chapter 3

Hovering over the small town of the Camelot kingdom beyond the border, Ethan observed the actions of the people. Soldiers were on high alert after the noises and tremors caused by him reached even that place. Ordinary people, those who would die if the weakest of beasts managed to escape the Great Forest and pass through the wall they futilely called a barrier.

"Please..." the heroine pleaded, her eyes barely staying open. It was obvious that Ethan could have killed her whenever he wanted, but why hadn't he done it? Why was he now over that town? Over those people? She didn't know, but she understood that the only thing she could do at the moment was to beg for him to spare them.

"Let's see..." Ethan looked around; he seemed to be searching for something. "This should be enough."

With a swing of his sword, the ground opened up, forming a large circle from one end to the other of what they called the barrier. The houses near the circle collapsed, and the people, those who still remained alive, screamed for help. They shouted for rescue. No one heard; no one came to help. In fact, no one could help them because everyone was too busy trying to ensure their own safety, running as far as they could only to find out, in the end, that escaping was impossible.

Slowly, Ethan descended to the ground, and those who saw him were terrified. After all, in his hands was their hope—the hopes of the entire kingdom. The heroine, bleeding in a critical and deplorable state, and for those who watched from afar, appeared dead.

The screams and cries echoing from all sides, the chaos rapidly spreading through the city, didn't allow the heroine to even close her eyes. She attempted to plead several times, but her mouth remained motionless, knowing it wouldn't work. Ethan, as fear gripped the faces of each person, each human in that seemingly small space that felt enormous to others, made sure the heroine saw every face, every tear. The fear and tears were directed at him, but for Ethan, it seemed enough for the heroine to grasp how not only humans but any being feels when someone, especially someone they care about, is killed before their eyes.

How do you think those guards felt seeing friends and colleagues being massacred before their eyes, unable to do anything? Are you angry? Filled with hatred? Are you sure you deserve to feel that way in this moment? Do you have that right? For this "insignificant" reason? Being nothing more than worthless, a human?

Just one more swing of his sword, and half of the circle along with the wall protecting Camelot from the Great Forest and the Icy Peaks ceased to exist. Although winter is still far away, so there is no immediate concern with the Peaks. The people on the other side were not so fortunate, not given such a merciful and quick death. One by one, Ethan hunted and killed each person in that half of his circle before the heroine's eyes: a total of 25 people.

"Why...?" questioned the heroine, the words barely escaping her mouth. "Why did you do all this? These people... they did nothing, so..."

"And what had the guards done?" Ethan retorted. "Locked day and night within that wall, had they done something?"

Wordless, the heroine remained silent. She couldn't even cry; she didn't have that right, and she knew it. The smell around her resembling rust, an odor growing stronger with each passing moment, churned her stomach and made her not want to even touch the ground.

"Hate me; I don't care," Ethan said, lifting the heroine with his hand and placing her in front of his eyes. "But before you become strong enough to face me, do something similar again, consider yourself superior to others for no apparent reason, discriminate against others just because of their race, and this same lesson will repeat. I have plenty of free time; I don't mind spending some of it on a few ignorants. Remember that."

Upon opening his fingers, the heroine fell to the ground. The smell was stronger, its source closer. The heat was uncomfortable, for she knew where it came from. The knight attempted to rise, but every small movement only caused that sticky liquid to spread over her entire body, from hair to feet. Breathing in, the smell of rust entered her nostrils, a reminder even with closed eyes, trying to forget everything that surrounded her, what had just happened before her eyes.

Placing her hand on the ground, on the blood, she tried to rise again, to leave that place. The necessary strength somehow seemed to have appeared, and her other hand was also placed on the ground. Her knees bent; everything seemed to be going well. But when she tried to stand, her strength drained away, her hands slipped, her legs gave way and stretched out, the blood surrounding her, covering her, not only outside but now inside her body as well.

For a moment, when she fell, her mouth filled with that strange and sticky liquid. She immediately spat it out by turning her head, but it was too late. Not only the smell, but now she would also remember the taste for the rest of her life. Every night, when reaching the deepest point of her sleep, the screams that had echoed throughout that place woke her. During all those nights, the cries reminded her. That day would not be forgotten, not by her, not even by Ethan.

"What you did there was..." Aiden started to say before stopping after seeing the expression on Ethan's face. He had always been serious, that was a fact, but never, not even when he was summoned, did he have a similar expression on his face.

"Let's go..." Ethan said, passing in front of the demons without changing the direction of his gaze. "The knights should be arriving by now."

"Yes..." Riley agreed, looking down and staring at what was once the great canyon. "But now there is no wall on the border for them to guard."

Ethan looked at the wreckage, the trees, the ice, and the rocks tumultuous in one place. He doesn't regret it, but maybe he could have done things differently, caused less damage, restrained himself more and for a longer time. But none of that mattered now; nothing could be changed.

Moments after they stopped at the border of the canyon with the Black Forest, the demon kingdom's knights arrived. They stood there, guarding the entrance to the forest and building a new wall in that place. None of those knights slept that night, and neither did Ethan.

Sitting on the roof of the demon castle, Ethan observed the nighttime life of the Demon Kingdom, the life in the small town just before the wall surrounding the castle. How many of the guards would go to that tavern when they were replaced? How many of them had families? Children...? But... what about those people... how many of them had lives as complete as these? Home, family, friends, and children... how many?

He couldn't falter, couldn't be shaken; it would be unfair to those people, unfair to ask forgiveness from all those he looked in the eyes while killing.

He couldn't do that to them; letting them hate him is the right thing, they must curse him if it brings them peace... But... why is the sky so beautiful tonight? In the Demon Kingdom, stars almost never appear in the sky, but now, with those two moons hanging in the sky, one red and the other blue, and this starry sky, because of this incredible sight... is it because of her that my eyes are acting this way? Yes..., it must be...