Dreambreaker

Chapter 30: Elective [2]

A little boy fidgeted impatiently on a sofa. His tiny fingers twisted a plastic toy that squeaked with every turn.

The ambrosial aroma of agarbatti flooded the room, cozying up the milieu.

—?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ??????...

Suddenly, a caller tune startled the boy, and he jerked his head towards a man from where the noise originated.

The man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties looked at his smartphone; a frown creasing his forehead.

??????????!

"Hello?"

...

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'll arrive momentarily", the man spoke abruptly, his voice filled with urgency.

"Where do you think you're going?" a woman spat her anger.

The woman also appeared to be in her mid- thirties. Her beautiful black auburn hair was styled in curtain bangs, and her slender figure betrayed her alluring body, which didn't correspond to her age.

"Ciao, Acacia. My team needs me," the man interjected dispassionately, his voice chafing against the ears like coarse sandpaper scratching wood.

"No,... no. You need rest John!" Acacia vexed, her voice strict, the line of her mouth etched into a frown that detailed the strain of concern in her furrowed brow.

"Acacia, it's 'urgent'," John retorted, emphasizing the last word, while eyeing at the young one in the room through his gaze.

Upon hearing his response, her countenance shifted from anger to a tinge of melancholy.

She walked towards him, her strides soft and subtle, barely audible on the carpeted floor.

With grace, Acacia gradually approached him, extending her soft fingers to touch his cheek.

Despite the shift in her mood, her touch radiated warmth and solace, overwhelming John with her presence.

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Their gazes intertwined, and in that wordless exchange, their hearts spoke volumes, surpassing any words their lips could utter.

Without warning, the little boy leaped from the couch, clutching his plaything firmly.

?????? ?????? ?????? ??????!

He ran over to John and wrapped his arms around his leg.

"Father, where are you going?" he asked innocently. "Aren't you sick?"

"My duty calls me, son", the man placated, glee ringing clear in his affirmative response.

"No need for concern. I'll make sure to grab Noah a brand-new toy when I return!"

"Duty? What's that?" the child prompted, tilting his head curiously.

Indeed, Noah was too young to understand such things.

John's hand rested on the boy's head in an affectionate pat, and his eyes softened. "Duty is something important that I have to do!"

"It's a responsibility God-" pointing towards the ceiling like a sign, he continued, "gave me."

The little boy furrowed his brow.

"Responsibility?But aren't you sick? Why can't papa rest for today?"

John's face relaxed into a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.

"Duties and responsibilities 'must' be followed, remember that son"

In the quiet of the room, the sunlight spilled through the window, casting a warm glow on everything it touched.

The delicate rays illuminated John's face, cascading down in a cascade of light that seemed to invigorate his tired face. The sun's rays finally landed on a locket on his neck which had a strange S symbol on it. It almost looked like eight.

***

'Duties and responsibilities must be followed'

My father taught me that duties and responsibilities must be followed, not only with his words but also by his actions.

But I was never able to fully grasp the meaning behind it.

I was a fool. I am a fool.

Through my creative exploration, such as writing my novels, I wanted to convey the importance of fulfilling one's duties.

But as some one who failed to live up to this standard myself, who was I to try and impart such a lofty meaning onto others?

As a lowly fool, how could I ever expect others to understand what I myself never valued?

But now, when he is not here with me, his teachings were the only thing connecting me to what once was and perhaps, what I have lost forever.

***

?????????? ????????????'?? ??????:

With a forlorn sigh, Aurora queried ,"Whatever! So decided on which elective you will join?" placing an emphasis on the word 'which'.

Takahashi's response was curt, "Not really, I was thinking of joining a combat-related elective since nothing particular caught my fancy."

They were in the middle of a discussion while making their way towards section 15-A.

There they could pick an elective from a plethora of choices in clerk's office.

With the aloof demeanor, Takahashi concealed his emotions, stashing his hands in his pockets.

Aurora, with a quizzical tilt of her head, listened intently while her hair cascaded gracefully over her uniform blazer, which was a perfect complement to her regal appearance.

Upon hearing Takahashi's reply, she rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, aware that something was amiss.

Aurora and Takahashi had previously decided on either magic topology or dungeon course; his sudden change of heart caught her off guard.

After the sparring session, Takahashi's usual vibrant demeanor had become muted and unemotive.

Aurora had a notion as to why this happened.

Without losing his composure, Takahashi merely said in a placid, even tone, "It just feels like the right thing to do at the moment."

"Yea, right...you're totally not upset about losing the match to Aeravat and doing this all after considerable thinking."

Takahashi flinched at Aurora's comment. "H-how did you?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's written all over your face, dummy!" Aurora exclaimed with a teasing grin, causing Takahashi to look away and focus on the ground beneath his feet where he could find a place to hide.

It may not be a big deal for others to lose, but to Takahashi who never lost once in his life it was a big shock.

"Hey, mind if I join in?" Suddenly Sophia chimed in their discussion.

"Oh, hey Sophie!" Aurora replied in her usual cheerful tone while Takahashi acknowledged her presence with a slight nod.

"Are you guys headed to the clerk's office?"

"Yes, but we haven't decided on which elective to choose, what about you?"

Swatting away her hair from her forehead Sophia replied "I am thinking of joining, either the dungeon course or combat electives to choose from."

Aurora raised her brow, "You too? Why do you want to join combat courses? Even Takahashi was thinking of doing the same. Don't we already practice in training sessions?"

Sophia tilted her head, "Is that so?"

As they walked, Sophia noticed a pale guy walking towards them from the opposite direction.

The group immediately recognized the guy after all, he was the 'misfit'.

How could anyone not recognize him?

Aurora had a bad impression of him at first, but after the sparring session, her impression of him slightly improved.

Keyword here is 'slightly'.

Noah walked past them without so much as acknowledging their presence.

His behaviour caused Sophia to frown, "What's up with him? Does he think he's a big shot or something?"

Aurora, comforted her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave him be Sophie, he's just a loser anyway."

***

Noah made his way towards the chemistry lab, his eyes unusually serious.

His otherwise carefree body language was replaced with an aloof and emotionless appearance.

His mind preoccupied with thoughts. Thoughts he didn't wish to entertain, even for a moment.

The sound of his footsteps echoed through the empty corridors, their rhythm monotonous.

The smell of the freshly-polished floors mingled with the scent of the disinfectant used to clean them.

Noah felt a very odd sense of detachment from his surroundings, or more to say, from the world itself, as if he was walking in a dream.

The fluorescent lights overhead hummed a steady tune, their light casting a sterile hue across the hallway, making everything seem lifeless and artificial. And it had to be artificial for what he was about to do.

After all, threatening a man's entire family was not something Noah considered morally correct. But this was the only way...

That's right, this was the only way, he was doing this for the greater good.

This was his duty, to go back.

To see his family once again. And it did not matter what he had to do to achieve that goal or who he had to, or whatever it meant, whatever it took. He ?????? to. There was no other meaning left for his life.

He was was not going to lose to fate again. He would pave his own road and change his destiny.