Why did you keep coming? He didn’t understand it.

All the villagers hated him because of his title (even though it wasn’t his fault to have it), some insulted him, others avoided him, and those who went to the extreme hit him by throwing stones. In general, they hated him, while his brother was showered with admiration.

But you were the exception.

On a normal day (unfortunately for him), the young villagers started to attack him like always. Stone after stone, and he could only stay quiet and cover himself with the only thing that gave him peace: his book. He had had more, but they had been torn to pieces during the abuse. One of his abusers (whose face was engraved in his mind for life from how many times he had seen it) snatched the book from his hands. He tried to defend himself, but it was useless. Before he could break the book, someone pushed him to the ground. Nightmare’s eyes widened when he saw that scene (feeling a bit happy about it), and he looked to see who had done it…

And he saw you.

That day was when he met you, and for the first time someone didn’t see him as a horrible monster, but simply as Nightmare.

He wasn’t used to someone other than his brother treating him well; in fact, it made him nervous that you kept coming to see him. Nightmare didn’t feel any negative emotion coming from you, but his broken mind worked against him… he thought that at some point you would hurt him, that you were only playing with him to wound him, but that never happened, and reluctantly he began to trust you little by little. He was still quiet and reserved, but at least he didn’t ignore you and would talk to you from time to time.

At the usual time, you came after midday to the Tree of Feelings to meet Nightmare. As usual, he didn’t even take his eyes off his book (which, thanks to you, he still had intact because of your constant defense), already knowing it was you.

When you sat next to him to greet him, he glanced at you for a few seconds, but no more than that before returning his attention to his reading. As always, you started telling him about your day or really meaningless things. Nightmare didn’t pay much attention to what you were saying, but he wasn’t paying attention to his book either, as if he was thinking about something.

—Why do you still come here? —He spoke suddenly, slightly surprising you. His question wasn’t rude, just like it was a genuine doubt for him.