Hey, sorry for the delay, but like I said, 3 chapters per week, the week isn't over yet hahaha
This week it was my birthday, yes I'm getting old. I had a few days for myself, still thinking about the continuation of the story but without really trying to rush it. I have also been really hooked on the story of Poppy Playtime, as I had already said I like tragedies, but Poppy Playtime is really heavy. Now I am waiting for chapter 6 to see if I get the answers and if some of them match the theories I created in my head hahah.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With that hug something in me changed, I finally understood that I was not alone. That maybe there is a world where I can watch the light without hiding, even if I cannot be a part of it.
We grabbed our things and continued the journey, Léa goes by my side while Gabrielle goes riding on my shoulders.
-"Brother, what exactly are you?" Léa asks with curiosity.
-"Hm, there are several legends about us, they call us vampires or creatures of the night!" says Kael.
-"Now that I think about it, I've never seen you eat with us, what exactly do you eat?" Léa asks.
-"Well... blood, from criminals or bad people in general!" says Kael.
-"Blood? Do you need human blood to survive?" Léa asks, swallowing hard at the thought.
-"Not necessarily human, I feel that animal blood would be enough, but just the thought seems repulsive to my being!" says Kael thoughtfully. "If I don't feed, I also feel that worse things could happen!"
The journey continued until it got dark, so we started looking for shelter when we saw a light in the distance. As we got closer, we saw an old man by a campfire. The old man appears to be around 60 years old, wearing old and worn clothes.
-"Hello, good sir, I apologize for the intrusion, I didn't mean to scare you!" says Kael as he steps out of the shadows toward the campfire.
The old man gets up with difficulty and grabs his cane to point it in Kael's direction, but when he sees Léa and Gabrielle coming out of the shadows, he relaxes and lowers the cane.
-"What are you doing so far from the nearest town with two children at this hour?" asks the old man.
As soon as we introduced ourselves, the old man also introduced himself; his name is Francis. Due to tiredness, Gabrielle quickly fell asleep in Léa's lap. While Léa took care of Gabrielle, Francis and I talked.
-"You still haven't told me what you're doing in the middle of the forest with two children, it's not exactly safe!" says Francis worriedly.
-"We're looking for a new home, but we haven't found a place to stay before nightfall." says Kael. "But may I ask the same of you?"
-"Hmm, isn't life beautiful?" says Francis while looking at the stars in the sky. "A tree loses its leaves whenever autumn arrives, and when spring comes, it rejuvenates with life again. But what happens when we cut it down? We end the cycle of something that still had much to give. My son's time ended before mine, but his fruit still remains, and I must take his place to protect it from the rain."
I look at the stars together with Francis and think about his words.
-"I'm sorry for your loss!" says Kael sympathetically.
-"Haaha, thank you." says Francis while letting out a laugh to break the melancholy. "I'm heading to Rouen, I'll look for my grandson and take care of him with the days I have left!"
-"What's your grandson's name?" asks Léa curiously.
-"Lucas, Lucas Morel, he should be around your age. I received the notice of my son's death two weeks ago. I hope my grandson is safe and well!" says Francis.
-"I'm sure he will be fine!" says Léa with a smile.
As soon as Léa falls asleep, I tell Francis that he can rest because I will stay on guard. As the hours pass, I find myself watching the stars more closely, something that had never caught my attention before. As soon as the sun begins to rise on the horizon, I gently touch Léa and Gabrielle's bodies to wake them up. When I go to wake Francis, I see that he is already looking at me with his eyes open.
-"I'm sorry for having slept so much, because of me you couldn't sleep!" says Francis with a sigh. "Age doesn't forgive, I used to be as brilliant and full of energy as you, well... maybe not as handsome haha."
-"It's all right, a few sleepless nights shouldn't be a problem!" says Kael to calm Francis's mind.
-"Where are you going?" asks Francis.
I tell Francis that we don't have a destination in mind, so we can accompany him until the moment we find our next destination. We continue the journey, but since Francis needs to use a cane, our pace is slower, but it doesn't matter Léa and Gabrielle seem to enjoy Francis's company to the point that they already call him Grandpa Francis.
Francis seems to really enjoy both of their energy and says that if by chance we go to Rouen with him, it would be a pleasure for him to introduce Lucas to them. Honestly, the way Francis looks at Léa with joy and talks a lot about his grandson without hiding his innocent intention makes me laugh a little, especially because Léa seems not to understand that the old man saw her as a perfect granddaughter.
Days went by, and so that Francis wouldn't suspect, I pretended to sleep from time to time. Staying still in the same spot for hours with my eyes closed seemed like it would be tiring, yet I find myself taking advantage of these moments to reflect on all the years I have walked this land, all the people I have met and befriended. They no longer exist, their existences carried away by the winds of time, yet alive in my memory. Yes, life is beautiful, but for those who remain, what is left?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Photo with the characters from this chapter in the comments, thank you.