Dreams Beneath the Tree
934 Words
From that day onward…
Everything began to change.
Leon’s arrival, which had first filled the others with nervousness, quickly became something unexpected.
Friendship.
At first, Reza could barely speak properly in front of him.
Mira stayed cautious and quiet.
Even Asura remained watchful.
After all, Leon was still a noble.
A child born far above them in status.
A person from a world completely different from theirs.
But Leon himself seemed to care little about such things.
The next morning, he returned to the same tree again.
And the day after that.
And the day after that.
One afternoon, while the four sat beneath the large tree together, Leon suddenly spoke while scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
Leon:
“Hey… can I be your friend too?”
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then Reza burst out laughing.
Reza:
“You’ve already been hanging around us for days!”
Mira smiled softly.
Mira:
“I think you already are.”
Leon blinked in surprise before laughing as well.
For the first time in his life…
The noble child laughed not as a prince above others—
But simply as a child among friends.
And so…
The four of them became inseparable.
Every single day, they met beneath the old tree in the grassy field outside the village.
They played together.
Ran through the tall grass.
Climbed rocks near the river.
Sometimes Reza would challenge everyone to races and lose halfway because he became distracted chasing insects.
Mira often scolded him for acting stupid.
Leon would laugh loudly while pretending to act like a royal commander giving “orders.”
And Asura…
Asura simply watched them with quiet warmth in his eyes.
For the first time in both his lives…
He felt what it meant to belong somewhere.
One evening, as the orange glow of sunset painted the sky, the four children lay beneath the old tree together, staring up at the drifting clouds.
A peaceful silence surrounded them.
Then Leon suddenly spoke.
Leon:
“When I grow up…”
His voice became unusually serious.
“I want to change the system of this kingdom.”
The others turned toward him.
Leon’s golden eyes reflected the burning sunset above.
Leon:
“There are too many wrong things in this kingdom.”
He clenched his small fist.
“The nobles live comfortably while villages like yours suffer.”
A bitter expression crossed his face.
“I hate it.”
Reza sat up excitedly.
Reza:
“I like that idea!”
He puffed out his chest proudly.
“Then I’ll become a great warrior who supports you, Leon!”
He swung an imaginary sword through the air dramatically.
“I’ll crush all the bad people myself!”
Mira giggled softly before speaking.
Mira:
“I want to help people too.”
The wind gently moved her dark hair as she smiled.
“And… I want to become a lady knight someday.”
Reza immediately laughed.
Reza:
“You? A knight?”
Mira grabbed a stick nearby and smacked him across the head.
Reza:
“OW!”
Leon burst into laughter while Mira crossed her arms proudly.
Mira:
“What’s wrong with that?”
Asura quietly watched them.
Warmth spread through his chest.
Dreams.
Such simple conversations should have meant nothing.
Yet to him…
They felt precious.
After sharing their dreams, the three suddenly turned toward him.
Leon:
“What about you, Asura?”
Reza grinned.
Reza:
“Yeah! What do you want to become?”
Mira smiled curiously.
Mira:
“You’ve been quiet this whole time.”
Asura looked up at the sky silently.
For a brief moment, fragments of his old life flashed through his mind again.
Blood.
Death.
Loneliness.
Then he looked back at his friends.
At their smiles.
At the peaceful field around them.
And quietly answered—
Asura:
“I want a simple, peaceful life…”
His voice was calm.
“And I want to stay friends with all of you forever.”
Silence followed.
Then—
Leon, Mira, and Reza all looked at him before suddenly smiling.
Leon chuckled softly.
Leon:
“You really are quite strange.”
Mira laughed gently.
Mira:
“Everyone wants something big…”
Reza grinned widely.
Reza:
“But your dream is so simple.”
Leon closed his eyes with a smile.
Leon:
“And somehow… that makes it interesting.”
The four children laughed together beneath the old tree as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
For a little while…
The world felt peaceful.
As night approached, they finally began returning to their homes.
Reza ran ahead noisily.
Mira waved goodbye softly.
Leon promised to return again tomorrow.
And Asura walked back toward his small house with a quiet smile on his face.
But the moment he stepped inside—
He froze.
Inside the house, another village woman sat beside his mother, smiling warmly.
Woman:
“Congratulations… you’re pregnant.”
Asura’s eyes widened slightly.
His mother lowered her head shyly while his exhausted father stood nearby in stunned silence.
Then slowly…
A smile appeared on his father’s face.
A real one.
Mother (softly):
“Asura…”
She gently placed a hand on her stomach.
“It seems… you’re going to become a big brother.”
For a moment, Asura stood completely still.
Big brother.
The words felt strange.
Unfamiliar.
But then…
Very slowly…
A small warmth spread through his chest.
And without realizing it—
He smiled.
Outside, the night wind howled softly across the dark mining village.
But inside the small house…
A new light had begun to grow.
End of Chapter 4
- Writer
