Jhuni rushed in, his eyes widening and his nose scrunching at the smell. Assey's burns were bad—some parts of his skin had turned completely white. The stench of scorched flesh filled the air, thick and nauseating.
Without thinking, Jhuni turned and bolted for the door, with the bucket of water in hand.
"Jhuni! Take one more step, and your mother won't live to see your death!" Assey's voice, raw with pain, still held its usual authority.
Jhuni froze. His hands trembled as he turned back, forcing himself to bow. "I'm sorry, Master. Here—"
"Shut up and pour the water on me," Assey snapped.
Jhuni hesitated, but a single look at Assey's twisted expression told him not to argue. He tipped the bucket over.
Splash!
Cold water met raw flesh, and Assey let out a sharp hiss, his muscles jerking in pain. He clenched his jaw, but his mind wasn't on the burns anymore.
Anaya's voice echoed in his head.
"Coward."
"The great Assey of the Tumtum tribe."
His fists curled. His rage burned hotter than his wounds. Jhuni sensed it and quietly slipped out of the hut.
He walked a long way before stopping at a hidden shelter deep in the trees. His mother lay inside, frail but awake. The moment she saw him, she grabbed his arm.
"The end is near," she whispered. "Assey is playing a dangerous game, defying GOD. The prophecy is coming, Jhuni. He must turn back before it's too late. If he doesn't… chaos will follow. His own daughter will tear his pride to shreds."
Jhuni stiffened. "Mother, please," he whispered, glancing around nervously. "You can't talk like this. If Assey hears—"
"It won't matter," she said, shaking her head. "No matter how many people he kills, the prophecy won't change. His pride, his anger, his thirst for vengeance—they have blinded him. But vengeance belongs to GOD, not to man."
Jhuni swallowed hard. He had never seen her this certain before.
"Shh, Mother, please," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. "I don't want you caught up in this."
She sighed against him, her frail body finally relaxing. Jhuni held her close, hoping sleep would take her before Assey's wrath ever could.