The King’s Kindness Is No More

A feeling of having already experienced the present.

Is this what they call Deja vu?

No….that can be it, I touch my reflection in the mirror, unable to comprehend my current situation.

Did I travel back in time?

But how could something like that be possible?

As my mind was elsewhere, I didn notice a young child entering the room in a hurry, she pounced on me before I could retaliate.

”Bwother!! ”, the child screamed, refusing to let go of me.

After much effort I managed to get the child off me, seeing her face my mind went blank.

”G-grace….is it really you? ”

My dead sister raised her brows in confusion as she nodded her head while wiping away her tears on me.

This can be happening.

I saw her corpse with my own eyes but shes alive now and young as well. Have I really traveled back in time?

But how is something as absurd as time travel even possible?

……

No, none of that matters. Im here now. I can save my family.

”Bwother Ai? ” Grace asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

”Wheres Vivi and father? ” I asked, ignoring her concerned gaze.

”They
e comwming right now bwother, I was so worried that you would die bwother- ” Grace babbled on sniffling like a cute dog. I half-heartedly listened to her while staring at myself in the mirror.

My face was free of bruises and scars, and my black eyes and hair that I used to resent seemed to sparkle under the drizzle of the sunlight. Looking at myself it hit me again, Im back.

Im really back.

****

As I waited for the rest of my family to arrive, I questioned Grace about the time period I was in. It was the year 1400 in the Marx calendar and I was six years old. I remember almost drowning in a river when I was six, It was an assassination attempt that went unresolved.

At the time, I had regained consciousness quickly. But according to Grace, I had been lying on my bed with a fever for almost two weeks. The doctors had given up, unable to identify the reason why I wasn waking up.

The only reason they could think of was that I had been cursed.

”Sigh ”

My head slightly ached from the non-stop barrage of knowledge, I decided to turn off my brain for a moment and took in my sisters face.

”Bwother? ”

If I was six right now, Grace was probably just three years old. I smiled unconsciously hearing her voice, she had almost mastered the art of speaking by the age of two. She was a prodigy through and through.

I remember being jealous of her talent, she was not only intelligent but talented with the sword as well. Compared to me, who was average in all aspects…she was a gem that I couldn protect.

The image of her lifeless body riddled with wounds overlapped with her face.

I won let that happen….ever again.

”B-bwother….you
e hwurting me. ”, Grace said, wincing in pain as I had unconsciously strengthened my hold on her.

”Ah. ” I let her down on the bed, ”Im sorry… ”

”Its owkay brother, Ill forgive you twhis one time. ” Grace said, consoling me while patting my shoulder with her tiny hand.

”A-aiden? ”

I turn to the door to find the rest of my family, looking at me with disbelief.

****

After a lot of hugging and crying, all of us finally settled down.

”Ill go and inform the doctors that youve woken up. ” My elder sister, Vivilian Kerian said unable to hide her excitement.

I nodded and reciprocated her smile, glad to see her again.

”We were so worried!! ”, my mother exclaimed while hugging me tightly. ”Y-yeah, we were!! ” my father, the king said….also hugging me. I felt a little suffocated by their affection as it felt alien to me….since it had been so long since I felt it. Nevertheless, I hugged them back tightly.

I had missed my father dearly, he might not have been the most competent king but he was a good father. He passed on his ideals to me when I was young, always be kind and just.

A rather simple ideology, but one I practiced regularly to appease my father. I wanted him to be proud of me…after he died, I made it my way of life since I wanted to- I don know.

I wanted to protect his legacy….if that makes any sense, because of that everyone I cared about died….

I don want to think about this right now. Right now…I just want to be with my family.

My parents continued to sob and embrace me, though it felt good. I couldn meet my mothers eyes. Even hugging her made me feel uncomfortable.

How could I look at her when I…-

.

.

.

.

.

– I killed her with my bare hands.

****