Sam's family sat together.
While young Sam slept peacefully in up stairs.
Unable to be seen or interact with the world, ghost Sam could only watch.
"Father, what are we going to do?" Ina asked. "Even if we somehow manage to pay the 20 silver this time, we won't be able to next time!"
Her father, Sven, let out a weary sigh, rubbing his temples.
He glanced at his wife and daughter, then made a decision.
"Ina, I know you're worried, and you have every right to be," he said.
"We saved a small amount of money in case. We'll use that for now."
Ina opened her mouth to protest, but Sven calmly stopped her
"In the meantime, you need to start learning swordsmanship."
Before she could respond *knock, knock, knock* come from the door.
Ina moved to open it, but Sven was faster.
Stepping in front of her and pulling the door open himself.
Standing outside was Redrick, the royal messenger.
That was in the middle of the town square today.
"Hello, Sven!" Redrick greeted with a smirk.
Sven immediately stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.
If he could kill with a gaze he would.
"What do you want, Redrick?" Sven's voice full of hostility.
Redrick's smirk only widened. "Oh, don't play dumb. You know exactly why I'm here. You have such a lovely family, don't you?"
Sven's jaw clenched, his hand twitching toward his sword. The way Redrick said 'family' made his blood boil.
"Don't you dare threaten my family, or I swear I'll kill you!"
In a flash, Sven grabbed Redrick by the collar, his grip suffocating Redrick.
But before he could do anything, a cold blade pressed against his throat.
"Hello, brother," a man with a punchable face greeted him.
Sven's body stiffened. He turned his head slightly, and there stood Greg a man clad in a decorated military uniform, his sword steady against Sven's neck.
Sven's grip loosened on Redrick, his eyes turning dark.
"I'm not your brother anymore," he spat. "I cut ties with you a long time ago, Greg."
As they spoke, Ina turned to her mother, desperate for something.
"Mom, tell me! Is it true what Dad said? Do we really have enough for the 20 silver coins?"
Her mother's smile wasn't there. "Ina, you know he lied to you,"
"He barely eats as it is just to scrape together the 4 silver for taxes."
She pulled out a map and handed it to Ina.
"At 6 o'clock, the guards will switch shifts. Follow this map. There's an old house between the demon and human borders. Go there."
Ina stared at her in shock. "Mom! How can I leave when it means letting everyone else die?"
Her mother's gaze softened, but her voice remained firm.
"Ina, my daughter… we know that even after slaying the great demon, nothing will change. But there are people who believe it will."
Ina's hands trembled. "You're telling me to leave everything behind! How can I abandon the only thing I have left?"
Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill, but before she could say another word—
Slap!
The sharp sting on her cheek stunned her into silence.
"Ina Sven," her mother's eyes requested forgiveness.
"I disown you and your brother, Sam Sven. You two are no longer welcome in this household. I want you both gone before 6 o'clock."
She quickly runned to her younger brother's room and gently shook him awake.
"Ughhh… it's still night… What do you want, sis?" Little Sam groaned, his voice groggy with sleep.
"Sam, grab a few things that are important to you. We have to leave."
He was too tired to notice the cracks in her voice, the silent tears dripping down her cheeks.
Ghostly Sam, watching helplessly, clenched his fists.
He wanted to kill his younger self for being so oblivious. But he couldn't.
All he could do was reach out and attempt to hug his sister one she could never feel.
After a few more shakes, young Sam finally stirred enough to comply.
Even as he groggily gathered his things, he soon drifted back into sleep.
Ina sat beside him, watching the clock.
Tick tock. Tick tock
Each second that passed, dug into her mind like sharp claws.
Needing air, she pushed the window open slightly. That's when she heard it
"I cut my ties with you, Greg!"
Her father's voice.
Ina froze.
"Oh? Still mad at me for stealing your Mistress?" The smug tone made her stomach churn.
Through the crack in the window, she peeked outside just in time to see her father punch the man in the face with everything he had.
Not wanting to be seen, Ina quickly shut the window.
"Oh, you wanna talk about the past, huh!?" Sven's voice roared.
"LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!" With that punch landing towards Greg's face.
"LIKE HOW YOU USED HER AND LEFT HER TO DIE JUST BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY?!" Another but much stronger.
"OR HOW YOU BEAT HER EVERY DAMN DAY JUST BECAUSE YOU COULD?!"
Each word came with another punch more powerful than the last.
Ina's slowly opened the window just slightly to see what was happening outside.
Greg, blood dripping from his nose, grinned. As he saw Ina who was ease dropping.
"Hahaha… Sven… You do know Ina is my daughter, right?"
Tears streamed down her face as Greg smirked, blood smeared across his teeth.
"How are you gonna call another man's kid your own?" Greg laughed as it was imagining Sven would break. "Pathetic."
Ina's knees buckled. Her mind spiraled.
'my mother's words from earlier… Were they true? Was I really not her daughter?'
The weight of it crushed her. She barely had the strength to close the window.
Barely managed to hug her still-sleeping little brother as silent sobs wracked her body.
Ghost Sam, watching helplessly, clenched his fists.
He couldn't touch her, couldn't reassure her. All he could do was listen to the conversation outside.
Meanwhile, Sven who had momentarily frozen suddenly burst into laughter.
Greg's smirk faltered.