Dante's face was grim but I didn't understand what he meant.

"That word again," I said. "What does it mean?"

Dante looked confused at my question.

"What is a Reincarnator?" I said.

Dante's eyes went wide as if he expected me to know.

"You don't know?" He said.

I shook my head.

"Do you know what reincarnation is?" He said.

"Yes, it's the belief that when you die you'll come back as something else," I said.

"Yeah, so Demitri, a Reincarnator is a person who's experienced that."

"So what the Hero said might've been true."

"What?"

"He told me that he was a reincarnated person from another world, some place called Earth."

Dante became pale as a ghost at my words.

"The Hero?....he was a reincarnated person?"

I nodded my head.

"That's what he told me. It's strange, though I was the one who killed the Hero and no one else had anything to do with it."

Dante looked like he was thinking of something.

"That must mean there are more reincarnated people in the world," Dante said.

"What? Just how many are there?"

As I said that, Dante gave me a look like he wanted to say something but stopped short of doing so. Dante looked to be biting his thumb in thought. He really looked like a normal boy to me now.

"Demitri, you can rest up, I'm leaving," Dante said. "Although tomorrow, I might need your help."

I nod my head again to affirm. I owe this young boy a lot, he has given me insight to some mysteries and has helped me from the brink of death. I feel ashamed to be an adult in his presence. I rested on the bed, exhausted from the day. Dante left the room quickly not before leaving a lantern at my bedside.

I heard him mumble something.

As Dante left my room I wondered about the things he told me. I wasn't a noble but I had titles that he could see. Were they branded on me because of the deeds I've done? Now I knew I was cursed but I felt some consolation. Dante called me a savior and a true hero, I couldn't help but laugh. I always wanted to be those things but I know I'm far from it.

My eyes wandered around the room, they felt tired. I look at the lantern and the little fire dancing within. It reminded me of that day, that day when I found out there were no heroes in the world. I blew out the light and darkness surrounded me again. I closed my eyes and drifted back to that day.

It was half a year into the war between Kingdoms, I was standing with my companions. We were the Heroes party, all eight of us. The Hero was given command of the Royal Army and of course, we followed him. We all had been through the best and worst of things. Right now we were laying siege on the City of Glaive. It was the last city and the final line of defense before the Royal Capital of Solace, Windale.

I was sharpening my sword chatting with Helem and Martin. Cassandra and Silvia were with the Hero looking over the war plans. Camille was trying to rob the soldiers out of their money in a game. The little wizard Lizzie was wandering around like she usually does. These were the last days I remember us all together.

The siege was lasting longer than I expected. What I didn't know at the time was that we were just waiting. A messenger came through and went to the Hero. In the blink of an eye, the Hero came to us in a hurry and made sure we were ready for the information. The Hero glanced at me and Helem, it was going to be terrible news. Martin still had a smile on his face, he couldn't read the mood.

Martin looked like a giant of a man with a big belly but inside he was a gentle child. He was the son of a butcher and he wielded cleavers in battle. He had great strength for a young man and a big heart. The Hero delivered the news and Martin dropped down to his knees screaming. His hometown had been destroyed by the Solace army, there were no survivors. Martin's parents had long died in the famine but his siblings were still there and they were his world.

I couldn't console Martin, nobody really could when loved ones die. He was sobbing in a dismal state and we all swore that Solace would pay. Now I know that we were waiting for this news before we could attack Glaive. The Hero and Princess Helen let those people die, they took away Martin's only remaining family. All my anger directed at the Kingdom of Solace was for nothing.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The Hero ordered an attack to quickly capture the City so we could move on to the Capital. The City of Glaive was heavily fortified and they knew we were coming. I was dressed in the armor of a Bareth soldier but I still wore my dark cloak. I wasn't a frontline fighter, my tasks were subterfuge. We had planned until night had come.

I had picked out some men to go with me, I only needed the quick and the agile. With a little magical help from Lizzie, we scaled the walls. There were only a few of us but we moved like mice in the dark. I took out guards as quickly and as painlessly as I could. They were my enemy but I didn't want anyone to suffer.

The men with me were a little sloppy in their movements and skills. I hoped that we wouldn't get caught and alert the city. Right now I had one job and that was to open the gates. The city was quiet and the people were sleeping as if there wasn't a war outside the walls. I thought I was going to liberate and save the people. What I didn't know was that I was unleashing hell upon them.

We raised the gates and the Army of Bareth poured inside the city like a torrential flood. Screams echoed through the walls, the sound of metal seem to overtake them. People were running in every direction. I wouldn't have imagined the awful sporadic acts of violence that were being committed as the city was ransacked. Were we supposed to be their saviors? We were more like beasts.

I stood on top of the walls and watched from a distance, my breathing got heavier and heavier. This was the true face of war and I had taken part in it. I witnessed children fleeing with their parents away from the carnage. I watched as a mother clutched her child tight, hoping it would protect the baby. It didn't matter as a soldier's sword ran through them both. Fear and anger for the children consumed my thoughts.

I leaped off the walls and went down to the ground hoping to stop the madness.

Fires were raging throughout the city and it had truly become hell. The sounds of men screaming and the crushing of bones resounded near me. Martin was fending off multiple Solace soldiers but he had a crazed look in his eyes. He chopped and hacked at the men who died howling, becoming chunks of meat and flesh. I saw that he didn't need my help and my mind was on other matters. I quickly ran into the heart of the city and I heard shrieks.

Women and children were being surrounded by some Bareth soldiers. They were ripping their clothes and laughing. Some of the children who were boys had their lives quickly ended. I could already guess what some of these dogs wanted. I ran up to them and stopped them from attacking the group of women and children.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THESE ARE JUST WOMEN AND CHILDREN!"

The soldiers were confused by my actions.

"They are just people of Solace."

"DOES THAT MATTER!?"

"The Commander said to leave no one alive."

The Hero was the Commander of the Bareth Army.

"You're lying."

I took out my sword and threatened them.

"The Commander told us we could do whatever we want!"

A soldier attacked me and I quickly opened his throat with my sword.

The rest of the soldiers were frightened.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

I roared and the smell of urine filled the air.

The soldiers ran away quickly before my fury. The women and children had a stare of deathly fear as they looked at me. My expression was grave but I tried to tell them everything was going to be alright. I told them to run away as far and as fast as they could. I watched them escape until they were stopped by someone.

That was when I saw him, our commander, our leader, our friend, our Hero. All he did was a smile, that frightening smile as he murdered women and children.

My heart broke.