Chereads / Way of Beasts: Chronicles / Chapter 23 - Man

Chapter 23 - Man

I feel a sweet smell when I open my eyes, seeing that I was alive and able to move I feel a presence, calm without bad intentions

I turn my gaze to find a man with long hair and a white blouse,

When he starts walking calmly towards me and places a glass of purple drink next to me

I look at him suspiciously when he gives me a strange smile and says

"I think this is your favorite"

'My favorite?'

Confused, I watch him as he absentmindedly looks up with some fruit in his hands.

"How would you know what my favorite is?"

He looks at me amused when he responds

"Because I know you."

"bu-"

He raises his hand and interrupts my speech

"Do you think it was coincidence that you fell right into my lap?"

I look at him in disbelief

"What?"

He stifled a laugh when he said

"It wasn't a coincidence"

'If he knew then'

I start to boil with anger when I think about questioning him why he didn't help save other humans like the two of us.

When I open my mouth he smiles affectionately, making me lose my speech

"It was his destiny... It had to happen so that more people could be saved"

I remember the old woman's words telling me to live and Aqua asking me to save people like us, guilt eating away at me when with a slight tone of desperation I ask

"So please tell me how I can save more people..."

"I can't stay here for long, but when you have to choose, choose to be free, my son"

A plant flew and fell into my eyes when I blinked, and the man disappeared,

'Son huh'

I noticed that strangely throughout this dialogue the monster in my head didn't say phrases to take away my sanity, I didn't feel guilt or regret, it was as if I were free.

'Strange'

I continued walking through the forest when I stopped and looked at what I called home for so long, my house.

Tears fell as I picked up this wooden doll, now full of feelings, guilt, sadness, pain, and a lot of guilt.

A sudden noise of muffled screams made me instantly duck.

When looking at some trees away I saw 9 men, all wearing the same mask as the one who killed Victor

Anger beginning to bubble as one of them unleashed his will on the forest,

'Did he feel me?'

Goosebumps started to run down my back when I didn't dare move.

"SON OF A BITCH, HOW COULD HE HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN HE STILL OWED ME"

Shouted a tall and disproportionately strong man, his arms reaching past waist height.

"If I had known that, I would have massacred those filthy people myself"

when the person in front of them all while walking looking up gave a smoldering look at his companion making him shut up and cower

"It would not be efficient to attack with our full force, especially on a random tribe in the world"

I couldn't tell if it was a female or male voice as it was hoarse.

Everyone nodded as they walked

"It's just another job, like gun delivery people, handing over their weapons, we've already wasted a lot of time for that"

A female voice interrupted

"Let's just go, I'm late for shopping, I can't stand all this dirty smell and..."

all of them ignoring the two people being dragged away when a childish scream

"DADDY!!"

Every inch of my body made me want to run but the aura of their leader paralyzed me in place, the child's emotions perhaps didn't feel it

Everything after that seemed in slow motion, my vision blurring and I saw the supposed parents crying and shaking their heads in denial as if telling him to run away

They began to struggle trying to free themselves when the torn boy approached them and prostrated himself on the ground.

"PLEASE LEAVE THEM, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE"

the boy started repeating the same sentence, begging so many times and all his desperation in his words

when the leader started walking towards him and in a friendly voice said

"We'll let them go but only if you answer me one little thing"

he said as he reached out to the child and guided him to where they were on the floor

"Which one do you like best?"

seeming to understand the child pointed at the two and took a confused step back

"Just a little while"

MY WHOLE BODY TREMENDS, I'M TRYING TO WALK AND I CAN'T, IT WAS AS IF SOMETHING WAS STOPPING ME

'MOVE DAMN MOVE MOVE'

I missed the boy's response when the leader grabbed the mother and moved his hand, and the head flew

I felt my stomach turn with anger, remembering all the people killed by the hands of these humans, but I felt even more angry at myself for being such a coward for not saving the boy, for not trying.

'I haven't changed anything, I still depend on other people to do something'

I started biting my lip with hatred as I saw another movement from the leader and the boy's head flew up and they continued walking as if it was nothing.

I saw them laugh while their father struggled and tried to hit his head on the ground, doing everything he could to get rid of the suffering, I heard their cries for help as if they had been going on for hours

 as he was dragged by these monsters

I started crying, with so many different feelings, guilt, anger

when I got closer to see them

I felt obligated to bury them

I started to bury a grave, tears wetting the earth I dig, while I feel my hand start to bleed from digging so much

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry for being weak, I forgive myself'

I delicately took the woman's body and laid her lightly in the large hole, feeling another part of me go, when I felt a comforting cold, it was my feelings freezing, me shielding myself against the world

I break for the last time when I pick up the boy's head that ironically fell close to where I dug the hole I see his look of despair piercing me as if I were to blame, I place his head next to his body and bury him while I promise never to leave anyone again die in front of me

I cover them with dirt and blood, my blood, our blood now with a goal in mind

'I will avenge my people.'

I look at the entire village dismantling in the distance, engraving this vision in my heart as I pursue my life's goal

"They will pay, everyone will"