[Four years ago.]
Tejumole shuffled between the trees in a dirty and tattered dress that could hardly be called one.
Her steps were unsteady, and her breathing was shallow. She was on the verge of passing out, but she gritted her teeth and persevered after taking a brief rest.
She couldn't pass out yet.
They were still so close…
She had to get away!
Tejumole clenched a knife in her right hand. She held it so tight that her palm was starting to bleed.
On her left index finger was a small ring that seemed to have fused with her digit.
Tejumole stumbled and fell occasionally, causing her to sustain scraps and cuts on her already wounded body.
The harsh pain she felt when the sharp thorns pierced and cut her skin made her hiss and furrow her brows in distress.
She was currently in the bushes, away from civilization, and could hardly see anything in the dark.
Gradually, she came to a clearing and followed it until she arrived in front of a bridge.
The viaduct looked old and unsteady, and was clearly made by the locals in past times to reach the other side of the valley.
It was made with wooden boards which were overgrown by weeds and moss. This secluded bridge appeared lonely and with the apparent lack of care and usage, it was like a first generation gadget discarded and forgotten by the rest of the world.
This was a risky choice for Tejumole, but she figured she could find the way out by crossing the bridge.
There was no alternate choice.
She moved and soon stepped on the wooden structure.
However, instead of trotting carefully, Tejumole's movements were careless and disorderly. Like she couldn't care less if the rickety bridge fell apart.
She panted heavily and felt her vision blur as she supported herself on the railings.
Her body was covered in various degrees of injuries. Some were deep to the bone and others were gashes too painful to look at directly.
With such severe injuries, Tejumole was surprised that she hadn't died from blood loss.
Additionally, there was a suspicious screen that refused to disappear, floating in front of her eyes. Something that she chose to ignore.
Tejumole growled as she felt her headache worsen.
Her heart bashed violently against her ribcage, so much that she felt it would explode, while her tired body moved on instinct, tightly gripping the railings for support.
Tejumole was determined to make it to the main road before blacking out. But as she moved, her gaze gradually turned red, and she was beginning to lose control of her urge to slaughter.
To destroy everything in her sight.
That monstrous side she tried to suppress was beginning to resurface.
Her mental state was crumbling, and a sudden gag reflex caused her to retch. With a hand on her belly, Tejumole slowly fell to her knees and gripped her hair before glancing at the knife in her hand.
A thought crossed her mind and she felt the urge to end it all.
But just as she raised her hand, she heard a creaking sound coming from her front.
"Grrr…" She growled in warning as her head raised sharply.
In her current state, her appearance was anything but human.
Instead, she resembled a wounded beast who, although injured, was filled with alertness and had eyes enshrouded in fierce light.
Tejumole was prepared to strike but stopped her movements when she saw the figure a few feet away.
There was a small figure sitting on the fragile railings of the bridge.
They gazed at the flowing river underneath and swung their legs back and forth, seemingly at peace.
The gentle sounds of water meeting the rocks were like the soft breathing of a delicate maiden. It was calm and comforting.
'There's someone here.' Tejumole narrowed her eyes as she observed the figure.
This person was like a phantom. They were so silent that Tejumole didn't even notice their presence. But it seemed they had arrived earlier than she did.
Tejumole blinked and rose to her feet. She ignored the agony her body faced and wobbled over to the smaller figure.
When she reached, the quiet person turned to look at her, and she was met by a pair of apathetic dark eyes. Those eyes were so dark that she found them eerily inhuman. However, she also felt that these black eyes were the cleanest she had ever seen. Pure and beautiful.
The owner of such unique eyes stared at her coldly, and she stared back similarly.
Dark and brown eyes peering at each other.
They remained motionless as each person took in the appearance of the stranger before them.
Tejumole glanced at the young boy, who seemed only around thirteen years old.
His hair was dishevelled and so was his appearance. There were also multiple bruises on various parts of his body. But those wounds did nothing to conceal his striking features.
'What is a child doing here?' She wondered.
'What if he falls?' She thought about it and was strangely overcome by a sudden concern.
Perhaps she had a soft spot for kids.
She inched closer and, under the gaze of the young boy, extended her hands to him.
However, in the next second her hands fell to her side after looking at the knife in her clenched fists.
Her current appearance could be described simply as "crazy psycho".
Her eyes flickered bitterly at the thought. She glanced at the knife and hesitated.
It wasn't just a knife.
It was the only thing she took from…that house. And symbolized a beginning from an end.
But…
Looking at the child who had taken his gaze away from her, Tejumole felt uncomfortable.
There was a voice in her head that told her to walk away from the child.
A second that urged her to push him off the edge.
And a third voice that enticed her to jump off the bridge along with him.
These gloomy and overwhelming thoughts confused her and caused her already shattering mentality to crumble even more.
They were like dark tendrils that were slowly wrapping around her body. Twisting and corrupting her essence, and trying to bend her to their whims.
The question is, will she allow herself to be controlled?