Faul: The Reincarnation

Chapter 15: War And Love 2

As Faul left the scene with Anna, Amy, and Phil, the entire area fell into complete silence. Everyone was still trying to process what had just happened—how Faul had managed to defeat five people within seconds.

“Did you see how he moved? Or what kind of magic he used?” one trainee asked in disbelief.

“He only used magic when he zapped Leo,” another replied, still stunned. “The rest he beat down with his fists... just his fists.”

“That Faul is a monster,” someone muttered under their breath. “We need to be careful around him.”

The murmurs continued as the unconscious boys were carried off to the camp physician for urgent care. Nobody could quite comprehend how a boy younger than most of them had moved so fast, so precisely, and so powerfully.

Meanwhile, a dark cloud loomed over Faul’s heart.

“Humans are starting to get on my nerves,” Faul said, his voice low and heavy with emotion. “I might end up doing something I don’t want to... I wish my mother was here.”

“Faul…” Anna called softly, walking beside him. Her voice trembled slightly, not just from concern but from something deeper—something that had been growing inside her for a long time.

“You know we’re here for you,” she continued. “Me, Amy, Phil… I know we can’t replace your real family, but we’re the family you have now. Can’t you just look at us the same way you looked at them?”

She stopped walking, forcing Faul to stop too. Her eyes met his.

“Can’t you see who loves you and who doesn’t?” she asked, her voice breaking. “You’ve been building a wall around yourself… shutting everyone out.”

There was a pause—just long enough for her emotions to rise like a flood behind her words.

“I’ve been in love with you, Faul.”

Her confession struck like thunder. Amy gasped silently. Phil blinked twice, frozen.

“I know it’s not right to say this now,” Anna continued, tears threatening to spill, “but I can’t help it. Every girl wants you. But I’ve been the closest to you, and still… you never looked at me. Every day, I hoped you’d look at me—not just glance at me—but really look at me. Just once.”

Faul said nothing. His heart pounded, not from fear, but from the weight of a truth he didn’t know how to carry.

“Your mother’s not here,” Anna said, her voice rising just a bit, trembling. “But we are. Aren’t we enough to make you feel like you belong? We’ve kept your secret. We’ve stood by you. But we’re never good enough to be called your family, are we?”

And with that, she turned and walked away, her footsteps firm, her back straight—but her heart heavy.

“She just confessed to him,” Amy whispered in disbelief.

Phil nodded slowly. “She really did.”

Faul stood there, still frozen, his eyes staring at the spot where Anna had stood.

“She just confessed to me,” he muttered under his breath, unable to move. His hands curled into fists. “It’s not like I don’t see you, Anna. It’s not like I don’t see any of you…”

He looked down, voice almost inaudible. “But everyone who gets close to me ends up getting hurt.”

The words carried the pain of a thousand memories. His past, his mother, Azra—all burned into the same wound.

“I’m afraid,” he admitted quietly, to no one in particular. “I’m afraid of losing someone else.”

Without a word, he turned and walked off in another direction, away from everyone.

Phil watched him go, uncertain.

“I guess I’ll follow him,” Phil said eventually. “You go check on Anna.”

Amy nodded and took off in the opposite direction, her eyes scanning for her friend.

Days passed since Anna had poured her heart out. She had been avoiding Faul since then, unable to face him. Each time she caught a glimpse of him from a distance, her heart would race and her cheeks would flush red with emotion she could no longer hide.

She knew they were both still young, still growing, still figuring things out—but her feelings were real.

Faul, on the other hand, hadn’t been avoiding her. He simply didn’t know how to process everything. Emotions weren’t something he was raised to understand. In Azra, he had been a warrior, not a boy. And here, in this world, he felt torn between two selves—one that wanted to protect and the other that couldn’t afford to love.

Then one afternoon, as Anna stood alone under the tall shadow of a tree near the training field, she heard a voice behind her.

“Anna… can I talk to you?”

She turned quickly, startled.

“Uh… Faul,” she said, scratching the back of her head nervously.

“I’m sorry,” he began, walking closer. “I haven’t been the person you wanted me to be.”

Anna’s heart sank a little, but she held herself steady.

“I can’t afford to lose someone else,” Faul continued. “Everyone close to me ends up getting hurt. I couldn’t save my mother. I’m not strong enough yet. And I don’t want to lose you too.”

Anna’s eyes softened.

“It’s not that I don’t love you,” Faul said. “But the love I feel for you… it’s like that of a sister I want to protect with my life.”

His voice held no emotion. Not cold, not warm. Just truth.

“I want—”

“It’s okay, Faul,” Anna interrupted him, her voice quiet but calm. “I’m glad you see me as someone worth protecting. That’s enough for me.”

She smiled gently, despite the slight ache in her chest.

“Let’s go get the herbs,” she said, turning to walk toward the mountains.

Faul nodded silently, walking beside her. They met up with Amy and Phil at the base of the trail, where the four of them set off together to gather cooking herbs from the mountainside.

No more words were spoken about what had happened. But something unspoken passed between Faul and Anna—something deep and unshakable.

Not quite love. Not quite friendship. Something in between. Something they still had time to understand.