Narrator's POV:

  Beneath the twinkling stars and the majestic full moon, there lies a pillaged village in the desert near a river. A group of bandits chained the women and children that they're planning to sell. The eyes and faces of these chained people had already lost their will to live, as they were already violated by the group of bandits while seeing upon the death of their fellow villagers.

  After the group of bandits finished stealing their livestock and money, they set off riding their horses and carriage as they laugh menacingly throughout the darkness. The only thing they left was the burning houses, the soaking blood of the innocents, and the headless bodies of the vengeful villagers.

  But amidst this unsightly turmoil, there lies a little girl buried on the rubble of the destroyed houses. She had long golden hair, beautiful jewel-like purple eyes, and her skin was as white as snow. Despite her strong will to live, she is unable to get up due to her broken legs and a stab wound on her abdomen caused by a jagged wood. She wanted to scream for help but her throat was too sore. Thus, she agonizes from the pain that she's feeling as she awaits her inevitable demise.

  Tears flow from her eyes while she utters words in her mind, 'Why?...... Why am I suffering like this?...... What did I do wrong?.... I-I just wanted to see them again... I thought that... If they were happy... I could also be happy... But right now... Even before... It hurts... Everything hurts... Whether it is... My body or my mind... Everything hurts..... Right now..... I just wanted to... Know.....Where did I go wrong?.....'

The little girl closed her eyes lightly and she reminiscence upon where everything went wrong.

Girl's POV:

  My name is Anna Alyas, I'm 8 years old living in the Village of Alyas. I'm the daughter of the Village Chief, Allan Alyas, and my mom Nana Alyas. Our village is in the desert near a river. We live by hunting animals and trading our goods.

  Every day, the village prays to the Heavenly God, Zeus, and the God of the Sun, Apollo for divine protection from the monsters and a good hunt. But sometimes, papa and the hunters don't get any hunt even though they pray every day. I guess the Gods didn't hear my papa's prayers, but even so, papa, mama, and the others still smile kindly and gently despite the bad hunt. That's how I learned that despite the bad situation, we must always put a smile on our faces.

  One evening before the sunset, I cheerfully walked to papa's workplace where they gather their hunt, to deliver their food. On my way there, I saw the thin villagers kneeling and praying. Their bodies were so malnourished that you could visibly see their bones through their skin. As they continue to pray, some of the villagers either collapse or die due to exhaustion and starvation. Despite the horrible things that are happening, no one helped the dying or the collapsed. As it would disturb their prayers and will anger the Gods. Looking at this unsightly scenery, I felt an awful feeling of disparity. I immediately snapped myself out of that awful feeling and rush to help a collapsed villager.

"Hey! are you alright!? Wake up!! Please wake up!!" I worriedly exclaimed.

The collapsed villager lightly opened her eyes.

"H-huh??..... Oh, Ana... What happened?"

"You collapsed while praying. You should rest for now."

"Oh yeah!... I should continue praying!!" With a shocking realization, she immediately kneeled down and continued praying.

"No! You should rest! You'll die if you continue!" I angrily scolded her.

"But if I don't pray, we won't have a good hunt. It has been almost a month without a decent amount of food. I need to continue praying for the sake of my children."

"Then... Here!" I gave her a portion of the food that was supposed to be delivered to my papa and the hunters.

"But isn't this for the hunters? I can't take this!!" She immediately declined.

"It's okay, I think papa won't mind and they don't really eat much. Also, you should take care of yourself. I mean who would take care of your children if you're gone, right?"

I insisted on giving it back to her. Surprisingly, tears fell from her eyes as she thanked me.

"T-thank you, Anna!!... Thank you!!... You know... You're like an angel. " As her voice was muffled by her cries she wiped her tears.

In this situation, I was worried and confused at the same time. I don't know what to do because she was crying.

"P-please don't cry!! You see I'm not an angel if I was, I would've been able to feed everyone. And... And—" I tried comforting her but now I'm confused about what to say.

She pats my head and said, "It's okay now Anna, you should go. I bet your father and the hunters are hungry. "

"Oh yeah! Well, see you later. "

I rushed to my papa's workplace and as I was about to open the door. I overheard papa's conversation with his trusted friend and also a hunter, Uncle Eric.

"Allan... I think the Gods have abandoned us." The depressed voice I heard was from Uncle Eric.

"No, they haven't, you shouldn't lose faith in them." The calm and confident voice that I heard, was from my papa.

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"What do you mean?!! Everyone is dying out there praying!! And there's no response from the Gods for months!! If this keeps up, we're all going to starve to death!!"

As I heard Uncle Eric roared at my papa, I heard a metallic sound. It was as if unsheathing a sword.

"Eric!! Are you going to commit blasphemy?!! You know well that committing this sin deserves death!!.... Just be patient the Gods are testing our faith!!"

"A test?! You call this a fucking test?! I just lost my wife and children!! And right now, everyone's dying out there!! If my wife, my children, and everyone out there's lives are just a fucking test. Then what does that make any difference to us?! Wake up, Allan!!! Those fucking bastards in Olympus don't give a fuck about us!!"

  As I heard Uncle Eric arguing with Papa, I felt a sense of doubt about the Gods. I mean I shouldn't think of this because the Gods have helped us for a long. But upon seeing the many meaningless deaths of the villagers. I can't help but feel a sense of doubt.

"Rahh!! "

  I heard my papa's scream roaring inside the workplace. This made me surprised and I hurriedly peek at the door. And what I saw, was my papa holding a sword about to kill Uncle Eric. Despite that, Uncle Eric didn't fight back or run away. He stared at my Papa's face bravely while his whole body was trembling in fear of death. But... Papa stopped midway. And as the sword fell to the ground, tears fell from my papa's eyes. He said,

"Eric... What should I do now?... Everything is hopeless." Papa fell from his knees as he succumbed into disparity.

"There's still hope, a Viscount Class Noble is coming to our village to seek for a young girl as a concubine. If we are to give him one, he will offer some of his riches to this village. "

"Eric, Anna is the only young girl in this village right now.... Are you telling me to sacrifice my daughter for this village?! " Papa angrily replied.

"I... I don't know. What I'm only doing is only giving you some options. The decision is yours to choose. So I ask you, Allan. Will you protect your daughter and lead us all to our demise? Or will you give your daughter to that noble and save everyone?"

  When Uncle Eric said that, the whole room was engulfed in a peaceful silence. After some time, Papa let Eric leave the workplace so he can think things properly.

  As Uncle Eric was about to open the door and leave, I was trying to find a place to hide, but alas, I was too late. Uncle Eric opened the door and looked at me full of guilt.

"Did you hear everything?"

"N-nothing much." I smiled awkwardly, feigning ignorance.

"I'm sorry. " Uncle Eric still full of guilt didn't look me in the eye.

"It's okay, you were thinking for everyone." I smiled kindly, understanding Uncle Eric's decision.

"You know... You're too kind, it makes me feel like I'm the villain." After he said that, he left.

  Thinking about Uncle Eric's decision, I think the latter was the right one. If everyone is saved then I think it would make me very happy. I don't like to see anyone dying ever again.

  After a brief thought, I opened the door and made a kind smile. So Papa won't notice that I overheard their conversation. When I was inside the room, I saw Papa sitting on the chair with a desk in front of him. He was thinking really deeply. I even thought that he didn't notice me inside the room.

"Um... Papa are you alright?" I asked worriedly.

Papa made a shocking look as if being snapped back to reality. He looked at me and made a very kind smile.

"Oh, it's you, Anna. Sorry, I didn't notice you there, I was thinking deeply."

"It's okay Papa, I bet you're stress out with the things that are happening. But if I can help out, you can always ask me."

  When Papa heard those words, his kind smile was distorting into an overwhelming image of disparity. His eyes were almost flooded with tears but he kept it in. He stood up from his chair and went near me. As tears burst from his eyes, he kneeled in front of me as if begging for something.

"Anna, I know I've lacked as a father and I haven't given you a decent life. But please, can you accept your foolish father's request?!"

  Seeing my father break into tears as he kneeled in front of me, begging, being swallowed in disparity and utter uselessness. It was as if my chest was being stabbed a thousand times. It hurts so much seeing him like this. That I myself cried and hugged him. And answered,

"Yes, papa!! I will!! I will accept your request... Just please stop crying!!"

  Papa and I hugged and cried for some time. And when everything had calmed down, he explained to me everything. That I will become a concubine to a noble. Upon doing this, the noble will help the village with its problems. Papa then added that if I were to feel uncomfortable, I could respectfully decline the proposal. He said that I would not be held accountable for the things that will happen after. But papa didn't know that I've already accepted this responsibility before he even asked.

  Right now, I won't back down to this challenge, now that my papa is counting on me. I'll make sure to carry all this responsibility on my back and save everyone in this village. And if everything gets tough, I know the Gods will save me. They might've not helped us right now but I have faith in them.

  After work, papa and I went back home. And as we arrived inside the house, Papa calmly explained everything to my mama. Upon hearing this, Mama became very furious. Her eyes filled with hostility and anger. She then hit Papa strongly with her right palm.

Slap!!!

  Blood dripped from papa's face yet mama kept on slapping him over and over. Bruises and blood filled my papa's face although he didn't fight back and was silent the whole time. Seeing this, I immediately stopped Mama by hugging her.

"Mama please stop hurting Papa!! It was me who wanted it. If you want to hurt someone, please hurt me instead!!"

Mama began to stop slapping Papa. Then she looked at me with her eyes bursting with tears. And as she tightly hugged me with her bloodstained arms, I cried. She then said to me,

"Anna you don't have to sacrifice yourself for this village, your still a child. These problems are not your responsibility but the responsibility of us adults. So don't think about protecting us. We should be the ones protecting you."

Hearing such gentle and caring words from my Mama, it made me want to protect them even more.

Mama then looked at Papa with such a resentful face and said, "And you! If something happens to my beloved daughter, I will kill you!!"

Papa didn't reply, he just stood silently. Although, I can see him crying. His tears weren't that noticeable due to the blood dripping on his face.

That night was quite tiresome but when everything was settled, we went to sleep. Papa sleeps separately from us, I guess Mama hasn't forgiven him.

  Midnight, I wake up from bed early. My head was full of thoughts that I cant seem to sleep comfortably. So I went for a walk outside to cool off and think things through.

  As I was walking outside the village and gazing upon the beautiful night sky, I saw my Papa sitting on the corner with his empty and depressing face. I walked towards where he is and sat beside him. I wanted to cheer him up and talk about something.

"Are you ok Papa?" I said.

"Oh, Anna!" He was startled. "Um yes, you can't sleep?" He made a forceful smile as he said those words gently.

I nodded. "About the Noble... I still want to do it!"

"Anna please don't talk about this!! I don't want your mom to be worried and as she said, it's 'our' problem. It has nothing to do with you... And I admit, I was wrong to put you into this mess. So please, just trust us and we will find a solution."

"But this is the only solution!! I heard your conversation with uncle Eric yesterday. Please, Papa! I don't want to see anyone die anymore!... Just let me save all of you!"

There was a brief silence and then Papa said, "You know, you're quite stubborn. But if you have that conviction, then I'll agree... However, you must decline if you can't trust that person."

"Ok, Papa... But how about Mama? I wouldn't want to worry her."

"I'll do something about it..." Papa stood up, "Well, it's getting late. How about we go inside?"

"Ok, Papa!"

  We stroll back home while feeling the cold peaceful night. And as I went back to sleep, the problems that were troubling my head were all gone. I felt a sense of comfort, knowing that everyone would be saved.

  Unbeknownst to what will happen next, this was one of the most regrettable choice that I've made. Everything up until now was merely a prequel to the hell that I'm going to experience