Dinis crept along the side of the house, his heart pounding as he peered through the broken window. The scene he found was terrifying: two humanoid creatures, with bodies that resembled decomposing corpses, were inside his home. They moved awkwardly, like puppets controlled by invisible forces, their vacant and opaque eyes emanating a sinister aura. The rotten stench they exuded made Dinis recoil for a moment, but he kept his composure, focused on what he was seeing.
In the center of the room, William trembled, holding a short, rusty sword—the last resort to protect Elisha, who was huddled against the wall, paralyzed with fear.
"Don't... you won't touch her..." William murmured, his voice trembling as he tried to contain his terror.
Dinis watched his father as he attempted to advance against the creatures. He knew his father was terrified, but his determination to protect Elisha was unbreakable. William attacked, delivering a direct blow to the shoulder of one of the creatures. However, the impact had no effect. The creature didn't even recoil; on the contrary, it moved swiftly, responding with a brutal kick to William's chest, sending him crashing into the wall with a muffled sound. He fell to the floor, motionless, unconscious.
Elisha screamed—a cry mixed with despair and pain.
"William! No... please!" she whispered as she tried to crawl toward her husband, her hands trembling.
Before she could reach him, one of the creatures advanced on her, and in a swift and cruel movement, its black blade sliced through the air, severing Elisha's hands. She let out a piercing scream of pain, collapsing to the floor as blood flowed from her wrists.
"M-my son..." she whispered, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the creatures slowly approaching. In her heart, she knew this would be her last moment. All she wished for was to see Dinis one last time, to embrace him, to feel his touch.
At that instant, a swift figure darted through the entrance. Dinis leaped into the room, the black blade of his sword cutting through the air in a deadly arc. In a single precise strike, he decapitated both creatures, their heads falling to the ground with a dull thud. But as he landed, the boy felt an intense pain in his ankle—the weight of the sword and the impact had caused a sprain. He staggered but quickly sheathed the blade on his back and hurried toward his parents.
"Mother! Father!" he shouted, falling to his knees beside Elisha, who was breathing with difficulty.
Elisha, despite the pain and blood loss, gave a weak smile upon seeing her son's face.
"Dinis... you came..." she whispered, with tears of relief and gratitude. She embraced him with what strength she had left, pulling him close as if that moment were her last breath of life.
"I came, Mother... I'm going to get you out of here," he said, his voice choked as a tear rolled down his face. "I promise... I won't let anything happen to you."
William began to regain consciousness, groaning in pain. He coughed, spitting blood as he tried to stand. Seeing Dinis by his side, an expression of relief and sadness crossed his face.
"Dinis... you..." William murmured, his voice hoarse and weak. He looked at the bodies of the decapitated creatures and, even amid the pain, understood what his son had done. "You saved us..."
Dinis held his father's hand, his voice firm despite the fear he felt.
"Father, we need to get out of here. There's no time," he said, looking from one to the other, as if trying to figure out how to get them out without anything else happening.
William wore a grim expression, realizing Elisha's weakened state and the throbbing pain in his own chest.
"Dinis... listen..." he began, fighting against the pain to speak. "We can't go with you... we... we won't make it. You need... you need to go alone."
Dinis shook his head, his eyes wide, refusing to accept what his father was saying.
"No! I can carry you! I can..." he protested, but Elisha's voice interrupted his pleas.
"Son..." she said, holding his face with what strength remained. "You need to survive... you need to live... for us."
Dinis tried to hold back the tears, but they flowed uncontrollably.
"Mother, no! I can't... I can't leave you here!" he replied, his voice filled with despair.
Elisha looked at him with an expression of serenity, despite the pain that showed in her eyes.
"You have always been special, my dear... I always knew you were destined for something great..." she said, her voice soft but firm. "Leave here... find help... and keep living. Please... for us."
William nodded, even as the pain in his body seemed to scream against the decision.
"Dinis..." he said, his voice full of gentle authority. "Go. We'll always be with you, in spirit... but you need to survive. Run. Seek help. You can do this."
Amid tears and despair, Dinis embraced his parents one last time, his chest tight with the pain of leaving them behind. He held them, as if he could keep them in his memory forever. Finally, he let them go, giving one last farewell glance.
"I... I promise. I'll find help... and I'll come back for you," he said, his voice breaking. Deep down, he knew that this promise was perhaps the last hope remaining to keep his determination firm.
Dinis stood up, gripping the sword on his back, and ran out through the back door. He did not look back, for he knew that if he did, he might never be able to leave.