CHAPTER 1

Part 1

Abel found himself in the middle of a forest, cold and scared. He seemed invisible to the dozens of people around him, and his body felt somewhat intangible. The people wore skirts made of feathers, and their leader, distinguishable by a crown made of sticks, moved with them around a large fire, spears in hand.

The rhythmic chants they made while circling the fire made Abel flinch repeatedly. He felt uneasy, a sense of impending doom lingering in his heart as if he were in the calm before a storm.

The leader then stopped and looked at Abel—or rather, at someone behind him. He seemed to be staring at a girl, perhaps his daughter. They exchanged glances for a few moments as if communicating telepathically. Tears simultaneously welled up in their eyes and began to fall.

The leader then gazed up at the moon directly above them and let out a tremendous roar. The people began running around the fire at a faster pace, chanting louder and louder before throwing their spears into the sky.

The spears ascended higher and higher but, at a certain point, they all started to fall back down.

Then, the slaughter began. The spears fell precisely on their heads, instantly killing them one by one. The leader ran towards his daughter, trying to shield her from the deadly rain, but alas, he was too late. The very spear he threw killed his daughter. Ironic, isn't it?

The man stood there, surrounded by screams and gut-wrenching sounds. He then fell to his knees, bashing his head against the ground in visible distress. He paused and then looked directly at Abel and, with a broken smile, mouthed a few words: "Please, come save us." A spear then pierced his head, ending this traumatising scene.

Abel twisted and turned in his bed, clenching the sheets and groaning, soaking the sheets in sweat. A loud BOOM woke him up, a scream escaping his lips. He felt his head, a piercing pain making it pulse. Instinctively, he grabbed his head, trying to ease the pain.

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"Son! Are you okay?" his dad asked, bursting into his dark, small room, which was lit by a small lamp hanging from the ceiling. He looked at his son, who was drenched in sweat. "Are you having that dream again?"

Abel, trembling, looked at his dad in a haze as if trying to process who it was. His dad, heartbroken, hugged him tightly. This seemed to remind Abel who he was. "W-when will this d-dream s-stop? I'm losing my mind," Abel managed to stammer, though trembling.

"Son, you have to stay strong. Papa's gonna fix you up soon." Those words calmed Abel down. After all, if any six-year-old were told those words, they would feel reassured. "Papa…"

Another loud bang interrupted him, shaking the floor and making the small bulb sway. A squeal escaped his mouth, and he hugged his father tightly, seeking reassurance. His father looked at the ceiling, frowning and clenching his teeth. He then looked at his son, recollecting his composure. "Don't worry, son. Didn't I tell you that Papa is strong? He's so strong that these monsters are just like ants. They run away when they see me."

Abel's expression softened, more relaxed. He exhaled softly, "Yes, Papa is the strongest person ever."

"So you believe in Dad?" his father asked, his voice cracking a little.

"Of course, Dad is the best. Better than even Mom."

His dad chuckled. "Oh really?" he said, tickling Ori.

His dad's expression shifted from laughter to a more serious one. "Now, this cool blondie is going to beat all those monsters up and eat them for dinner," he said, forming a scary gesture.

"Eww, Dad..." Abel replied, trying to push his dad away.

His father picked Abel up, twirling and swinging him in the air, then gently laid him on his bed. "I'll be back in time for dinner, so you better tell Mom to make chicken curry." He picked up a long dark coat adorned with a hawk emblem, slipping it on as he walked out of the room.

He opened the door and, before stepping out, looked into Abel's sad pale blue eyes and murmured, "Son, I love you," with an ear-to-ear smile, his white teeth brightening the dull room.

Abel and his mother waited patiently for his father to return. The food grew cold, and the atmosphere grew colder. Only two people ate dinner that night, and so it was every other night until there was only one person eating dinner, all alone.

                  17 YEARS LATER