Chapter 181 The Path of revenge... Part-2.
?'In the first place, we both never saw the faces of our parents... it's not like I blame them for it though...' (Riko)
After Ashtel's subordinates rescued Riko, they ran a full background check on her, and they found out that Riko's parents were both awakeners who had died in a failed dungeon raid.
They told Riko about this whole truth and she even received some old images of her parents from them.
'The existence of parents didn't matter to me at all, all I wanted was to keep my brother safe and happy...' (Riko)
Riko's brother was her younger twin, but unlike her strong physique, her younger brother was frail and weak. He was born blind and his hearing started to fade away slowly as he grew up.
The young boy needed the immediate help of an S-rank healer.
Hiring an S-rank healer is very costly, but it is worth the trouble. Even top-class healing potions can't specifically focus on a particular place of the body, but an S-rank healer is a different case.
They can literally make your organs or any other limbs regenerate from nothingness.
If Riko's younger brother had the opportunity to be healed by an S-rank healer, he would have regained his eyesight and the healer would have even healed his frail body.
There are only two known SS-rank healers in this world at the current time, one is the Elf queen, and the other is said to be a water dragon, but her whereabouts are currently unknown.
(SS-rank healers are 'rumored' to be able to use the legendary technique 'Resurrection'... but there are no actual records of such a technique being implemented ever before...)
But all of this doesn't even matter now. Her brother was already dead, that is a fact that can't be changed anymore.
Thus the only goal in Riko's life now is to take revenge on that man who sold them both to the black market. If not for him, she could have continued to live peacefully with her brother.
(No she is wrong, her brother was already counting his last day by then, he wouldn't have lived long due to his weak heart slowly failing him, even if he wasn't killed, he would have still died soon after...)
(The only way to save him was that you would have to get the help of an S-rank healer at that point... aside from that, Riya could have also saved him, as she is the most talented healer of the current era...)
...
Riko had no regrets about her way of living, it didn't matter to her how badly her own life gets destroyed as long as she can have her revenge.
The only motive she has to live right now is to have revenge.
'The problem is, I don't even remember the face of that man now...' (Riko)
That worn-down place the two siblings used to live was also an orphanage actually and the man who sold them off on the black market was also the owner of that orphanage.
'He was a drunkard, who used to beat me whenever he felt angry, there weren't any other children left in the orphanage beside us both...' (Riko)
'...So, we were the ones who suffered through it for a long time... but my memories of that time have blurred a lot now... I don't even remember his face but...' (Riko)
Although she couldn't remember his face, Riko was sure that she could still distinguish his presence from anyone else in the world.
'But, I will never forget that disgusting presence... never...' (Riko)
While Riko was lost in her own thoughts, her junior who was walking ahead of her suddenly said some words that struck her like lightning.
"A friendly advice from me Senpai, 'It's never good to focus on revenge too much', I know those eyes as I have experienced it myself... make sure you don't end up burning yourself out in those flames of revenge..." (Lia)
Hearing those words, Riko felt like her whole existence was being questioned.
The only reason Riko lived to this day was because she wanted revenge, otherwise, she would have already committed Su*cide to join her brother in the afterlife.
Riko hurriedly shook her head in denial.
"It doesn't matter, as long as the result is good, I don't care about the process..." (Riko)
'I have come a long way now, I can't leave this path now, I chose to walk on this path of eternal revenge...' (Riko)
'There's no way I will reconsider my choice now, I must see through this path to its end...' (Riko)
A 'Path' is like a 'binding oath', you can't break it so easily otherwise you will lose your ambitions. Without the flame of 'Ambition', humans are nothing but 'ordinary' in this world.
'Ambition' and 'Need' give birth to 'strength' in the form of 'Awakening', and a 'Path' keeps those flames of 'Ambition' continue to burn brightly, once you lose your 'Path' your flames of 'Ambition' run out and you will stop progressing from that point onwards.
...
(Back to current time...)
While everyone was enjoying their vacation, Riko remained silent and stern. She had no reason to be happy in the first place.
The only reason she even came here, was because Zach had invited her to come here. Otherwise, she would have been training to become stronger instead of playing on this beach.
Looking at Zach's small figure trying to compete with the other guys, made her remember those days when she used to play some easy games with her brother. (He was blind and frail, so he could barely play any games...)
As Zach had spent a long time hanging around Riko, she had seen him grow up from a newly awakened person to today's A-ranked Archer.
Whenever she looked at Zach Riko often thought to herself:
'Would my younger brother have been like him if he had lived?' (Riko)
In Riko's eyes, Zach resembled her younger brother so much that she had inevitably started to think of him as a brother.
The reason why all of Zach's attempts to impress her failed was that she had started to think of him as a brother.
Riko has no romantic feelings for Zach, all she thinks is that Zach resembles her brother.
'That's also one of the reasons why I must not stay near you, Zach…' (Riko)
Riko who had lost her whole family, had always considered herself as a bearer of great misfortune.
She thinks that whoever she tries to get close to, that person will end up getting hurt due to her own bad luck.
"Okay, guys it's getting late now, let's start heading back now! I have called my grandpa, and he will send a car to pick us up!" (Zach)
After shouting that to everyone, Zach slowly walked over to Riko's side. He hadn't talked to her the whole day today, thus he had a nervous look on his face.
He stretched out his hand and asked with a smile on his face.
"Would you like to go and buy some ice cream? It will take a few minutes for the car to arrive… what do you say?" (Zach)
'I can't hold that hand….' (Riko)
Riko shook her head at Zach's invitation.
"No, I don't like ice cream… You can buy them if you like…" (Riko)
The smile on Zach's face disappeared in an instant when Riko said those words. His eyes seem to have lost some brightness and a depressed aura appeared on him.
Zach took his hand back in embarrassment and replied:
"hehe.. okay… w-well, i-I will go and buy one for me only…" (Zach)
After saying that, Zach left the place in a hurry, he seemed to have found his answer at that one moment.
(Zach's one-sided love died that day… Riko didn't hold his hand and he considered that as a sign of rejection...)
…
After a few minutes of waiting, the car arrived and all of the students boarded the car.
The return trip was uneventful and boring.
No one really talked much as everyone was tired from playing around all day long. (They might be awakeners with strong physiques but mentally they are all still children…)
After reaching the hotel, everyone went back to their own respective rooms to rest for the night.
Riko opened the door of her room and walked in.
As the lights were off, the darkness in the room reminded her of the days she spent in loneliness after her brother died.
She slowly walked in and slumped down, she put her back on the wall and buried her head in her arms.
Coincidentally, the same scene happened in the room that was right beside hers.
Zach also slumped down and put his back on the wall.
As the walls of the hotel rooms were enhanced with A-rank magic, both of them couldn't feel each other's presence, but both of them were actually sitting right beside each other at that moment.
Tears appeared in their eyes and fell on the dry ground.
"Sorry, Zach, I can't hold that hand, I don't want you to suffer from my misfortune… I am not worthy to stand beside you…" (Riko)
"Sorry, Riko, my heart is fickle, you have thoroughly broken it, and now I have nothing left for you…." (Zach)
And thus, the love story that never even started came to a premature end.
…
…
Author's Notes.
Yo! It's your beloved author here! Well, the situation of these two was already very complicated to begin with, not all stories have a good ending guys, so don't blame me for this love story's premature ending…
Question of the day.
Do you these two will be able to make up in the future?
1.Yes (Well any complicated relationship can be solved with better communication…)
2.No (Don't forget Riko I a 'heroine' she isn't meant to be with 'Zach' in the first place….)
By the way, don't forget to use those power stones and also leave a review if you like the story. Comment your opinion about the chapter. Your support is my motivation.
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