Chapter 14: The Calm before the storm (10)
It had been two long weeks since Raoul had left the village, leaving behind a sense of emptiness that hung heavy in the air. The villagers had known that the charges against him were false, yet he had still been taken away.
The once lively and cheerful streets were now silent and gloomy. People went about their daily routines with heavy hearts and solemn expressions, the loss of Raoul's presence a constant reminder of the injustice that had been done.
Adam, Raoul's young student, was particularly affected by the turn of events. He had looked up to Raoul as more than a mentor; he had been more like a father to him. He had hoped to follow in his footsteps as a powerful Martial Master, but now, he was left with a sense of uncertainty and despair.
Without Raoul's guidance, Adam felt lost and more alone than before, struggling to fill the void left by his grandfather. He spent his days in solitude, going through the motions of his training but lacking the same passion and determination that he had once possessed. The villagers tried their best to comfort Adam, but their words of sympathy fell on deaf ears. They too were still reeling from the shock of the false charges against Raoul, unable to come to terms with the fact that their beloved friend had been taken away from them.
As Adam trained harder than ever before, he couldn't help but wonder when things would ever return to the way they were before; before Zeke and Raoul's departure. He knew that Raoul would not want him to give up on his training, but the absence of his mentor weighed heavily on his heart. He longed for the days when he and Raoul would spar and talk for hours on end, his mind filled with memories of his master's wisdom and guidance.
One day, after completing his training, Adam set out on the path back to the village. The air was thick with the scent of smoke, and he heard faint screams in the distance. His heart raced as he quickened his pace, dread creeping into his mind.
Adam ran towards the village, his heart beating faster with every step. The screams grew louder, and the smell of smoke became more intense. He could see the flames from a distance, but it wasn't until he reached the outskirts of the village that he saw the true horror of what was happening.
Armed men who looked like bandits, with wicked grins on their faces, were burning down homes and slaughtering villagers without mercy. Some villagers were being burned alive, their screams piercing through the air. Others were being butchered like animals, their blood spilling onto the ground. Adam felt his stomach churn at the sight, his eyes wide with shock and horror.
"What the hell is going on!?" Adam thought mindlessly as he watched the horror unfold in front of him. Tears streamed down his face as he saw people he knew and cared about being torn apart like paper by the swords of these unknown marauders. People who had once comforted him were being burned alive, their agonizing screams echoing in Adam's ears.
The village that had once been his home was now a scene of destruction and chaos. He felt a lump form in his throat as he realized that everything he had ever known and loved was being destroyed before his very eyes. An intense feeling of sadness, anger and rage surged through him like a tidal wave.
Adam drew upon his mana, feeling it course through his veins like a raging inferno. With a deafening roar, Adam opened his first gate, the energy surging through his body even more explosively than before. The ground cracked and the air was pushed away by the heavy surge of energy emanating from Adam's body. His eyes turned completely white, with no iris in sight, a clear sign that the boy had gone berserk.
Adam charged towards the bandits, a primal scream erupting from his throat. He launched himself at the first bandit he encountered, his fist connecting with the man's jaw with a sickening crunch. The bandit's head snapped back and his body crumpled to the ground, lifeless...