Faust was surrounded. In front of him, thousand of shadows twisted and writhed, their forms were not fixed. Behind him, even more loomed, enclosing him in an endless sea of darkness.
Tha shadows were shouting, their voices merging and making it impossible to understand. It just sounded like angry screams and howls.
Fire-red strands of hair fell in front of his eyes. His hands looked larger, his perspective elevated. He glanced down at himself—his body was wrapped in crimson and golden. An attire that, if not for the dozens of deep wounds on his body, would scream nobility.
"What is this…" He thought.
The shadows kept creeping closer. Faust tried to speak, but no sound escaped his mouth.
They were still getting closer. Now, they were less than an arm's length away. Then, the skies darkened. A voice, clear and filled with fury thundered from somewhere among the shadows.
"You tried to deceive me, you damned demon! I will rip your flesh while you still breathe, make you drown and burn for a thousand years! And when i am done, i will leave your corpse for the beasts to feast upon!"
The voice was rough, seething with anger.
Then, from Faust's mouth, a sound finally came out.
"Hehehe! It matters not. I have already won!"
The sky grew even darker. Then, the shadows lunged at him.
"Fau…"
"Faust…"
"FAUST!"
His eyes shot open. His chest heaved. Sweat dripping from his skin. His heart pouding like a war drum.
Beside him, his mother hovered, anxiety and fear stamped on her face.
Faust turned to the small window in his room. Outside, it was still dark, it was still night.
Faust kept quiet, he couldn't think straight, his face was lingering with confusion, as he got woke up.
"Faust, get up, now!" His mother urged.
CLANG!
The sharp clash of metal rang through the air just as she finished speaking.
Her already pale face turned even paler. Without hesitation, she grabbed Faust's hands and yanked him up. Then, they rushed toward the door.
"Son… It will all be alright." She wispered, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself instead of him.
As they reached the door, chaos unfolded before them. The scent of blood hung thick in the air, mingling with the sickening sounds of flesh being teared. The peaceful village had turned into a nightmare.
Faust's father, Rust, stood just outside, gripping his axe—its blade smeared with blood. At his feet, there was a body of a cloaked man laying down, his skull split open, blood and brain matter turning into a pool beneath him.
Rust wasn't faring much better. His right arm was heavily wounded, the muscle exposed beneath torn flesh. His abdomen had been stabbed, and blood flowed freely from the wound. His dark skin had turned ghostly pale—almost as light as Faust's.
"Son…" He muttered, his voice heavy, almost giving up.
Faust eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to needle size.
"Pa? Are you alright?" Faust's voice, usually cold, now trembled with fear.
"Yes, son… i'm alright…" Rust replied, though his words lacked the truth, since not even a breath later blood poured from his mouth.
"We can talk later, Faust. We need to get to the forest!" Rust said, with a faint smile, before nodding at Tiya.
Tiya, Faust's mother, gripped his hand even tighter.
The three of them began moving, staying low and trying to make as little noise as possible. Tiya urged Faust to look down, to shield him from the view around them.
Dozens of bodies were laying on the ground, most of them were villagers, with a few cloaked figures among them.
The smell of blood was so overpowering that Faust felt something rise in his throat. He fought it down, swallowing it down as his stomach made a weird nose.
The village was swallowed by darkness, most of the torches extinguished. The few that remained did little to light the village.
Faust and his parents moved stealthily, inching closer to the edge of the village. As they walked, Faust glimpsed villagers fighting back, only to be slaughtered by dark-clothed figures. A few managed to escape death, trying to flee the same way Faust and his family were.
They sneaked for a little over 10 minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
Despite his injuries, Rust took the lead, pushing foward with an unnatural resilience. By all logic, he shouldn't have been able to move, let alone for so long. But sheer willpower drove him foward—driven by the need to save his wife and son.
They were almost there, just a few more meters and they would reach the limit of the village, being able to flee and hide into the forest.
This moment was crucial. Just a few more steps and they could disappear into the trees, finding a place to hide.
"We are almost there. After this, it's just the forest." Rust said, his tone firm despite his failing voice. "Stay close, both of you."
With their destination near, they quickened their pace. They were almost there, no more houses, just a few steps and they would reach their goal.
But then, their path was blocked.
Two figures with black clothing stepped in front of them, even though they were masked, it was possible to see one of them smirking.
"Hahaha, the boss was right. Some of them really tried to run for the forest." It was the voice of a male, it was rough and cracking.
"Heh… Tis' right." The other one laughed, the voice also that of a male.
Both men were armed - one with a butcher knife, the other with an old, straight sword and a bow on his back.
Rust expression darkened. He knew that on his current state, he wouldn't be able to fight one of them, let alone both. But he couldn't back down, not when his wife and son depended on him.
Without turning his head, he said: "Tiya, my love. I will catch up to you guys soon. Faust, i love you, my son. Don't leave your mother's side. Now, RUN!"
He then gripped his axe with all his strenght, to the point his flesh began to tear from the pressure. His red eyes—sharp and determined—resembled a strong fire, one that didn't match his current broken body.
Tiya face twisted with sadness. Tears streamed down on her face. She bit her lips, blood started flowing out. She squeezed Faust's hands with even more strenght, before whispering "I love you too, Rust, my love."
Tiya knew that it was a lie—Rust wouldn't be joining them. He said it to give them hope, to keep them moving.
Faust knew it too. Though young, he wasn't stupid.
"PA! Please, don't! Please don't! PLEASE. PLEASE!" Faust screamed, tear and mucus flowing down his face, his voice raw with desperation.
But Tiya didn't stop. She dragged Faust along, running as fast as she could. Faust struggled, trying to break free, trying to turn back, but Tiya didn't let him go.
Rust smiled faintly, watching his wife and son run away. Then, his gaze hardened as he urned back to face the two men.
The three of them stood in silence.
"Heh… I guess this is it." Rust muttered, his voice tinged with acceptance.
"Blame this on your luck. Go after them!" The man with the sword ordered, nodding toward his companion.
The man with the butcher knife started toward Faust and Tiya, but Rust stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
The butcher knife-wielder swung at him, aiming for his head.
Rust moved with surprising speed, dodging the blow and swinging his axe in retaliation.
CLANG!
His axe was blocked by the man with the sword, he had joined the fight. The impact of the metal against metal made Rust spurt blood from his mouth. His skin grew even paler, his body failing.
"I can't… i need to hold them… my body, please hold on just for a little more time…" Rust thought, his vision blurring.
Rust swung again, aiming at the same target, the butcher-knife wielder. The swordsman tried to block he hit, but he was one step too late. Rust caught the sword with his bare left hand, his fingers desconnecting from his hand as he grasped on the blade. But he managed to land a clean strike on the butcher man's side, his axe cutting deep into flesh.
The butcher-man collapsed to the ground, barely alive, his insides spiling out from the wound and his bones visible.
Rust was not better off. His left hand was mangled, blood pouring as it made its way to the grass floor.
The swordsman roared in fury, rushing towards Rust with a murderous aura.
He slashed at Rust direction, who managed to barely block the attack. But the swordsman kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Useless…" the swordsman spat at his fallen companion. Then, as his eyes were flowing with rage, he turned toward Rust. Gripping his sword with both hands, he raised in high, then drove it deep into Rust's chest.
Blood overflowed from the wound, quickly forming a dark-red pool beneath Rust. His eyes fluttered weakly—the fierce flame that burned on them a while ago was almost completely out.
The swordsman yanked his blade free, and even more blood flowed out. Rust laid motionless on the grass, pale and still, his eyes barely open.
He was dead.
"Shit! If someone escape because of me, i'm dead meat!" The swordsman bolted towards the forest, starting to search for Faust and mother.