Cid, a fifteen-year-old boy, lives with his mother. His father went missing when he was just five years old, but Cid has never given up hope that his father is still alive. For the past ten years, he has searched tirelessly, but no clues ever surfaced—until now.
Desperate for answers, Cid approaches his father's three closest friends, seeking their help. They agree and venture deep into the forest, the last place his father was seen. After a long trek, Cid suggests they take a short break. The villagers sit on the ground as he hands them food. They eat without hesitation, unaware of what is to come.
After their meal, they resume their search, but after walking for a few hours, something feels off. Dizziness overtakes them, and suddenly, one of them collapses. Seeing this, another glares at Cid and demands, "What did you do?!"
With a sinister smile, Cid responds, "Nothing much... just gave you some food I prepared myself."
One by one, the remaining two men collapse. Hours later, they awaken, only to find Cid standing in front of them, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "Do you know why I did this?" he asks.
Confused and groggy, they look around. Their faces go pale as recognition dawns upon them. "This place... How do you know about this place?"
Cid smirks. "Because this is where you killed my father. I've waited ten years for this moment."
Panic grips the men as Cid steps closer. "Tell me," he demands, "why did you kill my father?"
One of them gulps and finally speaks. "It happened the day we were hunting in this forest. We stumbled upon a hidden treasure. Your father wanted to take it back to the village and share it with everyone. But we... we got greedy. We tried to convince him otherwise, but he refused. When he turned his back to walk away, we... we struck him on the back of the head. We took the treasure and fled, not knowing what became of his body."
Cid's fists clench. "I know what happened to him. I found his remains inside a bear's den. The beast must have dragged his body away after you left him for dead. And I found something else—your belongings scattered in the forest. From that moment on, I knew you were behind his death. Every time I saw you, I wanted to kill you, but I held back. I waited until I was strong enough to do it with my own hands."
Tears form in their eyes as guilt consumes them. "You're right," one of them whispers. "We deserve to die. Do what you must."
Cid stares at them for a long moment before sighing. "No," he says. "I won't become like you. I won't act on blind anger. Leave... and live the rest of your lives knowing what you did."
Without another word, he turns and walks away. The men, overwhelmed with guilt, stumble away as well.
When Cid returns home, he hugs his mother tightly, feeling a sense of closure. But as the men make their way back, a chilling thought crosses their minds.
"We told Cid's mother that his father was injured near the bear's den that night, didn't we?" one of them mutters. "Why didn't she go to save him?"
Silence follows before one whispers, "Who knows..."
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*Cid's father lay on the ground, bleeding from the wound on his head. As he struggled to move, a shadow loomed over him. A woman stepped forward, gripping a large rock in her hands. Without hesitation, she brought it down on his skull. Again. And again.*
*Blood splattered across her face, but she simply smiled.*
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**Question for you: Who really killed Cid's father? Comment your thoughts below.**
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**Writing credits: Shadow**