Only I Am A Reader-Chapter 556: Villain Origin - Happiness Lost - 2

Change.

An essential part of human life. The degree a person could accept the concept of change depended on their initial situation. One thing was certain, however, stagnating was not the answer. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Welcome home, Cassian."

Regardless, in the case of the lonely boy, Cassian, the change he was experiencing was very welcome.

Although the couple's dwelling wasn't anything fancy, the modest-sized house and the tiny lawn attached to it almost shined golden in Cassian's eyes.

This wasn't just a new home. On this new day, this place symbolized a new home, a new family, and most importantly, a whole new stream of possibilities!

"I will go in first to fix us a quick dinner."

Naila, Fred's wife, rushed inside to make a welcoming meal for Cassian, while the husband, Fred, took the time to show Cassian around his new living space.

On the surface, there wasn't a lot to show, but Cassian was very fascinated deep inside. So far, every experience of his had been very collective.

Whether it was eating, sleeping, or even using the bathroom, everything was done together with many others.

Just being told that he would receive the only other small room in the house was like giving him a whole new world.

And that was just the start of it. The following dinner which presented food with colors he didn't know existed, and the fragrant shower he ended up taking, all the way to being tucked into bed…

It was like a thing of fantasy!

Thankfully, when Cassian opened his eyes the next day, the ceiling was still very unfamiliar. His greatest fear of this being a mere dream was quickly vanquished. He had really opened a new page in life!

To him, the normal events in almost every boy's life were joyful moments. Fred and Naila didn't believe in actual 'adoption', but they had all the intention to provide Cassian with almost everything a family could entail.

The orphanage had no data regarding the name of Cassian's father, and even the boy's previous name was just something that the orphanage randomly assigned.

As such, while Fred suggested a name, he didn't plan to attach his name to it. Now, Cassian was just Cassian, and Cassian was to be the target of their affection.

"Let's go out to play."

Despite having hearts of gold, Fred and Naila couldn't have children. In return, once they visited the orphanage, they wanted to take everyone in, but they knew that it was an impossible dream.

They knew they could only pick one for the time being. So while making sure to help everyone as much as they could, they let their hearts pick one from the cleverest, and Cassian was the one that clicked with them.

"You want to continue, right?"

While the first few days were comprised of fun outings and recreational activities, the couple never planned to spoil Cassian without limits.

In the end, the lessons they started had to continue.

"Of course!"

Cassian wasn't just accepting out of fear of abandonment, learning was another genuine joy of his. Mixing both relaxed and serious fun was the perfect blend of happiness for him!

"Ready?"

Another undeniable fact relating to human perception was that enjoyable moments were always fleeting, just like the opposite was also true.

Cassian's days in the orphanage felt like forever, but in the blink of an eye, he had already spent over a year with his new family.

"Yes!"

That being said, Cassian didn't regret how fast time passed. Regardless of how it felt like a few seconds at the moment, his harsh start made it mandatory for him to make the most of every moment.

The memories and the feelings that he made and felt throughout the year were still very vibrant. Most importantly…

"Are you sure you want to take all of this?"

The same Cassian who accepted his sad reality at the start made sure not to forget the blessings he had. No matter how long his joy lasted, getting used to it was not an option.

He was thankful for each and every moment that passed by!

"Sure!"

In fact, just like the couple's weekly visits to the grayscale orphanage didn't cease after they started fostering Cassian, the once lonely boy made sure to share all the joy he could.

Whether it was his very limited snack allowance or the initial welcoming gifts he received, Cassian would distribute the majority of it to the rest of the kids.

Even as a young child, he understood that he wasn't picked because he was the greatest kid at the orphanage, this was all fate.

Anyone else could have been in his place, and Cassian didn't want his departure to be the only effect that the other kids could see. He wanted them to also feel special, even if just partially.

Of course, some of the older kids took the initiative to call him a hypocrite out of spite, but Cassian's only reaction was to ignore them. In fact, he still gave them a part of the gifts he brought.

As a result, slowly but surely, at least a hint of color was now ever-present in the grayscale orphanage.

"See you soon."

Of course, in a world where Gates and Monsters existed, things weren't that peaceful. Cassian's life was turning for the better but the world was slowly falling apart.

Even then, Fred still spent at least 12 hours at work almost every day in order to provide for his family in these harsh times.

"Be safe!"

Cassian wasn't exactly aware of Fred's job, but he didn't complain about the limited time he spent with him. Instead, he obediently received Naila's lessons and helped her with almost everything.

It was strange for a child who was barely 10 years old to effectively help with tasks like cooking and cleaning, but Cassian was a very efficient assistant.

So much so that Naila sometimes felt like she and Fred were at the receiving end of benefits. Rather than them becoming Cassian's family, he ended up becoming their family.

"Things will definitely get better soon!"

The harmony they had as a married couple was exceptional, but even that would have slowly fallen apart under the stress of an ending world. However, Cassian somehow kept everything from breaking down.

Just by remembering what Cassian would do in a certain situation, both Fred and Naila were able to vanquish a lot of distasteful thoughts. If even a child could be this thoughtful, what would be their excuse?

"Things are already great."

Funnily enough, the only thing that Cassian wasn't aware of was his immense value to the family. In his point of view, Fred and Naila were his eternal benefactors after God.

In any case, just as they managed to isolate the world's influence inside their little house, the world's situation was completely unaffected by the small family as time went by.

"Naila! Cassian! Good news!"

After things were getting progressively worse in the area, a positive change was finally taking place… At least that was what it seemed like in the eyes of the masses.

"Several famous Heroes are said to be moving near here to get rid of the stray monsters. If things do calm down…"

Since the neighboring area was moderately infested with Gates, quite a number of monsters produced from Gate Breaks were wandering nearby.

Although they weren't high-class monsters that would cause major terrain destruction, encountering one was no different from a death sentence.

Unfortunately, even if he was fully aware of that, Fred still had to risk running into one every day on his way to work.

"We can finally send Cassian to school!"

However, with the presence of Heroes, things were bound to change for the better. It was always a big wish of both Fred and Naila to send Cassian to a proper school, and it seemed like it could come true very soon!

With this, not only would Cassian learn the stuff they couldn't teach. He could also receive proper certifications that would make his life easier once he became an adult!

"How does it feel? Excited?"

Thankfully, it didn't take long for Fred's prediction to become a reality. Within less than a year, he was already fixing Cassian's school uniform for his first day of systematic education.

With the higher-ups strongly assuring everyone that the streets were thoroughly cleaned, life was starting to sprout back in such areas that received the assistance of Heroes.

"...Yes."

That being said, as much as Cassian was motivated to experience something new, he had a bad feeling in his heart. However, seeing the happiness in the couple's eyes, he could only suppress the baseless premonition.

"Make sure to keep your guard up. If you feel that anything is out of place, just call, and one of us will immediately come to get you no matter the circumstances."

On the other hand, Naila was pretty conflicted. She wasn't entirely sure of the decision they made on this matter, but she also understood how detrimental confinement could be.

If Cassian ended up spending all of his time indoors out of excessive fear, his life could fall to ruin very quickly. At the very least, he had to interact with more people in his age bracket and build some social experience.

"I understand."

Of course, Fred still made sure to take a break from work that day so he could accompany Cassian on his way to school, just in case something out of the ordinary happened.

Even after he watched Cassian go into the school building and went home, Fred remained in a state of readiness to rush out at any moment.

He initially wanted to remain in the building until the school day came to an end, but it was against the rules. The school guards took turns to equally reassure all the parents.

"He should be coming out soon, I will just wait outside!"

With Naila sitting next to him in the same worried state, Fred stood up, unable to wait any longer. If coffee shops and similar businesses were still open at times like this, he would have waited next to the school all day long!

"Take care!"

Sharing the same sentiment as him, Naila didn't stop Fred from rushing out. However…

Knock. knock.

"Did they forget the time?"

Being fully aware of his family's worries, Cassian expected Fred to pick him up as early as possible, just like he mentioned over ten times. Yet, Cassian had already been standing outside of the school for almost half an hour.

'Let's just go.'

Feeling the futility of waiting forever accompanied by the premonition in his heart, the 12-year-old Cassian decided to go home on his own. After all, he had already memorized the way during their morning trip.

Contrary to the big deal that the couple made of it, the distance was something that could be covered in under 10 minutes of walking.

Seeing the house at the end of the street, Cassian was slightly happy with himself for making it back on his own. However…

"Hmm?"

The closer he got, the worse his heart felt. When he finally reached the door, Cassian could see that it was wide open. Moreover, the place was dead silent.

"Na-"

Although Cassian felt an instinctive urge to call out someone, the grip on his heart forced him to stay silent until he checked things out, and that feeling started to make sense as soon as he sneaked in through the open door.

Immediately, he could spot a few out-of-place items, and that was just the start. Right next to the door, there was a fist-sized hole that went halfway through the wall.

Normally, even for such a thoughtful kid like Cassian, seeing these signs was enough of a reason to yell at a family member for reassurance and maybe an explanation, but Cassian's mouth was completely unresponsive.

His throat was completely blocked as if he had just become a mute!

'What…'

Taking the most careful steps he took in his life, Cassian finally peeked his head into the living room, only to witness the worst memory of his life.

'!!!'

He had already imagined multiple horrible scenarios when he stepped through the entrance, but what he saw was simply beyond his imagination!

"Fff-"

The urge to scream someone's name only got stronger, but Cassian's choked heart had a brutal battle with his basic instincts.

'It had already happened.'

'There is nothing you can or could do.'

'You can only make things worse.'

The voices in Cassian's head were forcing him to remain calm, but the sanguine image in front of him was simply so strong that everything else went blurry.

Still, one clear thought still managed to climb to the surface despite everything else.

'...Why?'

Why was Fred's unwilling face sitting on the dining table without the rest of his body?

'Why?'

Why was Naila's tearful face sitting at the opposite end of the table as if they were joined for lunch?

'Why?'

Why were their body parts neatly arranged around the house as if to capture memories of their daily lives?

'Why?'

Why was there a man standing in the very middle of everything, joyfully licking away the blood on his fingers?

"Ah, you did it again."

That was the beginning of Cassian's nightmare.