Leo stumbled through the smoke, boots squishing in things he didn't want to name.

  "Please… anybody…"

  The heat slapped his face. His house—what was left of it—leaned like a drunk. Door gone. Roof half-caved.

  He stepped inside. 'After a long time I finally got love of a actual family not this time again please' Leo thought.

  ......................

  Meanwhile inside the house of Leo.

  Selene on the floor. Clothes almost ripped. Eyes staring at nothing.

  Two soldiers. Capital armor, greasy grins.

  Caden slumped against the wall, sword through his gut, breathing wet.

  The fat one turned. "Scram, kid. Grown-up time."

  But at the last moment Leo was arrive he was behind them him and before they could realize anything.

  Old blood of goblins sword was up and with a blink of an eye Leo cut that fat knight head.

  Head hit the floor with a wet.

  thunk!

  The second soldier pissed himself. He was seemed to be old maybe in his mid fourtees. His light blonde hairs were short and they were slick back. "I—I got kids—"

  Leo rushed and flickered. Blade at throat.

  "Who."

  The moment Leo asked, the Knight was so gripped by fear that he couldn't decide whether to speak or remain silent. But it was a different, more haunting realization that truly paralyzed his mind.

  'How? How the hell is this possible? he thought desperately. A kid? Is this boy really just a child? If he is, then how can he be this well-trained? His stance, the fluid way he moved his sword, that voice... it feels like he’s actually our age. And how can a mere boy possess such a menacing aura? No—this thing cannot be human.'

  Leo cheeks were half black maybe due to fire, his hands were full of blood and his shirt and pants they were just red due to killing after that fat officer.

  Which is why that Knight gulp and then expose everything "Nobles...from the city want this land. Your village chief said no. So nobles decided to destroy this village so he used. Kael—he planned it. Kael first comes to meet everyone here and after some analysis he execute his plan to destroy this village. he choose this time because at this point mostly people in this village are resting."

  Leo's ears rang.

  'Kael.'

  'The guy who ruffled his hair. Who told war stories like bedtime tales.'

  And the next moment that knight head also cut his head drop only the blood was coming out like a fountain and all the blood spilled over Leo.

  Caden gurgled. Selene's lips moved.

  "…Leo…"

  He fell to his knees, hands shaking, tearing a cloak to cover her.

  "Mom, I'm here—"

  Her fingers brushed his cheek. Cold.

  "I…proud…"

  Then nothing.

  He sat in the blood and ash, holding her, tears dripping off his chin.

  One tear hit the floor.

  In it, a flash.

  Alley. Rain. Fifteen-year-old him—skinny, hollow-eyed—curled against a dumpster.

  Old man in a brown coat. "Hey, kid. You got a place?"

  "…They threw me out."

  "Come on. I got a spare room and bad tea."

  'That old man asked my name so I told him. That my name is Watanabe Akira'

  The tear dried.

  Leo blinked back to the burning room.

  Same eyes. Same pain.

  He pressed his forehead to Selene's.

  "Not again," he whispered. "Mom—hold on—"

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  Her fingers brushed his cheek, cold as the floor. "…My boy…"

  Tears blurred everything. He rocked her, snot mixing with ash on his face.

  Caden coughed. "It's already ........too late…"

  "No—use me!" "You could take my Aura to enhance your physical power" Leo said.

  But then Selene said "Lay me by him…"

  Leo shifted her gently, their hands linking like always. They both breathing heavily.

  "Nobles took Lia," Caden rasped, his voice a fading shadow.

  "She might be in the castle... Kill that Hero bastard for me, okay Leo?"

  Selene leaned in, her voice trembling and broken. "Witches… I always thought they were evil and that Heroes were good. But maybe the witches aren't the monsters. My judgment was wrong. I called them righteous without ever truly knowing them."

  She coughed, blood staining her lips. "It’s the same for the witches—we only believe they are wicked because that is what society taught us. If I’m right, we need to stop looking at the titles people wear and start looking at the blood on their hands."

  She looked Leo in the eyes, a tragic smile forming. "The world isn't divided into Heroes and Villains, Leo. It is divided into those who tell the story, and those who are forced to suffer through it."

  The fire roared, the wooden beams of the house groaning and crashing down around them. Tears blurred Leo's vision as Selene reached out, patting his head with a weak, shaking hand.

  "My kid... please live a happy life. But make sure... protect your sister."

  Leo nodded, his throat so tight he could barely breathe. "I will. I'll save her... and I'll avenge you."

  They both smiled through the pain, their breaths shallowing. With their last words, they said, "We love you."

  Their eyes closed as the smoke rose to the ceiling.

  Leo howled—raw, ugly, chest-heaving.

  Then quiet.

  He sat in the mess, staring at nothing.

  'Weak. They're gone because I'm weak.'

  Black threads from his fingers—Void Reclaim. No chant, just want.

  Healing. Ice. Fire. Strength.

  Felt like echoes in his veins.

  Mom said dead bodies leak mana. So it's easy pickings.

  He stood, palms out. Ice bloomed—crackly, uneven—freezing them in a lumpy block.

  Looked like a bad snow globe.

  "You deserve better."

  Snapped his fingers. Shards everywhere, glittering then gone.

  Wiped his nose on his sleeve.

  Eyes hard now. All this reincarnated kid want was revenge.

  Walked out, fire popping behind him like forgotten popcorn.

  Wind hit his face—ashy, carrying screams from somewhere.

  Lyra's house. Door hanging off one hinge.

  He froze.

  Leo stared at Lyra's house—roof caved, flames chewing the walls like a hungry dog.

  Not her too.

  A thump. Wood creaked.

  He bolted, boots skidding in ash. A tiny hand poked from the rubble.

  "Lyra?!"

  He dug—hands bleeding, tossing beams like sticks. Pulled her out. Soot-streaked, shaking, but breathing.

  She crashed into him, fists bunching his shirt. "They killed Dad… took Mom…"

  Leo's chest caved. No more tears—just a cold, hard knot.

  He cupped her face. "Wanna take their ...................Revenge?"

  She looked up. His eyes glowed, scary calm.

  She swallowed. Nodded.

  "But........but we're weak," she whispered.

  He offered his hand. "I Got a plan. Starts with a witch."

  She took it.

  Moonlight barely reached the jungle floor. Lyra clung to his arm, shivering.

  "You sure she's good?"

  "Yeah I am and I'll make her help."

  Lyra leaned into him. "Then I'm with you. Always."

  River ahead. Leo drank, nodded. "It's safe you can drink."

  'That's good Sele..... No mom teach me about how to tell difference between clean and poisonous water.' Leo thought.

  Snap.

  Growls. Red eyes blinking on like evil.

  Leo stepped in front. "Wolves. Dozens."

  Lyra's nails dug in in his right hand. "Leo—"

  "Don't scare just be on guard."

  He raised a hand. Air went arctic. Ice spears punched up from the dirt—jagged, hungry.

  Snap.

  Spears launched. Shrinks, thuds, silence.

  Blood dripped from the bushes.

  Lyra stared. "You… just…"

  "Keep moving."

  They walked on—mist of wolf blood trailing, witch's lair waiting.

  They walked until days smeared together. Jungle swallowed the sky. Leo yanked fruit from vines, checked water with a sniff, patched Lyra's scrapes with glowing hands. Nights, they curled under leaf piles like feral cats, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her like a seatbelt.

  He lost track of time. Weeks? A month?

  One night by a sputtering fire, he watched her sleep—cheek smudged with dirt, breathing slow.

  'She's a kid. And I dragged her into this.' Leo thought.

  "Lyra, you should—"

  Air shifted. Heavy. Watching.

  Leo shot up.

  Black veil. Black dress. Black eyes and black long hairs some of her hair strands falling over her eyes and some were on her shoulder. Her hairs were so smooth as if she really spends most of her time brushing her hairs. The Witch was ten feet away, silent as smoke.

  Lyra jolted awake. "Leo—?"

  He shoved her behind him. "Got eyes on her."

  The Witch didn't blink. Just… studied.

  Leo swallowed. "Hey, uh—Witch? We need—"

  Poof.

  She was nose-to-nose.

  He yelped, stumbled through her—hit dirt. "What the—"

  She crouched by Lyra, pinching cheeks.

  "Sooo cute~!"

  "STOP THAT!" Lyra flailed.

  Leo scrambled up. "Lady, focus!"

  Witch spun, grinning. "Oh right. You want help. Right? Sure!"

  "…That's it?"

  "I read your brain, kid. Past life, dead parents, hero betrayal—rough stuff." She twirled. "Friends?"

  Leo blinked. "Of course?"

  "You guys Been lonely. You two are hired."

  Lyra giggled despite everything.

  'How does she know about me everything ?' Leo thought.

  Leo pinched his nose. "Fine. Friends."

  Witch clapped. "Training starts at dawn. Bring ibuprofen~!"

  She skipped off humming.

  Leo and Lyra swapped looks.

  "Hell," he muttered.

  "Yep," she agreed.

  'Right now she's the only one who can help us.' Leo thought.

  They chased the crazy lady into the dark.