Heo's gaze shifted from her tear-streaked face to his own hands, clenched in uncertainty. How could he explain that his actions were driven by a complex blend of motives.
"What should I do? How can I explain my motives for helping her?" Heo muttered to himself, his eyes reflecting his uncertainty and the lack of hope he felt in being able to help the young girl.
Heo stood there, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He knew he had a choice to make - to continue on his path of vengeance or to extend a genuine helping hand to Young girl. The weight of his decision hung heavy in the air, his heart torn between his own goals and the desire to make a difference in her life.
"Mister, what happened to you?" the young girl asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Ah, nothing. How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Heo Dae. What's your name? " Heo stammered, his expression slightly flustered.
"My name is Elara," she replied, her gaze meeting his. Her eyes held a mixture of hope and suspicion, as he was the first person to extend a helping hand to her in this cruel world.
"Elara, I must be honest with you. My intentions weren't entirely selfless. I approached you with a personal motive, " Heo confessed, a mixture of guilt and truth in his voice. He knew that his pursuit of vengeance didn't quite match the image he projected as the Lord of Justice doesn't exactly align with my motives.
"But tell me why are you crying here? Can you tell me?" Heo asked the girl, his voice gentle and his face adorned with a compassionate smile. His eyes held a deep sense of care and concern for her.
Elara's voice trembled as she recounted the painful story of her family's tragic encounter with the Duke's son, Vincent. Her eyes were clouded with a mixture of sorrow, anger, and the weight of the injustice that had befallen them.
"Life was already tough for us, My parents worked tirelessly to make ends meet, but they were content with their bakery and the simple joys it brought to the village. We never asked for much, just the chance to live our lives in peace." Elara continued, her voice quivering with emotion.
"And then Vincent came, with his friends and his arrogance. They treated us like we were nothing, like our struggles meant nothing to them. My mother, brave as ever, stood her ground and tried to reason with them. But Vincent... he couldn't bear the thought of being refused, of someone challenging his authority." She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on a distant point as if reliving the memory.
"He destroyed everything. Our bakery, our dreams, and most importantly, our family. My father, who only wanted to protect what was dear to us, was struck down by his sword. And for what? For standing up against his tyranny. " Elara's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white.
"I lost my father and my mother, and with him, a part of myself. The injustice of it all... it's been haunting me ever since. No one did anything, no one stood up to him. He got away with murder, and I were left to suffer." Tears welled up in Elara's eyes as she recalled the villagers' shock and the helplessness that had enveloped her family that day.
"But I won't let his actions define my life. I won't let his arrogance break me. I want justice, not just for my family, but for all those who have suffered under the weight of power and privilege. I want the world to know that justice isn't reserved for the privileged few - it's for everyone." Elara's voice grew stronger, a fire kindling in her eyes.
"I want to stand up for the weak, to ensure that no one else goes through what my family endured. And even if I'm alone in this fight, I won't back down." Her voice wavered, but her resolve remained unshaken.
"But It is okay, mister. I appreciate your honesty. In a world where everyone seems to have their own hidden motives, you were truthful with me," The young girl said with a warm smile. Her eyes sparkled with a kindness that seemed to touch Heo's soul.
As Heo listened to the words from the young girl, a gentle breeze rustled through his hair. It struck him how profound her words were, coming from someone so young. In that moment, he realized that his own suffering and sense of injustice were just a small part of the world's larger tapestry. The world was full of cruelty and unfairness, where the strong preyed on the weak and the powerless suffered.
Heo's head hung low, tears welling up in his eyes. His heart ached with the weight of the agony he felt, witnessing the cruelty of the world firsthand. Seeing a young girl cast aside to suffer in a forgotten corner struck a chord within him. It reminded him of his own past, his own death, where those in power had callously thrown him into the depths of rot and darkness, leaving him in an endless abyss devoid of hope.
"Even if the world paints me as a demon, even if they brand me as a harbinger of death, I will rise against the darkness that prevails. I will challenge their twisted notion of justice, fighting for the voiceless and the oppressed." Heo stated with determination. His voice carried a weight of conviction, and his eyes blazed with a fiery resolve.
His words struck a chord, and tears welled up in Elara's eyes as she gazed at him. She saw the unwavering determination in his eyes and felt a glimmer of hope. In that moment, she realized that justice was not an empty concept, that there was someone willing to fight for it.
"Mister, thank you. Thank you for helping me and sharing this glimmer of hope. I will help you too, to create a world where justice will not just be an ideal, but a reality," Elara said to Heo, her smile now brighter than before. Her eyes glowed with a newfound determination, a spark of hope that had been ignited by his words. The smile that had once faded now radiated in her heart.
[ALERT]
[Quest Completed]
Find the Girl : Find the young girl who need your help. (1/1)
Offer Assistance: Approach Young Girl and offer her help. (1/1)
Share a Glimpse: Share a glimpse of your true intentions with Young Girl. (1/1)
Moral Reflection: Reflect upon your motives for helping Young Girl. (1/1) ]
[Teleporting Back To Original World]
"No, Where are you going? Do not leave me too. I... I... just found happiness," Elara's voice quivered with a mix of desperation and anguish.
"Wait, wait! Let me stay a bit longer. Elara, wait for me. I promise, I'll find you. Do not forget our vow to make this place better for everyone," Heo's words carried a sense of urgency and determination as he desperately pleaded to stay a little longer and uphold the promise they had just made.
Their interaction was cut short by an alert from the System, the completion of the quest. Heo felt a force pulling him back to his own world. The memories, the emotions, and the promise he had made were all left behind in that world, etched in his mind as he was drawn away from it, back to his own reality.