The Moonlight Swordsman

As Aizel looked at his surroundings, his mind raced with confusion. Alora gripped him firmly, tears spilling down her cheeks. He struggled to make sense of what was going on, his mind still racing from his recent memory of her and another woman.

Aizel lifted his hand and softly stroked Alora's pink hair as she wept in his embrace.

"I... am sorry; I yelled at you for my mistakes.

"It's not your fault, Alora... It's just that I am weak-minded."

Alora quickly wiped her tears away and looked at him before asking, "What happened to you? Why did you faint?"

"Even I don't know; it's just that suddenly everything started to become blurry and dim, and the next second I woke up in this big, luxurious room.

"You were there trying to wake me up; you were even younger than you are now, and even I was a kid.

"Before I could ask you what was happening, the scene suddenly changed, and then we were both standing on this small hill, but with us, there was another woman." Aizel furrowed his brows in deep concentration, his mind struggling to recall every detail of what he had seen.

Meanwhile, Alora leaned in, her eyes fixed on his face, listening intently to every word he spoke.

"This woman, I don't know, but I feel so close to her. She... was so beautiful, and her eyes were just like mine. She was smiling at both of us and then the scene changed and I woke up here."

"Does your core change?" Alora tugged at his sleeves, her eyes wide with urgency as she asked Aizel quickly.

"Yeah, it had already started to glow, and I think it is healed up to Grade II because it slowly started to glow in a crescent shape." He replied.

"Then your memories are starting to come back!" Alora's excitement bubbled over as she hugged him tightly once more.

"Memories… What do you mean?"

"That was your past memories, the ones you had forgotten." Aizel's gaze remained fixed on Alora, his mind still struggling to make sense of the situation.

The memories that had been buried deep within him had started to resurface, something that hadn't happened in many years.

"Then who was that woman I saw, and why do I feel close to her?

"And where was I? Even you were there with me, Alora... Please tell me everything." Aizel held her small hands tightly in his own, his eyes welling up with desperation as he stared into hers.

"Aizel, it's better you recover everything normally on your own; it might affect your core if you are not able to handle everything all at once."

"What do you mean, everything?"

"There is too much you have forgotten, Aizel, and I think you will remember everything eventually as your core starts to heal."

"Then at least tell me who that woman is; why does she feel familiar to me?"

Alora gazed at Aizel, his eyes filled with tears as he searched for answers. She felt conflicted, unsure if it was wise to reveal her secret to him.

She sighed as she spoke, "She is your mother."

The word "mother" hit him like a bolt from the blue. He had never imagined that his parents might still be alive or even wondered about their identity.

"Mother… Then where is she?"

"That's all I can tell you now; I am sorry. But don't worry; she is alive, and...

"And"?

"She is waiting for us, Aizel. You have to focus on healing your core to regain your power.

"When the time comes, I will tell you more about it, but not right now. Please try to understand that there are risks and consequences now."

Aizel nodded silently, not wanting to push the topic any further. He was aware of the dangers that lurked in the world of Xelgar and didn't want to put Alora in any danger.

However, the mention of his mother and Alora's connection only added to the list of mysteries that Aizel had to unravel.

"So who are you really, Alora? Are you my sister?"

Aizel felt Alora's eyes on him staring deeply. Her expression made it clear that he had angered her with his words.

"Nevermind... haha, such a nice evening, should we go out to eat something?" He asked while swiftly changing the topic.

"Hmm... I will be waiting for you in the hall. Go quickly change and come fast."

As Aizel watched her leave, he chuckled softly to himself. After a moment, he changed into his casual clothing and headed downstairs with Alora. He called for a taxi, ready to embark on their next food adventure.

The aroma of freshly made pizza wafted through the air as they went to a neighboring pizzeria, making Alora's stomach rumble with hunger.

They ordered a large pizza and a few other Italian meals, savoring every bite and reveling in the tastes and spices that danced on their lips.

"Why do I feel like I am forgetting something?"

"It's... your date with Sherlyn was yesterday, and you missed it," Alora replied while eating slices one after the other.

"What!"

Aizel's eyes widened as he glanced at his phone. It was Monday, and he had missed two calls from Sherlyn. In a hurry, he retrieved his phone and began to think about whether he should call her or not.

"Just text her that you were sick and you didn't see your phone until today."

"Naa, that's the lamest excuse. Well, I would think about it later."

Leaving the pizzeria behind, Aizel and Alora strolled toward the nearby supermarket. Aizel had a few household items on his shopping list, while Alora was interested in stocking up on some more food supplies.

A commotion at the billing counter caught Aizel and Alora's attention. They turned to see a group of 12–14 men, all wearing leather jackets and sporting strange tattoos on their arms, each brandishing a gun.

"Oi oi oi, Alora quickly disarmed them."

"Why should I?. If you want to be a hero, then do it yourself."