**KNOCK, KNOCK**
Bell slowly opened the door.
The room was much darker than his room, he saw his mother sitting on the bed as she fed an elderly man, even more older than the old man he worked for.
The room was dimly lit by a candle that showed the left side of the elderly man's face. He had no hair on his head, his face was old and wrinkledly accompanied by a sadden expression. The elderly man was his grandfather.
Bell's grandfather has been bedridden for more than ten years now , if he could clearly remember, a tree fell on his legs just few days after he received the news of his son's death. Since they were poor, they couldn't afford a healer to heal his injuries till it became worst, even after they were able to raise the money, the healer said there was nothing he could do.
They had lived with him ever since, mainly because they couldn't leave him on his own and they had nowhere else to go either.
It's been really hard for them since then, his mother now has to work twice as hard to provide for the family.
"Please, help me feed your grandpa while I bath your sister" his mother said and walked to the door, she turned around and added. "We'll talk after they are all asleep"
.
.
.
Bell and his mother both sat on the wooden stools, facing each other. The fire from the fireplace had been put out, leaving only the candle that didn't do much but was just enough for him to see the face of his heartbroken mother.
She cried as Bell explained his plan on going to the capital and becoming an adventurer. Bell knew she wanted to break down in tears when he first mentioned it but she tried to hold it back, at least, not in front of Ryu.
Seeing her like that made his chest heavy. He could tell that the previous owner of his body also wanted to do the same that was why he tried to make more money, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her.
"Please, please stay" his mother cries as she struggles with her tears. "Please... Stay with me"
Bell didn't know what to say, he turned his face away. He just couldn't bear to see her like that.
"I have to...we need the money"
He managed to say but his mother continued crying, this time, she wasn't holding back her tears.
"I don't want you to end up like him. I... I... I'll work twice as hard to make sure we have enough"
"You don't understand. I don't want you to work anymore, I don't want to see you stressing yourself. I know that was what father would have wanted, that why he did that"
His mother stopped for a while and wiped her tears, even though it was still streaming down her eyes.
"But what about your grandfather?, He is bedridden and needs to be taken good care of. Your sister Ryu is blind and also needs attention, if you leave, I won't be able to look after them on my own"
"Then... I'll take Ryu with me" his mother expression changed to a more desperate look. "I'll take care of Ryu so you can focus on grams"
"But..."
"I'll make sure nothing happens to her" He said, feeling pretty confident. "Who knows?, I might be able to find a cure to her blindness"
That was one thing that could happen.
"But what about the money, we don't even have enough to eat then think about what it will cost to get to the capital. It took your father our lives savings to pay for a carriage and it still wasn't enough to get to the capital"
"Well..." Bell carried the pouch that the old man had given him from under the table and kept it on top. "I received my salary a bit early"
His mother fell down on the table and he quickly ran to help her. She was crying, Bell knew she was trying to stop him by bringing up excuses but she didn't know that Bell has been preparing for this for a long time, thanks to the money he had saved and the pouch the elderly man has given him, he was sure it will be enough.
"But, if you leave... I don't want you to end up like him"
"I won't" Bell replied and hugged his mother then used his shirt to wipe her tears.
"How much is there?"
"I haven't counted it yet" he walked back to his stool and sat down. "You could count it"
His mother looked rather desperate as she quickly counted the gold coins.
"T-Ten thousand hils!. How did you get this much!?"
"I've been saving and the old man gave me a lot" Bell responded. "You can take eight thousand, I'll take the rest"
Mom eyes widened from shock.
"B... But it cost about two thousand hils to get to the capital, and you will need to buy some food and stay at an inn, you won't have enough"
"Don't worry about me, I'll find a way. You and grams will need it more than I" Bell insisted as he pushes the gold coins towards his mother.
His mother sighed.
"If you say so" She stood up and hugged him. "You've grown up"
Bell felt a drop of tear on his back and he knew it wasn't tears of joy. She broke from the hug and kissed him on the cheek before making her way to her shared room.
"I'll be going tomorrow" Bell felt the need to say it again. "The old man had agreed to give me a ride to Aria"
His mother turned back with a smile on her face.
"I'll wake up early to prepare a meal for you and your sister before you leave"
"..." Bell nodded.
He sat down, watching his mother walked slowly back to her room. After she was out of sight, he began to separate the coins, putting his share in the pouch and leaving hers on the table.