Regret

Defender (Edith)

[TW - Mentions of past child abuse]

"The first 8 years of my life, I grew up under a bakery along with my two younger siblings and my mother."

"That doesn't sound so bad, at least you had someplace to live, some people aren't blessed with a home," The southern girl comments.

"Would you let me finish??" I ask, angrily.

"Sorry. Go on."

"Anyways," I sigh. "Our business was terrible, people stopped delivering decent material needed for making bread and other baked goods, so our food started tasting like shit."

"What else happened?"

"We lived in a sketchy neighborhood, so every now and then, these thieves would break in and threaten us for any money we had made."

"What happened if you didn't have any change to give them?"

"They'd beat the living shit out of us and stole whatever they found useful. They sent us to the hospital countless times, I'm surprised my siblings and I even survived through that."

"Wow...did this happen all the time?"

I nod. "Pretty much. Once a month they would appear, and it only got worse as well. So much to the point that I couldn't take it anymore."

"So, what did you do?"

"What do you think happened? That damn cat appeared and offered to grant any wish I had, if only I was okay with fighting these monsters. I was only a child, and not a fighter at the time, but I really wanted these nightmares to end, so I accepted the offer."

"What did you wish for?"

I bring my gaze to the ground. There was a short pause, a draft of wind entered the building and brushed through my hair.

"I want this nightmare to end, I want those monsters to leave my family alone, please give me the strength to make them go away, to regret ever messing with us, so that my family and I could finally live a happy life."

I pause and look up at the girl with me.

"Those were the exact words I said back then, all I wanted was to protect my family."

"Did it work?"

I nod. "It did for a while, those thieves never returned again. As for the fighting, it took a while to get used to, but I managed."

"So what's so bad about your wish then? I mean they stopped coming and your family got a happy ending, did they not?"

I shake my head in denial. "No they didn't," I reply, my voice getting more shaky. "Do you know what happened? When they found out the reason why everything changed so suddenly?"

She shakes her head slowly.

"They saw me as this horrible demon that would bring them false hope, only to rob them from it. So you know what they did? They began treating me like shit. It got so bad, they literally tortured me physically and mentally. Wouldn't give me food to eat, made me sleep outside, even on freezing cold days, and would literally beat me to a pulp."

I stop and shake my head. "If magicae weren't pretty much indestructible like Naroi said, I'm pretty sure I would've died back then."

I pause.

"I mean can you fathom being thrown down concrete stairs? Having your head slammed against heavy metal or hit with a heavy object over and over until you start bleeding? Or how about having your head submerged in either boiling hot or freezing cold water to the point where you're drowning!"

"I'm so."
"But it gets worse!" I interrupt.

"They all went crazy! I mean my own mother lost her mind to the point where she brutally murdered my younger brother and sister by so-called 'sacrificing' them, then killed herself."

I pause, taking in a few deep breaths and letting them out. I was a little shaky, but there was no way in hell I was going to cry in front of this girl.

"This is all your damn fault, you revolting excuse for a child..."

I look down at the ground again. "Those were the last words she told me before she blew out her brains right in front of me."

Once again, the room went silent. I was clenching my fists and biting down hard on my lips until I tasted iron.

"I was tortured and abandoned by my own damn family when I was no more than 8 years old."

"I apologize," The girl comments. "No one deserves to go through that, but that ain't gonna stop me from protecting others."

I stare at her for a moment, her strawberry blonde hair glowing under the moonlight shining through the window.

"You're a damn idiot then."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Balance. That's what I mean. You can't have more good than evil, nor vice versa, they'll just cancel each other."

"Oh..."

"You see what I mean though right? My family used to be the friendliest and most open people in the world. The good part was that thieves never returned, and the bad part was that my family tortured and abandoned me."

"I understand. But like I said, there ain't nothin that's gonna change my mind about this."

"I'm only telling you cause I used to think like that too, you remind me too much of myself. But I guess that ain't gonna change your mind, so just take it as a warning instead," I tell her.

"I will, I promise."

She stands up and begins to walk out, when she stops at the entrance

"You know what? You ain't so bad when you're not trying to kill me."

"Seriously?" I scoff.

"Yeah, you're pretty cool in a way when I think about it. I mean the way you fight and all, you look like you have a lot of determination and courage, something I wish I had."

"That's dumb, but thanks," I respond, giving a smirk.

It was weird, talking to this girl like she was a normal person. It's strange, not so long ago I wanted to get rid of her permanently.

"You know what? I don't think we ever properly introduced ourselves. My name is Sana Vinkosch, pleasure to meet ya!"

She extends her hand towards me and I stare at her for a couple of seconds. Eventually, I roll my eyes and shake her hand.

"Edith Myrx," I reply, smirking.

She gives me a smile and leaves the building, and after a while, I leave as well.

On my walk through the city I see the brunette that was with Sana the day at the bridge. She looked a little worried and concerned, as if she was searching for someone.

"The hell you panicking for?" I ask.

"You don't happen to know where Sana is do you?"

"I think she's heading back to her dorm or whatever, I mean I just chatted with her not so long ago."

"Really?" She asks, her face lighting up. "Oh that's a relief, I thought she would never return."

"Why did she leave you? Ain't you her friend or somethin?"

"She got kicked out of her dream band, Ethereal Chanteuses, it happened because she was late to an important meeting due to her fighting this tristitia, which fled before she could slay it."

"Was that why she wished for a beautiful singing voice?" I ask.

"A little bit, she was born with weak vocal chords so she couldn't enter the way she was before. It was her dream to be in that band, and she lost it."

"I see, that sucks."

I sigh and begin walking again. "It was nice talkin to ya!"

"Bye!" She shouts back.