Reishel froze in place, his small heart beating wildly, and his wide eyes reflected a terror beyond measure
What he was seeing was too much for a child to endure
The sight of the bodies scattered around him stole his ability to breathe
With staggering steps, he began moving between the bodies, hoping to find someone still alive
Then his feet stopped in front of two familiar corpses... his father and Silas
His breath caught, his hands trembled as he dropped to his knees, extending his shaking arms and holding them tightly, trying to deny the harsh truth tearing at his soul
In a choking voice, he muttered,
"Please... tell me this isn't real... How did all this happen?"
But silence was the only answer
While he was pleading with the corpses, the stillness was broken by the sound of light footsteps
He raised his head, his vision blurred by tears
There was a girl, with long black hair and completely white clothes, holding a book in her hands
Her face was expressionless, and her eyes glowed coldly, as if they were looking deep into his soul
Reishel looked at her, his lips trembling, and asked in a shaky voice,
"Who are you?"
The girl slowly opened her book and answered in a calm, echoing voice,
"I am the writer... and you are my story that refused to be completed"
His eyes widened in shock, then he cried out in brokenness and anger,
"If all of this is part of your story... then I don't want it to be completed! Get me out of here!"
She looked at him without expression, then took a pen that began to glow in her hands and wrote mysterious words on the white pages
With every word she wrote, she spoke in her soft voice with a chilling tone,
"If you don't want this....then...here's this"
Suddenly, a bright light erupted, filling the space and forcing Reishel to shut his eyes tightly
When the light disappeared, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of a small forest
The dense trees surrounded him, and the sound of birds filled the air
He looked at his clothes, which were no longer luxurious but simple, as if he were just an ordinary child
He stood up, looking around in astonishment. His bare feet stepped on the damp grass, but his heart felt heavy with something he couldn't explain, as if what had happened... wasn't just a nightmare
He began walking aimlessly, his eyes distant, his steps slow and hesitant
He kept walking and walking, until he spotted a group of dilapidated houses in the distance, as if they were waiting to be swallowed by the earth
He entered the small village, but as soon as he took a few steps, a huge man appeared in front of him, his features harsh, and his eyes narrowing like snakes
He moved toward him with heavy steps and grabbed his arm roughly, as if his fingers were claws sinking into his small skin
The man shouted in a gruff voice, reeking of alcohol and sweat,
"Where were you?! Why didn't you bring the money?!"
Reishel froze, his heart pounding like a trapped bird
He tried to free his hand, but the man's grip was too strong to break
He felt as though he had fallen into a new trap, darker than the nightmare he left behind
He mumbled in a trembling voice, barely able to speak,
"I... I don't understand... What money?"
The man laughed roughly, then bent down slightly to come closer to his face
His eyes, burning with anger, glowed like two embers,
"Faking innocence? No point in lying... Your punishment will be severe"
Before Reishel could process his words, his body was violently pulled toward one of the houses
The doors slammed against the walls as if screaming
The man shoved him into a cramped room, the ceiling low, and the walls damp
"You'll stay here until you decide how to pay," said the man, then slammed the door shut with such force that the room trembled
Reishel sat on the cold wooden floor, his eyes wandering in the darkness, as if searching for a hopeless escape
He hugged his knees to his chest, trying to calm himself, but suddenly, a faint voice pierced his ears,
"Run... before he comes back!"
What he heard made him shiver with fear
He began turning, examining the room, trying to find the source of the voice
He stretched his trembling hand to feel the ground and walls, searching for any gap or crack, but he touched something else... something moving
He quickly pulled his hand away, but what he touched was not a stone or wood... but a small, cold hand, as icy as ice
He gasped in horror, then saw a pale face of a small child. His eyes were wide, empty, like two holes in the void
The child moved his lips soundlessly and pointed his thin finger toward the far corner of the room
Without hesitation, Reishel stood up quickly and began feeling his way toward the corner
The floor trembled slightly, as if hiding something beneath it
He knelt down, began lifting the wooden planks with difficulty, his fingers aching from the scratches
Finally... a small hole was revealed
Without thinking twice, he slid into it despite its narrowness, crawling painfully between the dirt and rocks
The darkness was suffocating, but he saw a faint light at the end
His heart raced with hope as he continued crawling until he emerged... behind the house
As soon as he took his first step outside, he spotted the man again
"Where are you running to?!... You won't escape me until you bring me the money!"
Reishel turned his body and ran with all his strength, closing his eyes, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, until he felt the man's voice start to fade gradually
He opened his eyes, gasping for breath, his feet barely able to support him, but he didn't stop He kept running until he reached the edge of a dense forest, its trees intertwining as if trying to prevent him from entering
He hesitated for a moment, but then he heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching quickly
He took a deep breath... then dashed between the trees without thinking...