Chapter 6: End of Hope

Seeing the situations Thomas ordered "Form a line ! Protect the villagers!!!" Hearing the order the soldier ran towards the villagers to save them but as the villagers were scattered,some were trying to flee others frozen in terror. The soldiers fought desperately to cover them but they were outnumbered and overwhelmed.

Thomas gritted his teeth , fury and desperation welling up inside him . He saw a group of villagers cornered by a massive bear, its claw raking through the air as it advanced. Seeing this without thinking, he charged forward , swinging his sword with all his strength. The blade bit into the bear's shoulder, and it roared in pain , turning its red ferocious gaze on him .

"Run fast!!" Thomas yelled to the villagers, who stumbled away as he faced the beast alone . The bear lunged at him , which he barely managed to dodge , feeling the rush of air as its claw swiped past him . He slashed at the injury again , driving it back ,trying to buy time . He could hear the heart the battle raging around him , the clash of steel, the screams of the wounded ,the growl and howl of the beasts .

But it was of no use , for every beast they managed to kill , two more seemed to take its place . The village, his motherland was falling , he glanced over his shoulder and saw the horror he feared — beasts were breaking into the village smashing through doors and tearing through the walls . They were invading homes , slaughtering everything in their path .

Despair clawed at him , but he couldn't afford to think of it . He had to hold them off, to save as much villager he could . He fought with fury born of desperation, slashing and hacking his body moving on pure instinct. But he was only one man while the beasts were relentless.

When he was looking over the villagers , suddenly a wolf lunged at him , it's teeth sinking into his arm . He cried out in pain , making him lose his posture but he swung his sword , cutting the wolf down . Blood dropped down his arm , but he ignored it , his eyes scanning the battlefield. Soldiers were falling their bodies laid across the ground, and the villager were being torn apart , He had failed them and his promise towards everyone.

With tears in his eyes ,biting his lips he ordered " Retreat!" to th soldiers who were still standing .

" Get the survivors out of here!" But even as he said it , he knew it was too late . The beasts were everywhere , their savage roar echoing through the village , There was no escape .

With a roar of rage ,Thomas charged at the nearest beast, his sword swinging. He knew he couldn't win , but he would fight until the end . He would make sure that no matter what happened, he would stand between these monsters and his family, even if it cost him everything.

As he fought , his mind went to Ivon who was leading the children through the passage, his brave son who have to one day face this world without him . " Stay safe , my brave boy", his voice lost in the face of hundreds of beasts surfing like waves towards him.

After a day ...

The dawn sky was painted with somber blend of red and violet dark sky . A man staggered through the village , his steps heavy and uneven , blood dripping from his missing arm . His breath came in ragged grasp , his body covered in bloodied horrifying wounds indicating the tough and pain he suffered. All around him , the once- bustling village was now littered with bodies of those who had fought with him — none were spared .

This person is none other than Thomas .

His vision blurred as he made his way toward his house , a desperate hope clinging in his heart to see his wife Evilia lmfor the last time .

After an hour of slowly walking he came in front of his house , but what he saw made his heart froze ,he saw that the gate was broken , garden— once symbolizjng nature now trampled and soaked in blood and soldier all lying as corpse , their lifeless eyes staring blankly at the dawn sky .

"No....."Thomas whispered, his voice hoarse and broken . He felt his heart hammering wildly in his chest as he stumbled forward , his bloodied legs somehow finding the strength to carry him to the house . The front door was shattered, hanging off its hinges and the walls were scarred with feel gouges. He forced himself to push through the wreckage .

Inside the air was thick with the stench lf blood . The lifeless bodies of maids and workers lay on the floor , their eyes wide with terror ,their throats tore open. Thomas's knee nearly buckled but he pushed on , his only thought of Evilia wellbeing . He had to find her , she had to be safe .

He burst into their bedroom , his heart pounding like a war drum . The room was empty , relief washed over him but then panic took hold . Where was she ? He tore through the house searching every room , every corner , calling her name with a cracked and broken voice .

" Evilia !! Evilia !!! " he shouted , his voice echoing through the empty rooms . But only silence answered him , with each passing second it grew heavier , his mind raced. There was one place left , he hadn't checked. The well .

Stumbling and limping , he made his way to the back of the house , his heart in his throat . He reached the well , the ground around it stained with blood . Beasts corpses everywhere . His eyes widened in horror as he saw her . Evilia's body lay crumpled beside the well , her limbs twisted torn with her arm and one leg missing . Blood pooled around her , seeping into the earth .

"No...no.....no!"

Thomas cried , his knees breaking as he fell to his knees beside her. He reached out his one good hand trembling and gently lifted her head onto his lap . Her face was pale , her beautiful eyes closed, her lips parted slightly as if she had been calling out for him.

" Evilia , my love ....please ....please wake up...."

But there was no response her blood was cold , her breath stilled. Thomas clutched her , his tears falling onto her lifeless face , mixing with the blood that covered her . He rocked her back and forth but she still unmoved .

"I'm so sorry.... I'm so sorry I wasn't here ..... I should have protected you ...." His voice was broken whisper, his tears mingling with the dirt and blood on her face . He had failed her, failed everyone . The village now lay on ruins , their people slaughtered , and now the love of his life his reason for fighting was gone .

He howled his grief and his voice raw and ragged , a sound of pure agony that seemed to echo through the empty village. The pain in his body was nothing company to the agony in his heart . He had lost everything he considered dear to him — his home , his people, his wife .

The world around him blurred and faded leaving only the two of them alone in their final moments.As Thomas made his last breath in agony .