"D-Dia…" he said with clear disbelief in his eyes. There was simply no way he could meet her now of all times. He was in a forest with Tania a few moments ago and now he was seeing someone that shouldn't even exist in that world.
'Am I dreaming?' He thought to himself. Then, he pinched his left arm as hard as he could and felt the sharp pain from the pinch reach his head. If this was a dream, he should've been awake by now after that stimulus.
But, he was still there, sitting on the bed, looking at the only person he cherished his whole life. That's when he ignored everything that alerted him of the situation and stood up on his feet.
Then, he walked slowly toward Dia with not-so-steady steps. With each step, he felt himself lose his strength and even his resolve. But, when he was finally a few centimeters away from her.
"What are you…"
She didn't even complete her question when Acht pulled her with both of his arms into a tight hug. He was still 7 years old so she was considerably taller than him. His head could barely reach her chest.
He then buried his face in her stomach and silently hugged her for a while. Dia was confused at first since she found Acht's behavior weird but she still didn't want to push him away and smiled sweetly as she hugged him too.
"What's wrong?" She whispered to him in the most gentle manner she could. Her voice made him shudder slightly before looking at her green eyes.
"Could I stay like this for a minute?" His tone was meek and quiet but held a strong resolve for something.
His question made Dia chuckle slightly. She was somehow amused by how Acht was behaving at the moment and she wanted to take full advantage of the situation.
"We're gonna be late because of you so take responsibility, brat!" She said with a joking tone.
A few minutes passed and Acht kept hugging Dia while ignoring her dirty clothes and the bad smell. He just wanted to feel her again, to sense her warmth and maybe….just maybe, ease some of the regrets he had.
He was not a perfect being, he had made mistakes when he was young and the one most affected by them was Dia. She was the one who always stood up for him no matter how tough the situation was. They were two poor little orphans in a cruel world that didn't show any benevolence. Yet, she never gave up on him no matter how much she had to suffer.
That was one of the reasons he loved her so much, it was because of her kindness. She was way too kind for her own good. Some may even consider her kindness as foolishness but Acht admired that kindness even though he knew he would never be like her in his life.
Finally, Acht pulled away from her embrace and looked her in the eyes. He could clearly see the two bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. He could also see the injuries that riddled her face and neck.
"So, what is with this sudden affection?…You finally admitted your love for me…Hahahaha!" She laughed as she scratched his head roughly.
He also smiled at her.
'She never changes. It's really Dia.' He thought. He didn't care if it was a dream as long as he could stay here with her for some more time.
"Don't let it slip into your head, old hag!" He answered jokingly.
"Old hag!!! You little shit! I'm still 16!" She clenched her fist with playful anger as she threatened to punch him. They always joked with each other like this.
Then, as they laughed like that, the door knocked roughly. A sudden realization hit Dia as she sighed with exasperation.
Acht was a little late to catch on but he also knew who was knocking like this.
"Open the door!" A rough and hoarse voice called from outside with clear anger.
"It's that fucker again! Sigh, we are in trouble now!" She whispered to Acht who nodded as he thought of something.
Then, as Dia was about to open the door, Acht grabbed her arm and whispered.
"Let me deal with this." He said with a serious tone.
Then, he walked to the door and opened it.
The man outside was their boss in a way. Both Dia and Acht worked multiple jobs under this man such as Selling newspapers, cleaning shoes for passersby, and many other small jobs. But, this man would always reap the benefits and leave the scrapes for them. In fact, they weren't the only victims of such abuse as most of the poor children with no parents in the slum had to suffer such injustice so they could live another day.
Acht stared coldly at the man with deep hatred buried within his eyes. He hated this man to the core that he came back to him when he grew up to search for him and kill him. But, he heard that he died a long time ago and thus he had to leave that unfulfilled desire buried in his heart.
He had never forgotten the abuse he had to suffer along with Dia because of him. He had hit them, made them go on for days without any food, and even tried to take Dia to work as a prostitute when she hit 15 years of age. But, fortunately, because of Dia's resistance and threats, he wasn't able to make her work in that filthy job.
"You fucking bastards…15 minutes late! Do you think I run a fucking charity?! Get your asses out!" He shouted with his huge mouth. Acht could smell the foul smell coming from his mouth and could see the few disgusting yellow teeth left inside.
'I met you again, you shitty bastard!' He thought before saying with a calm tone.
"No."
Silence. Absolute silence took over the place as Dia and the boss looked at Acht in disbelief. They couldn't believe what came out of Acht's mouth.
"What did you say?" The man asked as extreme anger started growing in his heart.
"Did you not hear me, old fuck? I said no! Now, piss off before I fucking pop your eyes."
"WHAT?!! YOU FUCKING BRAT!!"
Hearing those words, the man lost it and tried to grab Acht by the collar to strangle him. Dia was about to also move to stop him but halted her steps again when she saw what ensued next with widened eyes.
Acht dodged the man's hands and sent a kick toward his groin with as much power as he could.
*POP*
"UGGHHHHHHHH!"
The sound of something popping like a balloon followed by a blood-curdling scream coming from the man's mouth sent a shiver down Dia's spine.
She couldn't imagine the agony the man was in as he fell to the ground and started rolling around while holding his groin.
Acht didn't feel bothered by it and placed his leg on the man's massive stomach to stop him from rolling.
"Where are you hiding your money?" He asked calmly.
"Ugh…You! I will fucking kill you!!!"
Acht expected such an answer from a human scum like him so he swiftly moved his arm and held his neck. He didn't try to choke him but just tapped one of the arteries with his finger. With one single move, he could slice open the arterie and kill him on the spot.
"Let me ask again: where is the money?" He said with the same tone and calm voice.
"Hiiiii!!!" The man tried his best to resist but he was fully under Acht's control. He didn't know how, but he was now in the same body he had in the lower world. That meant that his physical strength was incomparable to that of any small child out there.
"Fine…ugh!!...Fine! I will show you!!" He groaned loudly as he tried to stand up. He understood that the kid would kill him if he didn't comply. He was still confused and amazed. Acht was never a violent person when he was still a child, coupled with his small frame. He was always considered as a good punching bag for the boss to release his stress and boredom.
Now, he turned into some kind of monster who could kill as easily as breathing.
"Wait!" Dia finally woke up from her trance and spoke to Acht. She was beyond agitated at what she saw.
"What are you doing?" She asked with clear hesitation. She knew that what he did now was unforgivable and could end up with him getting beaten up or even killed. The last thing she wanted to see was Acht getting harmed so she was ready to defend him with all her strength.
He looked back at her with a smile full of confidence, a smile that even though it was wide and calm, carried a hint of sadness that was incomprehensible to Dia.
'Why was he making such an expression? Why does that smile feel so sad and lonely?' She asked herself multiple questions that she hesitated to ask Acht for some reason. It was a mystery to her.
"I will fix everything…I promise. So, just believe in me."
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