4 Chapter 4: Nine

"...Oh."

"This… this is what you deserve!"

There was not a single shred of emotion in Nine's eyes; none at all even as he watched as Iain started mercilessly kicking Morys's headless corpse. Mercilessly, perhaps that was not really the word one would use since Morys was already dead.

But Nine wanted to experience the warmth of Morys's kindness until the end. So why…

…why did he have to die before him?

"And you…" Iain did not spend more of his time kicking a dead old man, however, as he soon switched his eyes to Nine, "...Not so tough now, are you?"

There was a certain frenzy in Iain's words as he very slowly approached Nine. He had actually wanted to meet Nine since he received news that his father had taken him down the dungeon, but the guards were not letting him pass since they had strict orders not to let anyone in, even him.

But almost as if by divine providence, a beam of light rained down from above; signifying the death of the Healer. The people who were guarding the dungeon all scattered away to watch this one-of-a-lifetime event, but for Iain, it might as well be a sign that the Healer wanted him to kill Nine — it was destiny.

"You humiliate me… and then touch my mother!?" Iain let out a roar as he rushed toward Nine and punched him right in his face, "You're a slave, a slave! You…"

Words continued to scream out of Iain's mouth while he continued to endlessly release a barrage of fists on Nine's already mangled face… but Nine did not care, he was trained to endure abnormal amounts of pain and torture.

But for some reason, however, there was a certain tightness around his upper body — something he had never really felt before. Is this perhaps what 'feeling' is? If so, he did not like it at all.

"May… I ask you a… question, Master's son?" And even with his life withering away from him, Nine still had the strength to open his mouth and talk while his face was being hammered, "Why…

…why would you kill Morys? He was… he was good. He was kind. Only several moons have passed since… I was brought to this place, but Morys is the first person who had shown me kindness, and he had shown it to me in abundance."

"Wha…" Iain could not help but retract his fists as he heard Nine speak, clearly surprised by his choice of words. The tone of his voice was incredibly monotonous, almost like a doll, "...I thought you were supposed to be savages? Where did you even learn to speak like that!?"

"I am dying, Master's son…" Nine looked Iain in the eyes, and although one could barely even see them anymore due to his swollen face, Iain could not help but slightly back away as he saw the light in them very much alive,

"...I would appreciate it if you answered my question before I meet my brothers and sisters in the embrace of darkness."

"You really want to know why I killed Morys…?" A smirk very slowly crawled on Iain's face as he picked up the sword he dropped on the floor,

"Because the world would be a better place without him, without people that do not know their place! And you, I will kill you too…

…because I can!"

And with the smirk on his face turning into a cackle, Iain rushed toward Nine and plunged his sword through his stomach.

"I see…"

"Wh—" Iain could not help but let go of the sword and once again backed away as he heard Nine whispering into his ear.

"...I think the world will be a better place without you, Master's son," Nine uttered as he once again stared right into Iain's eyes.

"Ha…" Iain laughed nervously, "...And how does it feel that you can't do anything about it, Slave?"

"I… do not feel anything at all, Master's son," Nine weakly muttered, "I also think the world will be a better place without mosquitoes, and I also can not do anything about that."

"Are you saying I'm a mosquito!?"

"You are less, Master's son…" Blood started to spurt out from Nine's mouth and nose, "The mosquitoes were at least an inconvenience…

…you are nothing."

"I am the son of a baron! And what are you!?" Iain almost growled as he once again rushed toward Nine, pulling out the sword pierced through his stomach before stabbing him again, and then again,

"You are the one that's nothing! A slave! But you don't have to worry anymore, you fucking insect…

…I'll free you from your servitude with your death! You—!!!"

And before Iain could finish his words, he fell to his butt as Nine suddenly lunged at him; the sound the chains made, almost an explosion as it reverberated throughout the entire dungeon.

"Free…" Nine whispered out…

…and nothing followed after that.

Free — that was the word that he had kept hearing throughout his sorry life. His brothers and sisters longed for it, Morys wanted it for him. And yet, Nine couldn't care less about it at all.

But kindness, the warmth that Morys had shown him in the last moments… that is what he longed for.

Nine's vision continued to fade away, with the last thing he was seeing was Iain's angered face as he pulled the sword from his body once more and started stabbing and hacking at him before.

"Die, die!"

But even with all this rage, the only thing that Nine could really hear was the sound of his heart beating. But soon, even that, no longer drummed to his ears as the darkness finally embraced him.

Nine, at a very young age, barely even knowing the meaning of life and had only known the cruelty of men… died violently and filled with a sense of regret, never to wake up again.

"Die…"

"Die!"

"Die!"

And then, suddenly, there was a heartbeat. A heartbeat so loud that even Iain could hear it pulsing outward.

"!!!" Nine's eyes then suddenly opened, letting out a white glow that almost blinded Iain. He then let out a loud gasp as he felt his shattered bones meld together and his mangled flesh melt and wriggle to become anew.

Still, Nine could hear nothing, not even the sound of his once again beating heart—no. The only thing he could hear was a voice ringing inside his head saying,

[Awaken, Hilur.]

A violent beam of light then rained down from above; completely passing through the ceiling and showering Nine with it.

Iain, who was watching this scene unfold, could really only crawl back as he saw Nine suddenly talking with a different voice—no. It wasn't just a voice.

What was escaping Nine's mouth was a collection of voices melded together, hundreds, maybe even thousands.

[We place upon you the burden of a covenant from eons past, and with it, the strength and wisdom our lifetimes have earned and endured…]

The voices were powerful, each word causing a distorted and almost screeching noise to echo through the sealed dungeon.

[…Awaken, Hilur.]

"Hilur…?" Iain's breaths turned heavy as he slowly stood up from the dirty and bloodied floor, "Healer? Wait…"

Ian's eyes started trembling as he looked at Nine and the violent beam of light that showered above him,

"Awaken? Are you… are you talking about me!?" Iain breathed excitedly, "Me…? Am I…

…Am I the next Heal—"

And before Iain could finish his words, a hand suddenly emerged from the burst of light and grabbed him by the face.

"No…

…and I do not know what you will be after I am done with you."