“Boss.”
That was the first word the child said. Wait, boss? Why?
“Why are you calling me the boss?”
“Because boss is boss.”
Her reasoning just confused me and the child continued.
“Boss, are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
I turn around and walk away. However, the child ran towards me a hugged me. I looked down at her for a short while.
“Melanie, a little privacy please.”
Melanie jumped out of my shadow and ran forward to another corridor. She would probably wait there for me to finish.
“Child, let go of me.”
“Mmph.”
The child grunts in response.
“I have things to do. Our paths are not the same.”
The child releases me and steps back. She hangs her head down.
“I know but I wanted to say thank you.”
The child looks up at me with determination on her face.
“Thank me? Why? I have done nothing.”
“Mommy always told me that she only hurt me when I do something wrong.”
Her words hurt my heart. Why would she compare her mother to someone like me. I kneeled to meet her eye level.
“But you did not do anything wrong.”
“No, bad guys took me and I cried. Mommy always taught me to be strong so I shouldn’t cry.”
“But I am a bad guy.”
“You are?”
“Yes. The only time a parent is allowed to hit their child is with discipline. I am not your parent and I was not hitting you for discipline. So, I am evil.”
“Huh? But you hit me because I was crying so that is for dis- thing. Also, I know! You can be my mommy! Then, you can hit me for dis-thing!”
“Child, your mommy is important to you right?”
“Yeah!”
“Then I cannot be your mommy. Remember this child, we will never meet again.”
“Huh?”
“I am evil, child.”
“Evil?”
“Yes. I do bad things. I hurt other people and I make other people suffer.”
“But you took care of us.”
“For my own sake. I am prepared to kill if anyone disobeyed. I am not kind, I am evil.”
“But-“
“That is why, you should never see me again. You are too weak, too small, and useless. I have no use for you, I have no need for you and I have no desire for your service. That is why you should walk your own path, child.”
The child hangs her head down.
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
“Mommy told me to go somewhere when she dies.”
Ah, her mother is dead. I did not want that confirmation.
“Then, follow those words. In the future, you will encounter many people. Some of them will be evil like me. Make sure to know who you can trust.”
“How do I know?”
“That is something that only you can know. Do you trust me, child?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you have already failed. I am evil and I have fooled you in trusting me. Now I can make you do things.”
“I don’t get it.”
“That is normal. For you are young and naïve. You will know your goal and find your own path one day. All you must do is understand what you want and what you wish to achieve.”
“What I want?”
The child looked confused and I tried to walk away.
“Wait!”
The child grabbed me again and looked at me with determination on her face. The child then took out a necklace from her clothes.
“Take this.”
The child grabbed my hand and put the necklace on it. It was very ornate. Something that a mere child should not have.
“Child, I cannot accept this.”
“No, take it or I won’t leave.”
The child pouted.
“But this looks important.”
“Are you sure you’re a bad guy? A bad guy would just take it, you know? That’s why I hid it in an important place!”
Ah, she got me.
“Fine, you win.”
The child nods in delight.
“One day, I’ll be strong! Then, I’ll take that back!”
“What?”
“An evil, bad guy has taken my thing! One day, I will take it back!”
For the very first time since I learned of my other life, I was flabbergasted. It shook me so much that I could not stop myself.
“Hahaha!”
For the first time, I laughed. It was a weird feeling. I have never laughed before. Before long, the child joins in as well. We laugh together for some time.
“Melanie!”
I call out to Melanie and ask for something. She returns to me my dagger. I ask Melanie to give us privacy again.
“Then, you would need this.”
This dagger is something that I always had on me before I got my memories. The dagger’s purpose is to end myself when things were dire. It was something that I had no need for so I put it away once I received my memories. Although, I always put it somewhere near to me.
“The first weapon of an aspiring hero.”
As the child held onto it, tears started to pour from her eyes. For some unknown reason, I hugged her.
“Child, it is okay to cry. But, only cry with those that you care for. Villains, bad guys, and evil people will take advantage of your tears. Just like how I did a few days ago.”
“Hmm.”
The child grunts as she cries in silence. After a while, I tap the child. She steps back and sniffs.
“Go now. Our paths are not meant to be.”
The child nods as she runs. I watch her slowly disappear. I look up at the ceiling and images of what could have been appear in my mind. A fleeting weakness. I shake myself and walk to the opposite direction of the child.
“You ok?”
Melanie asks me as we reconvene.
“No cause for alarm. Now, let us go. We have wasted enough time already.
I knew that the child will never meet me again. For my end is already determined. But, just for this moment. This fleeting moment. I wish for whatever being that is watching over us to guide that child. To ensure that her life will be better than mine.
Farewell future hero
o7