In no time As Akin approached the orphanage, his body twitched in response to the ominous presence inside. He heard faint screams mingled with groans and cries of pain echoing through the building.
He rushed through the aftermath, his eyes widening in horror at the sight before him. Pools of blood flowed from the bodies scattered throughout the dining hall, where decapitated heads of children and grown-ups lay among mutilated corpses that were unrecognizable.
Just then, he heard Lotanna cover her mouth, on the verge of throwing up as she clung to him.
"Where is Hickson?" he questioned, looking intently at Lotanna. The thought of losing Hickson sent a chilling wave through him.
"Still In Lady Sia's office," Lotanna managed to say, trembling in terror as sobs wracked her body.
"Damn it!" Akin exclaimed, dashing toward Lady Sia's office.
With each step, his fear intensified, and the blood from various rooms flowed through the hallway, a grim reminder that it seemed everyone in the orphanage had been massacred.
"Hickson!" Akin yelled as he flung open the door to Lady Sia's office.
What he saw next froze him in horror: Hickson was holding up Lady Sia's decapitated body, blood rushing from her severed head.
Just then, Akin heard Lotanna scream in terror behind him, unable to comprehend the scene before her.
"Akin, what do you think? Is this a beautiful sight?" Hickson's voice dripped with an ominous yet mocking tone that sent shivers down Akin's spine.
Fury boiled within Akin as he watched Hickson's grotesque display of violence against the woman who had cared for them the most. Yet, something was unsettling about Hickson's voice.
"Hicks—" Akin began to scream, with his emotions fraying.
But before he could finish, his eyes widened in shock as a rushing wind swept past him, then followed by Lotanna's desperate screams.
"Akin—help! Help me!" Lotanna cried, her voice trembling as she fainted.
Before he could charge forward, consumed by rage, Akin heard a sickening snapping sound in the direction of Lotanna's screams.
"You didn't!" Akin's rage erupted as he saw Lotanna's head in Hickson's hands, blood dripping from his fingers.
Akin's mind went blank, and he let out a primal scream as he punched Hickson, sending him flying into the wall, which cracked under the impact he glared at Hickson menacing as the rock pebbles flew side his face. The force of Akin's punch created a gust of wind that filled the room.
A surge of newfound strength coursed through Akin as he punched and kicked, sending Hickson crashing across the room, following him closely behind. Just then, he heard Hickson's voice quiver.
"A-Akin?!" Hickson said, his tone laced with tears.
Hearing Hickson's genuine voice snapped Akin out of his rage, realizing he had been treating him like a punching bag, leaving him bloodied and battered.
"P-please… kill me!" Hickson begged, tears streaming down his face.
"Pathetic human! Still resisting me, huh?" a dark voice echoed from Hickson's lips ominously.
"Well, now I can fully take over. What do you think, Akin?" the voice continued, menacingly.
Caught off guard, Akin felt a sudden push to his face, sending him hurtling through the walls of the orphanage.
"What a beautiful sight! I'm loving it. This body is very cabled after all," Feya, in Hickson's body, said, fully awakened and intrigued by Hickson's muscles.
A smile spread across his face.
"Not bad at all. Waking up after millennia only to find someone like you? It truly pisses me off," Feya remarked, glancing at the unconscious Akin.
"Have we become this weak that we—" Feya began, reaching out to grab Akin's neck to crush it.
But his words caught short as he sensed a presence behind him.
"Get away from him, you!" Kalè shouted, slapping her hands together to grab Feya's attention.
She then immediately tore her skirt, igniting it in flames.
"Tsk!" Feya hissed, annoyed by the light of the fire that annoyed him.
"Who are you, young lady?" Feya moved backward slightly, maintaining a safe distance from Kalè.
Feya sensed that Kalè's presence was anything but ordinary as he watched her ignite a flare, moving toward him while holding a lighter and glaring fiercely.
"Not for you to—" Just then, Kalè's eyes widened as she grabbed the unconscious Akin, using him as a shield.
"Place that down if you truly want him to live," Feya said with a grin, his gaze fixed on Kalè.
"That flame isn't a normal one!" Feya thought, observing the lighter in Kalè's hand.
He realized the flame she held was anything but ordinary.
Tension filled the room as Kalè felt cornered, aware that she couldn't trust any creature, especially an Inn. She had no choice but to pull her wild card.
"Hey! Hickson, or whatever your name is! Are you just going to let that creature you despise murder your best friend right in front of you? In your own hands?!" Kalè yelled, hoping to reach Hickson.
"What are you doing, young lady?!" Feya said mockingly, finding her hope amusing. "Nice try, but—"
Suddenly, Hickson screamed.
Kalè watched in silence, a smile creeping onto her face. "Hey, take him and leave!" Hickson tossed Akin toward Kalè.
"And please, kill me right now while I'm still a little bit in control!"
"Now!"
"Indeed!" Kalè replied, a smirk spreading across her lips. She swiftly dashed forward, pinning Hickson down.
In one fluid motion, she snapped her necklace, using the mini black orb to open the cover and drop a hint of dark-colored water into Hickson's eyes.
"Hope this works!" Kalè thought as she watched Hickson.
Just then, Hickson began to scream. "I guess it works!" she smiled in relief.
"Though it's supposed to keep him under a little control, I hope it lasts longer," she mused, recalling words from someone.
Without wasting any time, she grabbed both boys in a bridal carry and made her way out of the orphanage before any Inns flocked in.
As she ran through the woods, she left behind a scene of devastation, knowing that all the orphans, and caretakers including Lotanna, their other companions, had perished.
She headed toward the nearest village, desperate to escape the horrors they had just witnessed.