"You know what? You don't even really know me, Mom! You only know what I eat and what kind of clothes I like. That's it!"
Kael's voice echoed through the room, his mother staring back with a cold, indifferent expression.
"In your eyes, you're perfect, aren't you? You used me for your name, you hit me for your name. How can you even say you love me?"
Her voice, sharp but trembling, broke the silence: "But I love you! You're my son…"
"How can you say that when you only talk to me like this when I mess up? I'm only good when I go hunting? When I walk the dog? When I get good grades? Am I not enough just because I'm your son?"
The words cut deep. His mother looked away, and then her voice rose like a whip:
"Say whatever you want! This is my house, my rules. You know what? You're not even my son! I found you in the forest, on a cursed night. The priest told me you were the devil's child. And maybe he was right…"
Silence fell heavy over the room. Kael's fists clenched so hard that the fresh hunting cuts on his hands reopened. Tears, hot and silent, streaked his face.
"You can cast me out of your life, Mom. Thank you for everything, but I can't anymore. I don't even have a heart... I lost it somewhere along the way. And you know what? I don't hate you. But I don't love you either. Goodbye."
Grabbing his bow and quiver, Kael walked out of the house into the freezing night. Somewhere, deep in the Shadowed Forest, something waited for him.
Kael ran and ran until he reached a riverbank. Falling to his knees, he stared into the water. The reflection looking back at him felt unfamiliar—a hollow face lit by the red glow of the Blood Moon. His breath came in ragged bursts as he muttered to himself:
"I could die, and no one would remember me... I could die, and no one would shed a tear... I could die, and no one would hear my prayer... Maybe I should die. No one cares anyway."
Once, Kael had been a good boy. But no one loved him then, and no one would love him now. Somewhere, someone might still have a heart big enough for him—but he wouldn't see it. Not with his dead eyes.
Kael ran until he reached a riverbank. Falling to his knees, he stared into the water. The reflection looking back at him felt strange—a hollow face lit by the red glow of the Blood Moon.
"I could die, and no one would care... No one would cry... No one would hear my prayer..." he muttered. "Maybe I should die. No one cares anyway."
Once, he had been a good boy. But no one loved him then, and no one would love him now. With nothing left to lose, Kael entered the Shadowed Forest.
The red moonlight lit up a narrow path through the trees. The stars above felt far away, almost like they belonged to another world.
Kael spotted a deer grazing. He readied his slingshot, took aim, and fired. But just before the stone hit, it veered off course, like something invisible had stopped it.
Behind him, he heard a screeching sound, like metal grinding on glass.
"No, no, no!" Kael screamed, running as fast as he could. The shadow chasing him stretched ahead, growing larger.
Turning, he finally saw it—a towering creature over three meters tall, with rotting flesh and exposed bone. Its pale skin seemed to move, its black eyes empty, and its breath smelled like blood and rust.
Kael ran until he reached a dead end, jagged rocks blocking his path. Drawing his rusty sword, he turned to face the monster.
"If I die today, I'll take you with me!" he shouted, trying to sound brave.
The beast attacked, each blow shaking him to his core. Kael's sword barely deflected its strikes. Then he saw it—a glowing mark on its chest. Using all his strength, he drove his sword into the mark.
The beast let out a terrible scream before collapsing.
"What luck," Kael muttered, panting. "It must've already been weak."
Among the remains, he found claws, fur, and... a key.
"A key? What does it unlock? And why was it here?"
Kael noticed a tunnel in the rocks. The darkness inside seemed alive. Against his better judgment, he stepped in.
Inside, he found an altar. "Why is this here?" he whispered.
The key in his hand began to glow, and purple-red runes lit up on the altar. When he touched it, his mind was flooded with visions of death—millions of people screaming, crying, dying.
The tunnel filled with beasts. Not one, but a hundred.
Kael tried to use his power, but it was locked, out of reach. And then, he died.
He opened his eyes in a strange place. Here, thoughts became real. He saw himself—millions of versions of himself, each one different. Each one holding a piece of who he was.
Then, he saw her. A beautiful woman with green eyes and black hair, wearing a red dress.
"Welcome to Zero's Demise, your own place," she said softly. "Here, fear is your enemy, and truth is your demon. But... the book... you need to leave. He is here. Please, come again."
"Stop! What do you mean? What book? Who is 'he'? What is this place?!" Kael shouted.
But then he woke up. He was back in the house where it all began.
It hurt. But strangely, it also felt... good.