239: THAT TIME THEY MET

THAT TIME THEY MET

TEN years ago…2

A boy who looked like he was about three of four years old was looking up at the small window across from him. The small barred window was the only window in this damp and dark room. The sunlight coming from it could barely lit the place. But still, the boy kept looking.

He stared at the blue sky beyond. Wondering if the world outside of this room was really as wide and beautiful as his mother said. He had no idea. Because this small dark room was all he knew. For the past seven years since he was born, this was his whole world.

He wanted to leave towards that vast world. He wanted to go to different places, meet different people, and discover all the wonders this world had to offer together with his mother. 

The boy blinked his emerald green eyes. Long white blond hair was covering his face, but those green eyes still shone in this dark room. He stood up and tried to walk towards the window. But when he was just a few steps away from it, he was pulled back by the chains attached to his ankles. 

He looked down. A bitter smiled crossed his lips. He couldn't even reach the only window in this room. How could he even dare dream of leaving this place? He once again sat down, looking around the small room that was more like a prison. 

There was a small bathroom at the corner where he could clean and relieved himself. A cabinet that only had two pairs of clothes. Both of which he could reach from where he was chained. Aside from that, there was nothing else. 

Despite the boy's living condition, he still looked surprisingly healthy. His skin had a healthy glow and his body was not as thin as one would expect. Anyone would think that he actually received at least decent treatment from his captor. But could a captive even experience good treatment?

Of course not. 

Every time that monster visited this room, the other would torture him endlessly. Scratching his face, stabbing him, slicing his skin as if he wanted to cut off his limbs. The boy got so used to the pain that after seven years of this constant torture, he's no longer even flinching at the sight of a dagger on any part of his body. 

But because of his body's fast recovery, all the wounds he sustained healed at an incredibly fast speed. So, even with all the tortures, his skin remained unmarred. 

His mother told him that it was because he was a special being just like her. A being called an elf. That's why his ears were long and pointed unlike that monster and those people delivering him food. 

She said that they were the beloved children of nature. That they were the most loved children of Gaia. The boy couldn't believe it though. After all, if they were so loved, why was he in this place? Why were his days always so cold with no warmth in sight? The only time he ever felt the warmth of another person was when he was dreaming. 

Because that's the only time he could meet his mother. A beautiful elf with long white blond hair and a pair of blue eyes speckled with gold. For the boy, they were the most beautiful eyes. 

Ever since he could remember, his mother would only appear in his dreams. There, she thought him everything. From how to speak, how to write, even how to take his first step. And it was also there that she showed her a lot of wonderful things in the world – the forest, the mountain, the ocean, everything.

At the start, his mother would appear in his dream every time he fell asleep. But as years went by, the number of times she appeared also became less and less. These days, he could only see her in his dreams twice or thrice a week. He truly feared the day when she would no longer appear in his dreams. 

He hoped that that day would never come. But as days passed by, he became more and more scared. So many what ifs running through his mind. What if he could no longer see his mother? What if he would be truly alone in the future? What if there was no 'mother' and everything was just a figment of his imagination?

The boy buried his head between his knees. No. How could his mother not be real? When everything about her screamed otherwise? How could it be so when he felt her love for him so clearly?

Yes, he had a mother. Although the two of them couldn't meet beyond the boundary of his dream, she was real. 

It was then at that moment that he heard footsteps from outside. Although the chains around his ankles prevented him from using his Mana, an elf's extraordinary senses were still working properly. 

The boy raised his head. It was not yet time for his meal to be delivered. The footsteps outside were also too small for it to be that monster. Soon, his question was answered when he heard the mechanism on the wall turning. Which meant that it would soon be opened. 

Sure enough, a portion of the wall opened like a door and the owner of those small footsteps walked in. It was a boy, five or six-years-old. He had messy blue-black hair and his light blue eyes were looking around the room with wonder. Until those eyes landed on him.

The other's eyes widened and he suddenly rushed towards the boy. He stared at him, his eyes full of wonder and curiosity. 

"Wow. You're so pretty!" the other said unabashedly. "What's your name? My name is Ilya. Can we be friends?"

The boy was frightened by his enthusiasm. He wanted to move backwards but the only thing there was the wall. 

"Why aren't you speaking? Can you tell me your name?" the boy named Ilya said, moving closer to him.

The boy was scared that the other would move even closer if he didn't answer. So, he bit his lip and stammered, "J-Janea. My name is Janea."

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