Extra's Sign In System: The Hero's an Idiot!

Chapter 105: The Weight of the Shield (Part 1)

Back to the early evening when Strike Team Zero stepped out of the elite Vanguard Forge.

Draven, Aegon, and Lucien walked ahead. They were busy discussing the upcoming Midterm Exams and the Miasma Tower logistics. But Natalie stopped walking. She stood in the dimly lit hallway and looked back at the giant boy trailing behind them.

Bram was walking quietly. His massive shoulders were slightly hunched. He offered a polite smile to a passing Vanguard guard, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

Natalie was a sensory archer. Her magic allowed her to feel the microscopic shifts in the air, the heartbeat of a monster, and the emotional resonance of the people around her. Right now, the resonance coming from Bram was suffocating.

She walked up and gently grabbed his thick sleeve.

"Bram," Natalie said softly.

He stopped and looked down at her.

"Yes, Natalie? Do you need me to carry something?"

"No," she replied. She looked directly into his golden-hued eyes. They looked completely dead.

"I need you to tell me what happened in that tomb."

Bram blinked. He tried to put on his usual warm mask.

"I just fought a boss and earned the legacy. It was nothing we cannot handle."

"Do not lie to me," Natalie whispered. Her voice was firm but incredibly gentle.

"You do not look the same to me, Bram. Your eyes have changed. They do not feel alive anymore. The boy I baked bread with is not standing in front of me right now. You are definitely hiding a lot more than you can handle right now. I have seen those eyes before. Please. Talk to me."

"And why should I do that? We don’t even know each other that well. Let me go." Bram said it all in annoyance and started to move away, but Natalie grabbed his arm.

"Because we are friends! And friends help each other when they are in pain!" she said, her eyes filled with unknown resolve.

Bram looked away. His thick jaw tightened. He realized he could not hide anything from her sensory magic.

"There is a quiet cafe near the central station," Bram murmured.

"Let us go there."

They found a secluded booth in the corner of the Vanguard cafe. The room was mostly empty. Two steaming cups of black coffee sat on the wooden table between them.

Bram stared down at his reflection in the dark liquid. His massive hands were trembling slightly. He took a slow, painful breath. He finally mustered the courage to speak.

"I did not just fight a monster," Bram began. His voice was hoarse.

"The moment I stepped into the second chamber, I lost my memories. I did not remember anything. As if I have never been there. I forgot the tomb. I forgot the legacy. I woke up chained to a damp stone wall. Three Cultists from the Eternal Eclipse were standing over me."

Natalie’s breath hitched. She reached across the table and placed her small hands over his massive, trembling fingers.

"They wanted the blueprints for the Miasma Tower," Bram continued. He did not look up from his coffee.

"When I refused to speak, they used a barbed whip dripping with corrosive poison. They tore my chest open. They whipped me all over my body. My body wanted to give up. The pain was so immense I wanted to give it all up."

Natalie squeezed his hands tightly.

"I passed out," Bram whispered.

"But they... they used twisted healing magic to force me awake. They mended my skin just to tear it apart again. They did not give me any food. They starved me. They did not even give me water. I almost died of thirst. They brought in white-hot iron blades and burned my ribs. They poured freezing salt water into the open wounds."

A single tear fell from Bram’s eye. It splashed into his coffee cup.

"When the burns did not work, they started breaking my fingers. Every joint in my body was dislocated and healed back together. And when I still refused to speak..." Bram’s voice finally cracked.

"A Cultist took a surgical scalpel. He carved out my eyes. I was entirely blind in the dark. I waited for weeks for you all to come save me. I was so scared. Scared that i will die. Scared that you may have already died. Scared of Death!"

Bram looked up at her. Tears were streaming freely down his thick cheeks. His terrifying Titan presence completely melted away. He was just a terrified boy.

"The moment I finally died in that illusion, all I could see was you all," Bram cried softly.

"My family. The Captain. Draven. And you, Natalie. I know we have only known each other for a few months. But you were right there in my final moments. I am so sorry. It must be weird to see a giant guy like me cry like this."

He tried to pull his hands away to wipe his face. Natalie refused to let go.

She stood up from her side of the booth. She walked around the table and wrapped her arms tightly around his massive shoulders. She pulled his head against her chest.

"Let it out," Natalie sobbed. Her own tears fell into his hair.

"Just let it all out, Bram."

Bram finally broke. The gentle giant wept openly in her arms. He released a month’s worth of agonizing psychological trauma.

"You do not have to be a rigid shield all the time," Natalie whispered fiercely. She stroked his hair to calm him down.

"We are all human. We need each other. And I promise you, I will always be there for you."

Bram took a shuddering breath. He continued to cry his heart out. He did not why, but he felt safe around her.

"Why do you care so much about me?"

"I told you, I am a sensory archer," Natalie smiled softly through her tears.

"I feel things differently. The reason I wanted to go to your bakery that day was because I felt something special about you. Your heart is so pure. Most importantly, you are exactly my type."

Bram froze slightly. A deep blush spread across his tear-stained cheeks.

"Yes, we have not known each other for a long time," Natalie continued, kneeling down so she was at eye level with him.

"But we have all the time in the world now. Besides, it is absolutely fine to cry. You experienced death, Bram. Real death. It is not easy to recover from something like that. I cannot even imagine the pain."

"Thank you," Bram whispered. He wiped his eyes.

"Your words mean everything. But it was just weighing so heavily on my heart. I did not want to show my weak self to the Captain or Draven. They rely on me to be the wall."

Bram looked toward the cafe window. The sun was starting to set over the Bastion. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"And I do not want my parents to worry about this," Bram added. His massive hands clenched into fists. He started to tremble again.

"They will just be needlessly worried. I want their lives to be good. I want to give them all the happiness in the world. I just... I am scared, Natalie. I am so terrified of losing them."

Natalie looked at him with absolute understanding. She grabbed his jacket from the seat.

"Then go," Natalie suggested gently. She handed him the coat.

"You should go and meet with them right now, Bram. Go and see them. You need them."

Bram looked at the coat. He looked at Natalie’s encouraging, beautiful smile.

He did not hesitate. Bram grabbed the coat and sprinted out of the cafe.

He ran through the Vanguard gates. He ignored the stares of the passing students. He tore through the bustling streets of the civilian sector.

His massive legs carried him faster than a hover-car. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs.

The sun dipped below the massive defensive walls of the city. The streetlights flickered on.

He reached the corner of 4th and Elm. The ’Stonehelm Ovens’ wooden sign hung quietly in the evening breeze. The shop was dark. It was past closing time.

Bram grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. The little bell chimed loudly in the quiet shop.

His mother was sweeping the flour off the front counter. She stopped and looked up at the door. Her tired eyes instantly lit up with absolute, unconditional love.

"Oh, Bram!" she smiled warmly, dropping her broom.

"You are back!"