The woman, presumably the leader of the other group, yelled at me, “Why the fuck did you do that? He had surrendered, there was no need for him to die. No need for her to stain her soul with his blood.”

I spaced out as she went on to spout some bullshit about humanity, civility, forgiveness, and other pretty words. This was my problem with most people, they loved to hide behind the lies they told themselves. I could never bring myself to do that. I was born with eyes wide open, seeing the lies and truths behind the sugar-coated words and fake smiles.

Civility, humanity, forgiveness, these were pretty words often used by the most savage and corrupt of people to fool the masses. They were weapons of mass destruction forged in the minds of the greedy and unscrupulous. How often would a politician scream about civility, while writing laws that would savagely over-tax and overwork the poorest of people? How many times would a religious leader scream and preach about love and humanity while stealing from their own congregation to live lavishly? How often did I see the fake friends speak of forgiveness while they constantly said and did the worst things imaginable behind another’s back?

Maybe that’s why I suffered from depression and anxiety. Because no matter how hard I closed my eyes or lied to myself I could never get lost in that fog of obliviousness. “MHM!” I scoffed cutting off her useless speech about how killing him hurt the woman more than the creep she’d killed. “Let me ask you something. Would you have forgiven him if it were you?”

“What?” She threw back startled, she looked as if I had struck her.

I saw the anger and shame in her eyes as she instantly knew the answer but stopped herself from saying it. “Would you have been fine with us tying him up and dragging him around with us? A constant reminder of the pain and humiliation you’d suffered at his and his companion’s hands. Forced to forgive him in the name of keeping your humanity while the pain of merely knowing he got away with it, that he was alive and well, was eating you alive from the inside? - Despite what people may have you believe, justice, is not blind. It was merely lost in the maze of human-made laws that were invented with a misguided attempt at compassion and equality that, ultimately, provided more protection for the perpetrators than the victims.”

There was a cold finality in my voice as I spoke the words, steel in my veins as I spit them out with disdain. I could see the horror in her eyes and those around her as I lifted the veil and showed them the ugly reality they hid from. The lie they spun up in their heads to cover up the relief they felt, the relief that it wasn’t them who had to carry the burden of what had happened to their friend. The suffocating pain and anguish they realized they would have to carry had it been them it happened to as they placed themselves in her shoes. Finally, the anger and indignation they felt at the thought of someone telling them they would have to forgive, and even live with, one of the people who had done such horrible things to them.

“There it is,” I said with a cold and bitter smile. “Now you understand why she had to be allowed to take back the power that was stolen from her. She can now put down the burden of justice having been served and move forward with the rest of her life. - Don’t misunderstand me, she will never forget, not what happened to her, and certainly not taking his life. But in her recollection of these events, she will rest easy knowing that none of them are still out there doing the same thing to others, or worse, lurking in the shadows waiting to take her again.”

Defiance rose in her as she tried to retreat to that comfortable fog of lies she was used to, as she tried to spin up more lies to hide behind, and nonsensical words spilled from her lips. “Are you saying that no one is redeemable? That we are to just believe anyone that accuses another of wrongdoing against them? Are we supposed to just go around killing anyone that does us wrong?”

“Now when did I ever say any of that? Punishment should fit the crime, and of course, if the accusation lacks substance or evidence it should be examined thoroughly before any punishment is doled out by others. But this was an open and shut case, he all but admitted to it with his behavior when we arrived. And even if all he did was stand by as the others took their turns he was guilty of allowing it to happen.

I let out a slow sigh, my gaze sweeping over the others gathered around us. “Think about that for a moment,” I urged, my tone grave. I glanced at Etu, nodding in the direction of the buildings. “I’m going to search for supplies in these buildings,” I announced. “Then I’ll likely be heading towards that larger city we spotted. You and Neytiri can discuss amongst yourselves and let me know what you want to do.”

Entering one of the buildings, I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself. My body shook with adrenaline as sweat dripped down my face. I had been in plenty of violent situations in my life, but this was the first time I had taken a human life. I thought it would feel like killing monsters, but it was oddly traumatizing. It felt like I had done something wrong, even though I knew I hadn’t. It felt like I had crossed a line that I could never come back from.

***

Etu strode towards the building where Neytiri had retreated. He could see her silhouette through the window, gazing out at Achak as he made his way toward the other buildings. Without a word, Etu entered the room and sat at the table behind her silently acknowledging the tense atmosphere.

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“You heard?” Etu finally spoke, breaking the stillness.

Neytiri nodded solemnly. “He’s not wrong.”

Etu’s shoulders slumped and he sunk into the chair, letting out a deep sigh. “No, he’s not. But it’s still difficult to accept. He may have seemed paranoid before, but now…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

Neytiri joined him, taking a seat across from him. “Yeah,” she murmured, her expression mirroring his.

Etu stated, frustration evident in his voice, “I’ve dealt with people like her before. Righteous, uncompromising, and egotistic. They always have to be in control, thinking their way is the only way. I hope she doesn’t do anything we all will come to regret.” He said, speaking of the woman Achak had been talking to.

Neytiri let out another sigh, her brows furrowing in concern. “We’ve done all we can for them. It’s up to them to decide what to do next.”

It was a sobering moment and the implications of the words Achak had spoken reached much further than the current situation. The world had truly become a terrifying place, and considering how quickly they ran into such an event, the warnings Achak spoke before arriving there hung heavily on their minds, and the two sat in silence, lost in their thoughts. Outside, the world continued, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside their hearts.

****

After taking a few deep breaths, I scanned the buildings on this side of the road, searching for any useful supplies. My sneakers were soaked and muddy, so I quickly changed into a pair of work boots I found. I also swapped my shorts and shirt for a fresh pair. In this humid rainforest, the last thing I wanted was to be weighed down by sweat-soaked clothes.

As I rummaged through the building, I filled a backpack with socks, non-perishable food items, and an extra pair of boots. I wasn’t an expert on wilderness and apocalypse survival, but I played it by instinct.

I knew my words may have seemed extreme, but in this new world, it was necessary. The others didn’t seem to understand the new rules, the world was currently a no-holds-bar free-for-all. Being ruthless and a little paranoid was the only way to survive in that kind of world.

People like the dickheads we encountered earlier thrive in that type of environment. They have no qualms about taking advantage of others to get what they want. Showing them any mercy was like signing your own death warrant.

This is why I preferred to avoid people. But Etu and Neytiri seemed like genuinely good people, so I needed to help them get to the city. After that, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be better for me to become a hermit of some sort.

***

I entered the building where Etu and Neytiri were staying, throwing a pile of clothing, empty backpacks, and foodstuff onto the table.

I calmly awaited their decision. “So?” I asked. “Oh, by the way, we’re in Puerto Rico. Or at least, what used to be Puerto Rico. I found some mail with a PR address in each house. It says Aguadilla, but last time I checked, that was right by the sea. And I didn’t see any oceans from the hill.”

Neytiri gave me a skeptical look and questioned, “Why are you acting so differently from how you were in the miscellany? You’re colder, more detached somehow.”

I plopped down on an empty chair and tried to explain, “Honestly, this is how I usually am. In the miscellany, it was easy to let down my guarded walls. You and Etu are decent people, and I knew there was little chance of anyone else coming in and ruining that…,” I trailed off, gesturing with my hand.

“But out here? Out here, we’re all vulnerable to being manipulated and influenced by others. And unfortunately, too many people let greed lead the way, even when they have good intentions,” I said with a hint of disappointment.

“And to be completely honest, I’ve always wanted to be an adventurer. And in this new world, that’s finally possible. But I’m afraid that the old, corrupt ways of thinking, might quickly put an end to this adventure if allowed to resurface,” I added with a sad smile.

Etu raised an eyebrow at me and asked, “Then why are you heading towards the town we saw?”

“Truthfully, I’m not. Not really anyway. I’m only going for your sake. It’s obvious that’s where you two want to go, you have family and loved ones to try getting back to, after all. And like I said, you’re both good people, which is hard to come by. It wouldn’t feel right to leave without making sure you two are safe first,” I explained.

Neytiri shook her head and chuckled, “Someone’s quite full of themselves. What makes you think we can’t make it to the city on our own?”

“I never said you couldn’t. But having an extra set of hands and eyes couldn’t hurt, right? Plus, even an adventurer needs a home base every now and then,” I reasoned.

Etu nodded in agreement and added with a grin, “We appreciate it, and thank you for the supplies.”

***

As they set off towards the distant city, the other group trailed behind with obvious reluctance. The leader’s expression, Maria was her name, remained grim as she watched Achak, still not pleased with him. But she couldn’t deny that she was no match for him. She wasn’t even sure they could have beaten the team of thugs if he and his team hadn’t arrived.

She couldn’t help but wonder how they had managed to level up so quickly. It didn’t make sense, at level four she was the strongest of her group. How could they have gained that much more experience from fighting a couple of mere frogs and other monsters?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Achak signaled for everyone to get off the road. Without question, they all rushed for cover in the nearby trees and foliage. She may not have liked Achak, but she couldn’t deny his strength and leadership.

Moments later, a group of five frogmen walked by, carrying a man strung up on one of their spears like a trophy. Before she could react, Achak and his group were upon them. Achak’s fist connected with the back of one frogman, while his kick took out the other in a flash of lightning.

His team members, Etu and Neytiri, also attacked with impressive speed and strength. Etu used his shield to gore one frogman, then sent a fireball into its face, destroying it. Neytiri moved with such speed that Maria’s eyes could barely follow her, appearing between the last two frogmen their heads having been decapitated in an instant.

The whole encounter was over in seconds, with no effort or sweat from Achak’s team. It was almost inhuman. No one should possess that kind of strength, at least not yet. Maria now realized that she was dealing with three powerful monsters, and it was in her best interest to stay on their good side, or at least their blind side.