⟦ You are stronger than you realize. There will be days when you doubt yourself, when the world feels too heavy to bear. In those moments, remember the light within you—a light no darkness can ever take away.

....

My sweet child, as you sleep peacefully, I sit here with a heavy heart, knowing this is our last moment together. I wish I could stop time, just for a little longer. I wish I could hold you one last time and feel your warmth against me.

You are the brightest light in my life. I wish I could protect you from all the pain the world will bring. When you wake up, I won’t be by your side, but my spirit will be woven into every beat of your heart. Cherish the small moments, find joy in the little things, live fully and remember that you're never alone. This is the end of our time together.

Sleep well, my precious one… and forgive me.

Goodbye...⟧

Khael shot up from the ground, his eyes wide and frantic.

huff... huff... huff...

His eyes moved around.

“What the hell...?”

As he tried to stand, a sharp pain ripped through his head, sudden and piercing, like a bullet tearing through his skull. He clutched his forehead in a wince. He clamped his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the spinning as his eyesight temporarily became blurry.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. Night had fallen, and the moon cast a dim, pale light over the ground. The bodies of fallen monsters were scattered around, their shadows stretching across the ground. The air was still, and the eerie silence of the night made the scene feel even more unsettling.

Khael gave himself a light face smack to get rid of the dizziness that was holding him. He looked straight ahead for a moment before the realization struck onto him. He jumped to his feet with a sudden burst of anxiety.

“OH SH!T”

Even though the dizziness persisted, he pushed it away and ran as hard as he could. His legs pounded rapidly, and his breaths came ragged and fast. His footsteps landed quickly into the earth, shattering the quiet of the night.

Everything around him blurred as he sprinted, shadows shifting in his peripheral vision. His legs burned, and his lungs felt like they were on fire, but he couldn't stop. Not yet.

At last the camp showed up, closer than he had expected. He stopped directly in front of the chief's tent and inhaled deeply.

The Chief's tent stood quietly in the dark. The worn olive-green canvas was barely visible in the low light. Sturdy wooden poles supported the medium-sized structure, giving it a solid, dependable presence. The entry was indicated by a huge zipper, and from within a cosy, gentle shine poured out.

As he prepared to ring the bell that hung outside, another boy, about Khael's age, bounced up to him from behind with a big grin. He slapped Khael on the back and nearly sent him stumbling forward.

“Hey, look who’s still alive! I was about to put up a 'Lost and Eaten' poster.” Finn quipped, grinning widely. “So, you off to see the Chief?”

“Uhh…yeah…”

“You'll be lucky to be alive after facing her!”

“Why's that?”

“‘Why?’ I don't know why, but she was fuming this whole time. She even threw a chair at me—I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes!” Finn shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it. “By the way, what took you so long? I was starting to think that the monster queen took you as her life partner.”

Khael took a moment to think before answering.

“I don’t know. I was on my way back, and then, out of nowhere, I found myself sleeping on the ground.”

Finn’s smile vanished, replaced by an expression of grave concern.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Oh no, the prophecy has indeed come to pass.”

“What prophecy?” Khael asked, curious about what Finn meant.

Finn cleared his throat and spoke in a serious, almost sage-like tone. “Indeed, it has been foretold in the ancient scripts that if a man allows himself to succumb to the lull of slumber upon the battlefield, he shall forever be cursed with the fate of dying…a virgin.”

Khael blinked, trying to wrap his head around what Finn had just said. “So, you're saying… falling asleep just put me on that path?”

“Precisely,” Finn nodded gravely. “A most tragic destiny, my friend.”

“Both of you idiots, get inside right now!” the Chief’s voice suddenly cut through the air from within the tent.

“Yes, Chief!” “Yes, Chief!”

They quickly rushed inside.

Inside, she sat in a sturdy chair beside a wooden table which was cluttered with a telephone, scattered papers, and an open map. The soft yellow light from the lamp cast a warm glow over her, illuminating her fiery orange hair and making it shine like a small star in the dimness of the tent.

Both Khael and Finn stood at attention in front of her, hands clasped behind their backs.

The Chief looked at them with a cold stare, her eyes narrowing as if she could see right through them.

“What were you two whispering about out there?” she demanded.

Finn, never one to miss a chance to fill the awkward silence, leaped forward with enthusiasm. “We were just talking about the best ice cream flavors! You know, the really important stuff! Have you ever tried pickle-flavored ice cream? It’s a total game changer! Right, bro?”

Khael blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah! Pickle flavored ice cream—wait, pickle?”

“Enough!”

Khael and Finn flinched briefly before snapping upright, standing tall like pillars, heads high and eyes forward.

“I received a call from headquarters today.” The Chief's voice was calm. She paused, just long enough for the tension to settle into them. Then, with a steady, cold tone, she delivered the words: “The war is over.”

Silence.

“The war we’ve been fighting for three long years has finally come to an end. Soldiers from every region, every battlefield, are returning to the city. It’s over.” She let the silence stretch, then added, “A ride will be here at dawn to escort us back.”

Silence. No one moved or reacted, standing still as statues.

“What? You didn’t like the news?”

“No, Chief! It’s fantastic news! I'm so happy. I’m shedding tears of joy… in my mind!” Finn replied.

The Chief’s eyes darted to Khael, who was doing everything he could to slip beneath her radar. He looked blankly ahead, avoiding her gaze as though they were deadly arrows pointed at him. Anger ignited in her eyes. The air was heavy with tension, and Khael could just feel the heat coming from her intense gaze.

“What time is it?” She asked.

“9 o'clock, chief.”

“Care to explain why you’re late?”

Khael scratched his head, a nervous smile creeping onto his face. “I… uh… accidentally dozed off for a bit. Heheh…”

Silence.

Khael kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. A bead of sweat slowly trickled down his spine. The Chief pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned heavily against the table. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, she let out a long sigh and shattered the silence.

“Just get out of my sight.”

“Yes, Chief!” “Yes, Chief!”

They both quickly stepped outside and closed the entrance just like how it was before.

The cool night air hit their face almost immediately. The sky stretched wide and dark, dotted with countless stars that flickered like distant flames.

Finn broke the silence with a long exhale.

“Whew! That was suffocating.”

Khael shot Finn a look. “Suffocating? I was one step away from turning into a pile of ash.”

Finn grinned. “Nah, if she wanted you dead, I’d just be collecting your remains in a dustpan. It could be worse, though. She might have made you run laps around the camp. Again. Hahahah”

Khael groaned, rolling his eyes. “Don’t even joke about that. My legs still hate me from last time.”

Finn snorted. “She’d find a way to make your ghost run laps. ‘Dead or alive, no excuses,’ she'd say, then chuck you into a grave workout.”

“Well, you can’t even tie your shoes properly.”

Finn crossed his arms and smirked. “You don’t even know how to tie a shoe! Last time, you used duct tape and hoped for the best!”

“What was wrong with that? It worked!”

“Yeah, yeah, I still remember her chasing you around like you were a stray dog she was trying to train.”

"And you? You were just standing there, munching popcorn like you were watching the greatest show on earth!”

Finn shrugged with a sly grin. “What? Ruin my front-row seat? Nah, man! That was a one-man show, and I wasn’t missing the chance to see you sprint like your life depended on it!”

Finn looked out over the wasteland, his expression turning a little more serious. “So, it’s really over, huh?”

“Feels like it all just happened yesterday,” Khael muttered.

“Yeah, wasn’t so bad here. So, what’s the plan when we get back?” Finn asked.

“I guess I’ll visit my mother. She’s the only family I’ve got left.”

“Hey, don’t forget to invite me! You always talk about how she makes these insane meals.”

“Just make sure you don’t eat the plate too,”

Gr-r-r-r...

The silence was abruptly broken by a deep, rumbling growl, which caused Finn and Khael to freeze in the middle of their conversation. Khael turned to Felix.

“I swear I’m not that hungry! Not yet, anyway.”

“Then what was that?” Khael asked.

Finn blinked, scanning the darkness. “I don’t know, but whatever it is, it sounds like it’s skipping the salad and going straight for the main course—and we’re on the menu.”

A heavy silence hung between them.

Grr-r-r-r-r…

The growl came again, deeper and louder this time.

“Maybe it’s just the wind,” Finn suggested.

Khael scoffed. “Yeah, ‘It's just the wind’, that thing sounds like it eats wind for breakfast”

Finn shrugged. “Well, only one way to find out.”

Khael turned toward the tent. “I’ll go let the Chief know—”

Before he could take another step, Finn clamped a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. “Relax, man. It’s just a growl, not a marching army. You're seriously going to drag her into every spooky noise we hear? What’s next, asking permission to breathe? Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

Khael gave him a sharp side-eye, lips tightening.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “Let’s go.”