— I'm so sorry I'm late! — Gantz approached, scratching his head.
— You! You missed the guest's blessing! Where were you? Weren't you out hunting? — His mother grabbed his arm, whispering harshly. She squeezed so hard her nails began to dig into his skin.
— The pig?! — Anne shouted right behind them, her braids swinging as she jumped.
Gantz smiled. — Don't worry, your pig is roasting in the oven, and when we get home, you can feast.
— It's alright; time flies when you're hunting. What matters is that he's here now. — His father came to the rescue, pulling Gantz's other arm toward a group of young women. — I'm taking him to meet some young suitors.
Martha huffed as she watched the two disappear into the crowd.
A few hours later, the family had returned home by wagon. Gantz checked the pig, and the food was ready—the skin crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The aroma permeated the entire house. Wine was served as everyone sat at the table.
Gantz looked around, starting with his father Pedro, then Anne, Tobias, Gabriel, and Luis—the two youngest who were playing with the food on their plates—and finally his mother, with a joyful and amused expression.
Everyone stuffed themselves with food, and afterward, Gantz sat on the living room rug, picking up a book called The Boy Who Felt Betrayed to read to the children before bed. His mother and father went out for a walk to enjoy the night breeze.
In the early hours of the morning, a loud crash rang out. Everyone bolted upright in terror. Pedro grabbed his sword from the side of the bed and moved toward the door. Gantz emerged from the adjacent room with his crossbow. He aimed at the door, and when he saw the shadow of something entering, he fired into the center of it. The bolt flew but was stopped mid-air by something that made it erupt in sparks. Right behind it, Pedro delivered a sword strike with all his might, only to have his blade caught and pulled, dragging him along. His body was thrown through the door with ease. Gantz tried to reload as fast as he could, but due to low visibility and hands shaking with anxiety, he dropped the bolt on the floor. He felt his neck being seized, and then his light body was hoisted into the air and dragged outside.
The moonlight was strong enough to illuminate Leonardo's armor. He wore a faint smile, his blue eyes shimmering under the moon, and his terrifying expression made Gantz's heart stop for a moment.
Pedro stood up, looked around, and saw other armored knights surrounding them.
— My lords, there must be some mistake!
— That is for me to decide! — said a voice from behind Pedro.
— Father! For mercy's sake! What is happening?
— Silence, sinner! — With a wave of his hand and a blue light that followed the priest's finger, Pedro felt his body stiffen as he fell to his knees.
— Now that this plebeian is silent, bring me the rest of the filth!
Gantz struggled against the soldier's grip, feeling weak and helpless as he watched his father kneeling on the ground. Screams came from the house as his siblings and mother were dragged out. Anne cursed one of them as she fought in his arms; the man smiled, grabbed her mouth, and pulled out a tooth, causing her mouth to explode in a waterfall of blood that stained his breastplate. He threw her to the ground with the others as the priest sealed them as well. Gantz and Pedro wept in despair, trying to scream, but only grunts came out.
— So, this is the filthy traitor! — the priest said, delivering a strike with a blue whip that seemed to appear out of thin air, hitting Gantz's back. Leonardo dropped him to the ground as the priest lashed him relentlessly. Each blow seemed to corrode every inch of his nervous system, making him convulse and vomit. His nose bled, and his eyes swelled red.
— Shouldn't we follow procedure, sir?
— Of course, of course! Test him!
A blue light, like a shimmering mist, fell over Gantz's body, causing a dark fog to emerge from his pores. The soldiers recoiled with expressions of disgust.
— Then it is confirmed! We have a sinner! And what is the penalty for a traitor?
— The penalty is death for him and his kin! — Leonardo said, forcing Gantz onto his knees.
— I... no...
Gantz was struck with a slap across the face before being silenced with magic.
— I don't want to hear anything from a piece of filth! — Leonardo said with a face twisted in rage. He drew his blade and positioned it against Gantz's neck.
His parents and siblings wept, unable to utter a single word, their eyes red and bulging with tears. Gantz didn't know if they were afraid, sad, or angry at him, but those eyes seemed to pierce his soul.
— I have a better idea! For your knowledge, my name is Olete de Cravos Santiago — he said in his irritatingly high-pitched voice.
He then signaled to the blood-stained soldier, who, without hesitation, delivered a blow, decapitating Anne. Her head rolled to Gantz's knees; her eyes seemed to blink as they looked at him.
Gantz wanted to scream and cry—they all did—but no sound came out.
The knight, in an amused manner, walked slowly and steadily to the next sibling and delivered a blow, always in a way that the head would roll toward Gantz. The skulls of Anne, Tobias, Gabriel, and Luiz now lay before him. His parents did not have the mercy of a quick death.
— For the sin of bringing filth into this world! I condemn you to burn! — the priest said as he spun around and unleashed a fireball that consumed them both. He then released the seal and watched as their bodies contorted amidst the flames.
— It's always funny how they twist in the fire, Hahaha! And now for you... I have some plans for you!
Gantz couldn't take it anymore. He felt his mind sink into the oblivion of unconsciousness.