Down System

Chapter 3

"How was your sleep?"

I stopped eating and barely looked at the man beside me. "G-good... it's good, D-daddy..." I avoided his eyes because he might read I was lying. Obviously, I didn't have a good sleep because I'd been thinking of what was happening to me. I was living in the past with the old me. I was living with people who I really didn't know but telling me they were my family, how would it be okay?

"That's nice to hear."

"After breakfast, take a bath because we are going to visit the boy we met yesterday," the woman said.

"Okay, M-mommy..." I uttered awkwardly.

I'd been practicing to know them as my family because it would be so awkward and complicated if I would going to call them by their names. Besides, I still didn't know why I was here with them, so I had to pretend like nothing wrong was happening.

"By the way, before I forgot, what are you doing at the lake yesterday?" my father asked.

"A-ah..."

"Honey, you better forget it. That's much better," Mommy said. "The important thing is that our baby girl is safe and now she's home."

"Yeah, I know but... I'm just worried about her. She's our only child and I don't wanna lose her." Daddy looked at me with his teary eyes. "Sweetie, please promise Daddy you won't go far again with all yourself. It's making us worry."

I bowed my head a bit. "I'm sorry, Daddy..."

"Okay, but can you please look at Daddy and promise him one thing?"

I slowly raised my head and looked at him directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry for making you two worry," I said. "I promise I won't go anywhere anymore without you."

Daddy smiled. "That's my girl."

After eating, we went back to the elders to see the boy. Daddy drove the car for us but left as soon as we arrived there because he still got a lot of works to do.

"Where's the little boy?" Mommy asked the elders as soon as we entered the place.

"He's inside of that room," the senior pointed out the room that was at the left corner. "C'mon, I'll take you there." He did take us to the room where the boy was lying on the bed, asleep. "He's been sleeping for over twelve hours. His body really needs rest, so I guess you'll have to wait for more minutes before he finally wakes up."

"It's alright," Mommy said. "We are willing to wait. But anyway, where's his family? Have you contacted them?"

The senior nodded. "But they don't want to visit this poor boy."

"W-what?" Mommy said in disbelief. "What do you mean they don't want to visit him?"

"I honestly don't know the reason, but we are going to reach them again. We won't let them disregard their responsibility to this kid."

"They really should not! That's making me mad," Mommy frowned. "Anyway, thanks for taking good care of him. Allow us to stay with him for hours, please. This time, I don't wanna leave this boy without his family."

"But when his family comes, you can leave him with them. Remember, we are following certain-"

"We are following certain rules," Mommy cut him off. "Yes, we know that."

"Good. By the way, I'm leaving now. If you have something to ask, I'm just there outside, okay?" The senior mouthed before leaving.

The place was actually good. It was wide and somewhere you can relax because it was surrounded by lots of trees outside. The structure was made of woods that was a big factor as well.

I sat by the window and peeked over it. "Trees are such nice friends," I said.

"Indeed, my dear," Mommy replied as she sat down beside the boy. "They would make you happy and comfortable. They would sway with you and by your emotions."

"Perfectly said, Mommy," I smiled. "By the way, can I ask?"

"Sure you can."

"I don't understand why we can't stay with this boy when his family already comes. Well, in fact, it was us who were with him when they are not around."

Mom stood up and walked towards me, "Because it is like taking over his family's responsibilities to him. It's a sign of rudeness, and we don't want that."

I sighed. "Is it not a sign of just concernment and nothing else more?" I asked. "He's a stranger, but we care for him because he's also a human like us. And, is it also not a sign of rudeness if they make us go away when his family is there already for him?"

"Can't imagine you're talking like that at this young age," Mommy smiled. "I appreciate you being concerned with our culture and with other people, Aleera. But still, there are things that you don't completely understand. Just wait for you to grow, and if you think something is not right, fight for it. But today, you don't have to stress yourself about such things, I'm telling you."

Mommy was right. I was living at their time that I had no clue about, so I had to know more.

"U-ugh..."

We were interrupted by the groaning sound coming from the boy, so we went to him.

"Finally, you're now awake," Mommy said.

"W-where am I?" the boy asked, trying to get up.

"Ops, be careful..." Mommy said as she assisted him, "careful."

"Where am I?" the boy asked once again. "And... w-who are you?"

"I am Morrigan, and this is my daughter," Mommy pointed me out, "Aleera."

The boy looked at me as if I stole his kidney. "Why are you here with me?" he interrogated as he turned his gaze at Mom.

"Wait, I guess you need a drink first," my mother said. "I'll go and get some water for you. Aleera," she looked at me, "can you look for him for a minute?"

I nodded before she left.

The room stayed quiet for some time, and it was a bit awkward, so I thought of something I could say. "Hi," I said to the boy; however, I didn't get any answer from him. "Oh... I guess you're not used to talking with strangers."

"I can't even trust my own family. How would I trust a stranger like you?" he sharply looked at me.

"Oh... I didn't mean to do any... a-any bad thing to you."

He turned his gaze away from me as his head ached.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "W-what can I do-"

"Were you there?" he cut me off.

"W-where?"

He looked at me again. "Were you there at the lake?"

"L-lake?"

"You know what I'm saying, so don't pretend like you're clueless," he said. "You were there in the forest. You've witnessed everything, haven't you?"

"A-ah..."

"So, you really have seen everything."

"But I promise I won't tell anyone anything!" I said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to see you there, and the... d-dragon. I just saw myself at the lake, and when I wandered around, I hear you screaming and saw you running away from the dragon that's chasing you. I mean it, I'm not a traitor."

He didn't speak.

"I swear, I'm a good friend," I added.

"What's your name again?" he asked, still frowning at me.

"Aleera," I answered. "My name is Aleera, and you?"

He took a deep breath. "My name is Ferno," he said. "But, it doesn't mean we are now friends just because I gave you my name. I just wanna tell you that... when you break your promise, you'll remember my name forever."