Ric’s nonchalant demeanor astonishes Minotaur, even more so because his slip-up fails to crush his heart.

“Why not revert to normal and give it another shot?” Ric suggests.

“Weren’t you paying attention?” Minotaur growls at Ric, frustration causing him to forget the clause and divulge the remaining information.

The contracts of the kennel folks stand out from the rest. Ric surmised the information that every human possesses a peculiar ability, but these half-animal, half-human beings are on another level.

As per the ritual outlined in the Fea book, the animal and human begin by sketching fractals on their hearts, interconnecting them midway. Any misstep before, during, or after the contract could cause sudden death.

Delving deeper into the book, their elder discovers a method to incorporate clauses during the bonding process. By infusing additional information and intent into the fractal, any kennel folk attempting to breach or sidestep the clause will succumb to fatal heart failure.

Essentially, the fractal would tear their heart apart from within. The more Ric learned about the humans’ bizarre lifestyle, the deeper his frown was etched.

“Sorry,” Ric withdraws. “There’s just too much amiss with you guys, sorry that I asked.” His disgust hung heavy in the air.

“You’ll never comprehend,” Lara sighs.

“Nor do I care to,” Ric snorts. “You surrendered without making an effort. There’s nothing to glean from such a feeble stance."

“What!”

“Are you deaf as well?” Ric frowns at Lara.

Minotaur leaps in to prevent her from pummeling Mary’s tool spirit into oblivion. Once deceased, unique energies, rare materials, and high-tier alchemists are needed for their restoration, yet each revival results in diminished power until a day arrives when they cease to return.

“We lack the means to revive him,” Minotaur reminds Lara.

“You’re not in a better state yourself,” Ric snorts, and now Lara restrains Minotaur.

“Take your own advice.”

“That’s the worst way to make friends,” Ravi interjects from the side.

Ric spots him tied to a pole and snickers. “My bad!” He apologizes to Minotaur. “He’s worse off than all of you put together.” He points and laughs.

Ravi slips out of the binding but is held back by both Lara and Minotaur as he flails about.

“Calm down. We can’t,” they yell into Ravi’s ear.

“Pathetic trio,” Ric laughs, prompting all of them to attack at once.

Ric sidesteps Minotaur’s mindless charge, moving deeper between Ravi and Lara.

Ravi raises a small pillar of mud between him and Lara. He needed momentum to catch a close-by target, but before it could advance toward Ric, he stepped on it, using it as a platform. He draws the dagger hidden behind Ravi’s belt and presses it against Lara’s neck, ending the battle before it begins.

“You better not move,” he smiles at Lara. “You better not lower my ladder,” he snickers at Ravi. Minotaur struggles to get up, his arms too heavy for his legs to push him upright. “Pathetic. All of you.”

Ric jumps off the platform and flicks the knife as it lands between the trio, startling them. “You morons are so scared of death, you forgot to live.” He frowns and walks away.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Lara snaps out of the trance and yells. “What do you know? We aren’t gifted like you, nor have the talent to rise.”

“Or the common sense to try,” Ric adds. “Have any of you chosen death?”

“Who does?” Ravi growled.

“Anyone who wants to live?” Ric spat.

“What?”

“Anyone who lives on their rules chooses death over life any day. And every day. All of you are so scared of death that you stopped living. Tell me. What is the point of living like this?” Ric glares at the assembled crowd, noting their idiosyncrasies, and frowns. “You never risked living or had the guts to face death. All of you are beyond pathetic.” Ric’s glare pierced through the gathered crowd.

“You want others to solve your issues while none of you dared to save yourself. Tell me… Why should anyone else bother?” The crowd fell into a tense silence. Even Mary found herself unable to offer a defense. “You don’t want to die. You feat it, right? Yet I don’t see anyone living it up either.” Ric continued, his gaze sweeping over Ravi and then the rest of the crowd, each feeling as though his scrutiny was directed solely at them. “What do you want to do?”

“You never—”

“Shut up.” Ric’s glare silences Lara’s outburst. “I would’ve died ten times over before conforming to your standards.” His gaze pierces each person.

“Let me guess! You were a child. Born here in this dump? Weak.” Ric spat. “Did you even try to circumvent the clause?” He directs his question at Lara. “Have any of you attempted to climb the wall?” He challenges the citizens. “Can any of you claim you’ve lived life to its fullest? Anyone?”

“I trained my whole life,” Ravi retorts, glaring at Ric, his eyes welling up. Before he could continue, Ric cuts him off.

“If you had, I’d be speaking to a ghost, not a hopeless, washed-up nobody.”

Debbie walks up to Ric and grabs him by the collar. She tries her best, but despite her efforts, she can’t budge him. “So we died because fate dealt us a bad hand?” She weeps.

Ric slaps her hands away and seizes her by the collar. “I don’t know why you fuckers think death is so easy, but I died—almost died, and yet I find it an impossible task. A person dies when they give up, not when some measly little light flickers away.”

“What if others don’t let you?” Mary walks to the front of the crowd.

“You smiled behind the walls, you smiled here. The smile hasn’t changed; all your senses did. Somewhere down the line, you stopped trying, and you lost what you never had. I don’t see one fighter over here,” Ric stares at them, disappointed.

“Just cowards who wish and never act. I’ve seen demons smile while being stabbed. You consider that stupidity, but I call that freedom. How many of you can face your kings or leaders or masters?” Ric spat in disgust.

“All of you despise demons the most because none of you are as free as we are.”

“Murder, rape, kidnap, robbery, discrimination... you call that freedom?” A person from the crowd roared.

“Have you ever been a victim? If not, you don’t have an opinion,” another adds.

“Hmm...” Ric steps to the side as the surrounding air congeals, commanding the light to fall at his feet. The people step away in a futile attempt to stop their light from heeding his call. “Are you victims?”

“Yes!” The crowd roars in defiance, and Mary steps away, anticipating Ric’s reply. Her head lowers in defeat as she excuses herself into the forest.

“Who won?” A demonic smile plays on Ric’s lips.

“What?”

“Murder, rape, kidnap, robbery, discrimination... who won? Did the bad guys get the last laugh or did you?” The crowd goes silent until a child breaks it with her innocent voice.

“How can we?”

“Simple.” Ric steps closer as the crowd disperses, revealing the child. “Genocide for murder, crucify for rape, slaughter for kidnap, heist for robbery, and pride for discrimination.” Ric smiles and tousles her hair. “For starters.” He shrugs.

“That’s...” an old man stutters.

“The demon way,” Ric snickers. “Take what you want. Be happy with what you have. Aim for more. Fight until you take what you want.” He makes a small circle, explaining the demon circle of life. “And round and round we go.” He leans over the old man. “I’ve known an old hag who killed a prince because she wanted to feel superior, nothing more, nothing less.”

Ric explodes with mad laughter. “The kings killed her entire clan, yet people still talk about her devilish smile. The mighty king just couldn’t snatch away. Now tell me, old man, have you smiled your entire life?” Ric bends closer and whispers into his ear. “Did you fight for something more profane?” Then he addresses the crowd. “Or anything...” He forgets the word and takes a while before vomiting it out. “Good?”

“If everyone starts living on a whim, there won’t be anything left,” Debbie pulls Ric away from the old man.

“Huh,” snickers Ric. “It’s funny that you think you have an order.” He heads toward Ravi. “Do you?” He turns to the Minotaur. “Or do the powerful get their way?”

Ric spreads his hands wide, completing the standoff with a final statement. “All of you despise demons and side with humans, so unpuzzle this. One has walls, money, boundaries, rules, laws, and opinions for equality. One has jack shit, yet is happier, equal as equal comes, and embraces this world everyone calls a curse. Which one is which?”

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