1 Chapter 1: Encounter

It was a rainy night in that dark and secluded alley, the strongest and the most fearsome adventurer/hero has been killed. No one knows how did that happen, that hero's name was Xerxes: King of all heroes, the advocate of peace and justice. He defeated fearsome monsters, witches, and anything alive that were a threat to their world. It remains unsolved on whoever did that horrible thing to him. There were no witnesses and evidence, only an 18 inches blade, soaked with fresh blood. Officers began to suspect that the person who did that to him was a mercenary. Since then, the world turned upside down, people began living in fear, and monsters took over the world. The death of Xerxes made the other heroes/adventurer fall in despair, he died very easily at the hands of a mere mercenary. The heroes who are fighting the oppressors and sleaziness vanished. Whoever that man is, he makes the world crumble.

Current year: 4456

9 years after that incident, the world is still naturally chaotic. Fighting, Stealing, Killing, and everything that is breaking the so-called rule that existed 9 years ago. Rules became non-existent, and many treacherous creatures flew out, tricking and making people believe their lies. When did the world go wrong? Was it because of that mercenary that killed Xerxes? Those are the questions that I always asked myself whenever I kill people for money. Greedy pigs always hire me whenever they want to eliminate someone without dirtying their own two hands, I'm sick of this but I don't have a choice, do I?

I put a dark mask on my face so no one could know me and I sit across from my client, his name is Qadir, he is one of the rulers and noble in this city called Doriath.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Kill this person, his name is Walmuk, he has committed corruption, murder, and running an illegal drug factory," Qadir said, handing all of the personal information about Walmuk to me.

I didn't ask if what he said was true, I just get the paper and looked through Walmuk's personal information. After that, I left his office and start searching for Walmuk.

While I was walking on Doriath's town-square, I could see many people who are suffering just to live, being oppressed by the people in ranks. I decided to just ignore it, I continued walking and saw Walmuk, he is helping an old lady with her belongings. I decided to follow them, and while I am following them, I would ask myself so many times if I will kill this man. Walmuk finished up helping the old lady, after he helped her, I could see the heartwarming smile on his face. Walmuk goes into a secluded alley where people won't go. I followed him, when we get there, Walmuk turns around in my direction.

"You can stop following me secretly, show your face," Walmuk said with a smile on his face.

I showed myself to him, I didn't remove my black face mask and I held my 16 inches blade used for killing people.

"I see, I guess this is where my life will end," Walmuk said to me, his eyes look very contented and his face looks very happy.

"Any last words?" I asked him before I would kill him.

"I hope you would find your happiness," Walmuk said, and he just stands there. Not doing anything to defend himself.

I didn't answer what he said, I didn't understand what happiness means and I walked up in front of him and beheaded him using my 16 inches blade. I didn't hesitate to kill him, I didn't feel any emotions. I just did the job that I was asked, there's nothing wrong with what I did, right? After I killed him, I take his head and decomposed his body. I covered his head with a black cloth, I came back to Qadir's office and brought him the head of Walmuk.

"You did a good job! Lennart." Walmuk said to me, I saw his face cheering while looking at Walmuk's head. I didn't understand why he was feeling like that.

He gave me the price for killing Walmuk, I get it and didn't feel any kind of emotions about it, why do I feel so dull? I go out of his office and go to the park in Doriath. I could see kids of my age playing, enjoying, and having fun. I sat on one of the benches and just watch them doing things that people of my age usually do. I didn't know what to do, I'm just a 14-year-old kid who never met my parents. While I was sitting there peacefully, a ball came to my feet, I grabbed the ball and would give it to the kid who made the ball come to me. The kid cried the moment I grabbed the ball.

"Mother! That boy touched my ball." The kid said to his mother, the mother looked at me with disgust and whispered to his child.

"Don't get that ball, it's dirty now, I'll buy you another one." His mother said, they departed the park and both of them go to some store.

I didn't felt anything when she said that, while I was holding the ball, I could feel my heart rising. I don't know what this emotion is called, I hugged the ball and felt warm and safe. After that, I threw the ball as hard as I can.

It is getting late, I will find a decent place where I could sleep, an inn is the best choice for me to have a decent sleep and food. My money is enough to cover my inn's fee for 1 week, I stand up and count the money I got from killing that man.

"One hundred ninety-two, one hundred ninety-three." While I was counting my money, some thief run through me and stole it. I didn't get worried because even if he's a fast runner I still can chase him.

The thief is running from me, I chased him in a blink of an eye.

"Give me that, that's not yours," I said to him, I could see the fear in his eyes, but all of us have different problems so I didn't care. I grabbed his hair and kicked his crotch, the thief won't still give out my money.

"P-Please, I need this." The thief said, tears would flow down into his eyes. I didn't care about what he was feeling, a thief is a thief no matter what their problems are.

"I don't care." I bring out my hidden blade and when the time I will slit his throat, a mysterious man stopped my hand.

"Don't do that." The mysterious man said, it is night time so I can't see his face. He still holding my hand that will cut the thief's throat, his grip is very strong that I can't even move a muscle anywhere in my body. And the vibes he is giving is very scary.

"Get your hand away from me," I said to him, I can't move my arm, who is this man? I killed so many powerful people, but this man is different, it's my first time experiencing this. The feeling of getting overpowered, why is my heart beating this fast? What is this thing that I'm feeling? I can't move my body even if I wanted to. Many thoughts crossed inside my mind and the blade that I was holding, it falls to the ground and I fall to my knees.

"W-Who are you?" I asked him, my voice cracked because of his presence, the thief got away with my money. I don't care about the thief anymore, this man is more important than money. Why is he giving me this kind of vibes?

"I'm just a normal farmer, killing people is not good." The mysterious man lets my hand go and the thief is nowhere to be seen.

"Good, now my money was gone, thanks for stopping me."

"Do you think money is more important than life?" He asked.

"..." I left out a silence, I don't know how to answer that question, is money more important than life? I asked myself, what is life? What can you do without money? My mind was flooded with thoughts that I couldn't answer on my own.

"Seems like you don't know the value of life, do you have anywhere to go for the night?" He asked me, his face looks kind, he is covered with a beard, his eyes never lie, and his hair is long. I look up to him because he's 6'2" and I'm just 5'9."

"No..." I said.

"You want to come to my place?" He asked, I look up into his eyes and I failed to find some hint of lying.

"Why would you invite a person who attempted to kill someone?" I asked, his words are very convincing but I can't be so sure if he can be trusted.

"Why not?" The man looked at me directly, he looks kind and experienced.

I didn't know what to answer or to react, he just made me speechless, he doesn't even know my name, how could he trust me? "You don't even know my name."

"Then what's your name?" He asked me with another peculiar question with a confidently smile on his face.

"Lennart," I said, I looked down on the ground.

"Just Lennart? No last name?" He looked at me like I'm some kind of orphan, at least, that's what I think. He laughs peculiarly and starts to introduce himself. "I'm Haluk, I'm just a farmer, my house is near the farms, it's small but two people can fit in," Haluk said.

"Okay..." I just nod and agreed with him.

Both of us would go into his house, as we are walking into the town square, we saw the thief buying medicines in a certain medicine store. I didn't bother to get my money back, but resorting to stealing just to buy medicine is wrong. We continued walking, and after 20 minutes, we finally reached his house. I looked around, his house is more decent than normal inns and even if it is worse than normal inns, I still don't have the right to complain.

"Suit yourself, by the way, are you hungry?" Haluk asked me.

"No, I'm fine..." My stomach starts growling. "Just a little food is enough."

Haluk laughs at what he heard and starts cooking in his kitchen. "Just sit on that dining table, I'll handle the foods."

I sit on one of the chairs on his dining table and waited for him to finished cooking. After 15 minutes he was done cooking a porridge, an average meal for a commoner/peasant-like them.

Haluk served it on the table and I would eat it as soon as it got served, my eating manners is abnormal because I never got the chance to be educated.

While I am eating, I can feel that Haluk is enjoying the company he got at his house, I got a warm feeling inside my heart. This is the first time I felt this kind of emotion. By the time I was done eating, I stand up and left the dining area at his house. I didn't say any words, I just left Haluk there while he is eating.

"There's an empty room on there, just find it!" Haluk shouted, I found the room and sleep on the floor, I didn't sleep carelessly, I still held up my guard while I'm sleeping.

"I hope you find your happiness."

"You should learn the value of life, money isn't everything." 2 different men said simultaneously, I can't see their faces clearly because this is a dream. Why do thoughts like these always cross through my mind? I can't understand it anymore, what is my purpose in this world? Can someone help me? Please... "Don't kill me..." "Stop!! I don't want to die....." The demons of the people I killed always hunts me in my sleep, I hope things will be better by the time I woke up.

-End