Finally

"MEGAN, COME BACK HERE!"

Megan ran as fast as she could through the forest.

Her dad had told her to stay away, but she was determined. She had to make sure he was safe! Her mom's killer was out there, and she wasn't about to lose another parent.

"GIRL, PLEASE STOP RUNNING SO FAST!"

Sissy tried to grab her, but Megan dodged, causing Sissy to fall face-first into the mud.

"DAMNIT, MEGAN!!!"

A massive boom echoed ahead, pushing Megan to run even faster.

Ignoring the slips and falls, Megan finally reached an opening in the forest and was stunned by what she saw.

That same priest she had seen in her dad's jail was fighting Jason?

The two were trading blows so rapidly that she could barely follow their movements. What kind of monsters were they?

"D-damnit!"

Turning to the side, she saw the other guy from the jail cell slowly getting up from the ground, holding his bleeding head.

"What happened here? Wait, what are you doing here, girl?"

"Uh..."

"ACK!"

Before she could answer, she saw her dad struggling to get up. He had multiple cuts and bruises, but she didn't care.

He was alive!

"DAD!"

"Huh? MEGAN!?"

Running over, Megan jumped on her dad, crying as she hugged him tightly. She held him as if to never let him go.

"Megan...what are you doing here? I told you to stay at the camp!"

"Shut up, Dad, I didn't want to let you die on me!"

"Hey, what's that light!?"

The guy noticed the light and pointed it out. The priest's right arm was glowing with a bright holy light, radiating heat.

Jason backed away, only for the priest to suddenly appear before him and strike. Megan and her dad watched in shock as the priest obliterated Jason's arm. Unfortunately, Jason managed to strike the priest's side, sending him crashing into a tree.

"What in the world is going on!"

Megan heard Sissy yelling behind her. She turned to see all her friends, except Jill, finally catching up. They stared at the fight in awe. The priest and Jason both struggled to get up—the priest with a giant cut on his side, and Jason missing an entire arm. The priest looked up at the sky for a moment before resuming his fight with Jason.

The two exchanged powerful punches, causing a shockwave that rippled through the forest. It seemed the priest was overpowering Jason now, his glowing arm giving him an edge.

The other guy ran toward the combatants, picking up a machete. He lunged forward, stabbing Jason in the head. The priest used the distraction to deliver a powerful blow, sending Jason flying into a crater.

"Uh...what just happened?"

Megan could only look at her dad in confusion as they stared at the priest and the other guy. The priest raised his glowing arm high into the air.

<POV Change>

I swung my fist down at Jason's heart, causing a bright explosion. His body exploded in a blinding light, leaving nothing behind.

"FUCK! I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN RIGHT NOW!"

I clutched my still-bleeding side, the pain almost unbearable. I nearly fell, but Tommy caught me just in time. He helped me walk out of the crater, supporting my weight.

"August, are you alright?"

"I'm really not, Tommy."

"Ah, okay..."

"Who are they, Tommy?"

As we emerged from the crater, I saw a group of teens and the sheriff lying on the ground, their faces filled with awe. The sheriff slowly got up with Megan's help.

"Boy, what in the world did you do?"

Hmm, I'd never really thought about explaining my abilities to regular people. But did they really need a detailed explanation right now?

"Magic."

"Wait, magic is real?"

"OK, moving on. Hi, everyone!"

I waved everyone over with my good arm, breaking them out of their shock. Megan's friends bombarded me with questions, but I wasn't keen on answering them at the moment.

{Congratulations! You have completed the hunt!}

{You will be transferred from this world in 10 seconds.}

'System pause on all that'

I hobbled over to the dead deputy, ignoring the murmurs of the teens and sheriff behind me. I knelt beside him and closed his eyes, giving his body a peaceful passing. As I stood, I stopped in front of the sheriff and gave a small bow.

"I am sorry for not being able to save him."

The sheriff looked at me with a mix of confusion and gratitude.

"Thank you for... not making his death worthless..."

'Worthless death, huh?'

Damn, now isn't the time to get nostalgic, not that I want to. I glanced up at the night sky. The rain had stopped. Everything felt oddly nostalgic. Before I could dwell on it, the sheriff asked an interesting question.

"August... why did you go through all of that?"

Hmm, another question I didn't have a good answer for. Can't just say, 'Oh, because I have this blue screen that gives me powers if I hunt these things,' they'd probably lock me up.

"I guess you could say... it's my job. Someone's gotta hunt these monsters down."

The sheriff nodded slowly, accepting the answer. Megan and her friends stared at me with a mix of fear and admiration. I gave them a small smile.

"Alright, everyone, let's get out of here. It's not safe."

Megan stepped forward, wiping away her tears as she hugged her dad.

"Thank you, August. For saving my dad."

"..."

"It's what any good man would do."

Megan nodded, wiping her tears away and standing up.

"Alright, everyone, let's go. We need to get back to the camp."

As the group started to move, Tommy helped me to my feet again. I leaned heavily on him, the pain in my side nearly unbearable. At least I couldn't feel anything in my arm—probably would have been a lot more vulgar if I could.

"You did good, August."

"Thanks, man..."

I deliberately slowed our pace, eventually stopping as the group continued on. I separated from Tommy, my vision blurring.

"August, why aren't we following them anymore?"

"Tommy... just live a life, man."

"Huh?"

He looked at me like I was crazy, but I had some things I wanted to say.

"My guy, you've been chained by the guilt and terror of Jason. It's all okay now."

Tommy's eyes widened, his face a mix of confusion and hope.

"What are you talking about, August?"

"Jason's gone. For good this time. You don't have to carry that burden anymore. You've got a second chance now. Don't waste it."

Tommy looked thoughtful, then nodded with determination.

"I... I'll try."

"Good, now go catch up with the others. I'll be fine."

"But—"

"Go, I'll catch up."

Tommy hesitated, then gave me a small nod before running to catch up with the group. I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of relief and sadness. He deserved a normal life, free from the horrors he'd faced.

"August... thank you... but I think you should take your own advice, you know?"

He gave me a wide grin before disappearing from sight. I let out a heavy sigh, leaning against a tree for support. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain was becoming unbearable. I glanced at the sky again, feeling a sense of finality.

'My own advice, huh?'

{Congratulations! You have completed the hunt! You will be transferred from this world in 10 seconds.}

I closed my eyes, letting exhaustion wash over me.

{10... 9... 8... 7... 6...}

{5... 4... 3... 2... 1}

{Leaving world now.}

I felt the surroundings growing distant. I opened my eyes and saw myself ascending into the sky. The pain seemed to fade away as I flew higher.

"Finally."