The streets were filled with people. On both side of a large boulevard, large screens displayed advertisements for various products. The night sky was heavy with Gray clouds, and the sound of cars racing echoed all around. Everything felt claustrophobic, and the humidity in the air made the atmosphere even more depressing. In a back alley, a young man was walking slowly, without any clear direction. He had short black hair, brown eyes, and a medium height and build. He was dressed in a black suit, holding a half-empty bottle of alcohol in his right hand.

"This is what I deserve, huh?"

The man was talking to himself, his voice heavy with sorrow.

"Mother, I'm so sorry... your son wasn't strong enough to protect you. I should've never left the house... I should've stayed inside like any other day. Why did I leave you there all alone..."

As he continued walking, lost in thoughts of his family, he came across an alleyway junction. Without much thought, he turned left and stumbled upon a tense scene. A teenager in a gray hoodie was holding a knife to a woman's throat. The man was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't immediately notice the situation.

"Help! Please help me!"

The woman's scream finally snapped him back to reality. Slowly, he raised his head. He didn't feel anything. He couldn't feel anymore. Through his unkempt hair, he looked at the teenager, then slowly met the woman's desperate eyes.

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The birds were chirping once again in the sky. The grass around the camp was covered in morning dew, and the view was astonishing. The valley stretched as far as the eye could see, with towering mountains on both sides, their peaks rising so high that they disappeared into the clouds. The sound of the river was soothing, and in its shallow waters, numerous fish swam, enjoying the day.

As this beautiful scene unfolded, Larrios lay near the now-dead fire, his eyes half-open and his face pale. His body was covered in bite marks, and blood from his wounds stained every limb. The wolf hadn't spared any part of him, biting everything it could. If someone were to walk by Larrios's body now, they might think he was already dead—and no one could blame them.

With his right hand stretched out on the ground, he slowly began to regain consciousness. His vision was blurred, and he was barely aware of his surroundings as he tried to move.

"Damn it… Everything hurts… I wasn't able to do anything… Too weak…"

As Larrios thought about the fight with the wolf, he slipped out of reality again and fainted. A few hours later, he woke up. The sun was high in the sky, and the birds were nowhere to be seen—not that it mattered to Larrios at the moment. He was still licking his wounds, and even though his body was badly injured, the biggest wound was to his morale. Despite trying to conquer his fear of defeat, it had still happened, and that damn wolf hadn't even killed him. Larrios felt like the wolf had mocked him when it looked back at him. Though he was relieved to still be alive, the thought of being spared gnawed at him.

"I'm thirsty…"

Usually, the first thing Larrios would think about upon waking up was food, but this time, his appetite was nowhere to be found. His recent loss weighed heavily on him. Limping slowly toward the river, he finally reached it and bent down with difficulty, unable to make any large movements.

The surface of the river was crystal clear, and for the first time, Larrios was able to see his reflection in the water. His medium-length, flowing black hair cascaded down to his shoulders. His face was slim and well-defined, with high cheekbones and a smooth, clear complexion. His features were strikingly handsome, with a gentle, sad expression. His eyes were a deep, captivating shade of brown, and his straight nose was well-proportioned. His lips were soft and slightly full, and his skin was fair and smooth. Despite the fatigue from the previous day's events, his skin still had a youthful glow. Across his clean features, superficial scratch marks were visible.

Larrios's eyes widened, astonished to see such an interesting face looking back at him from the water, but the feeling left his mind quickly. He punched the water in frustration and then drank until his thirst was quenched. Afterwards, he examined his body, which was still covered in rags. He removed the upper part of his clothing and looked at the marks on his body—numerous bite marks and scratches covered him, with blood smeared everywhere. Fortunately, aside from a few more serious wounds, his muscles and bones were not damaged.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"I feel so dirty. I need to wash myself..."

He removed the rest of his rags and slowly walked into the shallow river, submerging himself under the water. The sensation calmed his mind. He stood up and washed his body carefully, feeling a sense of shame each time he cleaned his wounds. A trail of blood slowly drifted away with the river's current.

Feeling a little better, he got out onto the riverbank and started washing his clothes. Once he was finished, he hung them on a tree to dry. For about two hours, he sat there, staring into the distance. At some point, he snapped out of his thoughts, gathered his now-dry rags from the tree, and put them on before heading back to the camp. The sun was beginning to set, and Larrios stood around the camp in silence. He rekindled the fire, and once it was burning, he remembered his potato patches. He walked back to the river and began bringing water to the patches, tending to the soil and removing any weeds that had grown.

The task was complete, and Larrios took his place back by the fire. He stared into the flames, finally realising that night had fallen again. The moon was slowly rising in the sky. In a low tone, he began talking to himself.

"Finally over... What is happening to me? First, I wake up in the middle of nowhere, then strange dreams start appearing, and now I have to fight wolves just to survive... This isn't fair..."

As he lamented over his time spent in this unfamiliar place, new questions began to flood his mind.

"What is this place, and why am I here? I don't even remember how I got to this damn valley. I tried to stay calm, to take it easy, but now I don't get it! What have I done to deserve this?!"

His last words came out in a furious shout, and in a swift motion, he stood up, glaring viciously at the moon.

"Did you bring me here? Is this how you amuse yourself? Watching me being tossed around by wild animals? You try to seem so grand and mysterious, but the truth is, you enjoy seeing me suffer! What family name, what bond—this is all bullshit!"

As he screamed at the sky, he grabbed a handful of pebbles and threw them into the air as if aiming at the moon itself.

"I don't want to be here! I don't care about the Others or the so-called Higher Ones!''

He was still picking up pebbles and trowing them in that direction, again and again.

''I just want to understand what's happening to me! You hear me, you damn ghost? Get me out of here! Or—Or..."

The outburst drained him of all the energy he had gathered throughout the day. His knees gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground, still staring at the sky. Hot, wet tears streamed down his face.

"Or at least help me... I don't want to die... There's no one here..."

He could no longer shout. The pebbles he had been clutching in his right hand fell slowly to the ground as his voice cracked, giving way to sobs.

"Please help me! I don't want to die like the eagle... I want to survive. I want to understand what's going on! Please, please, please help..."

As his final plea escaped his lips, he lay on the ground, repeating the same words over and over, hugging himself tightly.

But as much as he cried out, as much as he cursed and pleaded, no answer came. There was no one to hear him. It was just him and the sky. After a few minutes, he fell asleep, his tear-streaked face still turned towards the moon.

After a few hours, the wind began to blow, extinguishing the campfire. Larrios still lay on the ground, his eyes fluttering open softly. His face was pale, and pain was etched into his features. Slowly, he moved toward the remains of the fire and sat down, resting his head on his palm, gazing up at the sky. Despite his desperate pleas, no answers came.

"That eagle..."

His thoughts returned to the bird and its death, which had affected him more than he realized.

"Why should I keep living? I'm not strong enough to take care of myself. Any moment now, that wolf will come back and finish me off. What's the point of all this... I should just end it here..."

As the moonlight bathed his face, Larrios picked up the wooden sword and turned it toward himself. He stared at the blade, then up at the sky. Placing the tip of the sword against his bare chest, he muttered,

"Heh, there I go. So simple. I can do it right now and end this whole circus. You see this, Ghost? Your little amusement is going to disappear. At least I'll die with a smile, knowing I managed to annoy you in the end."

But despite his words, his hands trembled on the hilt of the sword. He tried to push it into his chest, but he couldn't. Images of his fight with the wolf played in his mind, alongside the repeated vision of the eagle's death.

"The wolf fought me, and it won… it wanted my food, and it got it fair and square. The eagles fought each other in the air for reasons I don't understand, and one died. I kill birds every day just to survive... Life and death… it's all natural…"

Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. Whether it was the eagle, the wolf, or himself, all were simply trying to survive, bound by the laws of nature. He smirked.

"I'm such a foolish child… No matter how much I pity myself, this is reality. We're all just trying to survive… How stupid…"

The sword fell from his hand, hitting the ground. Larrios quickly gathered wood, reigniting the fire. The wind had calmed, and he sat back down. Once again, in the middle of the sky, amidst countless stars, one thing stood out— a beautiful half-moon, shining down on him.