Back home - happy words, because you love going back home after a long time away, right? But what if you go back to your home and can't find it?
The moon hung low in the night sky, casting an exotic glow over the desolate land. The air grew still as Zeral, a man an emotionless face, emerged from the shadows. Clad in ancient armor and a flowing white cape, he carried two swords with a weight that spoke of battles untold. His long, black hair whispered in the silence as he moved, a living specter with no interest in life, only purpose. As Zeral stepped into the moonlight, the world seemed to hold its breath, as if acknowledging the arrival of a figure whose existence transcended the realms of the living.
As Zeral strode through the desolate remnants of the once-thriving town of Bartak, a profound sense of emptiness enveloped him. The streets, once bustling with life, now lay in ruin, and the skeletal remains of buildings stood as silent witnesses to the destructive forces that had torn through the town. The air hung heavy with the echoes of a bygone era, and the only company Zeral found were the haunting whispers of the wind.
As Zeral trudged towards the desolate ruins of Batrak City, his gaze lingered on his silver arms, their metallic sheen reflecting the faint, dying light of the setting sun. Each step he took brought with it a searing pain in his head, a throbbing reminder of a past that remained frustratingly out of reach. His memories were a fragmented puzzle, each piece bringing more agony than clarity.
With every reluctant stride into the heart of the dead city, the pain intensified, clawing at his temples and clouding his vision. He muttered under his breath, "Why does this happen every time I come here?" His voice was a mix of frustration and sorrow, echoing off the hollow, crumbling walls around him.
The question nagged at him, refusing to let go: How had he ended up like this? The last clear memory he had was a blur of chaos and then... nothing. His body, once flesh and blood, was now a sleek, silvery metal, an uncanny transformation that defied explanation. The voices of a mysterious man hitting in his mind whenever he tried to piece together those last moments, their cryptic whispers maddeningly close yet elusive.
Too many questions lingered, unanswered and unyielding. How was his body restored and turned to this gleaming silver? Who was the man behind the voices, and what role had he played in Zeral's transformation? The uncertainty gnawed at him, each unanswered question a heavy weight on his soul.
As he walked through the silent streets of Batrak, the grief etched on his face deepened. The city's fate was as enigmatic as his own, its desolation a stark mirror to his internal turmoil. He moved forward, driven by a need to uncover the truth, to confront the specters of his past that haunted him relentlessly. With each painful step, Zeral's resolve grew stronger, determined to piece together the shattered fragments of his history and the mysterious fate that bound him to the forsaken city of Batrak.
Approaching what used to be the heart of Bartak, Zeral's gaze swept across the decaying structures, each a testament to the passage of time and the merciless onslaught of war. Broken windows gaped like empty eye sockets, and the remnants of charred walls bore witness to the flames that had devoured the town's soul.
With a heavy heart, Zeral stepped into one of the few remaining standing structures—a house that had once echoed with the laughter of families and the warmth of shared moments. Now, it stood as a mere shell, its walls bearing scars that told the tale of untold suffering. Despite the devastation surrounding him, Zeral couldn't help but murmur, 'Finally, I'm back home,' the words tinged with both nostalgia and the bitter reality of loss. The emptiness of the town mirrored the void within him, and as he explored the desolation, memories of a once-vibrant community added weight to each step.
Setting down his two swords with a heavy sigh, Zeral lowered himself to the ground amidst the debris, the cold touch of the ruined town beneath him a stark contrast to the warmth that once filled these streets. His eyes fixated on the dilapidated house before him, its walls bearing witness to the unforgiving march of time.
A flood of emotions washed over Zeral as he gazed at the remnants of the home he once shared with loved ones. Tears welled in his eyes, and a bittersweet smile played on his lips as he whispered, 'He is hiding somewhere...Hey, Johnny? I'm here, come out, I brought your favorite sweets.'
His voice, laden with a mix of longing and sorrow, recalls through the hollow spaces of the abandoned house. Zeral's eyes scanned the shattered remnants of what used to be the door, the passage of time etched in every crack. 'Come on, I'm waiting for you, my son.' His plea hung in the air, an invitation to a reunion that seemed to exist only in the recesses of his heart.
As Zeral strained to hear any sign of life within the stillness, the silence of the ruined town pressed in on him. The wind whispered through the broken windows, carrying only the distant echoes of a once-happy home. But there was no response, leaving Zeral to confront the cruel reality that the ones he loved were now mere resonates in the ruins of his past.
Then he started screaming "COME ON!! COME TO YOUR FATHER!" Then exclaimed in frustration and hysteria, "DAMN IT, WHERE ARE YOU? WHO KILLED YOU? TELL ME!” He continued to cry while punching the ground with his bare hands...
As Zeral's keen senses detected approaching footsteps, he tightened his grip on his swords and called out, 'Who is there?' His gaze shifted toward the front opening of the house just as three menacing figures materialized from the shadows, ambushing him with calculated precision.
The first monster, a grotesque silhouette in the dim light, emitted a low chuckle before speaking in a gravelly voice, 'Oh, it's a human. Hahaha, how lucky we are.'
The second creature, its form outlined by strangely contours, remarked with a sinister anticipation, 'He looks delicious, right?'
In response, the third monster, its features obscured by darkness, queried, 'Aye, but what is he doing here?'
The first monster, ever the tactician, suggested with a guttural tone, 'Maybe he lost his way.'
As the monsters exchanged their uncanny banter, Zeral's eyes flickered with a glint of amusement. His lips curled into a defiant smile, and he chuckled in response, 'Hahaha, finally, some food. I'm so hungry.'
The air crackled with tension as the encounter hung in the balance—a lone human surrounded by three monsters, each party sizing up the other in a dance of predatory instincts
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The second monster lamented, "I miss the humans’ food. When I was a human, I used to eat a lot of food, but now I only eat humans such as you."
Zeral looked to that monster and responded, "Mhm, same here. I miss my wife’s cooking, even if her soup was terrible - especially without salt.”
The first monster, curiosity lacing its guttural voice, inquired, "What do you mean, human?"
Zeral's laughter, a mix of defiance and amusement, echoed through the desolation. "Human? Am I? So you think you can kill me as you did to the rest of the humans you've slaughtered?"
The first monster, its arrogance palpable, responded with a pompous tone, "Of course, hahaha, we will eat you alive!"
The third monster, its anticipation evident, chimed in, "Hell yeah, you look so yummy."
Zeral, unfazed by their bravado, huffed with a hint of mockery, "Okay, fine, come and take some. But what about you? Huh?"
Amidst the desolate silence, the second monster's voice cut through the air, a shrill yell reverberating in the ruins. "What? You think you can eat us? We are holy beings, and thanks to our god Hirvan, we will annihilate all humans in the world."
The first monster, draped in arrogance, added a jibe, "Yes, you think you can eat us? We are above your kind."
As the third monster posed a question, an air of disdain laced its words. "You fool, you think you can kill us? Do you know what happened in this ghost village?"
Zeral, undeterred, responded with a wry smile, "Nope, can you tell me what happened here? And I may eat you if I want, so tell me what happened, and I will spare your life."
The third monster, incredulous, repeated, "Are you crazy? You don't know what happened? And you think you will spare our lives, huh?"
A chilling laughter emanated from the trio of monsters, a collective mockery that rings through the desolation. The second one, still amused, chimed in, "Hahahaha, nice joke."
The first monster, adding to the jest, scoffed, "He thinks he can kill us? A single human, defeat three holy beings?"
The sinister laughter lingered, casting an ominous pall over the impending confrontation between the lone human and the purportedly invincible monsters.
Then the third went on to explain, “We killed the surviving humans here, and this was the first town to yield to our rule, but when we arrived this city it was already dead one as it now...The three of us died 10 years ago, along with rest of humans who lived near...But thanks to our god, we got a chance to be reborn as his best creations-”
Zeral interrupted by saying, "Huh? Best creation? Hahaha, sounds cool! I’d love to take the ‘best creations’ and put it in menu for dinner today."
One of the monsters, consumed by rage, lunged at Zeral with a blood-curdling scream, vowing, "I will kill you!" Zeral, displaying lightning reflexes, deftly evaded the oncoming attack in a single, fluid motion. Swift as a striking serpent, he wielded his left sword, cleaving through the monster's head with deadly precision, leaving it in two grotesque pieces. The other two monsters watched in stunned disbelief.
The first one, seething with anger, exclaimed, "No way, he’s extraordinarily fast and just killed our brother!"
The second one, disbelief etched on its monstrous features, said, "I can't believe it. Let's kill him now."
With swift coordination, the first monster flanked to the left, and the second to the right, aiming to converge on Zeral simultaneously, denying him the chance to dodge. Undeterred, Zeral met their aggression with a confident smile, expertly blocking both attacks as the monsters relentlessly tried to strike him down. In a clever maneuver, the first creature attempted a surprise attack from behind, but Zeral anticipated the move. Leaping over the second monster, he slid between them, narrowly evading the ambush.
However, the monsters adapted, maintaining their relentless assault. As Zeral retreated, skillfully blocking their blows, an unexpected obstacle appeared — a rock that sent him sprawling to the ground. Sensing an opportunity, the monsters closed in, ready to pounce. Seizing the moment, Zeral waited for them to position themselves above him. With lightning speed, he thrust his sword through the throat of the monster on his left.
Yet, in the midst of this triumph, the other monster seized an opening, delivering a decisive blow to Zeral's chest. "Finally, I got you," it gloated, stabbing Zeral. As the monster surveyed the damage, expecting victory, Zeral, undeterred, began to laugh hysterically. "That's right, kill me, hahaha - kill me, please." The monster, baffled, realized Zeral could still talk, and to its horror, it became clear that nothing had happened to him.
He shouted, in disbelief "What the hell are you? What? No way , that's impossible!"
Zeral took the blade out of his chest before he kicked the monster in the gut. When he got up, he said in a patronizing voice, "Mhm, nice try, but it won't work. You see, I can't die."
The monster recoiled in horror, the realization sinking in that Zeral was an immortal entity, neither wholly human nor a mere monster. Fear etched across its monstrous features, it stammered out the question that reflects its shock, "What the hell are you?"
Zeral, exuding self-confidence and a ruthless demeanor, calmly declared, "I'm Zeral."
The creature, now teetering on the edge of terror, exclaimed, "A Zeral? In the old language, that means Silver. Ugh, that explains your strangely silver-colored skin."
The monster took a cautious step back, adding, Don’t tell me you are the Zeralizion -(the silver sabertooth)- killer? I’ve heard whispers of a man who marched through the north, rumors abound that he is the lone survivor of the beast hunt led by our God Hirvan a decade ago, but I never thought it's true!
In response, Zeral's tone remained unwavering, "I killed the Zeralizion like I did to your friend, and as I will do to anyone who dares to interrupt me."
The monster, overwhelmed by the revelation, dropped its weapon and knelt before Zeral. "This is impossible, a monster begging for your mercy...But would you please, will you spare my life?"
Zeral, a twisted amusement in his laughter, responded, "Hahaha, now why would I do that? Ah, wait, I just got an idea. Tell me who the hell killed the family who lived here?"
The monster, its voice trembling, admitted, "I don't know. I lived here when I was human but died outside the town. I don't recall anyone coming near this damned excuse for a house after I came back here. But why do you care? Were they your family?"
Zeral, indifferent to the monster's pleas and said "A family? I don't even remember I had one", then he raised his sword above its head, unyielding and merciless.
The monster, driven to desperation, sobbed, "Please don't kill me, I beg you; I never wanted to be like this, I had a family too, please... I lost them all, so I came here to seek revenge, just like you're doing now!"
Zeral, his chuckle tinged with cruelty, retorted, "Revenge? You think I'm here for revenge?"
The monster, in a final plea, pleaded, "Listen, I swear I will be under your service and do whatever you want, just don't kill me, please!"
Zeral, cold and detached, remarked, "Mhm, what a pity, a monster crying for forgiveness."
The monster, desperate, bent down to kiss Zeral’s feet, pleading, "I swear, I will do whatever you want, just please spare me, I don't want to die... I lived the worst life as a human, raised as an orphan in this town. I never had a real family, but then I got one - a stepmother who loved me like a real son, and yet she died in the war while I was outside fishing with my step-father."
Zeral, probing further, questioned, "So your step-father died too?"
The monster, blood streaming from its eyes like tears, confessed, "Yes, he died protecting me. I never had a chance to say goodbye to him or my step-mom. I miss them both..."
Zeral, feigning understanding, said delicately, "I understand completely." He opened his mouth wide in a terrifying grin. "So how about you join them?" With cruel laughter, Zeral repeatedly stabbed the monster, severing its head. "Just tell them I said hey - but you see, I'm very hungry." With a gruesome act, he started eating the monster and then inserted his hands into the remains to grab its heart. “Here are the candies that my son loves, so come on out, Johnny!” Continuing his craziness, he walked around the house, searching for his dead son.
The End.