Chereads / Echoes of the Shattered World / Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: -A World in Ruins-

Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: -A World in Ruins-

It was a creature unlike any Cecil had ever seen before: with arms twisted into grotesque shapes and razor-sharp claws that glinted menacingly in what little light there was. Its tail flickered back and forth like a whip, seeming sharper than any knife. As if sensing Cecil's presence, the creature turned towards him slowly - revealing an uncanny smile filled with black teeth that were far too sharp for its face. Cecil felt his heart skip several beats as he stared into those cold black eyes.

The scene was horrifying and gruesome. The Creature, with its grotesque appearance, bent down to the dead bodies of Cecil's family members. It then proceeded to take Cecil's mother's leg and rip it from her pelvis. In front of Cecil's eyes, the creature began to eat the leg, tearing apart the muscle until holes were formed in it and bones started showing. The creature did this process with Cecil's two younger siblings as well.

Cecil felt paralyzed during all of this; he couldn't move even if he wanted to. It seemed like the monster held him in place so that he could witness every moment of this horrific ordeal. The tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes, hitting the wooden floor beneath him. Suddenly, a desperate yell broke through his thoughts - "CECIL!!" His father had been searching for him frantically amidst all this chaos and devastation.

Cecil had been lost in thought, staring at the strange creature devouring its meal. Suddenly, he felt as if someone was calling his name and it broke the trance he was in. He let out a scream of surprise and fear as he realized that the creature had turned its head toward him with disapproval. It seemed like Cecil had broken some kind of unknown agreement between them.

The creature threw down the flesh that it was eating, treating them like they were nothing more than mere scraps to be discarded. Then, it began to walk slowly but steadily toward Cecil. Each step echoed through the house and left behind a trail of fear. As Cecil stood there frozen with terror, his father's voice suddenly pierced through the silence: "Cecil! Are you okay?" His father rushed over to his side in a hurry, trying to assess what had happened and whether or not his son was safe.

The monster quickly pounced on Cecil's father. He rapidly pulled out his katana from the sheath to battle the creature. The sounds of metal clashing against bone and flesh filled the air as Cecil watched in terror. The creature was powerful, but so was his father.

As the battle raged on, Cecil felt a glimmer of hope flicker within him. Maybe they could defeat the creature after all. But just as quickly as it had appeared, that hope vanished when he saw his father falter for just a moment. That was all it took for the creature to strike, its claws slicing through his father's arm like butter. Cecil screamed in anguish as he watched his father fall to the ground, blood pooling around him. The creature let out a triumphant roar before turning its attention back to Cecil. There was nowhere left to run. Cecil's heart was pounding as he watched the creature slowly approach him. Its eyes were filled with hunger and malice, causing Cecil to tremble in fear. He couldn't bear to look at it any longer, so he closed his eyes tightly. He hoped that by not seeing the creature, his death might be more peaceful. But then something unexpected happened - a piercing scream echoed through the air. Cecil's heart raced faster than ever before as he wondered what could have caused such a sound. Slowly but surely, he opened one eye just enough to see what was happening around him. To his surprise and relief, he saw that the creature had been wounded and was now writhing on the ground in pain.

As Cecil opened both of his eyes fully, he saw something even more incredible: His father's sword sticking out from the chest of the creature! It seemed like a miracle - somehow his father had come to save him!

But joy quickly turned into horror as Cecil watched helplessly while the wounded beast retaliated against his father with its tail. The next thing he knew, both the creature and his father fell heavily onto the ground. Without hesitation or thought for himself, Cecil rushed over to where his father lay motionless on the ground beside him. Tears streamed down his face.

Cecil's heart was heavy with grief as he realized his father had sacrificed himself to save him. He couldn't believe that his father, who had always been so strong and brave, was gone forever.

"Cecil, wake up," an old man yelled from outside the house. Cecil jolted awake in fright and sweat dripped down his head. He got up from the chair where he must have fallen asleep after carrying supplies earlier. His back still ached in pain. He walked toward the door and opened it to see an old man in his late 50s standing there.