Despite the day being so bright, Lucius's heart was sinking into darkness. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, refusing to stop no matter how hard he tried. Memories kept flashing back: the warm household back at home, his mother's bright laughter when he pulled pranks on her, the cheerful villagers, the sweet elderly woman who took care of him when he was still in pain, and Eron, the man who saved him. All of them now lay motionless on the floor, surrounded by pools of crimson blood splashed everywhere, painting the ground a deep, horrifying red.
But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a faint sound. Upon hearing it, the breath he never knew he was holding rushed out of him. With his chest rising and falling rapidly, a fragile spark of hope appeared in his teary eyes. He stumbled forward through broken wood, bodies, blood, and fire, not caring whether his hands were scalded by the hot flames or cut and bleeding. His hope began to waver when he heard no response. Still, despite his trembling hands and cold sweat dripping down his forehead, he tried to remain calm, though it wasn't helping at all.
Please let me find someone, he whispered, trembling, doubt heavy in his voice, knowing he might have only imagined the sound. Every little noise gave him hope, but as always, it shattered instantly when he realised it was just his own desperate footsteps pounding the ground.
The search left him looking like he had crawled out of a dumpster. His dishevelled hair stuck out wildly after he ran his hands through it countless times, and his hands shook violently as he dug deeper into the rubble. Fresh blood flowed because his power refused to heal the wounds quickly enough. Suddenly, he froze, causing more cuts on his legs, but he didn't care. The sound had returned clearer now, growing closer and closer. With his heartbeat rising fast, he pushed forward and stopped exactly where the cries were loudest.
Help me, the weak cries continued from a small boy.
He dropped to his knees, breaking down once again as he saw the small boy who usually played with him, lying there covered in blood with a missing hand and limb.
"How come?" he spoke to no one but himself, tears flooding his puffy, swollen eyes again.
"Dave, it's ok, Brother Lucius is here to save you," he said in a cracked voice, doubt and denial thick in his tone, not knowing if his power would even repair the limbs.
"I will save you," he spoke, but the words came out broken and trembling. His heart quickened painfully with each word. He kept digging with his heart rising and falling too fast. When he finally pulled Dave free, the terrible truth hit him again: one hand and one leg were truly gone. Despite his desperate reassurance, Dave kept crying uncontrollably, his small face completely soaked with tears.
"Brother Lucius, stop deceiving me." He spoke faintly with a cracking voice between his tears, knowing he would soon die.
But Lucius did not want to give up. He raised his hands as something dark came out of them. A sudden change turned the air ice-cold, and the wind vanished completely.
He spoke in a very dangerous tone that sent a chill down anyone's spine: "REVERSE"
After he spoke, the place grew even darker. Cold air pressed down heavily as his power activated, dark energy swirling around and engulfing the small boy's body. This time, the reversal took much longer before it finally released the boy, revealing a perfectly intact body with not even a scratch or scar.
The boy watched everything in horror, his eyes wide with terror and confusion. Fear pounded violently in his chest. Instinctively, he scrambled up from Lucius' lap and backed away quickly, his pulse racing out of control.
Lucius noticed the pure fear written across the boy's face. His own hands trembled badly, and a deep sadness settled in his eyes, making his stomach twist painfully.
"I won't… hurt… you, Dave." Those were the only words that could come out as his voice cracked and his chest heaved with heavy emotion. "Trust me."
Not knowing what to do, the boy's eyes and heart clouded with fear. He turned and ran away from the ruins as fast as his legs could carry him, desperate to escape this place and the terrifying power he had just seen.
"Wait, don't injure yourself!" Lucius shouted in a loud, forceful voice. The pain from using his ability this time was far worse than before. When he tried to follow Dave, his legs trembled violently, his breathing grew ragged and uneven, and suddenly his strength gave out. He collapsed hard onto the floor as sharp, broken wood pierced his flesh. More crimson blood gushed out of his body as darkness took over him.
He opened his eyes, but the radiant sun made him close them as he winced in pain. After a few seconds, he managed to open them again. As he looked around, he noticed he was no longer at the ruins. His heart was beating more normally now, and his hands were no longer bleeding or trembling; they were wrapped in rough, clumsy bandages, clearly the work of a child. A small, tired smile touched his lips as he thought of Dave doing this for him.
He raised his hands first with ease, but as he tried to lift his upper body, sharp pain shot through him. "Ish… ahhh."
Upon hearing his voice, a small boy not more than 10 years old came rushing in, breathing heavily, his little heart hammering violently in his chest, sweat rolling down his face. "You are awake!" the boy said, excitement shining across his face and into his eyes.
Lucius looked confused, a frown forming on his brow as he stared at the boy in disbelief, struggling to find the right words. Then Dave spoke again.
"Brother Lucius, how are you feeling?" He asked, still out of breath, as he stepped inside the half-destroyed house that was still somewhat intact.
Finding his voice, Lucius answered softly, "I'm fine, Dave."
"Liar," Dave spoke, not believing him, his mouth slightly open in a pout.
"See, I'm fine." Lucius lifted his hands, trying to reassure the boy, but he immediately winced when Dave touched his rib. "Hey, don't do that."
"Now you know it's painful," the boy said, a bright smile spreading across his face, his lips curling as his eyes lit with mischief.
"Oh, I see what you are doing," Lucius spoke, and for the first time since the massacre, a real smile appeared on his face. But the moment he remembered how Dave had looked at him in fear before he passed out, the smile faded quickly. His expression turned into a poker face as he asked in a cracked voice, "Why did you come back, Dave?"
"I…" Guilt laced in his tone. But he decided to tell the truth. "I came back because even though you looked scary, you are still Brother Lucius, and that won't change. And you saved me despite the pain it caused you." He spoke confidently, his small face serious, showing he truly meant every word.
"Even though I was the reason your family, your whole village, was destroyed, would you still save me, Dave?"
"I… don't… know." The words struggled to leave his mouth, but then he added, "Brother Lucius is the best." He spoke again, dismissing the earlier tension as a smile returned to his face.
"Hey, come here." Lucius gestured with his arms spread wide. The boy noticed and jumped straight into his embrace. "No matter what happens, I would never leave you alone, and no matter what, I would keep you safe for as long as I live, Dave. So do you believe me, even though I'm the reason your family died? Would you follow me as I teach those bad guys a lesson?"
"Yes, Brother Lucius, I will follow you," Dave answered.
Growl, his stomach growled loudly. Dave looked at Lucius, who had been talking in a serious tone with a straight face, but his stomach betrayed him. The boy burst into laughter, making Lucius's face turn red with embarrassment. "You small boy, who are you laughing at?" Lucius tried to sound stern and furrowed his brow, but he failed badly. The laughter continued warmly, and for a moment, it almost felt like the villagers had never left.
He watched the boy's small, sleeping form, regret washing over him. Despite everything that had happened, the boy still saw him as someone he could rely on.
"But am I capable of saving this boy?" He spoke to no one but himself, his brows furrowing deeply and forming a worried line on his forehead. Not knowing where to go next, he remembered those painful headache memories he could use against the source of all this corruption, but they didn't give clear direction. That meant he had to find more monsters, yet he was still unsure if he would lose control again. He thought, puzzled.
But their first journey would be to another settlement, and they need to disguise themselves, or he needs to disguise himself, so he doesn't attract trouble towards them. What if the darkness inside me follows us there, too? The heavy thought tightened his chest with dread. He wasn't sure if he could truly protect Dave… or if he would be the one to destroy the last person who still believed in him.