Four Days Later
"Sirus! Sirus, come here—quick!" Sasha called out.
"Yes, mother! Coming," he replied, stepping into the lounge.
She gave a small frown, pressing a hand to her lower back. "Sweetie, I've been working too much lately. Could you be a good boy and go shopping for me?"
"Yeah, sure, no problem. What do you need? And where's Dad? Haven't seen him all day."
"Oh, him? He's out walking with his friends—as you should be." She paused, shook her head, and then continued. "Here, take sixteen Rulen credits. Let's see... we need two loaves of bread…" She listed off the items and handed him the bronze coins.
Sirus nodded, taking the credits and examining them as he walked toward the market.
"Rulen credits," he mused. "The currency of this world. They're the size and shape of a 50-cent coin. The ones I have are bronze—lowest grade and cheapest. I learned all about this in school, so I should be fine."
Several minutes later, he arrived at the market. 'Not as busy as usual,' he thought. He walked along the stalls until he recalled the list. 'Two breads… some eggs… butter too.'
He stopped at a stall and addressed the vendor. "I'll take two loaves, a dozen eggs, and some butter."
"Here you go, kid. That'll be fourteen Rulen," the man rasped.
"Thanks. Uh… how am I supposed to carry all this?" Sirus asked, brow furrowing.
"What? You didn't bring a basket?" the man sighed. "Here—borrow this one. But return it when you get home, alright?"
"Thank you." As Sirus placed the items in the basket, something in the distance caught his eye. He looked up to see a large figure sitting atop a hill—still and staring into the sky.
The village chief... Sirus thought, squinting. What's he doing up there?
He looked away and headed home.
[Knock]
[Knock]
"Mother, I'm back," he called, closing the door behind him and placing the items on the kitchen table.
Sasha walked in, inspecting the groceries before smiling at him. "Thanks, dear. What will you be doing for the rest of the day?"
"I need to return the basket," Sirus replied, handing her the leftover coins. "And… I'm going to visit the village chief."
Sasha's eyes widened as she noticed the borrowed basket. "Oh! I forgot to give you ours…"
"It's okay, Mother. I'll be back before sundown. Bye."
"Alright, dear. Love you! …Wait, did he say he's going to visit the chief? Huh. That's odd… Oh well."
Sirus returned the basket to the vendor with thanks, then made his way toward the hill.
"Who is it?" the village chief asked, noticing movement beside him. He turned slightly. "Oh… it's you, Sirus-boy."
"The one and only," Sirus chuckled, sitting beside him.
"What brings you up here?"
"Oh, I thought I'd hang out with you for a bit. Nothing else to do at home." He glanced at the older man, then turned to the open skies.
"Have you ever lived outside the village? Like… actually lived out there, maybe adventured?" Sirus asked, curiosity in his voice.
The chief didn't answer immediately. He stared into the sky before speaking.
"I wasn't born in this village. I came from a small, peaceful one much like it. As a child, I often wandered into the dark forest, drawn by curiosity and the wonders within. Monsters, creatures… They hunted, crept, and watched. But I was never scared. I only grew more fascinated.
"When I turned sixteen, I packed my things and left. Didn't tell anyone. Just vanished one morning. For forty years, I roamed the world. I met goblins, giants, creatures of every shape and size. Made friends. Made enemies. Ate strange foods. Drank with strangers. It was freedom, Sirus. True freedom.
"But…" he paused, voice hardening, "I learned something the hard way: humans hate demons."
He lifted his shirt, revealing a back marred by deep scars.
"These weren't from monsters. Humans did this."
He lowered the fabric and continued, voice shaking.
"One day, I returned to my village. Or what remained of it. Burnt homes. Blood. Mangled bodies. My people, slaughtered. I arrived too late—the wildlife had already begun feasting. And there, among the ruins… flags. Iron swords. Human make.
"My rage... I can't describe it. I picked up one of their weapons and hunted them down. Tracked them to their settlement, just beyond the forest. Called on allies. And we… I…"
He clenched his fists. "We razed that village. I killed them all. Every. Last. One. No mercy. No exceptions. As they had done to mine."
A silence passed.
"If I hadn't left… maybe I could've protected them. Maybe none of it would've happened."
Before he could go on, Sirus gently interrupted.
"I understand. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dig into old wounds."
The chief wiped his tears and patted Sirus's head.
"You're a good kid. You speak with kindness and clarity. Your parents must be proud to have raised someone like you."
Sirus looked up and gave a soft, grateful nod.
The chief pulled him close, resting an arm around his shoulders. Together, they stared at the vast horizon.
'I know, Chief,' Sirus thought. 'I was once human—and not a proud one. They waged war against their own selfish desires. They killed, even when innocent lives hung in the balance. I've seen it. I've lived it. And I'm not proud of it.'
A few quiet minutes passed.
Then the chief's eyes widened. His body tensed. Rage crept into his expression.
"Im… impossible," he breathed. "I killed them. I killed all of them! Why do they carry that flag?!"
"Village Chief? What's wrong?" Sirus asked, turning to see where he stared.
Marching toward the village… were humans. Clad in plate armor, robes, and riding horses. Their banners waved high—navy blue fields, a white figure holding a cross emblazoned at the center.
Sirus's blood ran cold.
"W-what are they doing here?!" he whispered, terror rising in his throat.
"No... No, they're here to finish what they started. To massacre. To destroy."
The sound of armored boots grew louder.
One of the Holy Knights, riding at the front, looked up the hill. A twisted grin spread across his face.
"I found you."