A Devil

The night was pitch black, a blurry line between the last moments of yesterday and the first few of today. Sleep had taken its firmest grip on the guards, who were now drowsy to the point of complacency. But they were wrong to think their duty was merely to watch over powerless children. They couldn't have been more wrong.

A sudden, wet "squelch" broke the silence. Liu's shadow had swept past two guards, easily reaching for their vital parts with two gleaming stone-textured daggers. It might have been surprising to see such dangerous weapons in the possession of a supposedly harmless slave boy, but after months of captivity, it would have been stranger if Liu didn't have them.

"Let's go!" he hissed, his murderous gaze moving toward the earthen dome that housed the children. As they poured out into the freezing winter night, each of them felt the chill beat their dry skin. The cold did no good to these weak little children.

"Don't be wusses," Liu snapped at the group of fifty in front of him. "And don't forget the plan. Go and release the others. I'll take care of the patrolling guards."

Based on his assessment, there were a little less than a hundred other domes in the compound. Liu and the children had a long way to go before they could escape their captivity and find their freedom.

The plan was risky, and it was likely that some of the slaves would be caught in their endeavor. But Liu had taught them tricks to reduce their chances of being detected.

"Our small size gives us an advantage," he thought, taking into account the veil of darkness and the drowsiness of the guards. He would do his best to clear the path for the children, taking out any adults they couldn't fight.

Still, he knew this mission would cost lives. "At least ten... no, maybe twenty will be caught," he estimated. To improve their chances, they needed to get as many slaves out of their domes as possible. The more chaos they could create, the better their odds of success.

When the chaos reached its peak, that would be the perfect moment to make their exit. Everyone knew the plan. All that was left was its execution.

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Nuli Fanzi was a man who prided himself on his meticulousness. Even as a child, his parents had noticed his sharp business acumen. Yet, despite his gift for commerce, he lacked something more critical—a human soul. His thoughts and actions were marked by extreme selfishness and self-centeredness, making him ill-suited for a successful career as a merchant. Eventually, he stumbled upon a new line of business that fit him like a glove—slave trade.

In this new realm, Nuli Fanzi flourished, becoming the most prominent trader in the entire region. But his success was short-lived. Before his very eyes, everything he had worked so hard for crumbled into a sea of chaos and flames. The domes that housed the slaves he had purchased were engulfed in plumes of fire. Blood stained the ground, and his guards lay dead all around him. It was a terrifying sight, one that left him paralyzed with fear and confusion.

His mind reeled. How could this happen? He had run a meticulous and profitable business. He kept the bandits satisfied with the prices he paid for their slaves, and he kept the Sects happy with the constant flow of human cargo. The bandits didn't dare cross him, knowing he had the backing of the Sects, and the Sects needed him too much to eliminate him.

Perfect balance! He had achieved it!

Yet now, chaos reigned. He heard a sharp scream, followed by a thud, and looked over to see a small figure—the killer of the man who had screamed—approaching him. He was shocked to see that it was one of the filthy slaves he had always disqualified from sale.

Nuli Fanzi's plump body trembled with fear as the boy approached. How could this be happening? What had he done wrong? He had always been careful, meticulous even. Now, his perfect balance had been shattered, and he had no idea how to regain it.

Death had always been a tool for Nuli Fanzi. But now, with the tables turned and the young boy holding the sharp blades, his own mortality was staring him in the face. The boy closed the gap between them with ease, the glint of metal reflecting in his eyes. Nuli Fanzi broke into a cold sweat, fear coursing through his veins.

"Don't bother crying out," the boy said with a cold voice. "I've eliminated anyone who can hear you. You're powerless."

Nuli Fanzi's survival instincts kicked in. He begged for mercy, the desperation in his voice palpable. He knew he had no right to plead for his life, having never valued the lives of others. But now, faced with his own mortality, he realized how precious life truly was.

"I need the keys to the back passageway," the boy demanded. "I'm leaving this place, and I know you're the only one with access to the keys that lead to the points beyond the woods."

Nuli Fanzi's mind raced as he tried to remember where he had hidden the keys. Beyond the walls of the compound lay the dark woods, the perfect hiding place for anyone trying to escape. He had built a secret escape passage that led there, just in case. But now, with his life on the line, his mind went blank.

"I-I do," he stuttered, his voice barely audible.

"Give me the keys, and I'll spare your life," the boy said.

Nuli Fanzi knew he had no choice. He fumbled for the keys in his pocket, handing them over to the boy. As he did, the boy thrust the blades into his throat, killing him instantly.

"So there is a key," the boy murmured. "I only needed you to confirm that." He knew that Nuli Fanzi was meticulous and that he would have the keys on him.

The voice grew fainter and fainter, and Nuli Fanzi felt the hot liquid oozing out of his body. Death had come for him, and he knew he had only seconds left to live. But in those final moments, he had an epiphany.

For years, he had believed himself to be a devil, devoid of any compassion or empathy for his fellow human beings. He had taken pleasure in causing pain and suffering, thinking himself to be the epitome of selfishness and evil.

But as he lay dying, he realized that he was wrong. The true devil was the boy standing above him, the one who had taken his life so easily.

As Nuli Fanzi slipped into the void of death, he heard the boy's voice once more. "I don't need you," the boy said, his words carrying a weight that Nuli Fanzi could feel even in death.

With those words, Nuli Fanzi knew that the boy was the embodiment of evil. He had no regard for human life, no empathy for others.

A monster beyond the realm of humans.