He bowed down to me, admitting his defeat.
I stood in front of him, looking at him as the black flames and electricity surrounding me disappeared. I spoke calmly, "You can raise your head."
He looked up at me.
This man is strong... I thought. If I hadn't managed to become immune to his lightning, I would have dropped dead from his first attack.
He stood up and said, "You really are something... I've never seen anyone like you in my life. Maybe... maybe you can help me."
"Help you?" I asked, puzzled.
"Yes," he replied, "to free me from this world. I've been living in this hell for the past 500 years."
My eyes widened. "500... years?"
He nodded. "Yes."
I thought to myself, Unexisters are supposed to disappear after ten days, whether they fulfill their revenge or not. So how... how is he still here?
He continued, "I don't know why I'm still here. I was losing my mind... I just wanted my revenge, but it's not possible anymore. The ones I wanted to kill—they're already dead. I just wanted to kill someone. When I saw you today, I poured all my rage into fighting you. I'm... I'm sorry."
I looked at him, his once-menacing presence now replaced by vulnerability. "It's okay," I said. "Who were you trying to take revenge on?"
He looked up at the sky and answered, "Beng Win, the prince of Futaba District."
"Beng Win?" I repeated.
"He's already dead," He said. "He must have died of old age… it was 500 years ago, after all."
He sighed and began telling me his story. "500 years ago, in this very place, there was a small town called Vento. My name was Flitz, and I was a warrior of the kingdom. My father died when I was only six, leaving my mother to care for me alone. She gave everything she had to put me into the Knights' training. I trained for 15 years and master the lost magic the Lightning magic and soon after i became the Captain of the Knights in the capital."
"In a beautiful flower garden, I met a woman named Nisha—the love of my life. She had beautiful blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes, but she couldn't see. She had lost her sight to a disease, yet she could still see and understand everything better than most people. She could see how tired I was and would comfort me in ways no one else could. We fell in love. I promised to protect her with my life, even if that cost me ny own life.
"But... the prince of Futaba District, Beng Win, had his eyes on her too. Nisha rejected him, and that rejection filled him with rage.
"After my mother passed away, Nisha and I fulfilled her wish—we got married. We were happy, living peacefully. I was even ready to retire from the Knights to spend more time with her. But... it didn't turn out that way."
Flitz's tone grew darker. "One evening, we were about to have dinner. Nisha had prepared a meal and placed it on the table it looked good as always. She smiled and said, 'Darling, you can eat now.' But the moment I took a bite, I felt a burning sensation inside me. I vomited the food out and collapsed to the floor. That's when I realized… it was poisoned.
"Nisha ran to me, panicked, saying, 'Darling, what happened? Say something!' But I couldn't utter a word—I was in too much pain.
"Suddenly, the door was kicked open. It was Beng Win, along with some of his men.
"Nisha, still unaware of what was happening, pleaded, 'Who is it? Please help my husband—something has happened to him-'
"But Beng Win… he kicked her in the face. She collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain. I was paralyzed, unable to move, screaming in my mind, I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you.
"Beng Win pulled out a knife... and then... I died."
Flitz paused, his voice trembling with emotion. "Or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in the same room. I was confused at first. Then I saw Nisha… she was lying lifeless on the ground, stabbed in the back. My rage was at its peak. I saw Beng Win leaving the house. I tried to use my lightning magic to chase him, but then I heard a faint voice."
I looked behind and saw "It was Nisha. She trying to reach for my lifeless body, whispering, 'Darling...' I rushed to her side, screaming, 'Love, I'm here! Look at me!' Love!! But she couldn't hear me. I tried to touch her, but my hands passed right through her.
"She held my body's hand and lay down beside me, whispering, 'Darling... if we ever get a second life... I'll always want to be your wife.'
"I stood there, helpless, as she took her last breath i saw her die infront of my eyes. All I could do was cry.
"After that, I stood up, filled with rage. I rushed outside, determined to kill Beng Win. But... I couldn't leave the village. A barrier held me back. I punched it, tried everything I could, but nothing worked. I returned to the house, only to see Nisha's body begin to rot. I watched as insects consumed her… as her body dissolved into nothing.
"Days turned into years. The villagers abandoned the town after Beng Win ordered them to leave or face death. Our house was left untouched, and our bodies were left to decay.
"500 years, boy. For 500 years, I've been stuck here, watching, hoping someone would come and see me. But no one did... until you."
Flitz finished his story, his voice heavy with sorrow. I listened in silence, taking in every word.
All I could say was, "The world is cruel, isn't it, Flitz?"
He looked at me, the glow on his face dimming slightly. "It sure is..."