Vain - Chapter 23 Regrets

Aileene curls up into a ball, her chin resting on her legs, as her arms wrapped around her knees. She glanced to the green covered book on the ground beside her and a small sigh escaped her lips. It had been a day since the first night when she had finished the book and during that time she had managed to reread the book. Though, fortunately, or unfortunately, the book was only about 100 pages long. It was easy to reread quite a few times, but that low number didn’t give her more details or clue to decipher the book.

She had even tried to find more items relating to the books in the attic’s dresser, but came up with nothing but dust. So aside from the old furniture, the book was the only item worth mentioning in the attic.

Closing her eyes, Aileene tried to rest her mind, as the cool evening breeze brush past her face. She was sitting against the stone ledge of a balcony, facing east towards the glimmer of a setting sun. A solemn gaze lingers in her eyes as she reached out to pick up the book again. Her mood wasn’t the fault of not being able to decipher the book, per se. It was rather the opposite.

Crossing her legs together, as she placed the book onto her lap. Aileene flipped the book to the back cover, where a small pocket could be seen at the bottom corner of the book. Pulling the small folded paper from the pocket, she opened the note up.

‘I don’t regret.’

Aileene smiled bitterly, was there really no regret? Was she truly happy with her decision? She was a fool. Such a fool.

But the fool was the mistake she had to fix. It all connected, like a finished puzzle and the very last piece was the note in her hand.

The Aileene within the book was none other than the Aileene that originally destroyed the ecosystem of Vain. An outbreak of defected games caused by the reversal of the heroine’s and villainess’s roles within the game. No one knew the cause, but the world system couldn’t stomach any mistake. So before too long, the game was completely rebooted, now with a new Aileene installed as the antibody to whatever infection the virus Aileene was.

Originally the system had not disclosed to her how the original Aileene had came to be or how she was completely rebooted. But now an encompassing sense of guilt seems to engulf her, no matter how uninvolved she was with the whole ordeal. The last words the original Aileene was able to leave echo in her mind.

‘You may not regret, but I’m regretful.’

❅

Aileene walked the streets of the small town quietly, as she watched more and more people start their early morning day. Night had already passed peacefully, but she couldn’t rest her mind. So she had excused herself to her parents to venture the streets of their fief. Of course, she had guards along with her, since her parents could never endanger her, no matter how safe they knew their fief was. They took no chances, so a single guard followed her every step, while many more remained hidden.

Aileene walked and walked, moving away from the town square, reaching the poorer stretch of the town. Which remained quiet, as many had already started their day away from home to work. Though a single loud crash, and it broke the silence and stillness of the air, as she fell backward onto the ground.

A heavyweight sat on her body, as she grimaced in pain. Aileene opened her eyes slowly to see a young child on top of her. The child had run and crashed into her, causing the both of them to tumble backward.

“Miss!” Her guard rush to her side, shock and surprise clear on his face, though it soon turns to concern when he reached her side. “Are you alright?”

The child who was momentarily shocked before finally regained his senses and climbed off of Aileene with a guilty and scared expression on his face. She held onto her guard to get up from the ground again and she turns to the child with a curious expression. Though the child continues to shake, afraid of her next actions.

Aileene sighed, it was only a poor child, why would she try to find faults in him. He looked so pitiful in his olden scraps of clothes, barely able to cover him, nevermind keeping him warm in the winter weather.

“I’m alright, are you okay?” Aileene replied to her guard, letting go of his hand and moving towards the child to try to comfort him. He only looked about a few years younger than her, but she could tell that the malnourishment was digging away his youth and energy. The child shocked by her sudden approach back away and look as if he was about to run any second.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” Aileene smiled reassuringly, taking small steps towards the child. The child continues to shake but seemed to have calmed down enough to not run away from her. Reaching his side, she takes his small, cold hands in hers. “I’m sorry if I scared you, but if you need help. I’m happy to.”

❅

21.) Now that there is a sliver of hope that an Aileene could reach a happy ending, do you think our Aileene would try to find her own happiness or perform as the system wishes?

Answer: Well, I can’t really spoil it yet. But you’ll see, you’ll see.

22.) Who do you think the young child Aileene met was?