The sun was setting slowly on the horizon. It shined so bright that it felt like sun was trying to give its most beautiful and powerful light. Almost as if it was trying to fight against the darkness that was soon to come.
Normally, this would be a good sight. Lovers would be watching this sunset together before bidding each other goodbye. Then during the night they would be thinking of the sunset they witnessed together wondering if they would be able to watch the sunset together for the rest of their lives.
At least that was how Ezekiel's father always described it to him.
He was not a man of many words but despite that he would pay effort to convey the sunset's beauty to his son. That should at least give an inkling to you about how much he treasured it.
Of course that was fact. After all, according to him, his parents met under such a sunset. That was why his father always treasured this scene.
Fate is an unpredictable thing you see.
Ezekiel hated the sunset as much as his father loved it. Funny isn't it?
Though he could hardly be called unique for hating the sunset.
In this day and age you either hated the sunset or you were scared of it. There wasn't anyone left who loved it like his father.
He couldn't be blamed for having such feelings either. He could still vividly remember his family dying under such a beautiful sunset.
Yes, the memories were as clear as a mirror.
A mirror that showed his most dreaded fears...
- 5 years ago McChase Farmstead -
An 8 year old Ezekiel was running in the wheat field after his father, tired from helping him whole day in the field.
"Hey pa, why do women folk doesn't help us in the fields?" he asked as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead looking miserable.
"Now now Ezekiel, I already told ya. The good lord, with his infinite wisdom, cursed the women folk to suffer from a monthly sickness so-" Marshall was about to continue when suddenly fear came over him.
Ezekiel looked around him but couldn't see what made his father suddenly so afraid.
"What is it pa?"
Marshall suddenly turned towards Ezekiel and held his shoulders. Ezekiel could see the blood drain from his father's face.
"Ezekiel you run back to the house now! Take your mother and sister to the storm cellar and bar the doors and don't open it. No matter what you see or hear never open the door!"
With his young mind Ezekiel couldn't comprehend what made his father so scared.
"What is it pa? Is it the bandits? A twister?"
Marshall slowly became solemn as he slowly let go of Ezekiel and started looking towards east where the sun had already set.
"It's-" the ground beneath their feet started to tremble like there was an earthquake. No, it was like a giant taking foot steps and Ezekiel finally saw the dust clouds raising from the east and the horde creating it "-the Night Devils."
"Go now! Run Ezekiel run!" Marshall pushed Ezekiel towards the farmstead as he nervously grabbed the pitchfork in his hands.
Then Ezekiel started running with all his might. Thanks to fear all his tiredness from working in the field had vanished. The only thing he could think of was making his way towards the storm cellar and hiding in there.
He could understand why his father was so afraid. He had never seen such a horrifying scene in his tiny little life before. He couldn't even understand how the Lord Almighty could allow such a scene to exist in this mortal world.
That scene was of hell. A scene that was supposed to be occurring in hell.
When he arrived at the storm cellar Ezekiel was relieved to find his sister and mother already waiting inside.
"Did you see your pa Ezekiel? Is he coming?" she asked trying to keep her composure but even Ezekiel could see her shaking under the gas lamb's lights.
Ezekiel stretched his head to see outside but it was too dark and there was dust everywhere almost as if a hurricane was coming.
"I can't see anything ma, it's too dark!"
Then Ezekiel made a decision, maybe it was because this was the best action to protect his family or maybe it was because he was afraid. Even he himself didn't know the answer to that question. He reached out his tiny hands and closed the cellar doors just like his father told him to.
The ground started to shake more and more, he could even hear things fall from the shelves behind him. Ezekiel's mother hugged both him and his sister to protect from harm.
*THUD*
With a loud thud the cellar doors opened. Ezekiel peeked through his mother's arm to see his father but he was wrong. It wasn't his father who opened the door. It was a night devil.
To this day Ezekiel never forget the face he saw back then. If it could even be called a face.
Under the moonlight, a face covered in maggots with white eyes. He looked like he was dead for months but he was still standing in front of Ezekiel.
His cheeks were rotten and Ezekiel could see inside his mouth through the gaps. Night Devil's existence was a provocation against the god himself.
As Ezekiel was about to scream the Night Devil was pushed aside with his father's pitch fork. He was safe!
He was happy that his father was alive. His mother and sister thought the same and they rushed towards him under the guidance of the moonlight. They went outside to hug him and even Ezekiel was about to do the same.
That was when he had noticed it. But by the time he had finally seen his father's face under the moonlight it was already too late. He had already torn his mother and sister into pieces. He was even relishing their tastes.
His father had already become one of the Night Devils.
Seeing this scene instead of rushing out Ezekiel closed the cellar doors and barricaded them properly this time.
Throughout the night he could hear their growls and banging on the doors. He could swear that he also heard his father call him sweetly and ask him open the door. But he didn't and that was how he had managed to survive his first encounter against the night devils at the age of 8.
- Present Outskirts of Wildeskink -
The scene in front of Ezekiel was not much different from back then. Actually maybe it was worse.
After all, currently he was tied to a wooden pole and couldn't even move. He could only watch helplessly as the sun set and the cloud of dust move towards him.
Today was the day.
The day he had been chosen as a sacrifice.
The day he was going to die.
As Ezekiel looked towards the oncoming horde his eyes carried a hint of bitterness and rage. One thing was for certain. He was not afraid.
*BANG*
Ezekiel suddenly heard a gunshot and one of the devils fell down. How was that possible? These devils were known to be almost immortal. They shouldn't have died from such a simple thing like a gunshot.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Another three shots rang through the wilderness.
*THUD*
*THUD*
*THUD*
And another three bodies fell down to the ground with a loud thud. All of the bodies had a single hole in their heads where the bullet had passed through.
"You okay kid?" Ezekiel heard a rough and hoarse behind him. The voice was cracked, almost as if the guy hadn't spoken to anyone for weeks.
This was the moment Ezekiel met his teacher, guide and second father Glen.