Lei's eyes widened as everything unfolded so fast. He saw as Clay suddenly appeared out of nowhere, he watched as a spear plunged in the kid's back and entered Clara's chest.
Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he was already screaming on the top of his lungs without his knowledge.
He was already running…
And yet… no matter how fast he is, he was too late to save his friend. Just like how he was too late to prevent Gi from dying, too late to stop the bonfire from falling.
He was too late again…
He saw Clara's tearful eyes as she fell to the ground. The confused look on her face. The pain she must've been feeling. How scared she probably is… how worried…
"ARGHHHHH! What the hell did you do motherfucker!!"
When Lei finally managed to hear his own voice. He's already plunging his sword on the bastard's shoulder. He slashed downward and the bastards whole arm was cut off.
But Lei wasn't over yet as he seems to lose his mind. Gripping his sword tightly he swung and swung. Intending to cut the gremlin in half.
However, the gremlin blocked with his other hand and just like before. It was cut off.
Lei didn't stop, he didn't care about the arm. He wants to murder him, butcher him up, cut him into pieces, cut him in half… he wants to kill him.
But the monster refused to die…
Instead, it jumped onto him, dragging him to the ground as it bit down on his shoulder and neck. The pain made Lei grit his teeth as he cursed. But he didn't back down. He dove his sword deep into the monster's body. Stabbing him over and over.
But the monster refused to let go… even as Lei butted Dein's head with his sword again and again. He even started punching him and pushing and pulling him off but Dein simply sank his teeth down even more.
The two struggled and after a while Dein felt Lei's bone crack and slowly shatter along with his sharp teeth.
The pain made Me Wang to scream but no sound came from him as his windpipe was caught in Dein's mouth as well. Slowly coming undone.
"Grghhh!"
"Aghhh!"
The two struggled on the ground as Dein growled… he felt Lei's bone shatter and finally, the taste of flesh entered his mouth. Lei was suffocating, struggling in pain as his eyes rolled back.
Seeing this… Dein screamed, summoning every once of strength he still has until finally, he managed to tore Lei's neck off, along with his collar bone.
Lei screamed, pushing Dein off as he rolled to his side, scrambling as he try to stand. He looked at Dein with anger and pain as his hand rose to his neck. Trying to stop it from bleeding.
He gasped, and gasped again… trying to breathe normally.
Finally, he managed to stand. Staggering as he held his neck. For a moment, he looked down on Dein. Gave him a dry laugh as he try to say something. Only for his voice to come out raspy and for blood to spewed out.
"Heh…hahaha, I, …won …t–his fight–"
"Haha– you lost… and you will continue to lose!…"
He said in a grating voice. Mocking Dein.
Then he turned around and started walking away. Hands still on his neck.
A few moments later… Dein heard a thud as Lei fell to the ground.
The spell whispered to his ear in an unpleasant voice.
[You have slain an awakened: Lei, Chosen of the Sacred Flame]
[You have acquired a memory]
Only then did Dein notice… the missing half of his body.
****
The fog swirled around as the fire of another torch blinked out of life. The light around them grew weaker again.
Quin stared at the burned wood that had once been a torch and threw it to the ground.
He looked around, only to see nothing but fog and trees from a short distance. And the now small circle of light that's struggling to push the fog away.
'What… what was I supposed to do again?'
He thought… wasn't he supposed to have a meeting with the priestess? No, was it to teach the kids how to fight? Doesn't he have to go on patrol with Lei and Clara?
But just then, as Quin was drowning in confusing. A scream resounded from far behind them. He was suddenly pulled back to reality again.
"Get closer to the light! Don't step into the fog!"
He ordered, someone must've stepped out of the light again in confusion. Being attacked by whatever is there. The warriors all trembled when they heard his order. Even his son standing by his side shook.
By now, there's no more than 20 of the tribe's people Quin managed to save from the fire. They had entered the fog in search of the tunnel Gi had once used but they've been walking for a while now and yet everything remains the same.
The fog, the trees… that's it, over and over again.
Half of the people had already fallen to confusion and walked out of the light, only for their scream to be heard the next second.
Everyone was also drowning in fear…
"C-chief, a-are we there yet?"
One of the tribe's people asked Quin. He remained silent for bit and gave them his usual, confident answer.
"Not yet, but soon. We'll reached it soon…"
Hearing his words the people of his tribe started complaining.
"B-but, you've been saying that ever since we came here!"
"Chief, are you lying to us?"
"Where's the tunnel chief? We, we're down to half y'know?"
"W-where's Lei… and Clara? Did they defeat the monster yet? This should be much faster if they're here!"
As the last question entered Quin's ear, he flinched. Indeed, with Lei and Clara, this should be much faster. The fog had little effect on Clara while Lei can pull them with his speed.
If only they had stayed…
'Ugh, don't think that!'
Quin erased the thought from his head. In truth, Lei and Clara had chosen to stay. Their plan was to take care of that monster as fast as possible to avenge the tribe before, as well as to make sure the monster won't bother the tribe in their escape.
They should be catching up soon. With Clara's ability, they could find Quin and the others easily and with Lei, they could arrive much faster.
And yet… they're nowhere to be found.
Quin knew its impossible for them to lose so what happened?
Just then, another scream echoed as another member of the tribe was pulled into the fog.
Eveyone stopped and glanced back. Quin can saw the fear in their eyes as they gripped their weapons but no one tried to attack nor investigate. Only gulping in fear as they try to get closer to the light…
Soon, another one of the torches died out…
*****
"Mister, mister… you okay?"
A Little girl asked as it crouched beside a monster. Poking its face.
The monster was dark in color but it's teeth were full of red blood. One of its dark eyes were sliced open. It's guts and other organs were spilling on the ground as black blood drench its mangled body.
The body that's full of holes, cut, and open flesh.
The monster also has no left arm, while his right arm were cut off from the elbow.
But more importantly… the monster is missing half of it's body.
Well… not actually missing. It's there somewhere, just few feets away from its owner. It was cut off earlier by the tribe's swordman while he's being bit to death by this monster.
The monster named Dein.
The little girl spoke Dein's face again. Making him ache in pain but he's unable to do anything bout it.
"Mister, mister... Are we going die soon?"
She asked while giggling. But Dein has no answer to her question. He's currently wondering why he's still alive as well.
He's bleeding all over, his organs are outside of his body, all of them has holes inside. Even his skull is fractured, his brain probably taken enough damage from being pummeled by Lei earlier.
And yet he's still alive…
'When am I going to die? I, I want to sleep already'
Dein was in a world of pain and yet, he cannot even make a noise…
"Hehe, you're so cute when you're about to die mister… it's a shame the two are asleep"
The little girl voiced again, continuing to poke Dein's face. Then she sigh, not hearing any answer.
"Hmm? Hello, hellooo misterrr… are you there?"
But just then, the little girl suddenly stopped and turned to look somewhere…
She smiled and giggled.
"Shishi… look mister, a Mister Big Head is stuffing your friends in it's mouth"
Dein's eyes would've widened if he could when he heard that. Because somewhere not far from him. A Nightmare creature with a giant head and a humanoid body is sitting on the ground like a toddler. Putting Clara's dead body in it's big mouth before chomping down.
The sound of splattering blood and crunching bones echoed in Dein's ears.
He felt nervous for a bit…
*****
Far away from Dein. A group of tribe's people led by their Chieftain, Quin, were continuing their journey inside the fog.
From time to time, they would hear another of their member scream as they found themselves outside the light of their makeshift torches.
Everyone had grown accustomed to ignoring the sound now.
After all, there are only ten of them now…
The warriors were gone, the elderly were gone and so was the children.
Only a handful of untrained men and women as well Quin's very own son, Klen, whom he refused to let go off whatever happens.
Even though Klen has been trying to walk outside the light for some time now, Quin refused to let him.
He gritted his teeth…
'we're almost there… we're almost there… almost… there…'
Quin kept repeating the same thoughts over and over again. The thoughts that had became a mantra that he himself don't believe anymore…
'we're… almost– where are we?'
He finally allowed himself to realize. They are lost. Lost in this fog. And just then, another one of their torches died out.
And another scream resounded…
When Quin looked back, they are down to nine people… And they only have one torch left.
The one Quin is holding…
"Hihi…"
He heard a giggle somewhere and Quin immediately readied his weapon, pointing it and the torch to where the sound came from.
Only it was a mistake…
Because the moment he did that, two members of his tribe accidentally got out of the light.
Another scream echoed, coming from the remaining five people who fell to the ground after seeing a giant hand grabbed the two unfortunate people.
Before dissapearing into the fog with their screams…
"G-get close to me…!"
Quin shouted but his people remained frozen in fear…
"S-stand up… we have to mo–"
But Quin suddenly froze as well as he realizes Klen had escaped his grasp. He immediately tried to follow him but as a result, the remaining five people were thrown out of the light as well…
When Quin looked back, they were gone as well.
In the next moment, different screams echoed in the forest.
He gulped… 'N-no…'
Just like that, he was left alone.
His hand holding the last torch fell as the light slowly dissapeared from it… he looked up in horror as his spear fell from his hand.
With a thud, it hit the ground… as dozens of Big headed monster finally revealed themselves.
****
Dein groaned in pain. He felt his consciousness leaving his mind as a hand almost as big as his full body grabbed him.
On the other hand of the Big headed monster, another lifeless body hang. It was Lei's…
The monster but on Lei first and started eating him. The next moment, the little girl spoke again…
"Hey mister? Is this the monster we were looking for earlier?"
Dein had no idea… maybe it was? Maybe it wasn't. Who cares, all that matters now is that he going to die… finally.
Finally the monster brought Dein on its mouth, and then, swallowed him whole…
Dein felt grossed out as he felt his body slid on the monster's throat. Then he fell in a dark, smelly liquid, sinking down to the bottom. For a moment there, he seem to see a bright light slowly opening up. He closed his eyes.
'heh… so this is how I die?'
Dein scoffed in his mind, but just as he did a soft, chuckling voice whispered behind his ear.
[You have successfully brought ruin to the tribe worshiping the Sacred Flame!]
[Wake up Dein of Hearth! Your Nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal!]