The wanderer & The seeker

Eight Years Later

Under the shade of the tree, Andromeda leaned against its trunk, her eyes calmly following the children running in front of her. The faint rays of the setting sun lazily stretched across the sky, gently reflecting off her black hair, which she left free to wave and dance with each passing breeze, as if it were swimming in the air.

In the playground, Nikos led his friends with lightness and energy, his feet barely touching the ground. Amidst laughter and joyous shouts, he moved gracefully, surrounded by Ivan, Elias, and Andrea. Their steps on the grass were as soft as whispers, and their laughter echoed like a renewed song in the evening air, blending with the sounds of nature around them. Every leap and every moment of joy painted a scene of a world that knew nothing but play, as if they were far removed from the complexities of life that had yet to knock on their doors.

Elisa sat down beside Andromeda on the grass, watching the scene for a few moments before pulling a comb from her pocket. She began to gently brush through Andromeda's hair, trying to tame what the breeze had unraveled. With her delicate hand, she carefully passed the comb through the strands, a warm smile spreading across her face.

Elisa's smile carried with it the weight of fond memories, and she began to speak softly, her voice filled with nostalgia as her eyes drifted toward the children. "My lady," she said, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "whenever I see Nikos and Andrea over there, I can't help but think of you and Master Alexander. I can't forget how you used to cling to him, following him wherever he went. You were just like them... always together." She paused, her smile growing wider as if she were reliving an old scene from the past.

Elisa chuckled softly before continuing, "Oh, and how you used to pretend to be that helpless girl, just to get his attention. I still remember the time you climbed the tree and pretended to be stuck, asking me to call him to come rescue you, like a princess waiting for her knight."

Andromeda's face flushed with embarrassment, clearly not expecting Elisa to open the chest of old memories. With reddened cheeks and a faint smile, she whispered, her gaze avoiding Elisa's, "Quiet… focus on your work."

Elisa laughed gently, giving Andromeda's shoulder a light squeeze. With a playful smile on her lips, she whispered back, "Alright, alright, you shy one."

As the teeth of the comb gently worked their way through her hair, Andromeda's gaze drifted toward the children, their innocent laughter filling the air with joy. But her eyes, as if compelled, couldn't linger long on the bright scene before her. Instead, they unconsciously shifted toward the distant corner.

There, Cyrus sat hunched forward, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. His eyes were fixed on something invisible in the horizon, his face devoid of any expression. A heavy silence enveloped him like a cloak, concealing whatever turmoil brewed within.

Sadness crept onto Andromeda's face, her heart aching bitterly every time her eyes fell on her son, lost in his solitude.

"It's time to break free from your shell," she whispered to herself, and in that moment, she made a decision.

She raised her hand and pointed her finger toward Cyrus, who remained frozen in place. Suddenly, he felt a slight tingling sensation in the exact spot where Andromeda had been pointing. He slowly turned, his eyes meeting his mother's. With a warm smile, she followed up with a gentle wink, as if to say, "I'm here."

He felt another tingling sensation in that moment, but it wasn't painful. Instead, it was more like a silent invitation to reconnect. Yet, Cyrus couldn't grasp what his mother was trying to convey. He turned his gaze back toward the ground.

Andromeda noticed the movement, and her face fell into a frown once more.

Near Cyrus, a misty cloud began to gather, slowly taking on a shape identical to his, but with features twisted in terror. Fear was etched into every detail of its face, and its eyes darted wildly, as if desperately searching for an escape. This shadowy figure clung to Cyrus's back, whispering with trembling lips, "W-w-we didn't do anything… Why is she looking at us like that? W-we were quiet… weren't we?"

As those shaky words lingered in the air, another figure began to form—this one moving with calm, steady steps and a face that showed no emotion. It approached quietly, standing beside Cyrus, and directed its gaze toward Andromeda. In a composed voice, it said, "Don't worry, it's just a passing whim. Let's simply ignore it."

But Cyrus neither responded nor moved. He seemed completely oblivious to everything happening around him, lost in the depths of his silence. His eyes remained fixed on the ground, showing no reaction or interest in the exchange between fear and logic.

Andromeda took a deep breath, then called out in a voice strained with frustration, "Ciro, why don't you come and play—" but a sudden commotion interrupted her. She quickly turned, her eyes anxiously scanning the children.

There, Ivan and Elias were tangled together like a small storm, their hands gripping each other as small punches flew relentlessly. Andromeda shot to her feet, a flash of thought sparking in her mind. She took a determined step forward, her voice cutting through the noise, firm and commanding: "Stop that right now and come here all of you!"

At the sound of her voice, the punches froze mid-air, as if an invisible force had stilled the two boys in their tracks. They exchanged quick glances, confusion written clearly across their faces, before stumbling toward her, their steps clumsy, still bearing the remnants of their scuffle.

Andromeda fixed a sharp gaze on Cyrus, who remained seated. She raised her hand in a commanding gesture, her expression firm, leaving no room for refusal or hesitation. In a calmer yet still authoritative tone, she said, "Ciro, come here as well."

At that moment, Cyrus felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Logic beside him, saying, "Since she's calling us like that, we might as well go along."

With hesitation, Cyrus stood up and began walking slowly, his steps heavy and reluctant. Yet, he didn't stop until he reached the others and sat quietly beside the children, still trying to figure out his place in this unfolding scene.

As soon as Cyrus approached, all eyes turned to him. Those gazes felt heavy, as if they weighed down his steps and pressed against his chest. Andrea, with her pursed lips and narrowed eyes, didn't need words to express her displeasure; her glare alone made it clear she wanted him gone. Finally, she spoke, her words sharp and biting: "Since when has he been here? Go home, no one wants you—"

Before she could finish, Nikos moved swiftly, placing his hand over her mouth to silence her. His brows were furrowed as though trying to prevent an impending eruption. "Stop, there's no need for that."

Andrea jerked her head away sharply, pushing his hand off, her eyes blazing with frustration and confusion. "Why did you do that?" she demanded, her voice simmering with restrained anger. But Nikos simply shook his head and said, "Just don't talk to him." Then, slowly, he stood and walked over to Cyrus, sitting down beside him.

Andrea took a deep breath, looked away, and muttered softly, "Hmph, I don't care."

Nikos sat down next to Cyrus and gently patted his shoulder, offering a warm smile to ease some of the tension. "Where have you been all this time?" he asked in an encouraging tone. "Why didn't you join us? Believe me, you would've had fun."

Cyrus frowned slightly before replying in a low voice, "Do you really think they'd welcome me? I don't see that happening. They'll just make fun of me and avoid me. Why would I put myself through that?"

Nikos chuckled lightly, as if the issue wasn't worth overthinking. "Who cares about them? If they don't want to, you and I can just play together."

Beside him, Doubt leaned on his shoulder as he whispered mockingly in Cyrus' ear, "Perfect boy..."

Andromeda took another step forward, silencing the conversation between the boys. Her eyes were sharp, serious, moving slowly across their faces before settling on Ivan. "What's the problem?" she asked.

Ivan clenched his fists, his face flushed with anger. "Stupid Elias—"

She cut him off with a stern look. "language."

He flinched slightly, then changed his words, avoiding her intense gaze. "My brother Elias… He was cheating while we were playing."

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds as Andromeda studied Ivan carefully before saying, "Is that a good enough reason to hit your younger brother?"

Her gaze quickly shifted to Nikos, who had been silently watching from a distance, as if confirming that he had seen what happened, before returning to Ivan. "You're the older brother, Ivan. It's your duty to be patient, to take care of your brother. What's the point of being the older brother if you can't do that?"

Ivan's shoulders slumped under the weight of her words, his eyes slowly dropping to the ground, as though he couldn't meet her gaze. Meanwhile, a small victorious laugh escaped from Elias, but it didn't last long. A single sharp look from Andromeda made him swallow his laughter immediately.

"And you, Elias…" she paused briefly before continuing, "What's the fun in playing when you're cheating?"

Elias wanted to respond, but his words faded away, leaving him trapped in silence.

Finally, Andromeda shifted her gaze to Nikos, who looked uneasy under the weight of her stare. "Take care of each other, understood?"

Everyone responded in unison, heads lowered, "Yes."

Andromeda sighed deeply, then lifted her head to gaze at the reddening sky, glowing more intensely as the sun set. She pointed toward the horizon with a piercing look and said, "Gather your things and head home. The sun will set soon."

The children moved slowly, reluctance etched on their faces, their eyes filled with silent resistance. But silence prevailed; no one dared to argue. After a moment of observing their hesitant expressions, Andromeda turned her gaze to Nikos and Cyrus and said, "I'll go ahead. Be home before sunset."

As they walked down the road, the four of them moved as a single group-Ivan and Elias trailing behind Nikos and Andrea, with an unspoken tension hanging between them.

With a scowl, Ivan broke the silence, his voice tinged with clear annoyance. "Today was boring... playing wasn't even fun."

Nikos raised his eyebrows and asked ignorantly, "Why not?"

Ivan huffed, rolling his eyes in frustration.

"I spent the whole day chasing you guys.

You, Nikos, are ridiculously fast, and as for spoiled Elias, he's always cheating. Using aura to boost his body like that." He turned to Elias and gave him a light smack on the head. "Didn't we agree, you little brat, no aura use?"

Elias laughed, rubbing his head with a sly grin. "That's your problem for not figuring it out until it was too late."

Ivan's face twisted in a mix of irritation and frustration. He then turned toward Andrea, who was walking calmly beside Nikos.

"And you! Every time I got close to catching you, you punched me and ran off.

How do you even do that? Are you really a girl?"

He didn't have to wait long for a response.

In the blink of an eye, Andrea's fist shot out, landing squarely on his face and sending him stumbling to the ground. She stood over him, her expression brimming with confidence, and said coolly, "That's just because you doubted me. And yes, I'm a girl-but I'm a strong one."

As Ivan struggled to regain his balance, Nikos let out a weary sigh, shaking his head as if this scene had played out many times before. Elias, meanwhile, covered his mouth with his hand, doing his best to stifle the laughter threatening to escape.

While they waited for Ivan to get up, they noticed Cyrus approaching from behind. The moment Andrea spotted him, she exaggeratedly covered her nose with her hand, a mocking smirk on her face. Raising an eyebrow, she said in a sarcastic tone, "Seriously, man, keep your distance. I can barely stand breathing the same air as you, let alone having you this close. Stay away."

Nikos's eyebrows shot up in anger. With firm steps, he walked over to Cyrus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Andrea," he said sharply, his voice dripping with reproach, "why are you like this? Apologize, now."

Andrea responded with a defiant smirk, her eyes gleaming with challenge. "And why should I apologize to someone like him?"

Nikos's eyes narrowed deeply before he said, "Insulting my brother is insulting me. Apologize, or don't speak to me again."

At first, Andrea frowned, clearly displeased with the situation, but her eyes soon gleamed with a hint of mischief. She looked at Cyrus with obvious disdain, then said, "I'm really sorry, Cyruuuuus," drawing out his name with a mocking tone as a smirk crept onto her lips.

Cyrus stood still, his face betraying no emotion. After a brief pause, he shrugged Nikos's hand off his shoulder and hurried away with heavy steps toward home, not caring about what was unfolding behind him.

Nikos froze for a moment, shocked by Cyrus's reaction. He watched his brother's retreating figure, his surprise slowly turning into a frown. He then turned to Andrea, his eyes burning with anger. "Do you think he's a fool? That he didn't understand exactly what you meant?"

Andrea, with a half-smile, let out a small laugh. "Hahaha, what do you mean, Nikos? I just called him by his name, didn't say anything wrong. And for the record, yes, I do think he's an idiot."

Nikos's lips parted to respond, but he hesitated, as if the words vanished from his mind. He stared at her for a few moments, then shook his head in frustration, turning away without saying another word. He left them behind, starting to follow Cyrus, trying to fix what had been broken.

Ivan, now back on his feet, quickly brushed the dirt off his clothes, though the look of irritation was still clear on his face. With his other hand, he rubbed the spot where Andrea's punch had landed, as if the sting still lingered. In a tense tone, he addressed her, "Thanks for ruining the mood, as usual." Then, with a sharper edge to his voice, he added, "We all know Cyrus's situation, but what about you? Why do you hate him so much?"

Ivan paused, waiting for an answer, but Andrea didn't even glance at him. Her eyes were fixed ahead, as if lost in thought or deliberately ignoring his words. After a few moments of silence, she let out a quiet sigh, still not looking at him, and began walking away with steady steps. In a voice devoid of interest, she said, "Hmph, I'm not interested in answering you."

Ivan stood there watching her leave, his expression filled with annoyance. He scratched his head in frustration and then threw his hand up in the air, as if giving up on a pointless conversation. "Elias, let's go home before Mom starts worrying."

Elias, who had been quietly observing the scene, followed Ivan with calm steps, offering no comment.

Nikos sprinted with all his strength, each step faster and longer, as if the ground itself were pushing him forward. His eyes were locked on Cyrus, who was just a few meters away from the front gate of the estate's garden. Without hesitation, Nikos channeled his aura into his legs, and with a single stride, he covered thirty meters as if slicing through the air, reaching the gate in the blink of an eye.

Cyrus, who was about to reach the door, didn't realize what was happening until he felt Nikos's hand grab him from behind. In an instant, Nikos tackled him, and they both collapsed to the ground, rolling across the grass as dust rose around them.

Cyrus, shocked and angry, raised his voice, "What's wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?!"

But Nikos couldn't stop laughing, his laughter deep and full of amusement, as if what he had done was all part of a fun game. Rubbing his face against his brother's, he grinned and said, "Did you really think you could beat me in a run? In your dreams, slowpoke!”

At that moment, Doubt quietly lay beside Cyrus, as if it had been watching the whole scene from the start. In a low, mocking tone, it whispered into Cyrus's ear, "What a terrible liar."

But before Cyrus could respond, a dry voice pierced the silence from the top of the steps near the door. Alexander stood there, his face expressionless, his eyes as cold as ice. He gave a small cough and then spoke in a calm, detached tone: "Nikos, get away from that thing and come inside. Dinner will be ready soon."

Nikos froze for a moment, his laughter vanishing instantly, as if his body had received an unspoken command to obey. He quickly got up, brushed the dirt off lightly, and walked toward his father with complete obedience, no further words needed.

Cyrus remained where he was, silently watching Nikos walk away. He felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest, but he ignored it. Slowly, he stood up and dusted off his clothes, then hesitantly made his way toward the door.

As soon as Nikos entered the house, he heard the door slam shut behind him, the sound echoing through the empty garden. He quickly turned around, his eyes meeting Alexander's, who stood by the closed door. Alexander didn't say a word, simply continuing on his way, and after a brief pause, Nikos reluctantly followed him.

Cyrus stood before the door, staring at it motionless. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes shimmered with uncertainty, unsure of what to do. The closed door sent a clear message: "Get lost."

Moments passed, and tears began to well up in his eyes, threatening to fall. But before the first tear could drop, he felt a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. Slowly, he turned and spoke with a coldness tinged with sorrow, "Logic, what do you want?"

Logic responded calmly, his voice steady, as if he had always known the answer: "Did you really expect him to welcome you with open arms? Since the day you opened your eyes to this world, that man has done nothing for you. So why do you care if he ignores you now?"

Logic's words seeped into Cyrus's core, calming something deep within him. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes before the tears could escape. With renewed determination, he stepped toward the door and raised his hand to knock.