Chapter 41: Echoes of Desperation
A beautiful woman with flowing black hair walked through the bustling streets, her arms laden with bags of fruit and vegetables.
She wore a long black dress that revealed only her shoulders and neck, her hair tied up in an elegant knot.
Heads turned as she passed by, not just for her beauty, but for the presence of the man walking beside her, a man with equally striking black hair and a strong, sturdy build.
His eyes were captivating, drawing attention wherever he went.
Together, they arrived at an average-looking building, neither too opulent nor too humble. As they entered, two little girls ran to greet them, their excitement palpable.
Emma and Eva, twins, embraced their mother, while their older brother Daniel stood nearby.
"Did you find Dune and Ned?" the girls asked.
Lina sighed heavily, her heart weighed down by worry. Daniel echoed her sentiments, his voice tinged with concern.
"We didn't, but I will keep searching. Soon, I will become a professor at the best academy in Rendely, and I will be close to the castle.
There, I might gather more information."
"I hope they are okay," Lina murmured, her eyes reflecting the deep-seated fear gnawing at her soul.
Suddenly, voices from outside caught their attention. Daniel hurried to investigate, his brow furrowed with worry. "What's going on?"
Outside people were getting louder for something, Daniel noticed two men close to him, their voices carrying the weight of tragedy.
"Did you hear? Fein was destroyed. Some creatures attacked, and no one survived. The king and his army returned from a giant portal, but there were no other survivors. What could destroy a strong city like Fein?"
The other man sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is that even possible? Poor people died agonizing deaths.
And Cadogan… he had a Blue Neba. It's a pity we lost someone like him. At least we still have Cassius and Richard. They are the best prodigies in Rendely."
Daniel interrupted, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Are you two sure there are no survivors? How did the whole city get destroyed in minutes?" …I arrived here in thirteen minutes, running at my highest speed, faster than any creature. How is this possible? .. he thought
The men exchanged uneasy glances. "I don't even know. I'm just repeating what I heard."
Gritting his teeth, Daniel fought back the rising tide of despair. I should've stayed. I should've protected Dune and Ned. But even I wouldn't have been able to change anything.
I don't accept this. Dune and Ned are not dead.They can't die so easily. And they have Atlas. Atlas might have helped them.
"Please, be safe"
Behind Daniel, Lina stood motionless, her heart heavy with grief, yet her expression stoic. Daniel turned to his mother, his eyes pleading for reassurance. "Mom, I—"
But Lina abruptly turned and walked into their new home, her demeanor unchanged, as if the news hadn't affected her at all, as if her two sons weren't possibly dead.
Daniel stood rooted to the spot, his heart aching with sorrow and frustration.
Then, with a determined grimace, Daniel stormed out of the house. "I will find them and bring them back home.
And that guy…" His thoughts turned to Sam, their father, the man whose actions had delayed their escape from the city. "It's his fault. If not for Sam, everything would be better. I'm going to kill him."
Lina remained motionless, her thoughts her own.
Daniel walked away, his face etched with determination and sorrow, his resolve unyielding as he embarked on his quest to find his lost brothers.
Amidst a scene of death and despair, a figure cloaked in black stood, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of five individuals.
His hands were stained crimson with blood, his breathing labored as he limped forward, one leg throbbing with pain.
His black hair hung over his face, veiling his eyes as he staggered towards an old, dilapidated house.
Collapsing to his knees, Sam crawled towards the wooden wall, his breaths ragged and heavy.
Wounds marred his body, reminders of the violence that had ensued. As he leaned against the wall, memories flooded his mind, transporting him to a painful past.
Sam remembered standing before his beloved wife, Lina, his heart heavy with guilt and regret.
He lay on the ground, wounded and defeated, as Lina approached him, wielding a sword, its blade gleaming ominously black.
In a moment of mercy, as she poised to strike, Lina halted, tears streaming down her face.
"I can't do this… Sam i can't defend you any longer," she choked out, her voice laden with sorrow.
"Wake up, please… wake up. Why would you do that, Sam? How could you abandon our sons? Please, Sam, wake up already… what happened… what happened to you.. Come back …"
But Sam could only watch, his mind clouded with confusion and pain. Lina's words pierced his soul, her disappointment and sadness etched deep within him.
As she turned away, leaving him behind, Sam felt the crushing weight of his mistakes bearing down upon him.
Alone in the confines of the old house, Sam grappled with his inner turmoil. His head throbbed with agony, his thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and despair.
"What is happening to me?" he whispered, his voice barely audible in the empty room.
Clutching his hands before him, Sam stared at them, bewildered by his own identity.
"Who am I? What am I doing here? Where is Lina?" His questions echoed in the silent air, unanswered and unresolved.
With a groan of anguish,
Sam realized the gravity of his actions, the consequences of his choices weighing heavily upon his conscience. "What have I done?" he cried out, his voice tinged with remorse and regret.
In a fit of anguish, Sam pounded his fists against the unforgiving ground, blood mingling with dirt as he grappled with the depths of his despair.
"This… all of this is that damned Zeten Ned's fault, and Dune… if not for him, everything would be better."
Exhausted and drained, Sam succumbed to the embrace of sleep, his troubled dreams haunted by the ghosts of his past.
Sam's resolve surged within him like a beacon in the darkness.
With determination etched upon his features, he rose to his feet, his conviction unshakeable.
"Yes, I have to do this," he declared, his voice a solemn whisper. "I have to try."
Bringing his hands together in a gesture of supplication, Sam sank to the ground once more, closing his eyes as he invoked the name of the divine.
"Dinlas, God of Love and Hatred," he intoned, his words carrying the weight of his desperation.
"Protector against malevolence, guardian of mortals, and harbinger of hope. I beseech thee for strength and guidance, to illuminate my path and ignite the flame within my heart."
In the stillness of the room, Sam's plea echoed, a plea born from the depths of his soul, a beacon of hope amidst the shadows of despair. With every word spoken, he sought solace in the divine, reaching out for a glimmer of salvation in a world consumed by darkness.