Republic of Heroes
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 END ExtraChapter 29
After prolonging of eating in the kitchen before departing to head into bed as his servants and himself went into their respective rooms, Carter had other plans for spending this night as he quietly left the room when the mansion became deadly silent.
Leaving his mansion and heading into a mystical forest not far from the neighborhood, the otherworldly place he landed himself in is like a surreal fantasy world. Filled with nothing but the calm, breezy wind and colorful atmosphere, illuminating the starry skies above his head.
In that peaceful scenery, he enjoys this wonderful night all by himself, no one to disturb his peace, nor would it matter if someone was here, alone under these luminous trees. He continued to walk with no real destination in mind, hoping to see anything interesting or peculiar while watching the moon up above.
If anyone saw him, they'd probably think he was mad for taking a midnight stroll through the woods, or perhaps a wild animal saw him as potential prey. But it doesn't matter either way; he doesn't care what others think of him, nor does he fear what dangers may lurk in the shadows.
Yet he can't help but also smell something strange within this atmosphere—something foreign and potent, but not a dangerous aroma. It is quite alluring and delightful; to him, the scent of unknown origin reminded him of something, something nostalgic that made him smile but that he can't put a finger on no matter what he does.
Shaking his head with a sigh, he stopped his tracks before closing his eyes for a moment, facing down with hands inside his pockets while the wind kept blowing into his black hair and grey trench coat. Feeling relaxed at this place, he ponders, "hm..." as he opened his eyes to reveal those same piercing brown eyes underneath. "How many times have I kept doing this? Hundreds? No, infinity?" The last part he said aloud to no one, speaking his thoughts as he shrugged.
Always enthralled by his own thoughts and the surroundings he puts himself in, no matter what state he was in in his previous life or now in his current one, he never changes, always enjoying every second he can savor, saying, "Well, no matter. Time to continue this night walk of mine," he said, his decision continuing his stride as he wandered deeper into the forest.
Looking straight ahead, he wonders if all the praise and love from others is worth it because, at the end of the day, he is only doing this for himself, all because he is secretly a selfish person who cares about nothing other than himself and what he desires. A person who would let all innocent people die for the greater good just to preserve his own life and those he cherishes.
Whether his actions are deemed immoral or not, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Because to him, this life, all the suffering he experienced, all the trauma he had, all the friends he lost, and the mistakes he committed in his previous life, are nothing compared to the bliss he is experiencing right now.
His past experiences and failures shaped him into what he is today, and yet, is it really his fault that he acts the way he does, or maybe that's just the nature of things? Humans are not born evil nor are they born saints; there is a fine line between good and evil, morality and immorality, and it's only human to desire pleasure and avoid pain while at the same time trying to fulfill both ends.
Something tells him that he shouldn't care about what other people might think or say about his actions as long as he gets what he wants. He believes it's not his business to judge himself on what's right or wrong because he lives in a world where everyone is flawed in their own little ways and it's just a matter of how they present themselves to others.
Is this all arrogance and self-absorption? Probably so, but what kind of person would be perfect? This world has many imperfections, and humans are no different. They are all subject to the same flaws and weaknesses; no one is free from all the hardships or struggles they may experience in their lives. Carter doesn't know anymore; he keeps telling himself that this is his new start to becoming a better person than he once was.
"Tsk," clicking his tongue in annoyance, a cigar will probably do good in this situation. He reached into his pocket and brought out his pack of cigarettes. He took one out and put it between his lips, then lit it up with a lighter, inhaling the smoke into his lungs before breathing it out in a cloud of vapor.
Carter felt relieved after smoking it while he stopped walking once more, glad that he still had some sanity and reason left in him to prevent himself from going down a spiral of self-hatred and guilt from his past life as Adam while trying to live his best in this one.
"That hits the spot."
Feeling the short burst of dopamine, Carter continued to indulge in that calming sensation and euphoria he sought from his favorite hobby of smoking—the nicotine that gives him some reprieve from all the stress and worries he's constantly putting on himself. As someone who's dealing with so much shit in life, it's nice to find something this simple and enjoyable to please himself with without having to worry about anything else other than what's directly in front of him.
Continuing to wander through the woods, too engrossed in his cigar and thoughts altogether, he landed himself in a curiously large lake with mountains from afar and the descending moon falling down from the horizon while the rising orange sun was seen over the other side.
Approaching the lake shore, Carter moves to a primitive, short wooden bridge near the shore meant for fishing, boating, or relaxing. Standing at the edge of the small dock, he looks to his right, then to his left, to see the vast expanse of water in front of him as it glistens under the light of the fading stars. Gazing at it in awe, he felt a sense of peace and tranquility at the sight.
Not thinking twice, he sat at the very front edge of this bridge; his shoes and lower pants were then submerged by the water as he smoked another cigarette with closed eyes. Simply listening to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and enjoying the feeling of being at ease at this moment, he feels like he can stay here forever.
The arrival of chirping birds, singing in unison together while the sun continues to rise, giving way to the daylight as he opened his eyes again to look at the landscape in front of him, there are no words for it other than the fact that it was breathtaking. The serenity and beauty of the lake are like a painting come to life.
While the wind calmly blew over his shoulder and face, it felt so natural and refreshing as well, bringing him a sense of comfort unlike any other. He wished this could last longer before he would eventually go back to living his life as a billionaire philanthropist and commissioner, whose main goal is to improve society for the better.
"Whenever I see the rising sun on this earth I walk on, I can't help but feel a sense of wonder. Seeing its brilliance every morning always gives me a push to move forward," Carter spoke to no one in particular, still admiring the view of the sky above, before turning to the lake: "Beyond the sea, the endless horizon stretches out before us; an eternal reminder of what's possible in the world around us."
Closing his eyes, a stream of tears gently flowed down his cheek as he sighed, "Maybe God created life so we can experience something meaningful? Before we were born, before the universe was a thing, there was nothing, no concepts, no reason to be in existence in the first place, until something came and gave shape and purpose to our reality," he muttered quietly, sniffling slightly as he wiped away some of those tears.
Suddenly, a mysterious white dove flowed down from the sky, landing itself onto his right shoulder, surprising Carter before a smile grew on his face as he turned to the bird. "Hey there little guy," he said in a low, soft voice while raising his left hand to gently stroke its feathers.
The white dove cooed in delight, tilting its head and looking at the human, showing affection and curiosity with its big beady eyes. It was a rather friendly animal despite its species being one of the most cautious among all creatures. It seems like Carter somehow managed to win the trust of this animal for absolutely nothing.
Which is nothing new since animals trust him for some reason; perhaps it's because of his nature or the smell he gives off? His sweet and calming aroma that draws them closer and makes them comfortable around him? Or is it something entirely different? Carter doesn't know the answer, and he doesn't care about it; he's happy to make a new friend, for the time being.
However, something else unexpected happened as the cute little bird turned its attention to the cigar in the human's mouth before grabbing it with his own beak as he flew away from Carter, leaving him all by himself with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Did I seriously just lose my cigar because of a damn bird?" He mumbled in disbelief while shaking his head slowly in disappointment, "I can't believe that just happened right now," chuckling happily at this.
Well, good thing it did anyways. On one hand, he's worried the poor creature will eat it, and on the other, it's good that mother nature itself is telling him to take care of his own health as he watches the white dove disappear through the horizon.
"That sure was one weird animal. It's like it knew that what I was doing wasn't good for my body and that it would be better if it removed my cigar from me, he jokingly said to himself while rubbing the back of his neck.
Just by looking at the fleeting dove, he is reminded of the good moments he had in both his previous life as Adam and the present; those happy memories bring a smile to his face and lighten his spirits. Despite the tremendous amount of horrors he deals with on a daily basis, seeing the positive things that happen to him makes everything worthwhile, in his opinion.
Being adopted by good parents, having relationships with other people, seeing some small acts of kindness, and the like—he doesn't regret any of them, because as far as he's concerned, they're all worth it in the end if he can experience a fraction of what it's like to be a human being who is able to feel complex emotions.
The happy laughs he shared with others, the holidays he spent, and the sights he saw even after experiencing terrible tragedy—these little moments that define who he is as a person are what truly matter to him. If he loses those moments, he would lose a part of himself too, so it's best to hold onto those memories tight.
Whether it's small or big; good or bad; Carter views anything worth remembering as valuable as gold, not to mention there are things in life worth fighting for and protecting like friends or family, as well as one's freedom and independence as a human. There are many things that could go right or wrong in life, so the important thing is to try to make the best of it.
Because at the end of the day, all they can do is hold on to hope and persevere, no matter how difficult the situation is. After all, they are all creatures of free will, so if they put their minds to it, they can accomplish anything. With all that said, Carter couldn't help but smile softly at himself before positioning himself to stand up.
Inhaling the fresh air around him as he stretched his arms wide open while gazing at the sky, he looked to the horizon again, trying to imagine what could be on the other side of this endless ocean. Imagining all sorts of things in his mind, like adventures across land or battles against dragons while exploring magical realms, fantasies become reality.
"It doesn't matter," looking down at the glistening lake, placing his arms down while seeing the reflection of himself, "here or anywhere else in the world, I will continue to stand tall and fight to honor the legacy of my parents," he declared his goal, believing it was his duty and destiny to guide the people for a better future.
Turning around with a sigh, the same bird returned, landing itself on his left shoulder instead. "You again?" Carter said in surprise as the bird cooed in response, "I see. I guess you were intending to just remove my cigar?" The dove tilted its head in confusion while blinking rapidly as it stared at the human.
Chuckling, Carter then said with smile, "you know, just seeing you animals makes me wonder about the universe. What exactly is out there in space waiting to be explored? Could there be some form of life on other planets? Is there other life forms besides humans? I bet it is amazing to discover them. Don't you agree with me?" The dove seemed to nod at this as if saying yes.
Laughter emitted out of him, "anyways, I think I learn lesson today," the young man jokingly commented as the dove cooed back at him, "that life has some meaning even if everything doesn't last forever. That as long as we live, what all we can do is to simply move forward and enjoy what we have in this world."
"At least, that's how I see it, and it's what makes me human. Now, then, I should start heading back to my mansion. My servants will probably be worried about me, especially Yumi. She is my obsessed childhood friend, of course," Carter explained to the bird with a gentle smile and loving tone when mentioning her name.
"I sometimes wonder why the cycle of life and death will always exist even in the afterlife, despite knowing fully well that one day, the universe will cease to exist and become dust after they perish," he questioned with deep thought as he raised his head upwards to see the sun shine brighter, "then new universe will be born and repeat the process all over again."
Shaking his head, "Whatever, what can I do anyway?" He says while shrugging, "I'm only human after all."
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