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Even though my memory was still mostly blank, I already received many pieces to form a half-complete puzzle. Roi taught me a few things, while Iorivalith spurred some nonsense that could actually be rational.

My wakening in the cavern was premeditated. I believe I was supposed to wake up at some point in time, but the plan was somehow thwarted which lead me to my current state: alone with nobody to welcome me, and incomplete.

Roi said something along the line she was commissioned to assist me, however me wakening up earlier than planned was unexpected, and thus she couldn’t have come to my side sooner. All of that was fine and all, but that still didn’t explain Iorivalith’s hostility against me.

If she knew about me, if she was an acquaintance from my past, then why did she try to seal me away from this world? I… Guess I can understand a bit, for my power could indeed change everything if I ever decided to erase whatever displeased me. But banishing me from this reality was too extreme, I thought.

At least I… May try to think of another solution, before going for this one.

But still… Was I undesired?

A violent creature roared at us, the giant reptile showed us his canines before running at full speed with his two strong legs. That would have been a merciless foe, but I paid it no mind as I let my power erase its presence.

I wasn’t in the mood to toy with it, besides I still had to protect Nilie the best I could until my debt was repaid. Letting those blood-thirsty things getting too close could be dangerous for him.

The sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon. It was dusk, and our destination was still out of sight. “I knew we wouldn’t get there in time…” I glanced at Nilie, checking for his wellbeing before refocusing on the way ahead.

“Spirit, someone set up a camp on the road.” We could indeed spot a faint fire in the distance surrounded by many caravans, but I didn’t notice many figures crawling inside the site. It could’ve meant that most of the travellers were already asleep, or something else.

We got closer to the camp and were welcomed by the pair of guards. “Halt!” shouted the man at me, commanding me to stop with a sign of his hand. “ ‘Tis dangerous her’. Ye’ should not come closer.”

“Why? We are not here to pillage or anything.” I retorted with confusion in my voice. Nilie aside, I certainly didn’t look like a bandit or any hostile characters. Or were sorcerers considered doubtful for certain people?

“It’s the nevra, sir.” The man answered without paying any mind to my retort. “It infected one of us, and spread in the whol’ group. I try to protect you from ‘tis sickness.”

Nevra wasn’t a word I was used to hear. But Nilie wasn’t sharing my calmness on the subject, telling me in low voice “Spirit, we should go before…” He wanted to leave this place before the curse that afflicted those men spread to him. I understood, as it was my duty to take care of him.

I understood… But I couldn’t comply yet. “Let me see the patients.” I solemnly asked.

Of course, the two guards looked at me with big round eyes. “We can’t, sir! What if you get sick too?”

“I want to check their state. Can I?” I insisted, because it preoccupied me very much.

“I’m sorry sir, but we can’t let you pass!” They were going to block my way, refusing to accept my humble request. It was quite honourable from them to hold the line so valiantly, but that did not amuse me.

I sighed… And had to push them away. They both yelled in surprise as they suddenly found themselves hovering above me. Now they couldn’t block my path anymore.

I made my way inside the camp, looking around to find the ills. They were sitting around the campfire, probably grouped together to separate who was healthy and who wasn’t. I approached the unhealthy group, making my entrance known in the whole place.

“What is he doing?”

“This is madness!”

“Stop him!”

“I’m not getting closer, me!”

The curious observers watched me from afar, terrified at the idea of catching the same sickness as their comrades. They were all sitting on a thick carpet, maybe one last act of kindness before they would depart from this world. I looked at their body… Their condition was disastrous.

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The skin was falling apart in some sort of necrosis, leaving the bones and the flesh uncovered. I couldn’t even hear a fly in the area, those little scavengers were probably already dead from decomposition.

“So this is the nevra…”

I halted my progression when the tip of my feet touched the carpet. The closest patients lifted their head to see me, before spreading the word of my arrival.

“Another idiot thinking he can saves us…” Those words came from an old man sitting somewhere in the middle. I didn’t like it when people underestimated me, even more when I didn’t even try.

“Then let me ask me first: Why are you willing to die here?”

I saw lots of the people here gazing at their feet. Were they resigned to death? But the old man showed me a little bit more vitality than I expected “You damn brat! Nobody here wants to die! Except you, if you’re willing to come this close. Then come! Come and die with us!”

What I saw and what I heard from here conflicted. “You’re saying nobody wants to die, but I already see no life in their eyes.” Some of them pointed their hatred at me when I spoke out loud. But I had to tell them, because what they were doing was wrong.

“You brat! What do you know? Want me to punch you?”

Why was I reprimanded when I was only trying to help them? Why were they giving up so easily, if they valued life so much? That was absurd. I knew I was an idiot… But not, I was different. I gave no choice when I judged the bandits. I gave them no chance at saving their own life, so now I will.

“The nevra is afflicting you, eating away your limbs and eroding your body. In a few days, you will lose the ability to move properly. And it will only take one week before you will internally rot, but you will still be alive at that time, leaving you with an unbearable pain for a couple of hours before you finally die.”

They all already knew about it, I taught them nothing. They were already aware of their fate, but that didn’t mean they could just wait and die here.

I offered my hand to the sick. “I can help you. I can help all of you. You only need to grab my hand.”

I looked them in the eye, each of them. I started to notice a glimmer of hope in some of them, but nobody dared to move yet. Nobody, except… “You brat!” The old man. He met me with a fist in my face.

The hit was weak, but it still made me lose my balance.

“Stop spouting nonsense! Can’t you see people are dying here?!”

“You’re the one spouting nonsense…”

I could cure them. I knew I could. I only needed… Yes, I only needed to show them. But now, I was annoyed.

I tried to help them. I really did. I may be crude with my words, however my intentions were pure. I wanted to help them, because they needed my help. I was… Yes. I was a hero. A guardian.

But at the end of the line, it was also my decision to help them or not. If I judged they deserved it, then so be it. But if they didn’t…

“You know what? So be it.” I stood up and gathered energy in my manacles. The target of my miracle was… The old man itself, for punching me out of nowhere.

My power was designed to erase what I judged to be impure, and thus cleansed from this world. Monsters threatening me, bandits going against the locale rule, and so on. I was the one who decided what was right and what was wrong.

And my judgement here was that this old man was living in the wrong. So I righted him. I purged the nevra from his body.

He stood there, aghast. The revelation most certainly froze him in… Happiness?

But I was still annoyed. Annoyed enough that I knew from experience that I would do something stupid if I stayed here any longer than I should.

I tried to leave the place, only to be grabbed by the old man again.

“Wait! If you can heal me, then you can heal the others!”

“Of course I can.” I answered back. “But why should I?”

“You… How can you say that!” the old man yelled at my face. “Those women and children are suffering, and you would abandon them?!”

“Of course I would.” They never asked for my help. And when I offered my hand, nobody took it. What am I supposed to do then?

“You brat!” He tried to punch me again. Once was more than enough.

I grabbed his wrist with such strength the bone cracked while blood spurted on both of us. He yelled in pain, of course, but I paid no mind to his wound.

“I did help, didn’t I? I knew I could help, so I offered my help. But you didn’t accept my offer!”

I let go of his wrist, this time to grab him by the shoulders to shake him up.

“I TRIED to help! I gave you a chance, but you didn’t take it! Why? WHY?!”

He probably tried to say something, or was trying to wrestle in my grasp. But what could one man do against the wielder of such power? I lifted him from the ground, unfairly using my unmatched strength to shake him out of confusion and anger.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU TAKE UPON MY OFFER?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO REJECT ME?! WHYYY?!”

I drew his face close to mine. I couldn’t know if he was even alive at this point or not.

“I WAS TOLD TO HELP YOU ALL!!! SO WHY DID YOU HAVE TO REJECT ME?!!!”

“Stop him! He’s injuring the elder!” someone shouted behind my screams. I guessed some armed guards arrived at the scene and tried to stop me. They couldn’t wrestle with me, so they quickly chose to draw their weapon and poke me.

It infuriated me, so I threw the old man at them.

I didn’t care anymore. They wanted to kill me now?! So be it!

The camp was no more. No trace was left, I made sure of it.

…

I… Was told… To help them… I recalled the words, spoken by a friend from the past. No. Not a friend… But by her.

It was Qalendra who asked me to save the world.

I promised I would do my best… I said I would do it…

Why… Why was I tasked with such an unmatched duty?

What did they expect from me? What did she saw in me? I was a monster. I was inhumane.

I was… What was I?

I evacuated the build-up frustration with a loud cry that lasted for who knows how long?

…

Someone was there, shaking in fear like a leaf. I lifted my head to see who survived my onslaught, but wasn’t surprised to see Nilie cowering behind his amulet, faintly praying for the spirits.

It was Nilie… He was still here. Thanks goodness, he was still here.

That’s right, I still needed to protect him from any harm. I approached and cajoled him between my arms. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I weakly repeated. I didn’t know what to do anymore. I needed those memories back at all cost, before I lost any more pieces of my mind.