As I moved deeper into the shadows, the familiar voice inside me stirred, but this time, its usual sneer was gone. There was no mocking laughter, no sardonic amusement. Instead, it sounded… concerned.
"Kiddo," it began, the rough edge softened, "are you alright?"
I didn't respond at first. The recent confrontation with my mother still lingered, her crazed laughter echoing in my mind. The rage, the accusations, the venom—it was all too raw. But eventually, I broke the silence, forcing a smirk to mask the turmoil within. "Hey, are you starting to get soft on me?" I quipped, trying to shake off the weight of what had just happened.
There was a pause, and for a moment, I wondered if I had imagined it—this sudden shift in the voice that had tormented me for so long. But then, it spoke again, its tone unusually steady.
"No," it said slowly, almost as if choosing its words carefully. "No kid should go through what you just did. That shit… that's not normal. You're just unlucky, kid. Real unlucky."
The words hung in the air between us, and for the first time, there was no malice, no condescension. Just a cold, hard truth that settled deep within me.
And in the silence that followed, I realized—maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.
The voice interrupted the heavy silence, its usual gruffness laced with a newfound resolve. "Let's find that girl of yours, kiddo."
I nodded to myself, the pain of the past moments still gnawing at my insides, but Faith was out there, waiting, needing me. That was my focus now. I had to push through, no matter the weight pressing down on me.
"Yeah," I muttered under my breath, steeling myself. "Let's go."
The shadows curled around me as I surged forward, my steps faster, more determined. Faith was out there somewhere, and nothing—not even my own demons—would stop me from finding her.
I halted for a bit as a scene of dread unfolded before me, it was mrs Adeline naked corpse, they had defiled her and the body just kept pilling up. Those bastard they had ravaged her, even though she was not the kindest person no one deserve this kind of ending.
A menacing voice roars within me, dripping with venom and disdain. "This is how they operate, kid," it hisses. "They have no qualms about killing and plundering their own kind. This is the way your people do things." I try to avert my gaze, but it forces me to see the harsh reality of my species - arrogant and merciless, driven by greed and violence.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
The weight of this truth crushes my soul and fills me with disgust for what I have always considered my own kind."My palms ached as I lifted the shovel from the barrel, feeling its sharp edge slice into my skin. With each scoop of dirt, sweat dripped down my face, mixing with tears.
My hands shook as I piled bodies into the grave - Mrs. Jenkins from next door, Mr. Patel from the market, little Timmy who always sold lemonade on the corner. Their lifeless eyes stared back at me, haunting me.
But a voice in my head reminded me that time was running out and I had to move on. So I said a silent prayer and covered the grave with dirt, forcing myself to push forward in this post-apocalyptic world. In a frantic sprint towards the forbidden zone, I picked up Faith distant scream of desperation that echoed in my mind.
The voice within urged me to hurry, warning me that they were closing in on their ship. With every step, my muscles burned with the power coursing through them, propelling me forward with increased speed. Darting from shadow to shadow, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I pushed my body to its limits in a race against time.
After scanning the area, I finally spot the group of at least 500 soldiers gathered together. The roar of a metallic bird fills the sky as it lands on the ground outside of the bunker. My instinct is to rush in, but my body freezes.
The voice inside me warns, "Are you foolish? Haven't you learned anything? If you expose yourself now, they will capture you and believe me, you'll wish for death because you'll end up as a lab experiment.
"What do you expect me to do then? Let them take her? I can't bear to lose her; she's all I have left. Please, allow me to act, let me save her. The voice inside my head fell silent, and my body became rigid in place. I pleaded with it to release me, but nothing happened.
Falling to my knees, anger flooded my soul as I stood there powerless while they loaded people onto their ship. In a final glimpse, I saw Faith's sad face before the metallic birds lifted off, creating a powerful gust of wind that sent leaves and debris flying through the air. Though I strained with all of my might, I couldn't budge.
Desperate, I extended my hand towards Faith and shouted her name. She caught a glimpse of me through tear-filled eyes and gave me a haunting smile before the door closed slowly.
In that moment, I promised to come for her, no matter what. My face contorted in pain as I gritted my teeth, my blood vessels nearly bursting from the effort. And still, I couldn't move freely. I was in disbelief as the metallic bird spread its wings and soared into the sky.
It was a poignant reminder of the struggles and hardships we face in life, causing me to wonder why we are forced to endure them all. Fueled by anger and frustration, I let out a primal scream that echoed through the valley like a wild beast, releasing raw energy into the air. I crumple to my knees, the strain of channeling my powers draining every ounce of energy from my body.
The rush of adrenaline dissipates, leaving me feeling weak and dizzy. My eyelids flutter as I struggle to stay conscious, but eventually, the darkness overwhelms me and I collapse onto the cold concrete. Everything goes black as I slip into a deep, dreamless sleep..