Exhausted and in excruciating pain, Regen finally gave up and chose to sit on one of the park benches. The pain in his body was getting worse but he did not care at all. In his mind right now, there was only one name: Fallen.
 
He was frustrated with his own situation. She felt that she had been played by Fallen too much.
 
"Damn it! I'm really going to finish her, if I ever meet her." Regen was really fed up now. To him, finding Fallen was tantamount to finding a precious treasure.
 
"Regen?" someone called out.
 
Feeling that he had been summoned by someone Regen quickly turned around. He was surprised to find a figure he recognized walking towards him. Although his heart felt annoyed, Regen honestly couldn't put on an annoying facial expression. He couldn't help but restrain himself.
 
"Oh Halb? Long time no see," he said cheerfully trying to cover up his bad mood. Regen didn't want to show the side of him that was struggling right now.
 
Halb frowned, he felt like Regen was hiding something from him. He felt that Regen was trying to cover up something from him. It was uncomfortable to see, Regen acting as if everything was fine. That obviously made Halb a little annoyed with him.
 
"If you have a problem you should stop pretending to be nice. You should realize how horrible you look when you lie," Halb said and sat next to Regen.
 
Regen snorted in annoyance. "Does my handsome face bother you. I think you're just saying that because you're afraid you'll lose to me," Regen retorted, still trying to cover up his fragile side.
 
"Stopping to lie once in a while can also make your heart feel more relieved. Don't you want to try it?" Halb did not want Regen to force himself to look fine in front of him.
 
Regen did not reply. For the first time, someone cared and was sensitive to his fragile side. Although he did not want to admit it honestly, Regen still felt that Halb had succeeded in opening a crack in his heart.
 
"Don't pretend to care about me," Regen muttered in a barely audible voice.
 
Halb turned his head towards Regen, and this time, he did not find any smiles or sweet gestures made by Regen. He felt a little relieved that Regen, finally, did not try to continue covering up for him. Wasn't covering up a flaw in oneself extremely painful? Halb knew very well how that kind of feeling would damage oneself, slowly.
 
"I won't force you to tell me. But I hope you'll answer this one question honestly." Halb looked straight ahead.
 
There was no reply from Regen. The young man was still silent. It seemed that his heart was really very frantic at the moment.
 
"Are you feeling okay?" asked Halb in a firm voice.
 
"Do I have an obligation to answer your question?" Regen still did not want to open up and tried to avoid the question.
 
"It turns out you have this stubborn side too." Halb sighed heavily. "I'm actually not the type of person who likes to meddle in other people's personal affairs. But, I'm also the type of person who can't let a friend suffer alone. I always feel the itch to try to help even if I've been rejected many times," he said.
 
"Do you ever have strange dreams?" Regen suddenly asked Halb that question.
 
Halb sighed. "So that's your problem? Isn't that normal?"
 
"It can't be called normal if you're in pain."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"Forget it." Regen decided to end the conversation.
 
Halb felt a little confused by Regen's sudden dismissal of the conversation. However, he did not want to insist. They sat in the garden in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts.
 
Moments later, Halb decided to speak again, trying to shift the tense atmosphere.
 
"You know, this park has always been a quiet place for me. When I'm feeling chaotic or confused, sitting here and looking at the trees and listening to the birds, it's like forgetting all my problems for a moment," Halb said, trying to break the ice.
 
Regen turned her head and looked around the garden. He observed the trees swaying gently in the breeze and listened to the joyful chirping of the birds.
 
"Perhaps you're right," Regen said in a slightly softer voice. "I've been too caught up in my anger and resentment. I need to find a way to let go."
 
 
 
Halb smiled and nodded his head. "Everyone has their own way of dealing with negative feelings. For me, finding a quiet place like this and doing something I love helps me cope with them. Maybe you can try something similar."
 
Regen thought about Halb's words. He realized that he did not have to be alone in his struggle against anxiety and anger. Perhaps, by paying attention to more positive things and finding time for himself, he could find peace.
 
"Maybe I should try," Regen said in a low voice. "Thank you, Halb."
 
Halb smiled. "No need to thank you. We help each other as friends, don't we?"
 
Regen nodded and a small smile began to appear on his face. They continued to sit in the garden, sharing a comfortable silence, and befriending each other on their journey to find peace.
 
After some time passed in silence, Regen finally felt a desire within him to share. He felt that Halb truly cared about him and wanted to help.
 
"I feel... exhausted," Regen said hesitantly. "Not just physically, but emotionally as well. I feel like I'm being played by the Fallen, and it frustrates me."
 
Halb listened attentively, giving Regen a chance to vent. He understood how important it was to have someone who would listen.
 
"Honestly, I feel as if I'm being hounded by the past and can't forget it. Every time I try to move forward, the presence of the Fallen always haunts me," Regen added in a voice that sounded fragile.
 
Halb nodded with sympathy. "I can imagine how heavy a burden you feel. But you must remember that you are not alone in this struggle. I'm here for you, and I'm sure there are many others who care about you."
 
Regen looked at Halb with a look that was a mixture of doubt and hope. He wanted to believe Halb's words, but his confidence had been shaken by the difficult experience.
 
"Halb, what should I do?" asked Regen in a weak voice.
 
Halb pondered for a moment before answering, thinking of the most appropriate words to inspire and support Regen.
 
"Don't pretend to care about me," Regen muttered in a barely audible voice. Halb turned his head towards Regen, and this time, he did not find any smiles or sweet gestures made by Regen. He felt a little relieved that Regen, finally, did not try to continue covering up for him. Wasn't covering up a flaw in oneself extremely painful? Halb knew very well how that kind of feeling would damage oneself, slowly. "I won't force you to tell me. But I hope you'll answer this one question honestly."
 
Halb looked straight ahead. There was no reply from Regen.
 
The young man was still silent. It seemed that his heart was really very frantic at the moment.
 
"Are you feeling okay?" asked Halb in a firm voice. "Do I have an obligation to answer your question?" Regen still did not want to open up and tried to avoid the question. "It turns out you have this stubborn side too."
 
Halb sighed heavily. "I'm actually not the type of person who likes to meddle in other people's personal affairs.
 
But, I'm also the type of person who can't let a friend suffer alone. I always feel the itch to try to help even if I've been rejected many times," he said.