CHAPTER 9 – DADDY

CHAPTER 9 – DADDY

Krahs, upon hearing the little one's babbling, felt a pang in his heart. This scene had played out many times before. He remembered his own little ones, and the last moments with them still weighed on his mind like daggers in his soul.

Without realizing it, tears rolled down his face again as he pulled the little one into an embrace. It was a strong yet gentle hold. That small child had managed to reopen his wounds with a simple babble. All Krahs felt now was his weakness returning as he recalled the day his world crumbled.

He remembered that ambush. His children, once full of bright smiles, had become vengeful adults. Each of them wielded the weapons he had given them, used the techniques he had taught them. But he never imagined they would all unite to defeat him that day. He could still feel the pain of harpoons and tridents piercing his skin.

His eldest son seemed to dance as he blocked Krahs’ attacks, while his little girl threw harpoons with the same grace her mother once had. Unfortunately, those harpoons struck his back.

And finally, his youngest, Nasig. The one who always hesitated to kill, even the smallest fish.

The look of hatred in his eyes was something Krahs would never forget. None of them. But still, Nasig prevented his death that day. Despite being the weakest, he protected an old man who was on the brink of death. Even though the others were full of hatred, Nasig still carried the same compassion he always had. Or perhaps it was just his fear of losing someone else. Krahs no longer knew. All he had left was the longing for them.

-If I were stronger, my child… I would have protected those I loved better… I don't want to fail again, and I won’t fail if it means protecting you, little ones.

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Holding the two small children, he embraced them even tighter. Even though the little ones didn’t fully understand what was happening, he held them close as if trying to transfer all his pain and love to those small beings now in his arms. They were the reason he would keep fighting, the reason he could no longer afford to fail. He could not let history repeat itself. Not this time.

With his eyes closed, he let himself be enveloped by the feeling that there was still something worth believing in. The past weighed like an unbearable burden, but the future… the future was different. It had to be—for them. For Nasig, for his other children, for his lost love. And now, for these two little ones he swore to protect until the end.

-I failed, but not anymore.

He thought, holding the little ones close to his chest.

-I will do things differently. I will find a way to fix my mistakes.

But the pain was still there, a constant reminder of his weakness. Krahs knew that to protect these children, he would have to face the ghosts of his past. The ambush, the betrayal, the emptiness in his heart… Everything he had lost needed to be confronted. He could not run away. Not in front of the children.

He looked at them, his eyes slightly blurred, yet determined.

-I will do everything to ensure you grow up well.

He whispered, as if it were a sacred promise.

The children, still confused, looked at him, feeling the intensity of his emotions without fully understanding them. But that didn’t matter. They felt the protection in his arms, the warmth of the strength he was trying to reclaim. And even without fully grasping it, they knew they were safe.

Krahs pulled away slightly, trying to regain his composure. He knew he couldn’t let his pain consume him, not while he was responsible for these small lives. He had to rise again—for them.

-I don’t know what the future holds, but I will take care of you. Even if one day you betray me like the others, I will not regret protecting you.

In his arms, little Nexha smiled, knowing that Krahs would never abandon him, no matter what he did.

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