"How long have I been unconscious?"
Kaiju took a moment of silence before answering:
"Three weeks; you've been unconscious for three weeks."
"I see…"
A few minutes later, they were outside, behind the cabin, standing before a mound of earth. It was clearly a grave. Kaiju silently observed Nate, who had also fallen into a deep silence. After several minutes in this state, the boy started to chuckle:
" Hmphaha…hahaha…"
Surprised by his reaction, Kaiju asked:
"What's wrong, kid? Have you lost your mind?"
"There was a candle, right under my nose in the cell where he held me. If only I had thought to use it, I could have…"
But Kaiju cut him off sharply:
"No, even if you had a thousand candles at your disposal, the result wouldn't have been any different!!!"
"WHAT??!!!!"
"You heard me."
"You may have saved my life, but that doesn't give you the right to speak to me like that. In fact, you know what?! I haven't liked you from the start!"
"Oh really, is that so?!"
"Absolutely. You probably thought I wouldn't recognize you, jerk??? You're the guy Zad often met alone in the forest. I bet it's because of your shady dealings that Zad is dead and I went through hell. This is all your fault!"
After Nate finished speaking, Kaiju stared at him for a few seconds without saying a word. Then:
"You're right. I do have my share of responsibility for what happened, and I'll carry that weight for the rest of my life. But what about your part?"
"What? Me? But I didn't do anything."
"Exactly, you did nothing at all; and that's the problem. You're just dead weight! The strong are supposed to protect the weak. Zad was just a human; you're not! You were supposed to be the strong one, and if you had known how to play your role, we wouldn't be here. Instead, you did nothing more than stupidly get yourself kidnapped and bled like a pig. And after that, y…"
"SHUT UUUUUUUP!!!!"
This violent outburst, which almost tore Nate's vocal cords, made Kaiju stop in his tracks. Now, seething with anger, Nate rushed at the young man to punch him. But Kaiju easily dodged and pinned him to the ground, hands behind his back. He then stated:
"Zad may have been kind to you, but I'm not going to pamper you. This truth you don't want to hear, I'm going to tell you!"
"NO! SHUT UP, LET GO OF ME, I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN!!!"
"If Zad is dead, it's entirely your fault, and it's all… because you're weak!!!"
Those words echoed endlessly in the boy's mind, leaving him unable to utter a single word. Overwhelmed with emotion, Nate couldn't hold back his tears any longer and began to sob, saying:
"I know; I know very well that I'm responsible for Zad's death. He was the only one I had managed to bond with, the only person who truly cared about me. But despite that, I couldn't protect him. I ruined everything; if only I had trained more seriously…"
Seeing the state the boy was in, Kaiju released him from the hold and got up. He watched him cry and wallow in sorrow for a moment before finally saying:
"You know, kid, what's done is done and can't be undone. I know you've lost everything you held dear, but you have to move forward. I'm sure there's still a place for you somewhere in this world, along with people with whom you can form new, even stronger bonds, maybe…"
After hearing these comforting words, Nate lifted his head and looked at Kaiju, who continued:
"But finding loved ones or a place in this world won't be of much use to someone as weak as you, because eventually, you'll inevitably lose them too. This world is ruthless, and the weak have no place in it!"
Nate lowered his head again, thinking he was doomed to a life of suffering, abuse, and loneliness. But then, Kaiju spoke once more:
"However, kid, know that there's no shame in being weak; weakness is inherent to the nature of every living being. But those who choose to remain weak and wallow in it are, in my eyes, the most despicable beings in this world; they are the ones crushed by the strong!"
He then extended his hand toward Nate and concluded:
"Now you have two options. Either you stay on the ground, wallowing in your weakness like a failure, or you take this hand I'm offering and take your place among the strong!"
Nate looked at the confident hand extended toward him, then recalled everything he had been through: his feelings of powerlessness, the pain, the distress, and, above all, the butler's smile. Then, in an instant, the boy's eyes gleamed with an intense rage and a deep thirst for vengeance. Noticing this change, Kaiju said with a satisfied smile:
"Good, very good, kid. I like that look."
Nate, now without a doubt about the path he wanted to take, firmly grasped the hand that seemed capable of moving mountains. Seeing that he had gotten the answer he was hoping for, Kaiju's smile widened even more. He then said to his companion:
"Wise decision, kid…"
Still resolute and determined, Nate affirmed:
"I don't ever want to relive that humiliation; I don't want to be prey anymore!"
"Then congratulations, you've come to the right place. But I'll warn you, I'm going to put you through hell; you'll live a real nightmare!"
"Then I suppose the road to heaven begins in hell!"
After this last remark, Kaiju burst out laughing and exclaimed, placing a hand on the boy's head:
"AHAHAHAHAHA… Excellent, kid, excellent!!! I knew I'd end up liking you; after all, you and I are survivors!"
Kaiju ruffled his hair, which irritated Nate quite a bit. In fact, he was especially annoyed by Kaiju's patronizing behavior toward him. However, he decided to let it slide and instead asked, especially after hearing Kaiju's last words:
"But who are you, really???"
Kaiju gave him a sly smile before replying:
"Hmm, let's just say I'm just a random guy who happened to pass by."