At this moment, Nicolas petrified by the sheer carnage surrounding him. He couldn't believe that the once peaceful village he called home had turned into such a horrific nightmare. But when he saw the monstrous creature inching closer to his father, the shock that had frozen him began to crack.
'No... no, I can't let him get close to Father!'
No matter how desperately Nicolas wanted to stop the monster, his small body was paralyzed by fear, and he could only watch helplessly as it advanced toward his father. A suffocating sense of powerlessness washed over him, and his mind was flooded with memories of his past life—lonely, without parents, unloved. He had been given a second chance at life with a family that filled his heart with all the warmth and love he had once craved so deeply. And now, to see it all slipping away before his eyes...
Tears welled up in Nicolas' eyes, but no sound escaped him. Silent sobs shook his small frame, his grief too deep to be expressed with words. If anyone had seen him in that moment, they would have been shocked—a child so young, crying without a sound, yet bearing the weight of a heart shattered by despair.
As the beast's bloody claws reached out, mere moments from slashing his father, something deep within Nicolas snapped. It was like a dam bursting, releasing a surge of raw emotion and energy he had never felt before. His mouth, which had been closed tight with fear, now opened wide, and a heart-wrenching cry tore from his throat.
The sound was unlike anything anyone had ever heard. It was not the cry of a child, but something much more primal—something ancient and filled with sorrow and rage. It reverberated through the air, louder and more intense than any sound a boy his age should have been able to produce.
Nicolas' mother, who had been holding him tightly against her chest, gasped in pain as the cry rang in her ears. Her hands flew to her head, clutching her ears as blood began to seep from her eyes and ears, yet her grip on him loosened. The sound was unbearable, like a knife cutting through her mind. But Nicolas didn't notice her pain. He couldn't feel anything anymore. He was angry—so very, very angry.
The bear Wesen, who had been moments away from delivering a fatal blow to Nicolas' father, froze mid-step. His beady eyes flickered with confusion as he turned to locate the source of the cry. His attention now shifted from Nicolas' father to the small boy lying on the ground. But it wasn't just the bear Wesen who had noticed—every villager in the vicinity had halted whatever they were doing, stunned by the sound. For a brief, chilling moment, the battlefield grew eerily silent, the air heavy with tension, as all eyes turned toward the child.
The monster took slow, deliberate steps toward Nicolas. Its eyes narrowed, its head cocking slightly as if trying to comprehend what it was seeing. It began to lumber toward the boy, no longer interested in the father lying helpless on the ground. The beast's massive paws sank into the blood-soaked earth with every step, sending tremors through the ground as it advanced.
Nicolas' father, still sprawled on the ground, felt his heart tighten in his chest. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to stand, to protect his son. But his body wouldn't obey. Pain shot through him, sharp and unyielding, as he struggled to push himself up.
'I can't let him touch Nicolas... I have to save him! '
But no matter how much he tried, his limbs refused to move properly. He could only watch in growing horror as the monster drew closer and closer to his wife and son.
Confusion rippled through the villagers as they exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what was happening. They had never seen anything like this—a small child crying out, causing everyone to halt in their tracks, including the beast that had been terrorizing their home. Whispers began to spread through the crowd, but no one dared make a move.
Nicolas, however, was no longer aware of the world around him. He could feel a strange energy surging within him, raw and untamed, pushing him to the edge. His anger swirled into something tangible, something fierce, and as the bear Wesen approached him, the ground around Nicolas began to tremble. The air seemed to thicken, charged with a power that felt ancient and wild.
The beast stopped mere feet away from Nicolas, tilting its massive head as it growled lowly. Its claws twitched, as if hesitant, unsure whether to attack or retreat. There was something in the air now, something even the creature could sense—a threat greater than its own instinct.
Nicolas' father gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move, inch by inch. His muscles screamed in protest, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. He couldn't let that thing hurt his son. But as he tried to rise, the pain surged again, and he collapsed back onto the ground with a gasp, powerless to do anything but watch as the monster loomed over his family.
Tears streamed down Nicolas' face, his silent sobs turning into quiet breaths as he stared up at the towering creature before him. But his eyes were no longer filled with fear. They were burning with something else now—an unspoken fury. Something deep inside Nicolas had awakened, and the village would soon discover what that was.