Chapter 25 : A short walk home

Classes were over, and the group had met up after school. They walked each other home, first sending off Liam and Marie before walking home themselves. They said their goodbyes, and left for their own home.

“That was so fun! Don’t you think so too?” Ren asked Kieran

“It was okay, I didn’t really think it was all that..”

“Really? I had a lot of fun.”

“I know.”

The two boys walked home together, Kieran calmly walking while Ren was running around everywhere. They were polar opposites, but Kieran found something satisfying in that.

“What do you think we’re gonna have for dinner?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re no fun.”

They talked about all sorts of things, things that Ren learned at school, the History of the Kingdom of Judaeil, different stories, things like that. Though Kieran was listening, his mind was elsewhere. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Mr. Anavos had taught him the power he had shown him. Just thinking about it made his heart beat faster.

“Ren,” Kieran asked, interrupting Rens infinite ranting.

“Yeah?”

“What do you think of ma- I mean, what do you think of the Attuned?”

Ren stopped jumping, and walked calmly. He turned his head to reply

“Well, I think they’re kind of scary. They use all these really scary powers, and a lot of them are really evil. It’s all because of the Knights that we don’t have to deal with them, but it’s still pretty scary.”

“Hm? Evil?” Kieran thought. “Sure, the powers and spells were really terrifying, but evil?”

Mr. Anavos didn’t seem to be an evil man, so perhaps it was a percentage of Sinners who were evil? It made no sense either, because Sinners borrowed and took powers from the gods, so how could one who takes from God's evil? It was only then Kieran had realized something. This isn’t Earth. The two worlds were different. Back on Earth, Gods were deities that were worshipped and were divine. But he quickly remembered Mr. Anavos’s lecture. The Gods were sinners, which is why those who were able to use their powers were called Sinners. Over the course of time, more and more Sinners appeared, and a lot of them used their powers for their own goals and personal agendas, just like the Gods used their powers in the Era of Chaos and Destruction.

So was Mr. Anavos an evil person? What was the reason for telling such a young child his secret? Not only that, but what made the Knights so special? If they weren’t evil, that means that they didn’t use the Gods powers? But then what kind of powers did they use? He would have to ask Mr. Anavos tomorrow.

They eventually reached home, greeted by Sarah and Mason, with warm dinner waiting for them. They did their homework, played, and then went to bed. It was a normal routine. Though Kieran was bored of it, he found peace in it. He was able to relive life, and do the things he wanted.

As Sarah tucked him into bed, Kieran and Ren continued their chat.

"So what do you want to be when you grow up?" Kieran asked.

"Hmmm..." Ren thought. "Maybe I'll be a watchman, like my dad? Or I'll be a Knight, and protect this village and make it bigger!" he laughed.

...

"Are Sinners really all that evil?" Kieran asked. He didn't believe that all Sinners were evil, just like how he didn't believe that Mr. Anavos was an evil man. If he was truly evil, he would have killed the child right then and there, but didn't. He dealt with all the annoying kids in his class, but never once raised his voice. 

...

"Ren?"

...

Ren had fallen asleep. Maybe it was because he just never stops talking and moving? Kieran chuckled a bit before looking out the window, seeing all the stars and the moon. He stared at it long and hard. 

“That’s it,”  he thought.

“I’m going to train harder than anyone. I'm going to build this frail and fragile body up. I'm going to be a Knight and protect the land with Ren."