Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

406  Gone

Mister Roy wasn't at home either. Roy waited till the morning, not sleeping a wink all night, but Roy didn't come back. Early in the morning, he went back to the hill and searched everywhere, but couldn't find any note left behind by Roy.

Did something happen to him? Was he attacked by wild beasts? Reynold searched the whole hill thoroughly, but there were no traces of a beast nor a struggle indicating a fight.

Then, did he go somewhere else? Maybe he had something to take care of and went to another location. It could also be that he remembered that he'd left something in one of the two previous buildings, so he went to fetch them.

There were all kinds of possibilities. "I'm sure he'll be back soon," Thought Reynold after night fell once again. "I'll just have to wait for him."

And he did as he thought. One day, two days, one week, ten days, a month. Reynold waited for his mister to come back all that time while spending his days as usual. Every day, he woke up early to take care of their livestock. He prepared breakfast for two and left the house to work on the structure on top of the hill. Once the sun set, he returned and prepared dinner for two, but waited till late at night when the howls of wild beasts could be heard. After making sure that Roy wasn't back that day either, he ate his dinner alone and went to sleep. The next day would begin the same and end the same. Each time the sun rose he'd wake up excitedly, running to the hill at the possibility that the redhead would've returned, and each time the sun sat, he'd rush home thinking that Roy might be waiting for him in there. One month became two and two months turned into a season, one season, two seasons, a year. Reynold repeated the same routine all the time. The structure was almost done. He worked on it alone but ended up finishing it faster than the other two. He wanted to make his mister happy when he came back. Wouldn't he be quite surprised if he saw the whole work done?

Their small farm was now filled with various trees and fruits. The small garden that Roy built for fun was also brimming with all kinds of flowers, yet, there was no one to enjoy their scent and beauty. Reynold moved up the hill once again and glanced around. Since the day he was done building this place, he had nothing else to do, so he would climb all the way to the top and sit atop the central platform, waiting. "Maybe I should move out and search for him."

The thought came across his mind one day while he was staring at the night stars. Home felt too suffocating these days, so he stayed inside the structure all day and slept the nights under the sky. "Maybe he went to the other two locations and couldn't come back due to some reasons... He might even need my help..." The teenager muttered dazedly, his eyes fixed on the twinkling stars in the sky.

"Mmm... Should I really search for him? What if he comes back while I'm gone and gets disappointed after noticing that I'm gone? He might think that I've abandoned him..."

Abandoned.

Roy has abandoned him and ran away without even leaving behind a note.

"Naaah!" Reynold buried his face in his pillow and shook off the annoying thought in his head. The thoughts that kept gnawing in his mind were getting more and more persistent as time passed, distracting his ideas and disturbing his everyday life. Reynold didn't listen to the nasty voice in his mind. There was no way his mister would abandon him nor would he throw Reynold away. The boy was sure that his mister had a proper reason for his disappearance. He was certain that Roy was safe and alive, and that he would come back one day.

"Maybe I should really search for him."

The next day, Reynold returned to their hose, placed his belongings into a bag, and prepared for departure. Of course, he didn't pack everything up. What if Roy came back when he was gone? He needed the things in this house to spend a comfortable time here. Reynold even hid a small sum of money in a location only known by him and Roy, in case the redhead needed it. He freed their livestock and created a permanent waterway for their garden and farm so that the trees and flowers wouldn't dry out when he was not there to take care of them. Everything was done by the time the sun sat once again. Once again, while watching the stars through the window, he picked up a paper and pen, ready to leave a note for his mister. [Wherever I go, I'll return here, so don't leave while I'm not around.]

With that one sentence, Reynold carefully folded the paper and placed it on the table where one would see it once they entered the house. He made sure to cover the letter and place something heavy on it so wind and animals wouldn't damage it. After he was done preparing everything, with a small bag and some money, he left the house, traveling to the north, where their previous house was located. Although he'd walked this path once, everything was different now that he was alone. He couldn't feel relaxed for a second, nor could he feel safe. Not long after he began his journey, he nearly got killed by bandits, encountered wild animals, and lost all his money to thieves. Earning money wasn't hard for him anymore. He knew a lot and could do a lot thanks to all the years he'd spent with Roy. One time, he became a farmer for a few months and once, he assisted people constrict houses. He did especially well as a mentor, though few people trusted him due to his young age. It took him a long time to reach the north as he had to do all kinds of jobs on his way to earn money. Was it because he was too late? Roy wasn't there either. Maybe he was at their first house? Reynold could go back there. It was a good occasion, in fact, as he could visit his family's grave as well. Reynold wasn't disappointed at all. With a new resolve, he changed his course, resuming his journey. However, there was a problem this time. "Cough cough cough, argh..."

With his knees losing all energy, the boy's body fell down to the ground. Blood was dripping from his chin and drenching his clothes. "Hey, what the hell happened to that boy?"

The farmers all gathered around, examining the frail-looking teenager who'd collapsed to the ground, panting and coughing. "He's sick. We must call the lord."

11:44

"He's sick. We must call the lord."

"Call the lord, take this boy back."

"Yeah yeah, get you kiddo!"

His illness was getting worse as time passed, or it would be better to say that the chaos inside his soul was gradually eating away his body. But Roy wasn't there to create any more accessories for him. At this rate, he'd die. Reynold didn't want to die. Not until he met Roy again. What did he have to do? Medicine had no effect on him and the three accessories he had couldn't help him stop the power inside his soul. Couldn't he create them himself? If Roy could freely wield universal energy, then why couldn't he? Reynold was told that inside his soul were two powers, one was chaos that he received from that device, and the other was Roy's power that helped him survive. Couldn't he use a little bit of that power to create another bracelet?

It was a hard task, but Reynold didn't give up. He'd die if he stopped trying, so he researched with all his might. Roy once said that Reyn might be a genius. Reynold hadn't forgotten that. If he was a genius, then he could find the trick to use the power inside his soul too, sooner or later. A rumor gradually spread in the city near the desert about a suspicious young man and his strange actions. Some referred to him as a human entangled with the devil, as his actions couldn't be understood by anyone. He had a weak boy and was sick, but his gaze was always burning with passion, something uncommon in their small city. He was referred to as ominous, cursed, and evil. Yet some called him someone blessed by the gods, as some people had seen colorful light coming out of his house late at night. One night, when the moon was at its brightest, a pillar of light more brilliant than the moonlight, a mixture of silver of moon and the gold of sun, flashed in the whole city. It lasted for a brief second, but remained in the minds of every citizen.

Since that day, the rumored boy didn't seem as sickly as before. He also had an additional ring on his finger. @@novelbin@@