Prologue

Arkor

Arkor trembled as he raised the knife before the sleeping pregnant woman. His heart tightened, thumping loudly and rapidly, like a wild beast trying to escape from its constricted cage. But Papa said that this initial feeling was normal, assuring him that once they get used to it, they would find themselves enjoying it before they knew it. The pleasurable sensation of tearing flesh, the warm and vicious splatter of red liquid on their skins, and the satisfying screams of despair piercing their ears, became like an ecstasy they would crave for more.

Taking Papa's advice, Arkor plunged the knife into the woman's face, blood splattered across the bedsheets and his cape. His trembling eyes locked on her broken face, lit only by faint moonlight filtering through the window. Despite the darkness, he could vividly imagine and feel the cold blade piercing on from her nose to nape. The disturbing thought made him almost retch, especially when her husband woke up.

"Hon…"

Without a warning, Arkor quickly pulled up his knife from the flesh and stabbed the mouth of the man. His stomach aches, his knees weakened. 

"No… I can't let my emotions devour me. My mission is still not done. I have to pull myself together."

He forced his betraying feet to move outside the room. Wedging his feet in the dark hallway, echoed a scream of a girl, "Don't move!" 

Arkor rushed to the second room. "Elise!"

Elise was standing, pointing her knife to a little girl, pressing herself at the corner of the bed while hugging a human-sized teddy bear and crying.

"Stop crying!" Elise cried, tears rushing on her cheeks as well. 

"Mommy!"

"I TOLD YOU TO SILENCE!"

The girl ended its noise when Arkor threw his knife to her forehead, blood exploded throughout the walls. Elise shakingly faced Arkor.

"Kor…"her voice was trembling, almost losing her voice as her knees gave up, her knife clanked against the floor. "She's young…younger than me, Kor."

Arkor scurried to her, dropping his knees to level and hold her cheeks. "Elise, look at me. Look at me," he said with his shaking voice, chest unable to stop its rapid beats.

"Don't forget why we are doing this. We're only doing this for the sake of our country!"

Elise raised her chin to gaze back at him with tears. "To kill a child? What does she do with the corruption of her parents?"

"Elise, listen. Papa said that she will just continue her parent's path if we don't kill her. The cycle will just repeat itself."

She tried her best to stand up but her knees flinched so she fell. Arkor caught and hugged her.

"Kor… Just by thinking of stabbing my knife at her, I felt as if I'm also stabbed. I can't do this. I can't kill a person. I failed again. What should I do? Papa will punish me again! My wounds are barely closed yet!"

I don't know. I don't know what to answer, Arkor whispered to himself. But he felt obliged to say something so he said whatever just came to his mind.

"Y-You don't need to force yourself…" he answered unsurely as he patted her yellow shoulder-length wavy hair. But one thing he was sure he wanted to do was, "I'll cover your job from now on."

She then started crying on his chest. 

Their lives might be hard, but for their country, for Elise, for their other siblings, and for Papa, he decided to strengthen his heart. He had faith that Papa was the savior not only to them and his siblings, but also the savior of the country, the whole world. His vision and plans for this world have to succeed. 

-inkofdeath