This went on into the night. As he had expected, in the hour of turmoil he managed to steal some food, not only for his own use, but also to bring some to the orphanage. He even managed to steal some apples, which he decided to share with his siblings.
The moon was incredibly beautiful that evening, and at times like this, Kai couldn't stop his curiosity and longing for freedom. He liked to walk around the grounds of the settlement at such times. In such musings, he slowly wandered towards the river. As he looked at the water, he began to think out loud:
- I wonder why my parents abandoned me? Although, why would I wonder about that in this world of ours? - Kai grinned melancholically.
- Maybe my parents just didn't have food and feeding another little person would be problematic... Or maybe they were in trouble? Heck, maybe I'm even the scion of a noble family that was destroyed by their enemy, just like in epic bedtime stories? Hahaha, screw it... I'm already lucky to be alive at all. That's how luck is my middle name! Hehehe. - Laughing, Kai said.
- Yeah, you should grow up a little and try your luck in the outside world... The world must be big. - He said, smiling, "It's decided, when I grow up, I'll go wandering around the world, earn some money, upset the orphanage... That's a pretty fun plan. - Kai laughed.
Kai had always been drawn to power. With his shrewd mind, he had long ago noticed the patterns of the world. That's why he didn't care about theft injuries or potential death. He had seen enough of that around him...
Even though he was only 7, his mental stability was amazing. The boy had been running and exercising his body since he was a child, though not in a fully conscious and systematic way. He did it the way he thought was right. And the systematic stealing, and kicking, had developed his reflexes and endurance well. Pain threshold? - Pfft, for him, physical pain was no big deal at all.
The evening continued languidly, but suddenly Kai heard screams in the distance and lights that began to illuminate the night sky. He quickly picked himself up and ran towards the shelter, his innate instincts signaling danger to him all over the place. Kai ran with all his legs for about a quarter of an hour, and when the shelter began to show from behind the forest, he was dazed on the spot... The shelter was on fire!
- Oh no! We need to call for help soon! - Just as Kai wanted to run into town, he saw a large man and several others in black armor throw Mother Superior Frieda out of the shelter.
- Ugh! There are no beautiful women, no booze, not even decent food in this backwater! Bitch, where are your supplies? - The man bellowed.
- But Sir, we're just a rural shelter, we don't have enough food to eat properly ourselves. For the last two days we've barely eaten ourselves, we have nothing! - Praying shouted Frida.
- Hmm, okay, the hell with you... - scratching the back of his head the man pulled the halberd from his shoulders and calmly plunged the blade into Frida's throat.
From the forest, Kai only saw the tip of the halberd slowly emerge from the back of Frieda's head. He was so shocked that he couldn't even cry.
- Okay, go and kill the little rats and move on. The commander said not to stay long. - Saying that, he turned around and started moving towards the city. And his three henchmen started to enter the shelter.
When Kai heard what the man said, he grabbed a sharp rock near his feet. And ran with all his legs towards the shelter. At that moment, he had nothing in his mind but the word KILL!
As he ran, he said to himself:
- KILL! KILL! KILL! I have to kill these scum!
As he ran through the doors of the orphanage, all he saw was a bloody mess and the scattered corpses of his friends. His brothers and sisters! And laughing warriors.
At that moment, he jumped and tried to stab a rock into the neck of a nearby man. Due to the effect of surprise, he was not seen and slashed the stone across his neck. But alas, all he managed to do was just get the stone just a little bit under the skin of the beast.
For a warrior, such wounds were like simple shaving scratches....
Kai only saw something slash sharply across his chest and tossed him aside. All the food he had gathered from the city scattered on the ground. All he saw was a lot of blood, the corpses of his friends, and apples that lay in scarlet liquid and mud. He thought, only that it was so damn unfair.... He wanted to kill, but he couldn't... He wanted to save, but he couldn't... In the end, he couldn't even feed his brothers....
- Hahaha, you quick kid, he even scratched you. The men in the camp will die of laughter when they hear about this. - Loudly laughed the freak who cut Kai's chest.
- All right, let's go. This trash is no longer alive, we need to hurry to the commander, otherwise we will be skinned. - Saying that, they started to leave.
The man who had been scratched decided to finish Kai off, but then he just chuckled his tongue and went out with the rest of them.
Lying on the ground, Kai felt nothing but staggering pain, both physical and mental.
"Unfair!" - He wanted to cry, but he couldn't!
"Does strength decide that much? They're just freaks who decided to trample on ants. For fun... They knew perfectly well that there was nothing to take from the orphanage... Why?" - Lying on the ground thought Kai.
At that moment Kai decided that he didn't want to die, he wanted to live, he wanted to gain strength, he wanted revenge, he wanted to kill those scum. He decided to calm down. His tears and regrets aren't going to help right now. It's a cruel world, and he's always realized that, though he wishes he didn't have to see it. After all, the dead can't be brought back. All he could do now was try to survive. And maybe someday he would be able to kill all those who had destroyed his settlement!
Something clicked in his brain, and he quickly calmed down. He began to think, where could he escape to?
"Right, to the river!" - Exclaimed Kai in his mind
There was no one there. It had already saved his life once, if he jumped into the river, maybe luck would smile on him once more. The currents might carry him somewhere away from the enemy troops.
"But first, I need to bandage my wound... From the loss of blood, I'm already starting to get delirious." - He gathered all his resolve into a fist, and removed a sweatshirt from one of the corpses.
- I'm sorry, you won't need it anymore..." the boy said sadly.
He looked at his brothers one last time, tears rolling down his face. Turning around, he wiped his face and decided that this was the last time he would cry. If you feel injustice, if you feel resentment, if you feel pain, you just need to have the strength to deal with their source. The strong are the law, the weak are just a stepping stone in the path of the strong.
- Death is the eternal companion of all living things in this world... - Kai said to himself and stumbled and wandered towards the river.
Whether from the strength of his body or from the fact that he was used to getting injured constantly while stealing in the city. He was able to stay conscious and not collapse with such an injury.
- There's a reason I've gotten so many in my short life. It toughened my body. - Kai laughed ironically, dragging himself towards the river....
When he came to the place where just an hour ago he had dreamed of great peace and the well-being of his siblings... To the terrifying screams from far away, he walked up to the cliff.
He thought:
- I will end my story in this orphanage, right where I started it... Fate has a wicked joke. However, if it pleases the universe, I will live, then I will think about everything else. But now I am very tired and... - Without finishing his words, losing consciousness, Kai fell into the river.