154 In Red

It was so sudden that instinct kicked in. Nothing else. But instinct, due to fatigue and stress, was not as sharp as it should have been. Gustav sensed the tension of the attacker. He saw the blade and...

Too slow.

He failed to dodge the blow.

Shock drowned out the pain.

If it hadn't been for the blood that gushed in front of his eyes, he wouldn't have realized that the blade had touched him. Blood that turned the air red.

The attacker was as shocked as he was. He did not repeat the blow. He backed away panting. He stood motionless. Through the falling droplets of blood, Gustav saw his feverish eyes. He knew those eyes. He knew that face. He swallowed hard.

So this is it now, he thought. So this is how my life will end. Well, maybe it's some divine punishment or something like that.

Something inside him said this is how it should be. Life for life. Death for death. There was some justice in this....

NO!