MLII C7, P1- "Miss You"

"Miss You" is the first Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's seventh Chapter. It was released on 05.07.2021.
== Plot ==
It has all come to this. His actions. The actions of his enemies. They have all hurt him in a way that cannot be repaired with ease.
A hard decision has been made. People dear to him have been left behind. A new road has been opened, a road of light that will reveal who he really is, what he is truly destined to do and whom to protect in the process.
Our young hero, Jared Kaos, has left the same premises of his hometown once again and decided to journey into the unknown. A dark place that is known by a simple, yet terrifying name...
The Farlands.
Guided only by his intuition and bravery, the boy has to face numerous challenges that will turn him into who he is supposed to be- the young, fearless hero who is ready to risk his own life to protect everything that is sacred to him: His home, his friends and most importantly, his own family.
Will he become strong enough to face his own demons without any fear? We will know soon.
In order to do that, however, he must come face to face with the fears in his own mind. Starting with his greatest one- the fear of losing someone dear to him.
== Story ==
After walking away from his hometown, Jared looks back. He sees the people there. Walking on the streets. Talking. Laughing.
He realizes that his work here is done... at least for now.
"They are happy now."- He says to himself- "And that is all that really matters to me. Their happiness... and their safety."
He sees as his father takes Allister on a walk, to introduce him the rest of the city. A single tear runs down his cheek as he watches him.
Suddenly, Aleks turns around. His eyes meet those of his son.
Unable to say anything, they stare at each other for a few seconds. Soon, Jared sighs and shakes his head.
"I am sorry, dad."- He says- "I am very sorry about this. Please, please stay safe. I will be back soon."
Having said that, Jared walks away towards the sunrise.
Aleks continues to stare at him as Allister wonders what he is staring at. Even after his son is out of sight, he continues to do so.
"Jared?"- He mutters as he wonders what is going on.
A few hours later, the sun is high up in the sky. Jared is very far away from his hometown- the city of Paris, searching for a new place to call his home. He wanders into the wilderness, wondering if he made the right decision.
"Maybe I am wrong about this."- He says to himself- "What if they still need me? What if there is still something that needs to be done, people that still need to be protected? What if I am denying them the chance to be truly safe by... by abandoning them like this? If so, it means that I am the monster!"
He shakes his head.
"No. This is not right."- He continues- "The people around the world are more organized now. They know how dangerous it is to underestimate our foes... and they are ready to protect each other. If I want them to be strong, to be able to protect themselves without the help of a higher authority, I must let them fend for themselves. There is no other way. They have their own problems and so do I. Period."
He finds a small, peaceful glade in the middle of nowhere and decides that he has to rest before he can go any further.
"Taking a small break would be a good idea."- He says- "It was a long journey, after all."
Having said that, he sits down and places his possessions on the ground next to him. Then, he rummages through his backpack and pulls out a small item.
It is a picture. And, on closer inspection, it depicts Jared and his parents.
Jared looks at the picture. Once he sees his mother, his eyes fill up with tears.
"I did so much to protect her, to make her feel safe. But then, she... she gave her life away. Just to protect me from those fiends, those denizens of darkness."- He says to himself- "What did I do wrong, mom? Was I... was I a bad son, like I always thought? This... this was not supposed to happen. Both of us were supposed to survive!"
He curls into a ball. Tears begin to fall from his eyes.
"Why am I so weak? Why can't I move on?"- He asks himself- "It... it hurts. It hurts to live without you, mom."
He shakes his head.
"Why is life so cruel to us?"
Suddenly, his eyelids start to get heavy. All of those adventures are finally taking a toll on him.
"Mom."- He mutters as he slowly falls asleep- "I... miss... you."
Around an hour later, he wakes up. He hears footsteps coming from nearby.
"Who is there?"- He says as he leaps to his feet and draws his weapon?- "Show yourself!"
Suddenly, a small pack of bandits enter the glade. Their weapons are drawn.
They take a good look at Jared and nod.
"You're the one we've been huntin' for."- One of them says and grins- "Benedict asked for your head. And we're gonna deliver it."
Jared shakes his head.
"It is pointless."- He says emotionlessly- "Benedict is gone. Your petty crimes are bound to come to an end soon. It is all over for you."
The bandits stare at each other, surprised. Then, they look at Jared.
"Was it you?"- One of them says- "Are you the one who killed him?! Spit it out!"
Jared stares at them cunningly.
"What if I am indeed the one that you are looking for? Or, if that is not the case, what if you are attacking the wrong person?"- He says to them- "Either way, killing me will not help you or your gang in any way. Your leader is dead. Your allies are disorganized. All that is left is a sphere of pure chaos, an aura of nothingness that will slowly consume you to the core. Are you too blind to see it? Your vengeful actions will only contribute to your inevitable downfall. Nothing more and nothing less."
The bandits point their weapons at him.
"We'll do much more than that."- One of them says- "Get him, boys!"
Without another word, the bandits rush forward and attack Jared, intending to avenge their fallen leader.
Suddenly, the trees start to move on their own. Vines start to entangle the bandits and thorns start to tear their armor apart, piece by piece.
It is as if the forest itself is trying to protect Jared from the vagabonds. Could it really be so?
Either way, this force of nature gives Jared the chance to back away and open fire on his attackers. He manages to kill three of them with ease and, while the other two try to free themselves, he manages to stab one in the forehead.
Unfortunately, the last bandit proves to be a challenge. He frees himself from the vines and attacks Jared with his dagger.
He tries to stab him from behind, but Jared manages to avoid the blow and takes a step back.
This gives the bandit a chance to push him into a tree. As the boy hits his head and falls to his knees, he stares at the bandit as he points his knife at him and laughs.
"It's impressive that you've managed to live for so long."- He says- "However, your road ends here. You're gonna die. Along with all of your friends. And your family. None shall be spared."
Hearing what will happen to his friends and family angers Jared. Unable to keep his emotions under control, he quickly leaps to his feet, disarms the bandit and points Demonslayer at his chest.
"Die, brigand!"- He yells and stabs the bandit in the chest.
Suddenly, Demonslayer's blade grows searingly hot. The heat starts to melt the bandit's body.
As he stares in horror, his entire body dissolves into a pile of ash in a matter of seconds. When it does, Jared blows most of it away.
He takes the dagger, looks at it and sighs.
"You are wrong. My friends and family are safe from your evil kind."- He says to the remaining pile of ashes next to him- "You are the ones who will see the end. The end of banditry, that is."
He throws the dagger away and retrieves the picture of him and his parents from the ground. He looks at his mother and smiles.
"Mom, I did it again. I have survived another ordeal."- He says- "I hope that you are proud of me. Wherever you are right now."
He looks at the way out of the forest. Right now, it is too tempting for him to escape from this place.
"I see how it is."- He says to himself- "If I keep thinking about this, I will only get hurt. More and more with each passing battle. And, if I fail to overcome this feeling of excruciating pain, it will soon become too unbearable for me."
He sighs.
"There is no other way."- He continues- "I must move on. I must find the peace of body and mind that I have been trying to find for so long. I must escape from the shackles of the past that are trying to hold me back. If I am to become a new person, I have to listen to my mother's advice."
He stands up, picks up his belongings and starts to walk away from the glade.
As he nears the exit, he turns around and looks back. He sees all the bandits that he just killed and sighs.
"Will they ever learn from their mistakes?"- He wonders- "Hmm. Probably not."
He walks back into the forest, making his way through the numerous branches. Soon, a small path opens up and allows Jared to escape.
"Thank you, mighty gods of the forest."- Jared mutters as he steps outside and looks at the sun.
Aware that there might be more enemies that are looking for him, he scans the horizon. However, it is too peaceful. The only sounds that he can hear are the chirping of the birds and the sound of the rustling leaves in the forest behind him.
He feels the pleasant breeze and looks at the sun that shines above him. After a few minutes of relaxation, he looks down and sees a small, peaceful village ahead.
"I think that I am finally ready."- He says- "No matter how hard the challenges that I have to face may be, I will face them with honor and bravery. I will succeed, in the name of everyone who believes in me."
He takes a step towards the village and notices something that he was unable to see from a distance. Some of the houses are burning. People are running around, trying to hide somewhere safe while a pack of bandits tries to chase them down.
It is a scene of total chaos.
"Oh no!"- Jared exclaims as he draws his weapon and runs towards the pack of bandits- "Leave them alone, you vagabonds!"
As he joins the village's guards in fending off the invaders, he wonders what his mom would think if she saw him helping people like this.
"Give me your strength, mom."- Jared says to himself- "Let us win this fight! Together!"