2. Losing Hope

The warrior looks at Red and shouts, "Do you have any idea how many times I've been hit by blades and swords, or how many arrows I took with my body!?" The warrior scowled, his voice dripping with anger. "I know, I know it's been hard for you, but joining the warriors is my only hope," Red responded in a quivering voice, his cheeks wet with tears. The warrior fixed Red with a stern gaze and said, "Listen, you're just too weak. You'll only slow the warriors down. I'm done talking." Red wanted to say something to try and prove otherwise, but he knew the knight was right - he was too weak.

The warriors walked pass Red ignoring him this time. Looking up to the sky, Red asks himself a deep question: "Is there truly a God in this world?". For 20 seconds, he just stands there, contemplating. After a while, Red decides to move on and walks on the other side of town, where buildings are crumbling, and some are forced to sleep outside. As some kids playing tag suddenly runs past him, he notices one had a limp leg. He sadly thinks to himself: "Why do people get treated differently when we are all the same?". At the edge of the forest, he stops in front of a tree that had something written on it "Lee." There was also a cross at it’s base. A tear ran down Red’s face as he said “Brother, I’m sorry I couldn’t save you that day, or even buy you a grave…”

"Can you believe it, you would have been 26 today Lee" Red said sadly as he looked up at the Tree with Lee's name carved into it. Just then an elderly man arrived, striding slowly towards him. "I knew I'd find you here, Red." he said softly. Red smiled at the old man. "Oh, evening grandpa. I know I'm not related to Lee, but why did you take care of us like we were your very own grandchildren?" Red asked, curiosity evident in his eyes. The old man's face twitched in surprise. "Haha, you do remind me of him," he chuckled. "Your question is almost identical to the one he asked me 5 years ago". The old man paused, a glint of reminiscing in his gaze. He then motioned for Red to follow as he pulled away from the Tree. "Come with me, Red. I'll tell you the story of why I cared for you both like my own grandchildren."

"When I first found Lee, it was amidst a town that was being attacked by monsters. Chaos filled the air, and I was about to run and leave when I heard the cries of a baby. I couldn't ignore it, so I ran towards the sound and there he was, a baby tucked away under the ruins of a collapsed house. Miraculously, he only had a few scratches - but then, something that should not have happened, happened," his grandpa said, his voice heavy with a serious tone, as if he were reliving the moment Lee had been found all over again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***