To Continue Living - Chapter 23

The days passed quickly, and soon they were only an hour away from their destination.

During this time, Seven had grown used to traveling with Rey and Leon.

From what he's noticed, they didn't stay in one spot for very long, at most two days. Seven didn't mind since he wanted to get this journey done and over with, but the pace felt so quick that he didn't think he had the energy to catch up.

He had no choice but to force himself to.

They were also mostly in the wild, so Seven quickly learned that if he wanted to survive, he should stay put when trouble comes finding them. Unfortunately, he found that out the hard way.

His flight or fight response was to flight. He will most definitely run away in any given situation. Unfortunately, that ended up with both monsters and Rey chasing after him. Fortunately, Rey had managed to save him by just a hair every single time, all the while carrying Leon around like a ragdoll.

Rey had told him many times to stop running around and wasting energy. That he was making more work for him to do, and it was easier if he just stayed put and did nothing. Seven would say that he tried his best to listen, but every time danger approached them, he couldn't help but run away.

Apparently, it's been enough times (two times) that Rey was finally fed up with it and only watched as Seven ran off.

Seven could still remember the breath of that beast, the stench of rotten flesh and blood. The jaws were so wide that they could swallow him whole. He could still remember seeing Rey, standing in the distance, just watching as the beast was about to end his life.

Then, as if everything were going in slow motion, Seven felt the tip of the monster's fang graze upon his forehead. He could see his life flash before his eyes. He knew at that moment that this was the end.

So he closed his eyes and awaited his death.

. . . .

He awaited his death for another 5 seconds.

Then another 30 seconds.

Then a whole minute.

His first thought was that he probably died so quickly that he didn't even feel the pain. But when he peeked open his eyes, he was greeted not only with the horrible stench of the monster's mouth but also a sword that had penetrated through the back of the monster's head, out the mouth, and right next to his face, stabbing into the body of a tree.

"I told you to stay put," Rey's voice called from the other side.

Seven had never felt so relieved in his whole life.

It was at that moment, with only a scratch on his face, that Seven entrusted his life in Rey's hands. And from that day on, Seven never ran away from a battle, trusting that Rey would most definitely save his life.

In this sense, he also had to quickly adapt to seeing blood and guts often. He doesn't know how many times he's barfed, but it's been enough times that he's grown used to the nasty taste in his mouth.

But anyway, he learned that Rey wasn't as evil as he thought he was. Sure, he had this murderous aura and could kill effortlessly, but he didn't act for pointless reasons. He was kind enough to help those who asked, even if he didn't say a single nice thing in the process. Seven even learned that Rey was mostly irritated but never actually angry. And, apart from all his seriousness, when it came to casual conversation, Rey sucked at it real bad. He wondered how he even got around.

Leon, on the other hand, was incredibly hard to deal with. He doesn't even know why someone like Rey would even bother trying to help someone like Leon (of course, he would never say that in front of or behind Rey's back).

In the beginning, Seven thought that it would be easy to take care of Leon. You just have to find his likes and dislikes to bring him out of wonderland. It should have been as simple as trying to get to know a new person and showing them why the world is such a beautiful place to live in. Seven was not expecting Leon's random cries and outbursts, his inability to do anything, and his non-existent effort to try anything.

How can you help someone if they aren't even trying to help themselves?!

This is a two-way street, not a one-way!

He's tried many things to help Leon. When they make it to a village, they would go see a show or maybe try some food. Food always seems to do the trick, but it also seems to drive him deeper into wonderland.

When they're back in the wild, Seven would talk endlessly about anything, trying to see what Leon reacts to. Either that or they end up playing in the snow. Well, more like Seven ends up playing in the snow. Mostly to cure his boredom with two non-speaking individuals.

But so far, through this entire journey, Seven would say he found nothing relevant to help Leon. Especially since Rey seems to baby him quite literally. Of course, Seven won't comment on it, it's not his place.

So far, the only thing he knows about Leon is that he likes pizza, sweets, and music.

And yeah, that's about it.

When talking about politics, Leon doesn't seem to care.

When talking about history, Leon doesn't seem to care.

When seeing a lost child in front of him, Leon doesn't seem to care.

When seeing someone get hurt or kidnapped, Leon doesn't seem to care.

Frozen in the cold, Leon doesn't care.

Spicy food? Leon doesn't care.

Hours of walking? Leon doesn't care.

Silence? nothing.

Just nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

How can a person not react to anything?!

The body should still remember, right?

Or is the mind just that strong?

Many times Seven had planned to give up, to tell Rey that Leon was a hopeless case, that there was nothing he could do to revive a person who was so clearly already dead. But every time he mustered his strength to go talk to Rey, he remembered seeing the lonely figure and the gentle hands that rummaged through blond hair.

It crushed all the determination that Seven had built up.

Thus, he didn't say anything, only groundless words that people want to hear.

But today is different. Today, by the time they make it to the gates of Tevalon, Seven is going to tell him. To tell Rey that he should let Leon go, that Rey shouldn't burden himself with Leon any longer, and that many places in Tevalon can take care of Leon.

And so, presently, as he's walking behind Rey and Leon, he opens his mouth.

"You must be going home after this," Rey had spoken first, "I'll give you some money for your journey,"

Seven was startled, a little lost for words, "Y-yea . . . that would be nice,"

"You should hire a party to take you, someone like you wouldn't even survive a day out there,"

Seven was a little offended, but also couldn't refute. He knew Rey was right, but he brushed it off. There were more important things to discuss. He wanted to get back on track before he forgets and loses his courage.

"Ahem," Seven cleared his throat, "Before we go our separate ways, I would like to offer some advice,"

Rey shot him a skeptical look, but let him continue talking.

". . . I-I'm sure you already know, seeing how this is the exact reason why you were bringing me along. I mean, nothing really has changed since then, but I tried. Well, maybe there are some slight changes . . . but nothing really major. I'm sure that's what you were looking for though. I know I wasn't much help, even though you thought-"

"-Stop mumbling and get to the point,"

"Okay, okay, okay," Seven took a deep breath, ". . . I think you should let Leon go,"

Rey abruptly stopped walking, making Seven quickly stop as well.

Then taking another breath, Seven continued with a steady voice, "I mean, you should put Leon in a hospital of sorts. One that helps him,"

Rey was silent.

"I'm sure you already know, but we're not getting anywhere with him. He's probably better off with people who know what they're doing . . . it's probably better that way too, for you specifically,"

Rey was still silent.

". . . You want to travel, right? And you also like fighting and helping people, but Leon is a crutch. I mean, it's pretty easy to see that he's your weak point. He also doesn't have the will to live, so he can't defend himself and that makes him an easy target. You also can't possibly be there for him every second . . ." Seven took another breath, "Anyway, what I'm saying is you should let Leon go. You should continue your journey without him. And I'm not saying this just for your sake, but also as the person who you've hired to help Leon,"

Seven bit his lip, nervous about how Rey would react. Never in his life had he ever done something like this. He would rather just let people live however they please and go on with his day. But, he's been with them for quite a while now and felt like he should at least say something.

There was silence in the air before a heavy sigh was released.

"You aren't the first to tell me," Rey said, continuing to walk, looking far into the distance.

Seeing that Rey wasn't upset, Seven continued, "Then why? Why do you take him with you? Clearly, people can see that you're better off without him. You're not even a reason for him to continue living, so why do you still take him along?"

Seven knew what he said was a little harsh, but he couldn't help but wonder.

Why was Rey so unwilling to let Leon go?!

Why was he so bent on helping Leon?!

Who even is this Leon?!

"You know the continent Aruvar?" Rey suddenly asked.

"Uh, yes?" How is this relevant?!

"There was a great war there not too long ago,"

"Yea, I heard a little bit about it. It was in the newspaper a couple of months ago, something about winning the war against the demons," Seven tried searching his memories. Learning about other continents' problems wasn't something he spent time doing, so he didn't read deeply about the topic. He only briefly glanced at it before turning the page to read the little daily comic strip that he enjoyed collecting.

Rey continued speaking, "There were four people who led the war. One was a healer from the Southern Swamps, one was an exiled prince of the Human Realm, one was a swordsman, and one was-"

"A HALF-DEMON!!!" Seven suddenly yelled like a child, "That's right, one of them was a half-demon! It was the half-demon who ended the war by beheading the demonic leader!"

" . . . Yea,"

Seven suddenly seemed to remember the article and the only reason he remembered was because the comic strip just happened to be about that war.

"The exiled prince built the alliance to fight against the demonic leader, the healer, and the swordsman defended the frontlines, and the half-demon one-handedly defeated the demonic leader. Something like that, right?"

". . . Yea, something like that,"

Seven tilted his head, still very confused why this was relevant, "So, why are you telling me this?"

"Do you know what happened to them afterward?"

"Uh, no? It didn't say," Seven cried inwardly, knowing his question was ignored.

"The healer died, she didn't survive the war,"

"Oh," Seven tilted his head downward.

"The exiled prince was finally recognized by his people and became king,"

Seven shrugged and said, "Well . . . that's good,"

Then there was silence.

Rey had stopped talking again.

"And... and... the swordsman?" Seven asked with hesitance.

"The swordsman tried killing himself,"

'Well, shit,' Seven glanced away awkwardly, "So, he's still alive?"

Then there was silence again.

Seven was finally fed up and asked Rey once more, sternly this time, "Rey, please tell me why this is relevant,"

Rey reached for his hood and slowly pulled it down.

As if it's been forever, his black hair had finally met the open air and his face was revealed to the outside once more. Then, he turned around to face Seven.

Seven was at a loss for words.

"Y-you're . . . you're a half-demon," Seven stuttered, eyes blown open.

"That's right," Rey replied.

Like clockwork, everything began clicking together in Seven's mind.

"You're the half-demon in the newspaper?!" Seven begins to panic, "Oh no! This is bad! This is very bad! Why're you telling me this?!"

"The swordsman that tried killing himself," Rey rummaged his hand through Leon's hair, "That swordsman is this half-demon's best friend,"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!!" Seven yelled, "Stop talking!"

"For ten years, he's had my back. He walked into danger and fought by my side with a smile on his face. He lost ten years of his life for me,"

"Please stop talking!" Seven pleaded, "We've got bigger issues now!!!"

"Those ten years he gave me, I will return them,"

"Rey! Listen!!" Seven felt like ripping his hair out, "Please listen to me!! That doesn't matter right now! Please... PUT. YOUR. HOOD. BACK. ON."

Rey only stared at Seven nonchalantly, "I thought you wanted to know who Leon was,"

"Oh, god. We're gonna die," Seven cried, "We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!! I'm going to die!!!"

Seven had completely forgotten.

The one thing he learned about Rey was that he always did or said things at either 0% or 100%! And the worst thing is that Rey himself doesn't even realize it.

Kill two goblins? No, Rey will eradicate an entire horde.

Bet your sword? Rey will bet not only his life but even Leon's.

Someone's not listening? Rey will let them experience the most life-threatening experience.

Seven found that Rey seems to always take things a little too far. If not too far, then there's nothing at all.

Seven only wanted to know why Rey was keeping Leon around. Not an entire backstory and identity reveal!!

Especially if you happen to be a half-demon in a land where other species aren't welcomed!!!

Seven could feel his life ending.

The days passed quickly, and soon they were only an hour away from their destination. During this time, Seven had grown used to traveling with Rey and Leon. From what he's noticed, they didn't stay in one spot for very long, at most two days. Seven didn't mind since he wanted to get this journey done and over with, but the pace felt so quick that he didn't think he had the energy to catch up. He had no choice but to force himself to. They were also mostly in the wild, so Seven quickly learned that if he wanted to survive, he should stay put when trouble comes finding them. Unfortunately, he found that out the hard way. His flight or fight response was to flight. He will most definitely run away in any given situation. Unfortunately, that ended up with both monsters and Rey chasing after him. Fortunately, Rey had managed to save him by just a hair every single time, all the while carrying Leon around like a ragdoll. Rey had told him many times to stop running around and wasting energy. That he was making more work for him to do, and it was easier if he just stayed put and did nothing. Seven would say that he tried his best to listen, but every time danger approached them, he couldn't help but run away. Apparently, it's been enough times two times that Rey was finally fed up with it and only watched as Seven ran off. Seven could still remember the breath of that beast, the stench of rotten flesh and blood. The jaws were so wide that they could swallow him whole. He could still remember seeing Rey, standing in the distance, just watching as the beast was about to end his life. Then, as if everything were going in slow motion, Seven felt the tip of the monster's fang graze upon his forehead. He could see his life flash before his eyes. He knew at that moment that this was the end. So he closed his eyes and awaited his death. . . . . He awaited his death for another 5 seconds. Then another 30 seconds. Then a whole minute. His first thought was that he probably died so quickly that he didn't even feel the pain. But when he peeked open his eyes, he was greeted not only with the horrible stench of the monster's mouth but also a sword that had penetrated through the back of the monster's head, out the mouth, and right next to his face, stabbing into the body of a tree. "I told you to stay put," Rey's voice called from the other side. Seven had never felt so relieved in his whole life. It was at that moment, with only a scratch on his face, that Seven entrusted his life in Rey's hands. And from that day on, Seven never ran away from a battle, trusting that Rey would most definitely save his life. In this sense, he also had to quickly adapt to seeing blood and guts often. He doesn't know how many times he's barfed, but it's been enough times that he's grown used to the nasty taste in his mouth. But anyway, he learned that Rey wasn't as evil as he thought he was. Sure, he had this murderous aura and could kill effortlessly, but he didn't act for pointless reasons. He was kind enough to help those who asked, even if he didn't say a single nice thing in the process. Seven even learned that Rey was mostly irritated but never actually angry. And, apart from all his seriousness, when it came to casual conversation, Rey sucked at it real bad. He wondered how he even got around. Leon, on the other hand, was incredibly hard to deal with. He doesn't even know why someone like Rey would even bother trying to help someone like Leon of course, he would never say that in front of or behind Rey's back. In the beginning, Seven thought that it would be easy to take care of Leon. You just have to find his likes and dislikes to bring him out of wonderland. It should have been as simple as trying to get to know a new person and showing them why the world is such a beautiful place to live in. Seven was not expecting Leon's random cries and outbursts, his inability to do anything, and his non-existent effort to try anything. How can you help someone if they aren't even trying to help themselves?! This is a two-way street, not a one-way! He's tried many things to help Leon. When they make it to a village, they would go see a show or maybe try some food. Food always seems to do the trick, but it also seems to drive him deeper into wonderland. When they're back in the wild, Seven would talk endlessly about anything, trying to see what Leon reacts to. Either that or they end up playing in the snow. Well, more like Seven ends up playing in the snow. Mostly to cure his boredom with two non-speaking individuals. But so far, through this entire journey, Seven would say he found nothing relevant to help Leon. Especially since Rey seems to baby him quite literally. Of course, Seven won't comment on it, it's not his place. So far, the only thing he knows about Leon is that he likes pizza, sweets, and music. And yeah, that's about it. When talking about politics, Leon doesn't seem to care. When talking about history, Leon doesn't seem to care. When seeing a lost child in front of him, Leon doesn't seem to care. When seeing someone get hurt or kidnapped, Leon doesn't seem to care. Frozen in the cold, Leon doesn't care. Spicy food? Leon doesn't care. Hours of walking? Leon doesn't care. Silence? nothing. Just nothing. Nothing. Nothing. How can a person not react to anything?! The body should still remember, right? Or is the mind just that strong? Many times Seven had planned to give up, to tell Rey that Leon was a hopeless case, that there was nothing he could do to revive a person who was so clearly already dead. But every time he mustered his strength to go talk to Rey, he remembered seeing the lonely figure and the gentle hands that rummaged through blond hair. It crushed all the determination that Seven had built up. Thus, he didn't say anything, only groundless words that people want to hear. But today is different. Today, by the time they make it to the gates of Tevalon, Seven is going to tell him. To tell Rey that he should let Leon go, that Rey shouldn't burden himself with Leon any longer, and that many places in Tevalon can take care of Leon. And so, presently, as he's walking behind Rey and Leon, he opens his mouth. "You must be going home after this," Rey had spoken first, "I'll give you some money for your journey," Seven was startled, a little lost for words, "Y-yea . . . that would be nice," "You should hire a party to take you, someone like you wouldn't even survive a day out there," Seven was a little offended, but also couldn't refute. He knew Rey was right, but he brushed it off. There were more important things to discuss. He wanted to get back on track before he forgets and loses his courage. "Ahem," Seven cleared his throat, "Before we go our separate ways, I would like to offer some advice," Rey shot him a skeptical look, but let him continue talking. ". . . I-I'm sure you already know, seeing how this is the exact reason why you were bringing me along. I mean, nothing really has changed since then, but I tried. Well, maybe there are some slight changes . . . but nothing really major. I'm sure that's what you were looking for though. I know I wasn't much help, even though you thought-" "-Stop mumbling and get to the point," "Okay, okay, okay," Seven took a deep breath, ". . . I think you should let Leon go," Rey abruptly stopped walking, making Seven quickly stop as well. Then taking another breath, Seven continued with a steady voice, "I mean, you should put Leon in a hospital of sorts. One that helps him," Rey was silent. "I'm sure you already know, but we're not getting anywhere with him. He's probably better off with people who know what they're doing . . . it's probably better that way too, for you specifically," Rey was still silent. ". . . You want to travel, right? And you also like fighting and helping people, but Leon is a crutch. I mean, it's pretty easy to see that he's your weak point. He also doesn't have the will to live, so he can't defend himself and that makes him an easy target. You also can't possibly be there for him every second . . ." Seven took another breath, "Anyway, what I'm saying is you should let Leon go. You should continue your journey without him. And I'm not saying this just for your sake, but also as the person who you've hired to help Leon," Seven bit his lip, nervous about how Rey would react. Never in his life had he ever done something like this. He would rather just let people live however they please and go on with his day. But, he's been with them for quite a while now and felt like he should at least say something. There was silence in the air before a heavy sigh was released. "You aren't the first to tell me," Rey said, continuing to walk, looking far into the distance. Seeing that Rey wasn't upset, Seven continued, "Then why? Why do you take him with you? Clearly, people can see that you're better off without him. You're not even a reason for him to continue living, so why do you still take him along?" Seven knew what he said was a little harsh, but he couldn't help but wonder. Why was Rey so unwilling to let Leon go?! Why was he so bent on helping Leon?! Who even is this Leon?! "You know the continent Aruvar?" Rey suddenly asked. "Uh, yes?" How is this relevant?! "There was a great war there not too long ago," "Yea, I heard a little bit about it. It was in the newspaper a couple of months ago, something about winning the war against the demons," Seven tried searching his memories. Learning about other continents' problems wasn't something he spent time doing, so he didn't read deeply about the topic. He only briefly glanced at it before turning the page to read the little daily comic strip that he enjoyed collecting. Rey continued speaking, "There were four people who led the war. One was a healer from the Southern Swamps, one was an exiled prince of the Human Realm, one was a swordsman, and one was-" "A HALF-DEMON!!!" Seven suddenly yelled like a child, "That's right, one of them was a half-demon! It was the half-demon who ended the war by beheading the demonic leader!" " . . . Yea," Seven suddenly seemed to remember the article and the only reason he remembered was because the comic strip just happened to be about that war. "The exiled prince built the alliance to fight against the demonic leader, the healer, and the swordsman defended the frontlines, and the half-demon one-handedly defeated the demonic leader. Something like that, right?" ". . . Yea, something like that," Seven tilted his head, still very confused why this was relevant, "So, why are you telling me this?" "Do you know what happened to them afterward?" "Uh, no? It didn't say," Seven cried inwardly, knowing his question was ignored. "The healer died, she didn't survive the war," "Oh," Seven tilted his head downward. "The exiled prince was finally recognized by his people and became king," Seven shrugged and said, "Well . . . that's good," Then there was silence. Rey had stopped talking again. "And... and... the swordsman?" Seven asked with hesitance. "The swordsman tried killing himself," 'Well, shit,' Seven glanced away awkwardly, "So, he's still alive?" Then there was silence again. Seven was finally fed up and asked Rey once more, sternly this time, "Rey, please tell me why this is relevant," Rey reached for his hood and slowly pulled it down. As if it's been forever, his black hair had finally met the open air and his face was revealed to the outside once more. Then, he turned around to face Seven. Seven was at a loss for words. "Y-you're . . . you're a half-demon," Seven stuttered, eyes blown open. "That's right," Rey replied. Like clockwork, everything began clicking together in Seven's mind. "You're the half-demon in the newspaper?!" Seven begins to panic, "Oh no! This is bad! This is very bad! Why're you telling me this?!" "The swordsman that tried killing himself," Rey rummaged his hand through Leon's hair, "That swordsman is this half-demon's best friend," "Wait, wait, wait, wait!!" Seven yelled, "Stop talking!" "For ten years, he's had my back. He walked into danger and fought by my side with a smile on his face. He lost ten years of his life for me," "Please stop talking!" Seven pleaded, "We've got bigger issues now!!!" "Those ten years he gave me, I will return them," "Rey! Listen!!" Seven felt like ripping his hair out, "Please listen to me!! That doesn't matter right now! Please... PUT. YOUR. HOOD. BACK. ON." Rey only stared at Seven nonchalantly, "I thought you wanted to know who Leon was," "Oh, god. We're gonna die," Seven cried, "We're gonna die! We're all gonna die!! I'm going to die!!!" Seven had completely forgotten. The one thing he learned about Rey was that he always did or said things at either 0% or 100%! And the worst thing is that Rey himself doesn't even realize it. Kill two goblins? No, Rey will eradicate an entire horde. Bet your sword? Rey will bet not only his life but even Leon's. Someone's not listening? Rey will let them experience the most life-threatening experience. Seven found that Rey seems to always take things a little too far. If not too far, then there's nothing at all. Seven only wanted to know why Rey was keeping Leon around. Not an entire backstory and identity reveal!! Especially if you happen to be a half-demon in a land where other species aren't welcomed!!! Seven could feel his life ending.