After hearing his father introduce his partners and daughters, Harald expected a great reaction from Aron. He anticipated a flood of emotions, perhaps even tears of joy or relief. But to his surprise, Aron only nodded toward them, acknowledging their presence. Then, with a calm and composed demeanor, he introduced himself. "I'm Aron, my father's first born, and only son it seems." There was no grand display of emotion or excitement as Aron spoke.
Eira, the fiery-haired flame, felt a surge of annoyance at Aron's seemingly indifferent response. She was about to comment on it when her mother, Astrid, stopped her with a warning look.
She knew Harald's son was no ordinary being, and his restrained nature was a testament to the power that lay within him.
The women soon excused themselves, leaving Aron and Harald alone to talk. Harald looked at his son with a complex gaze, a mixture of regret, pride, and sorrow. He let out a deep sigh and found a seat, inviting Aron to join him. As they settled, Harald's voice carried a tinge of remorse as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Aron," he said, his voice filled with genuine regret. "I'm sorry for making you grow up without guidance, for leaving you to navigate this world on your own. It's made you into the one thing I feared most—a being like me."
Aron approached his father, his eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of disappointment. He took a moment to simply look at him, studying the features that mirrored his own. Then, with a calm tone, he commented on how Harald had broken his own rules. "Rule number 2," Aron began, his voice steady. "Never let reality fool you into thinking that life is easy. Then moment you do, is the moment you realize that you've grown complacent."
Harald looked at Aron with a mixture of regret and understanding. He knew he had failed his son in many ways. "I shouldn't have raised you as a beast monger," he admitted, his voice heavy with remorse.
Aron shook his head, his expression resolute. "That's what I am, and always will be," he responded, referring to his true nature as a Koliean Beast Monger.
With the air of determination surrounding them, Aron shifted the focus of the conversation. He asked, "You mentioned mother earlier, what about her?
Harald's expression softened, and he sighed. "She's fine," he replied, his voice tinged with a mixture of guilt and concern. "But she's trying to shape the world in her image."
Aron absorbed his father's words, understanding the weight they carried. His mother, a powerful being in her own right, was on her own mission, driven by her desire to create her own version of Limbo, one which had Kolieans as the apex race. It was a testament to the complexity of their family dynamics and the vastness of their ambitions.
As the conversation between Aron and Harald continued, the weight of their shared history settled heavily upon them. Harald revealed the truth about what had transpired after he had hidden Aron away, how he had been forced to fight for what felt like an eternity, battling against formidable opponents to survive. The only thing that had kept him going during those dark times was the burning desire to return to his son.
"I almost died on multiple occasions," Harald confessed, his voice tinged with a mix of exhaustion and determination. "But the thought of seeing you again, Aron, gave me the strength to keep pushing forward."
Aron listened intently, his eyes fixed on his father, absorbing every word. The realization that Harald had endured such hardships for his sake stirred a mix of gratitude and guilt within him, this however was quickly overturned by his true nature.
"But when I finally emerged victorious and sought you out," Harald continued, his voice growing somber, "I found no trace of you, only a shattered mountain with no remains."
Aron's brow furrowed, his mind grappling with the implications of his father's words. It was as if a piece of his past had been erased, leaving him with a void that could never be filled.
Harald went on to recount how, in his search for clues about Aron's fate, he had stumbled upon another clan of Koliean beast mongers. It was there that he had met his partners, who had decided to join him on his quest to find Aron. They had left their clan behind, forsaking their old lives in pursuit of the truth.
"With their support, I was able to move forward," Harald explained, his gaze filled with gratitude for his partners. "And along the way, Eira was born. It was then that I began to wonder if perhaps you had met your end, Aron. I felt the need to protect what was before me, to create a safe haven for my family."
Aron listened intently, his emotions swirling within him. He had always wondered about his father and the circumstances surrounding his absence. But now, he focused on the present, on the revelations his father was sharing.
"As time passed, our settlement grew, becoming a community of its own," Harald continued, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. "I finally felt that I could lead a simple life in Limbo, away from the chaos and conflict that plagued our kind. But then your mother and her ambitious Kolieans began to subjugate the region."
Aron's eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger passing through them. The realization that his mother was responsible for the turmoil in the region, and the looming threat it posed to him, ignited a sense of urgency within him.
"You ignored it all this time," Aron observed, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and accusation. "Focused on your own affairs while the world around you burned. How could you grow so complacent?"
Harald's gaze met Aron's, his eyes filled with regret. He sighed heavily and went to take a seat, his weary frame sagging under the weight of his past decisions.
"I admit that I've turned a blind eye to the conflicts," Harald admitted, his voice tinged with remorse. "I convinced myself that I could protect my own, that it was enough. But now, it seems that the Kolieans will reach our settlement as well. The clash between your mother and me is inevitable."
Aron approached his father, his mind brimming with questions and a mix of unsorted emotions. But for a moment, he simply looked at him, taking in the tired lines etched on his face, the weariness that permeated his being and shook his head.
Aron stood before his father, disappointment etched on his face. "You've become what you told me not to be," he said, his voice tinged with a mixture of gloom and frustration.
Harald's shoulders slumped, and he nodded, acknowledging the truth in Aron's words. "Yes, I have," he admitted, his voice heavy with resignation. "But I have no regrets, Aron. Knowing that you're alive and safe is enough for me."
Aron's eyes hardened, his disappointment deepening. "You don't understand, Father," he replied, his voice laced with a touch of bitterness. "I sought you out for answers, for guidance. But now, I see that you're even more lost than I am."
Harald's gaze faltered, his heart sinking at the weight of his son's words. He had hoped to provide Aron with the guidance and wisdom he had lacked in his own upbringing. Yet, here they stood, facing the consequences of his past choices.
"I'm sorry, Aron," Harald said, his voice filled with remorse. "I never wanted to turn you into the one thing your mother sought most—the perfect Koliean."
Aron's expression remained stoic, unmoved by his father's apology. He shook his head, his voice filled with a mixture of frustration and resignation. "How can you call me perfect," he retorted, his words laced with a bitter irony, "when our kind is so divided? We are far from perfect, Father."
Harald's face fell, his eyes filled with a profound sadness. He knew that Aron's words held a painful truth. The Koliean race, once united, had splintered into factions, torn apart by differing ideals and ambitions.
Before Harald could respond, Aron turned away, his gaze fixed on the distance. "I need to think," he stated firmly, his voice carrying a sense of resolve.
As Aron left the hut, Harald's partners, who had been waiting outside, watched him with complex gazes. They had witnessed the strained conversation between father and son, and their thoughts weighed heavily upon them. Aron met their gazes with a nonchalant expression, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, as Aron walked away, a voice pierced the air. "Brother!" Eira called out, her tone carrying a mixture of anger and resentment. She approached him, her fiery hair reflecting her fiery temperament. "Where have you been all this time?" she demanded, her words laced with hate.
Aron turned to look at her, his eyes devoid of emotion. "I was surviving," he replied flatly, his voice betraying no hint of warmth or familial connection.
Eira's face contorted with frustration, her fists clenched at her sides. She was unable to comprehend the complexities of their father's choices and the burden he had carried. In her anger, she lashed out, blaming Aron for his absence.
Aron regarded her with disinterest, his gaze piercing through her anger. He understood the pain she carried, but he could not be swayed by her misplaced resentment. "I suggest you focus on surviving too, You're nothing but a burden as you are," he said coldly before turning away and continuing his solitary walk, leaving Eira to wrestle with her emotions.
As Aron distanced himself from the confrontation, his mind swirled with conflicting thoughts and emotions. He sought solace in solitude, knowing that he needed time to process the revelations that had unfolded before him. The weight of his father's regret and the truth of their lineage loomed heavily over him, pushing him to seek answers and a path forward in a world filled with chaos and conflicting powers.
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