Bang!

 

A fierce punch, right on the already bloodied nose, his Knuckles colored with his opponent's gore as the rodent squealed for mercy, lavishing Aaron's wrath even more.

 

Bang!

 

"tell me!" Aaron shouted.

 

Bang!

 

The force of his punch pushed through his meager shields. As Blood splattered, even more, breaking the rodent's nose even further beyond fixing and not just him, All of them were pounded to the ground, as the person in hand was the last person to be conscious.

 

He was angry. "tell me where did you get it!" he was fuming. "Tell me! Otherwise, this hand will be the last thing you will see."

 

His crimson eyes glared at the poacher like a beast ready to devour his feast. The fear of the red, growing ever more on the poacher, made him regret the moment his friend took out his vile. Yes, Aaron was just enjoying his visit, strolling with them with his simple kicks and punches, but all of a sudden his moves turned deadly, right when one of their comrades, or once was, took a blue vile of liquid.

 

'That piece of shit!' the poacher complained.

 

"Please! I don't know, please have mercy….aaaaaa…I... I know nothing of the vile." he squealed and begged once more. 

 

Bang!

 

But his fist was never-ending. Feeling the pain of his nose turning to smush as his inner ear could hear his bone-breaking further and further with every punch he faced.

 

"Young Master!"

 

Someone shouted from behind. Forcing Aaron to stop his bloodied fist in the air. "…..Rudy, you are finally here. Here I thought you would take your leisure time."

 

Rudy gazed at the scenario, many half-dead poachers lying down all bloodied to the nerve, it was a heinous scene. As he could tell from the shopkeeper near, who had frozen in fear, his pants wet to the nooks of its bottom edges.

 

'...the guardian beuro will arrive soon.' Rudy thought. "young master, we need to go. they have already learned their lesson."

 

Aaron didn't reply, taking a long breath, as he stood up from the red-faced poacher. He cracked his knuckles, his bones screaming with pain from all his forceful attacks. the stench of iron lingered, forcing him to wipe his hand on the poacher's shirt.

 

"Rudy, before we get out, take that vile over there." 

 

Like a man in action, he bowed his head, swiftly taking the vile in his hand. 'so this was the reason behind young master's anger.' He thought. Scanning the vile with his red eye.

 

"What?....strengthening potion? …how?" he asked in shock.

 

It was indeed surprising, to see one of their family's Mirakle potions in the hands of some bland poacher. The one thing about potions was that they were rare. Extremely rare as their price would reach sky high, where only billionaires and nobles had the power and the coinage to purchase them.

 

And for a poacher, who just used it for stealing was like dirt throwing on the insignia of House Mirakle.

 

"let's go back for now, but we need to investigate further in this issue, tell father of this as well." He said, walking past the shopkeeper.

 

Ting!

 

The shopkeeper who was scared shitless, couldn't help but catch what was thrown to him, as his eyes revealed what was at his paws.

 

"a…a….gold coin?!" he asked in shock, so much so that he had forgotten his pants were stinking to his nose. "who…who are you?"

 

"let's go, Rudy…"

.

.

.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!.....

 

with the sound of tapping on the dinner table. where dishes of chicken and beef were lavished all over. Three individuals were sitting, all women, one mature, one younger, and one only but a child. 

 

"Livia, stop it, you are seeing your father after so long…."

 

It was a soft voice, like of an angel, its caring speech labeling her love and maturity, as she was a mother of three, her long eyelashes blinking as her red lips couldn't help but smile, watching her child's anxiety. But her thoughts came to false, as her firstborn was gazing at an empty chair. Not which was in the middle, but the one by her side.

 

'...Aaron?' she thought. 

 

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!.....

 

'even after the fight, she is still worried…..' she thought with a smile. it was dinner time and a gathering of the family was a must. but Julian knew her lovely son and her husband would come soon but when the time came, their dishes would lose their delicious spicy scent.

 

"...no need to wait for the men. We can eat." She said, pulling the tissue as she prepared for her feast.

 

"yaaayyy!" Elizabeth shouted in excitement. She was but a child hungry for her food, her knife already cutting through the beef. 

 

"let me help you Eli…" livia said, turning to her sister.

 

Livia only swung her small knife once, but the beef foretold to differ, being sliced into many small pieces, making it easier to consume for the child.

 

"ohhh….thank you, big sis. It's like magic…big sis, big sis, didn't you say, you were a knight now, how come you know magic." She protruded, amazed at how her meat was sliced.

 

"hahahaha…"

 

"hahahaha….hahaha.."

 

Both the mother and the daughter couldn't hold back, giggling from Elizabeth's innocence. It was endearing to see someone act their age. as their only family consisted of people going beyond their time of life, like one of them being her eldest daughter.

 

"My daughter, you have accomplished such a rank in such an age. you really upheld the Mirakle family name." Julian commented in pride.

 

The worry lingering in Livia's eyes was almost gone, with her sister and her mother in tow, And having them acknowledge her accomplishment was touching indeed. So much so that she couldn't further speak, as gratitude was something she couldn't face, since she was young.

 

Seeing her daughter smile in silence, she couldn't help but take her hand, touching her scalps, the many wound marks, decorating her hand. she grimaced, as a child only of fourteen, her hands, which should be soft like a princess, was rugged and hard.

 

"you have worked hard…" she remarked. Her crimson eyes indicate neither happiness nor sadness. But one thing was for sure, she was proud of her, proud of her daughter's relentlessness. 

 

"you have indeed worked hard, Livia." Echoed a voice from her side.

 

"husband?"

 

"father…?"

 

"Daddy!!" Eli shouted; her hands raised high.

 

"hahaha….no need to shout my dear." He said, leaning toward her little daughter. "I see, you have already started before me." He briefed, Taking a tissue in hand as he rubbed off the red sauce staining Eli's little lips.

 

He then turned to his dear wife, observing at her plate, as half of her beef was already gone. "I guess, I let my dear wife wait long enough." he softly voiced, his hand now approaching Julian's red lips. "sorry dear." He professed, taking a tiny bit of meat, stuck at the edge of her beautiful lips.

 

Julian couldn't help but feel surprised, by his sudden wave of a hand. reaching to her, just because of some crumbs. But her heart lied to her, beating harshly, pumping all the named blood to her cheeks, painting her pale skin with a tinge of red.

 

She was silenced, she would have asked for his reasons to be late but such thoughts were already gone, as all she could do was, stare at his gorgeous red eyes, charming her again and again. All, she could think was his soft long hair, and his half-shaved beard, turning him manlier than ever.

 

"ahem…" Livia coughed.

 

It was a simple cough, but it was enough for an indication, to stop those two from going beyond anything unnecessary, beyond their riddled imaginations.

 

"oh, right, where were we?" asked Julian. A bit embarrassed, about her own actions. 

 

Livia didn't say anything further, taking out her white-winged badge as she placed it near his father. she didn't add anything. Just a look, gazing at her father. As both Julian and Elizabeth thought, their family head would be impressed, proud of her daughter's miraculous deed. but there was only silence, and with that hush, the smiling cheerful father was not present anymore. As the only thing they saw was deep complicity in his eyes.

 

"father…you promis…."

 

"Oh, oh….Aaron is finally here." Eli proclaimed all of a sudden.

 

Bam!

 

Livia quickly placed his palm on the badge, acting like she was covering up for reasons unknown but to her, but even with that slap of sound, all four of them focused on the door. The father figure's complexity only mounted more with Elizabeth's assertion.

 

But they were only greeted with silence as, the welcoming door stayed the same as it was. one second, two seconds, three seconds. Julian who was hoping her son to arrive couldn't help but look back at her younger daughter.

 

It was clear now, nobody would be arriving, letting everyone stare back at Elizabeth. "wh..what, I was only telling the truth." Eli again said, her eyes on the verge of tearing up.

 

Creak….

 

But lord and behold, with the sound of the silver door opening, he did arrive so, graining his presence right away.

 

"hmmm…my dear sister is crying, father, mother. What is happening here?" Aaron asked, stepping into the dinner. 

 

'how….? Eli was right….' Julian thought in surprise, but it wasn't just her, both the father and daughter couldn't help but wonder what just happened.

 

Livia gazed at her brother, as he stepped forward near the table. it was a look that Aaron never expected to get from her. if he was really eight years old, he would have scuffed it off, but those eyes showed warmth and care. Which his mature eyes couldn't miss.

 

'what happened while I was gone?' he thought,