the cloak, shirt, trousers and leather boots. "Now you won't have to use my daughter's clothes."

"Put it on." Kharl recommended. "Just to make sure I got the measurements right."

Eryx, still wondering about the process he thought was incredible, obeyed. He went out of the shed, into Kharl's moonlit house, and put them on. Then, he went back to the shed to find Kharl eyeing him and letting out a small sigh of relief. "Thank Od."

"So? How does it feel?" He asked Eryx.

"It feels... Good. It's comfy." He described briefly.

"I'm happy that it does." Kharl said. "Just gotta wait and pray Minerva pays me this time." He huffed.

"... Hey, Kharl?"

"Hmm?" Kharl hummed.

"Could I... Stay here? For a moment?" He asked shyly.

Kharl seemed confused. "... Sure, but why?"

"I-uh, I just want to see the things you have around here!" He said hurriedly, clearly a lie.

Kharl chuckled, immediately noticing the lie. "Okay then, I'll let you for the night. I'll go to sleep." He said, before walking out of the shed. "Good night, Eryx."

Now, he was all alone in the dim light of the shed, among the multiple materials and trash in the shed. But among the things inside the shed, he was only focused on a few things.

The silk, and the needle.

He slowly, hesitantly, reached for them. He picked up the needle, and, following what Kharl did, began to thread.

His hands felt like they belonged in this space. He didn't know what exactly was he making, but he was making, and that is what made him enjoy this.

He threaded with silk. Pink, fuchsia and black— The same one used in his cloak —were the main ones used in his craft. Slowly but surely, previously meaningless strands of colored silk began to take form, began to make sense in his head. He glided through the self-imposed task.

And, soon enough, a smile, unbeknownst to even himself, found its way into his face.

He forgot about the fact he was called a monster, that he was hated by people, that he was nothing but the product of a Witch. He merely lost himself in the craft. He felt like he finally found something he liked to do.

He felt happy, a kind of happiness similar to when he is near Minerva, but not quite.

He lost himself, lost the track of time, lost nearly every bad memory and every painful moment.

He felt-

"Dad! Why are you awa-" A childish voice suddenly erupted, accompanied by the sound of the door bursting open. There, laid a small child, about the same size as him, with blue eyes, dark grey hair, green and white clothing, and a long, frilly skirt with green stockings.

Eryx let out a yelp when the door burst open, and they both looked at eachother.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" They both screamed out.

After Eryx got a hard punch to the skull for thinking he was an intruder, the girl, named Liana Suwen, received a bad scolding by both of her parents, and then, the new arrivals presented themselves.

"I'm terribly sorry for Liana." The mother of Liana and the wife of Kharl, Aurelia Suwen, apologized once again, bowing with practiced, regal elegance.

Aurelia's eyes spoke of the same kindness of Kharl's, although there were deeper emotions in them even he couldn't decipher. Kharl explained to him that Aurelia was a noble, but forfeited her position to marry him. It's a pretty heartwarming story, and that may explain the façade she has over her emotions, as it was made known to him through Kharl that the noble world is often ruthless. He doesn't doubt Minerva found their love story sweet.

Minerva...

It has been 6 days since she left, and she hasn't shown herself. Anywhere. He felt like something is terribly wrong, but he'll wait, just a bit.

"It's fine, miss." Eryx answered shyly.

"See, mom!? He's fine with it, you didn't need to- Ughrk!" Liana's complaints were cut off by a firm slap on the back of her head from Aurelia, keeping her mouth shut and her eyes teary.

Liana's eyes spoke of innocence and mischief, like some of the kids he saw the one time he went out of the house. She was energetic, from the few moments he saw she wasn't being scolded by her mom.

Kharl looked at Eryx with curiosity. "I never asked, what were you doing inside of the shed to stay all night in there?"

Eryx suddenly looked alarmed. "Ah, it was nothing! I was just-"

"He made this thing!" Liana said loudly, pulling out a fuchsia-pink silk heart within a black background out of the table. It looked good, but unfinished. Eryx didn't even realize she did so. "It was on the table!" Liana informed.

Kharl's eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw the embroidery of a child was on the same level as his.

"Oh dear." Aurelia commented while looking at the heart. "You made this, little Eryx?"

"I-I didn't mean to use the silk from the shed! It was just the-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Kharl huffed in frustration while stomping. "There's no way a kid is better than- Ughrk!" Kharl was slapped in the back of his head.

"What Kharl is trying to say, dear, is that you have a talent for embroidery." Aurelia said, although her sweet smile was a bit unsettling. "You should tell Minerva-san, she would be very happy about that." Aurelia adviced.

"... Am I really that good? I mean, Kharl made all this that I'm wearing easily-"

"Easy?! It took me five days of working on it everytime I wasn't shopping or attending to customers to make that, you made a heart easily in just one night! While enjoying it! Do you think I enjoy it?! Do you think I- Ughrk!"

"Let's not branch off and insult Minerva-san, dear." Aurelia warned with an unintentionally— According to Eryx's judgement —tone.

Eryx was having trouble trying to fathom being good at something. Most of the time he was with Minerva, although he enjoyed it greatly, he felt like he did very little in actually helping her. And even then, how can this help Minerva?

He pondered the question in his sleep.

"Let's play!" Liana said.

"... Play?" Questioned Eryx.

"Yes, play, duh!" She said, like it was common practice for Eryx to play with anyone.

In truth, he had never played with anybody in his life. Minerva, at most, played catch with him. Which she won everytime, even when Eryx had a seemingly blessed strength and speed. He really wonders just what Minerva is made of to be able to catch him. Rare was the instance where a forest beast caught him.

"... What are we playing?" Eryx asked hesitantly.

"Hmm..." Liana wondered aloud with a hum, until she perked up with an idea. "I know, hide and seek!" She said cheerfully.

"Dear, I don't think-" Aurelia, sitting with Kharl at a table across the backyard sipping tea, cut herself off from whatever she was going to say.

"Don't worry, mom! I won't lose!" Liana said.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!" Aurelia thought and huffed. Her composed face returned shakily. "R-right, dear."

"How do you play it?" Asked Eryx.

"It's easy! One counts up to 20, the other one hides! If you find them, you run back to where you counted from and say their name before they reach it!" She explained, grabbing Eryx by the shoulders and turning him to face a tree in the backyard. "Don't look back until you count to 20, and then you search for me!"

Eryx nodded, understanding quickly. "Go ahead!" Said Liana.

Eryx then began counting while facing the tree. He could hear Liana's giggles and her steps while she went somewhere around the house. He was always told— and has seen it firsthand —that most of his senses are quite a bit sharper than the average human or even demi-human. This is one of those times he sees, or, hears, this being true.

With his enhanced hearing, he noticed exactly in what room Liana is in, although he can't pinpoint the exact place in that room. Though his scent helped with the rest.

"... 20." He said, then, suddenly, her scent vanished. He stood frozen for a split second, and then noticed that her scent hasn't vanished, but rather it... Thinned out, to the point it is much harder to identify, let alone locate Liana based on it alone.

He continued to the room where she was hiding in, and he noticed it was the same room that he slept in. He figured it must be her room, which is... Kind of awkward.

But he can't delve into that now. Pushing that awkwardness aside, he focused his sight and hearing into finding her... And then saw her in the middle of the room, giggling.

"Why are you standing there?" He asked. For most people, it would seem like he was talking to thin air, but for him and Liana, they both knew who he was talking to.

Liana stared, not fully processing the question before choking on air from shock. "You can see me?!" She said.

"YOU CAN SEE HER?!" Aurelia and Kharl screamed once they noticed the odds against Eryx weren't as hopeless as they thought.

Eryx looked around in panic, thinking he did something wrong. "Did I count too early?"

"N-no, that's not it, dear." Aurelia said, still visibly and audibly surprised. "You see, Liana has a Divine Protec-"

He was shoved to the side by a small person, along with Aurelia and Kharl. He noticed it was Liana, and, with extraordinary speed, rushed over to the tree and chanted her name. "Liana!"

Once he did, Liana became much more easily detectable again. "It's not fair!" Liana said with teary eyes and a pout, stomping the ground in anger. It kind of reminded him of Minerva. "You cheated!" She pointed an accusing finger, reminding him of, again, Minerva.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, dear." Aurelia's composed voice returned to his ear, reassuring him. "Liana, it was about time you got that lesson, that you won't get away with everything." She said, seemingly exasperated from previous antics of hers Eryx never got to see.

"B-but not this way! I always win this game!" She huffed, stomping the ground. "If it wasn't for- Waaauhwah!" Her voice trembled while her ear was pulled.

"Manners." Aurelia said calmly, letting Liana's ears go.

"M-mom! I wasn't about-"

A small chuckle, one coming out of the small, black haired and golden-eyed boy, broke the soon-to-be arguing between mother and daughter. It was Eryx's.

He laughed, because it reminded him a bit of how Minerva would treat stubborn people that didn't want her saving.

He laughed, because he found Aurelia and Liana funny.

He laughed, because, although unknown to him, he felt safe.

Kharl's usually neutral face turned into a small smile. He was happy, atleast Liana made something good happen, instead of just... Stealing the sweet tatoes or appas at night.

Aurelia's usually composed smile turned genuine. Although it was hard dealing with the gremlin that was Liana, her laugh aleays brought a smile to her face, and Eryx's very much reminded her of it.

Liana laughed with him, because she found it funny and wanted attention. Mostly the latter.

After a while, he slowly stopped, and then finally noticed that, besides Liana still laughing— Albeit a fake laugh —, Aurelia and Kharl were looking at him with a smile. His residual smile turned into a worried face. "D-did I do-"

"You didn't, don't worry about it!" Liana patted him on the back. "You should stop worrying about if you did something wrong everytime!" Liana encouraged him with a cheerful smile.

"But... But if I do something wrong, won't I lose people? Won't they get tired of me?"

He has tried to be the best possible 'son' to Minerva. He has tried cooking, and foraging for fruits, but he can't help but feel he isn't doing enough. He feels like an animal she picked off the street, so, as his status of an animal implies, he must be the most helpful 'pet' one could have.

"Nobody is going to ditch you just for that, well, those that care about you anyway!" She said enthusiastically, dismissing his concerns like nothing.

"But I thought you didn't like me finding you..." Eryx questioned.

"A-ah, well, it's fine! Look, I won't separate from you just because of that, because I like you! My friends hate when I win every single hide and seek game, but they're still my friends anyway!"

"They do?" Eryx said. He secretly wanted to have a friend like that as well.

"Mhm. Hey, you wanna play catch? It's simple, you just have to touch me if you're it, and I have to touch you if you're it!"

"But!" She said, but then wagged a finger in front of him. "No unfair speed, okay?" Eryx nodded, and Liana beamed.

"If that's the case, no using your Divine Protection either!" Kharl, sitting on a table, said.

Liana choked. "You didn't need to remind him of that, dad!" She huffed. "I guess if you're not using your speed, I shouldn't use my Divine Protection either..."

"That sounds fine to me." Said Eryx. "Who's it right now?"

"Mmm..." Liana seemed deep in thought, then suddenly, she reached for his chest and grazed it. "You're it now!"

"W-wait, is that fair?" Eryx questioned, until he noticed Liana already running while giggling. "Wait, Liana!" Eryx called out, chasing behind her.

Meanwhile, Aurelia and Kharl Suwen looked on at the scene with quiet content. Liana was energetic, sometimes too much for them, and her Divine Protection only made parenting and teaching her valuable skills harder.

"We might have to hire Eryx to stay here now." Kharl proposed jokingly, which earned a quiet, refined giggle from Aurelia.

"You're right. Liana didn't have much fun at the Capital, so I'm glad she's enjoying herself." Aurelia said.

"Eryx too. He was... A bit depressed, from an accident in town almost a week before you two arrived here." Kharl said, his expression becoming downcast. "He was called a monster... Which seemed to affect him a lot." He recounted the events while shopping 6 days ago, which were quite traumatizing to the little man. He wondered, just how many times was he called a monster, specially knowing of his background.

"Either way, he's happy, and that's very good in my eyes."

"Does he really have to go?" Said Liana with a pout.

"I do." Said Eryx, with a small, melancholic smile.

It had been a week since Liana and Aurelia had returned from their trip to the capital, and still, there were no signs of Minerva. So, in the time he has spent here, Aurelia and Kharl have been preparing him supplies and a map.

What is the use of the map?

"She usually visits the elves in the elf forest west from here. If she's not there, she may be in the Elior forest, where there's a secondary settlement for them."

Those were the words Kharl spoke when Eryx asked what the Xs on the map were for, and they marked one forest in the Hyclara plateau, near Flanders, a city he has heard being spoken of by Minerva and the few people he trusts, which, apart from Minerva, are all in this room together with him.

Alternatively, he could go to the Elior forest, where, although smaller, there is another elven settlement. He knows about the fact Minerva is a mother, not just his mother, but an actual mother of another child, one who is elven, as he was told by Kharl.

Of course, Minerva isn't guaranteed to be there, but it is the best clue they have, so he'll cling onto that.

He's equipped with various foods. Most of them won't go bad soon, so they'll last long enough in the one month trip Kharl estimated it'd last. He also has some things he has never seen, that Kharl said were 'ideas borrowed from a certain someone', whoever that was. One of them was a sleeping bag, which you just rolled out and slept in with a pillow.

He tested it out the night before, they're very comfy, he liked them.

Another one of the things he had were what Kharl called matches. They allowed easy appearance of fire, which helped with making campfires, specially since he doesn't have a fire affinity.

He once asked Kharl "How did you make these? If you sold them, you'd make a lot of money, no?" And Kharl answered "They take a while to make, you're one of the few that I give this to."

He felt a bit overwhelmed by the idea that he has special items next to nobody else has, it makes him feel like he has to take special care of them, and that he's special to Kharl at all. It makes him feel good to have someone he cares about also care for him, of course, but he doesn't know what he should do with them after, does he sell them? Or maybe keep them after that as a relic? Or maybe-

"Hey." Kharl interrupted his train of thought. "What are you thinking about? You spaced out a bit."

"Spaced out...?" He ignored the strange term. "It's nothing, I just don't know what to do with these," He pat the place where the sleeping bag and matches were kept in the backpack. "Once I don't need them."

"Ah, it's fine if you ditch them, if they're no longer of use to you, just trash them." Kharl answered his question, interrupting his overthinking.

He smiled brightly, a smile like the kid he is. "Thank you for letting me do that."

"Mhm, I doubt Ery would know what to do if you didn't tell him, dad!" Liana, naming him Ery as a nickname, said.

"... Well, I'm off." He said quietly, sharing his last goodbyes with the people he has grown to care about.

Now, he was going to find the person he cared about the most.

It was easier than he expected, he'll be honest.

Right now, he was in Abiate, a small town that thrives off travelers and the fish that sometimes appear in the river near here. He was staying at an 'inn', something Kharl explained to him.

... It was hard to work up the courage to ask for the keys when the receptionist forgot to give them to him, but apart from that, he doesn't have any trouble.

Of course, this whole roundabout is being done because he doesn't want to swim all the way to the other side, that just doesn't sound like any fun at all to him, he doesn't like being hurt.

Right now, he was resting comfortably in his bed, thinking about the things he has felt and seen.

He has felt pain, and he has felt despair... But, deep in his soul, he can feel that glimmer of hope, that, at the end of the day, every pain is temporary, and that no scar will ever last. He has experienced this, he knows this for sure.

And so, he turned off the candle in his room, and slept, with pleasant memories of what he considers family.

...

Meanwhile, outside of his room... 

It was an ordinary day for Mireia. Nothing special had happened. Customers came and went, and there was no one remarkable enough to stop and analyze.

Well, there was a single boy.

The boy himself wasn't too remarkable; long, slightly wild black hair, golden eyes resembling the maw of a beast, and a large backpack were some of the boy's features. It was not uncommon to see orphan travelers, those unfortunate enough to lose their parents or tutors but fortunate enough to know how to survive without them.

The only thing that was special from him was the slight dizziness it caused her everytime she saw him.

Don't get her wrong; The child is adorable, and he pays good money, but it just... Happens. Every time.

She yawned, wondering if anything of note could happen this late at night.

She read the book she'd left unread for a while to pass the time.

She entertained herself with magic tricks— not enough to damage the building, of course.

Then, she-

A sudden, loud and aggresive slam came from the door. She yelped and quickly turned to it, to find multiple elves.

But no, they weren't the kind ones she had seen in her travels to Flanders, no. These ones, although their gaze was lost, as if contemplating a sight they had only seen once, had weapons, and, judging by the bloodstains in them, they wouldn't hesitate to use them.

"Human." One of the elves spoke with detachment, although being pointed at with a knife, one wouldn't care about that detail. "Has there been a beast called Eryx Hollow roaming these lands lately?"

Beast? "T-there is... Someone called Eryx Hollow, but he isn't a beast. As far as I know, that is."

"Where is he?"

"He is..."

She mentally apologized to the boy, she had someone to take care of, one younger than him. She's sure he would understand. "... Second floor, third room to the left."

The elves left without a second thought to look for him.

She sighed shakily, hoping she would get to see another day. She needed to live for him, for her own son, for Lin. She can't afford to-

The steps on the stair returning to her, getting louder and louder, indicated those elves' return. And sure they were coming. One of them, a rather bulky one, had Eryx slung around his shoulder while the child rested peacefully, blissfully unaware to what was happening in the waking world.

They didn't acknowledge her, only passing by with the child in tow.

She sighed again, happy that they were gone-

A knife then reached her throat. With the few moments of stability she had, she looked at one of the elves, the one that threw that knife. "This is only a matter concerning our Witch and that Witch." He could hear, although muffled.

She scrambled, trying to find a way to stop the bleeding. Her water magic was too weak for her to apply healing to it, but she still did it, in vain.

She didn't want to die, there was someone she must take care of if the father wasn't there, that bastard.

She didn't want to die, she still had to make sure to bury her mom, not that her mom buries her.

She didn't want to die, but death came anyway.

In her last moments, she asked herself.

"What will become of Lin?" 

"... Where am I?" He asked to no one in particular in the empty forest.

He didn't know where he was. One night, he was in Abiate, and the other, he was in this mysterious forest, full with mist.

There was something wrong with this place.

Something very wrong.

There was an unnatural presence, something that isn't meant to be here and that the world is letting him know through any means possible that it isn't... Yet, it's there, like it is outside the jurisdiction of the world.

"What...?" Eryx mumbled as he turned his head around as much as he could, considering the limits of the tied rope he's trapped in and the thick tree he's restrained on.

These ropes weren't normal.

His strength should've been enough to break them, but they're reinforced, most likely from earth magic. He struggled against them, with all the strength he could muster right now, but they didn't budge, not at all. Now, he didn't know if he was weaker than normal, or the ropes were stronger than normal.

The surroundings were quite ordinary, save for the previously mentioned uneasiness and unsettling feeling in the air. The tree he was against was clearly one of the older ones in the forest, as every other tree was thinned and shorter.

"What is happening?" He asked himself. When did he end up like this? How? Who did this?

He was left alone with his thoughts, until loud, fast steps interrupted his train of thought.

White coat with hearts engraved on it, a blue dress and blonde hair. It was her.

"N-nerva!" He shouted, a smile making it's way into his face despite the mysterious situation.

However, she didn't look too happy. Shr looked agitated, frustrated. "Eryx!" She shouted. "We need to leave, no-"

An arrow, coming from the branches of a nearby tree, impaled itself into her shoulder.

"Nerva!" Eryx shouted, now worried for her.

She let out a grunt, but continued her running to him, and easily broke the ropes, along with the tree itself. "Let's go!"

"Y-yes!" Eryx said, climbing as fast as he can onto her shoulders. He noticed he indeed was slower, for some reason.

When she had turned to leave, she found an elf standing there, with an arrow and bow in tow.

He shot the arrow, and she ducked under, Eryx following her duck. She rushed to the elf and kicked him in the face to a nearby tree. Unsurprisingly, it caused no damage, but it got him out of the way.

Multiple arrows and magic spells were being launched at her from multiple angles. Icicles, fireballs, wind blades, rock pellets, all of those were coming from the trees.

Then, an icicle pierced through Eryx's head, knocking him out of the shoulders of Minerva.

"GAHH!" Screamed Eryx in pain. The icicle had pierced his skull, most of his brain, and right eye. But it didn't pierce through, it stayed there. The cold began to become unbearable, he was starting to lose consciousness from his brain being so near a freezing cold.

"ERYX!" Minerva screamed, quickly coming over and removing the icicle, not without muttering an apology first. "Listen, you need to get out of-"

Her voice was cut as multiple projectiles were embedded onto her back.

Eryx only looked in horror as the woman he considered his mother stood above him, still standing, despite the arrows and stone pellets that dug themselves into her back. She coughed up blood, but was still alive.

"Nerva... N-Nerva!" He called out, worried for her safety, but she didn't let him come closer.

"She's here." She muttered, anger clear in her tone.

From the mist emerged numerous elves, their faces completely lost in a trance, like if they witnessed something that they'll never be able to forget. But that wasn't what was calling his attention right now.

A figure, taller than him, but shorter than the average adult, wearing only a piece of white cloth with blue stitches and a blue ribbon made to resemble some kind of cloak around her body. Her skin was a beautiful pale, like snow, and her eyes were so deep, so blue like the sea, so unnaturally kind that he felt like he could melt under that gaze. Her hair was platinum white, like a cascading waterfall that shimmered under the light of the sun. She was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and it terrified him.

She wasn't something that was meant to exist. She isn't supposed to exist. This is why the forest feels unsettling, it is that sole presence that is making the forest feel like a place not meant to be.

"Why are you here, Witch of Vainglory, Pandora?" Asked Minerva, barely containing her wrath.

"Please, Minerva. I am only here because I need something from you." She spoke calmly. Too calmly, like she was detached from this situation. "I am not here to harm your child, nor am I here to harm the elves of the forest. I only want something from you."

"But you can't do it alone, can you? That's why you brainwashed the elves into fighting me and kidnapping Eryx. That's what you told me all about through that pigeon, isn't it?"

"In your eyes, I am nothing more than something you need to bait, and Eryx is the bait."

Pandora looked calm, with that ever-present unsettling smile on her face. "I fail to see how that is a problem-"

"Because you consider other beings' lives tools to get to your objective!" Minerva screamed out, shaking from anger. Even when she had so many injuries, she could still scream her feelings out. "That is the same reason you killed him, didn't you?"

Pandora looked unfazed by the question. "I believe that is your fault for not-"

Minerva couldn't hold her wrath in anymore. She dashed to Pandora, faster than Eryx had ever seen her run, and punched her in the face, sending her flying across the forest.

Minerva knew that wouldn't do anything. It is in these moments, that she wished her authority worked better against foes.

"It is your fault for not giving me what I want, isn't it?" The voice of Pandora, who somehow, someway, ended up behind Minerva, questioned. "It is equivalent exchange. You gave me yout Witch Factor, and I would've let him live. That is how that works, no?"

"It isn't at all! She punched her again, but, Pandora, like if that punch never happened, appeared behind her yet again.

"And it was beautiful. Your husband gave his life to protect you, truly, such a beautiful bond." She said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"YOU DON'T GET TO SPEAK OF HIM LIKE THAT!" She shouted in anger. It was the angriest Eryx had ever seen Minerva be.

"It is beautiful, like your desire to save others, even at your own expense." She said, standing along the elves now.

Then, one by one, they impaled an arrow through themselves, in various places.

Minerva gasped, and redirected her attention to the elves, removing the arrows from their body and punching them to heal them. "There, you're all good no-" The arrows, now free, were impaled through herself, multiple times, in multiple places.

When she removed them and healed herself, they grabbed the arrows again and removed them from them. It was a cycle, a cycle of pain and anguish. Even when she tried to get rid of the arrows, they came back. She was being put through mental and physical pain, and Eryx could only watch in horror.

The elves did it without a scream, not even a whimper, like their free will and pain were removed from themselves.

"Nerva!" Eryx called out, rushing to help her, but a gentle hand landed on his shoulder.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Pandora suddenly appeared behind Eryx, her gentle words and sweet tone only made it more sickening to him. "Your mother putting everything else behind to save people, even if they're the ones hurting her."

"Don't touch me!" Eryx said with fear in his words, slapping off her hand. "What the hell are you?"

She only looked at him with her inhumanly calm expression. "Do you hate me? It makes sense if you do. You hate me because you love Minerva, and every action we make is born out of love." She looked at him, crying. "If Minerva is dead, will your hate for me vanish?"

He ignored her, only trying to get to Minerva, but everytime he tried to, he was sent back, an infinite loop where he can't get to his destination.

Then, she started clapping, crying. "Fascinating!" She said. "The love of a child for her mother conflicting with her desire to save others beyond all else!"

Then Eryx stopped. He suddenly felt sick.

He felt sick, too sick, he can't remember the last time he felt like this.

He vomited on the ground and knelt down to clutch his stomach. His brain felt like it was being fried, it felt like it was being overtaking with wrath. He didn't like it, he could remember the last time that happened.

"You monster."

And he didn't like it.

Pandora appeared behind him again, although he couldn't slap her hand away this time. "Eryx Thysia." She whispered to his ear.

"I now grant you the title of 'Wrath'."

"... What?"

He didn't comprehend what happened. He knew the sight in front of him wasn't real, so what happened?

He looked at Minerva's face, painted with pain, and a sickening feeling erupted rapidly on his body.

The elves were dead, killed by whoever caused this. Minerva and him were standing in the middle of whatever had happened. Her usually beautiful and sweet face was pale, eyes wide in shock and...

No, that gaze wasn't real. It simply couldn't be.

He tried to look at her to confirm it, and she was still doing that face. Those eyes, normally filled with love for him, were replaced by hatred, veiled deep beneath mixing emotions.

It wasn't possible, he refused the notion that that could happen, it simply can't happen.

He looked down, and then realized why she was looking at him like that.

Her chest, usually unscathed, was pierced through by his hand.

He recoiled, but his hand was stuck in her chest. When he pulled, she toppled over him. He could feel her slow, pained breaths caressing his neck like a chilling reminder of what he did, adding to the nightmarish scene he has in front of him.

"N-Nerva..." He muttered, still in shock at what happened. Then, panic set in. "Nerva!" He shouted, putting her down against a tree, still not knowing what to do.

Then, something clicked in his mind. Her ability, right! Her ability. He grabbed her hand and balled it up into a fist carefully. He made Minerva punch herself, it should work right?

Then why isn't it working?

"WHY ARE YOU NOT WORKING?!" He screamed out in despair, grabbing his head, ripping out chunks of his skin.

Then, Minerva's body moved. In between painful breaths and squelches being heard all over his body, she embraced him.

He stopped his Self-Harm, looking to be in a state of shock.

"I-I'm... Sorry." She muttered. "I couldn't... Keep you safe."

"What are you..." He shook his head. "I-It was my fault you ended up like this! H-how can you blame yourself, when I'm right here..?" He questioned, not understanding the how she can blame herself, when he was the one who was kidnapped, he was the one who slowed down her escape.

In his mind, he, indubitably, is the cause of this. A monster that only brings misery, one that does not care for the lives of those around him, one that can only lash out in anger and fear.

He is a monster.

"I love you, my... My son." She said, tears brimming in her face. "You are my son, my... My son!" She cried out, hugging him as tightly as she could.

Eryx froze, he couldn't process what was happening, but he cried anyways.

Maybe, that hatred was not directed to him, maybe, he wasn't the target of that hatred.

He cried on her shoulder, hugging her tightly. He couldn't articulate words but one.

"Mom..." He cried out as well. "You're my mother! Y-you're the one that raised me... So you're my mother right?" He asked.

"Mom! Mom!" He cried out over and over again.

Minerva somehow managed to chuckle. A pained one, but one anyways. "S-sorry... For leaving you in there for so long."

He didn't hear her, he was too caught up in his emotions. "I love you, mother!"

"I love... You too. I hope you two... Get along..."

She went limp.

"M-mother..?" He asked, feeling how her full weight was dropped on him. He rolled her over, and her eyes were vacant, devoid of life.

"Mom..." He only whimpered while he was close to the body, clutching it tightly.

The laughs he shared with her.

The pain he shared with her.

The times he shared with her.

He should've told her sooner; she was his mom.

He should've told her sooner; he loved her.

She was his mom.

That hand, that sickening, disgusting, vomit-inducing, selfish, self-absorbed, narcissistic, horrible, terrible, hated, gross, nauseating, repellent, stomach-churning, revolting hand, clasped his shoulder again. "I believe your hatred for me was rooted in her, wasn't it?"

She came closer to his ears. "Now, you are the one I need." She whispered.

His lack of response prompted her to clasp his other shoulder.

Then, as soon as she did. Her two arms were gone.

Her eyes widened just the littles amount. "Oh de-" Her voice was cut off by a bite to the neck, ripping it off.

He spat the chunk of neck with hatred. "Why do you continue to haunt me?! Leave!" He spat out. It was clear he wasn't thinking rationally.

"I believe this can be solved peace-" Her voice was cut off as Eryx bounced on the trees and launched himself at Pandora, opening a hole in her stomach.

"Shut up!" He screamed.

"Eryx, Minerva wouldn't want you to resort to violence-" Her head was clawed in.

"She's my mother!" He screamed.

"Please, just listen to-"

"I WON'T!" He shouted as he continued decimating the countless iterations of Pandora.

"Mmm." Pandora hummed. "It is sad that you couldn't come with me." She said. "But it is time to end this."

Then, Pandora appeared in front of him, putting a gentle hand on his forehead. He immediately ripped the arm apart. But then, Pandora disappeared, and appeared behind him. He took some time to notice this, then immediately ripped the arms apart.

But it continued, she kept appearing behind him, like the world was her plaything.

"This will make it more likely to happen." She muttered. "Your memories will be quite a bit sadder."

Then, his head was launched into a spin. He trembled and eventually dropped to his knees, clutching his head tightly.

"In time, you will-" Her eye caught something interesting near Minerva's corpse.

"So it isn't totally gone yet." She said to herself, crouching to Minerva's body and touching her chest. "Yes, there you are."

After a moment, she turned to Eryx. "You will still be a valuable asset. Yes, your aspect of Wrath will be..."

She walked to the still mental reeling Eryx. "Self-Hatred, yes." She crouched, and ruffled his hair. "Until then, I will wait. Eryx Thysia."

Then, she disappeared.