240: LEARNING FROM ILYA

LEARNING FROM ILYA

THE name of the boy was Ilya and he was a year younger than Janea. He thought that after that day they met, the other would no longer appear in front of him. But surprisingly, he appeared again the next day and the day after. And then five years passed just like that.  2

When he first told his mother about Ilya, she had this worried look on her face. It's like she wanted to say something but he forced himself back and only smiled. But somehow, Janea could feel that she only did so because she felt how excited he was telling her about the first friend he made.

He might not know a lot, but he's sensitive enough to feel his mother's emotions. So, he could tell how distress she was the moment he told her about Ilya. The other was probably worried that he would just end up getting hurt because of this unexpected connection. But she also couldn't bear to tell him not to talk to Ilya. Because she probably knew how much he longed for connection for other living beings. 

Before he met Ilya, the only person he had contact with was that monster. And the form of contact was only ever violence. 

The two of them – his mother and him – had never really talked of what that monster was doing to him. Whenever they met in his dreams, she would only hug him. Telling him that everything will be alright, that one day things would end, that his father would come and save them. 

When he was younger, he might have believed that. But now? He's starting to lose faith that this person called 'father' would really come. His mother could probably feel that. That's why she couldn't tell him to stop associating with Ilya. And he simply pretended not to know about it. 

Janea learned a lot of things from Ilya. Things that his mother had never told him. Like how bad human nature could be. It was not something that Ilya directly said to him. It was just something that he concluded after listening to his stories, as well as seeing his bruised-up body every time he visited him.

Yes, every time the other visited him, he would always have a new bruise here and there. When he asked where it came from, Ilya would just nonchalantly answer that it was from being scolded by people in the castle. The way he said it was like it was something normal and didn't need to be fussed over.

That made Janea sad in so many ways. Although he didn't know much about the outside world, he could still distinguish between right and wrong. And what's happening to Ilya was very wrong. 

But as usual, he couldn't do anything about it. 

Janea was looking outside the small window, just as he always had. Then, the door opened up and a 11-year-old came running in. 

"Jane!"

Before he could turn towards the door, the corner of his lips had already turned up. But when he saw Ilya, that smile slowly turned into a frown.

The 11-year-old boy had a black-eye and a cut on his lips. The other was beaten up again. He hadn't yet asked the other what's wrong when Ilya excitedly jumped in front of him. 

"Jane, Jane, listen, listen!" Ilya called as he ran towards him. Then when he saw the chains on his ankles, he slowed down. "I really wish I could remove those ugly chains on you. Then, we can both leave this place."

"You're hurt again," Janea said instead, touching the corner of the other's eye.

"It's fine. It's not painful," Ilya said. "Never mind that. Did you know what I just see earlier?"

Janea looked at the other's bright face. Knowing Ilya, whatever he saw was probably just something mundane he found interesting. Even so, he still decided to humor him. "What did you see?"

"Okay. So, you know what my Gift is, right?"

Janea nodded. Ilya could control any non-living objects in the vicinity of his 'territory'. This territory was something he could apply in an area with him being the center. The other still didn't know how wide the extent of this territory was or if he could extend it. 

Ilya was able to open walls and doors because of this Gift. That's why he was able to go to this room and find him. The moment they met, he tried to remove the chains on Janea's ankles using his Gift. But it didn't work. Obviously, the chains were made of special material. If it could stop him from using Mana, then Gifts would probably also wouldn't work.

"I was exploring this morning as usual and then I found a secret path that led me to a place much deeper than this one," Ilya continued.

Yes, Janea also found from Ilya that this 'room' he was in was actually located underground a castle. He also learned from Ilya the identity of the monster keeping him here. He was the emperor of this country. 

When he learned of that, he felt terrified. Although all he knew was the things his mother had told him, he still knew what an emperor was. He was the most powerful person in the country. If he ever tried to run away from here, how could he fight such a person?

It took him quite a while to calm down after knowing that.

"So, what did you find?" he asked.

"In this room, I saw a woman. She's inside this huge block of crystal. It looked really magical and beautiful," Ilya answered. "Anyway, the woman inside was sleeping. She had this long wavy hair the same color as yours. She even has the same pointed ears! I actually think the two of you look very similar. Maybe because both of you are so beautiful."

Janea felt like he was thundered. That description. A woman with the same hair color, as well as pointed ears. Not to mention, also trapped in the underground of this castle. He could only think of one person.

His mother.

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