Nevalis sat in the same spot. The atmosphere was quiet, but the old man's words hung heavy in the air.
Elias looked at him and began speaking in a weak voice, barely audible through his pain.
"Please forgive Ivan... He has suffered more than anyone at the hands of the nobles."
Nevalis asked, with a trace of concern,
"What happened?"
The old man paused for a moment, as if the words were too heavy to speak.
Then he began, his tone somber and sorrowful—like someone reliving painful memories.
"Ivan... Ivan was from the working class—or as you call it, the commoners."
Nevalis didn't comment on the fact that Elias had grouped him with the nobles. Deep down, he knew he was part of the system. So he stayed silent.
Elias, fully aware that Nevalis was a noble, continued anyway—despite the pain clutching his heart.
His face changed slightly, as if the memories were dissolving his very bones.
"Ivan had an older sister. Her name was Lyra. She was a cheerful girl, despite the harsh life in our district. Always smiling. She loved Ivan and protected him. But one day... the great tragedy struck."
Elias's face darkened. He let out a deep sigh. Some of the children seemed to know the story, while others looked shocked—perhaps hearing it for the first time.
The old man continued, his voice heavy and strained.
"One day, Ivan was wandering near the city outskirts, looking for any kind of work. That day, whether by fortune or misfortune, Baron Redmore's son happened to pass through that area. Ivan tried to move out of the way quickly, hoping to avoid the carriage. But the baron's son saw him... and saw him as something filthy, something unworthy of sight. He ordered his guards to restrain him and beat him nearly to death."
The old man paused. Pain etched deeply into his face. Then, swallowing his sorrow, he went on:
"But... unfortunately, Lyra had gone out to search for Ivan. When she saw what was happening, she rushed in to defend her brother. When the baron's son laid eyes on her, he decided to take her as a servant. But Ivan, even in his broken state, knew exactly what that bastard intended. He tried to pull her back, resisting with all he had. That enraged the baron's son... but instead of punishing him, he smiled—as if he'd found a new toy."
Elias closed his eyes for a moment, dragged by the memories into a dark place. He sighed deeply, then spoke again, his voice trembling.
"That filthy bastard ordered something... something vile. He told his soldiers to pin Ivan to the ground. They held his head and forced his eyes open. Ivan's eyes were filled with tears... but they did it anyway."
The old man raised his head and looked Nevalis in the eyes. His voice trembled with grief.
"What do you think, boy? What do you think that bastard did?"
Suddenly, Elias's voice rose in anger and pain, erupting like a storm.
"He raped her! That wretched monster raped Lyra right in front of Ivan! He laughed while both siblings screamed in agony!"
The old man broke into sobs. He cried out with rage.
"You think that was the end of it?! No! He ordered his men to rape her too! They raped her until she died—right in front of her brother who couldn't do anything to stop it!"
His voice shook. His eyes flooded with tears as he tried to continue.
"Can you even begin to imagine the pain Ivan felt in that moment? Can you understand the torment he lived through?"
The children in the room were frozen in shock. Some were crying uncontrollably. Others simply couldn't process what they were hearing. Their big brother Ivan—always smiling, always caring—had endured something so horrifying.
Sorrow and heartbreak squeezed their hearts as they listened to the dreadful tale.
Nevalis sat frozen in place, completely stunned. The words weighed on his chest like stones. He couldn't find a single word in response. It was as if the ground had shifted beneath him. His mind couldn't grasp the horror of it all.
It felt as though a part of his soul had been torn away.
Elias spoke again, his voice drenched in sadness. He took a deep breath before saying:
"Every child in this room... has tasted the tyranny of the nobles. Each of them has suffered something terrible—because of this corrupt system."
At that moment, Nevalis felt something new—something strange. For the first time in his life, he felt disgusted. Not at the world... but at himself.
He felt dirty.
He carried the same title as that monster. The same title as those who brought ruin and shame to innocent lives.
The word "noble" no longer meant honor—it was now a badge of disgrace.
It felt like the ground beneath him had been poisoned.
"I know you see us as failures who surrendered to our fate," Elias said. "But the truth is far more complicated. We didn't choose this. It was forced upon us."
Nevalis pondered the old man's words, trying to grasp their deeper meaning.
"How can failure be forced on someone? Doesn't everyone have the ability to change their fate with hard work and persistence?"
Elias gave a sad smile and replied:
"In a perfect world—yes. But when you live in a corrupt system where the weak are exploited and their rights stolen, effort alone is never enough. We've suffered under nobles who see us as tools—nothing more. No rights. No dignity."
"The nobles use the army to crush any uprising or demand for justice. We live in constant fear of violence and punishment. Corruption is everywhere. Betrayals and alliances between nobles make things even worse."
"We, the commoners, suffer from poverty and ignorance. All we have is patience... and waiting."
"I've seen it with my own eyes—people treated like disposable objects. Families torn apart. Children denied education. Women exploited without mercy. And all of it happens under the eyes—and sometimes the blessings—of the nobles."
"The class system shows no mercy. The poor grow poorer. The rich grow richer. There are no real chances for education or decent work. Even the children are forced into labor."
Nevalis sat in silence, trying to absorb everything Elias had said.
Thoughts crashed in his head like stormy waves. The image of the kingdom he once admired began to crumble.
In its place, a harsh truth emerged—one he could never have imagined.
The weight of the old man's words crushed his chest. He could hardly breathe. It felt like his spirit was sinking.
He whispered to himself, barely audible:
"This... is chaos."
He looked at his hands—once symbols of nobility and power. Now, all he saw were tools of oppression.
Shame crept into his heart like venom through his veins.
The noble title he once wore with pride now felt like a stain—one he longed to tear away like a filthy, blood-soaked cloth.
Nevalis realized that the nobles of the kingdom hadn't just tarnished the meaning of nobility…
They had utterly corrupted it.
They had turned it into a weapon of tyranny—something that no longer held a shred of honor.