Some time has passed since the encounter. After coming up with my plan, I sprinted down the alleyway to catch up to the guards. A few hiccups happened along the way, whether that be almost taking a wrong turn or tripping over a rock. But once I had them in my view, my stealthy approach commenced.

I snuck from wall to wall, making sure that each move allowed for me to stay undetected. Maintaining a steady distance behind the guards, I remained vigilant. Getting too close and I’d be detected; getting too far and I’d lose sight.

The moon itself had descended further west. Vague specks of indigo dyed the night sky, resulting in more remnants of light to become apparent. It did help that I was able to see better, but that also meant the same for the guards. Therefore, extra precautions had to be accounted for.

At this point, I was far from the intersection. Well, to put it another way: I was deep into the slums.

Living in such an environment was quite unbearable. The entire ground was piled with dirt, every building was barely self-sustainable, and a foul odor trudged the air. I wanted to gag on multiple occasions, but I made damn sure to hold it in. Any noise and my plan would fail.

To keep myself distracted, I came up with a thousand or so scenarios in my brain, all pertaining to the absolute downfall of those two guards. Some involved them bawling their eyes out, while others involved them getting absolutely scolded by Henderson. Just the thought of it warmed my heart.

However, that was nothing but mere fantasy. What I strove for was an ever so satisfying reality, and nothing would get in my way from achieving my goals.

“This looks like a nice little area,” the short guard said up ahead. “Let’s take a little detour, shall we?”

The three figures sharply turned onto another dirt path between two worn-down houses. I continued to follow suit. After making it past the houses, the three figures paused. Luckily for me, I spotted a splintered barrel to hide behind. I went to it and peeked through one of its holes, getting a glance at the general surrounding.

What lied ahead was a barren circle, completely surrounded by worn-down houses. Patches of dead grass were scattered about and a single well sat at the center of the circle.

It was completely drab and dysfunctional. Bits of brick were missing, and there wasn’t even a bucket to go with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if its purpose was to serve as some sort of decoration. Although, to whoever came up with that idea; you have an extremely poor taste in decor.

“Alright, hold her still. I gotta take a leak,” the short guard told his fellow, passing along their victim.

He went over to the well, planted one foot atop of the stone structure, and pulled down his trousers, exposing his rear buttocks for all to see. Right after, the flow of a yellow river could be heard, followed by a sigh of relief.

I made a face as I looked away from half naked guard for a brief moment. Never had I ever wanted to see a man take a piss for as long as I lived. But reality was truly harsh.

“Oi, looks like your ass is shining bright red,” the blond guard cackled.

“Shut your trap!” the short guard shouted, still leaking. “Cause that fucker Henderson doesn’t know how to hold back.”

“Oi, remember I got the same treatment. It still hurts real bad,” the blond guard said, placing his hand over his own buttocks.

“Tsk. Just don’t understand how that prick thinks everyone is worth a damn. Always talkin’ about ‘abiding to the citizens’ and other bullshit.”

“Yeah, and how he always rambles on about ‘warrior’s pride’. What a hypocrite.”

“You can say that again.” The short guard pulled up his trousers. “If you really wanted a ‘warrior’s pride,’ then you better pride yourself into serving only the warrior’s guild. No one else should matter. Hell, everyone else can go die for all I could care.”

“Yeah.” The blond guard grinned. He turned his head onto the mysterious figure, pulling her closer to his face. “You hear that? You should go die. You and your entire kind should do us that favor.”

“We need a new stick, yeah?” the short guard asked, walking up to one of the houses.

“Sounds about right,” the other guard replied.

“Heard you loud and clear.” The short guard grabbed onto the house’s wall, tearing away a piece of wood and leaving a gaping hole. A loud snap echoed across the neighborhood.

“WAH!” someone cried from inside.

“OI SHUT YOUR ASS UP! CAN’T YOU SEE OTHER FUCKERS ARE TRYNA SLEEP?” His voice boomed across the neighborhood. I couldn’t help but wince. It was all too aggressive.

Surely by then, he’d leave it at that and move on. However, that wasn’t the case. After his heinous yelling, he reared his head into the hole, asserting, “Say one more word, and I’ll tear this whole place apart.”

Soft crying could be heard thereafter, fusing into the already foul atmosphere. The guard laughed it off as he walked back to his partner.

“How resourceful,” the blond guard complemented.

“Thanks, I try my best.”

“Welp, back to it then.”

They carried on with their journey, cutting across the circle onto another path.

As they went, I let off a malicious grin. The whole situation was perfect. I had just bore witness to some of their crimes. Vandalizing a person’s house? Pissing into a well? Causing disruption among a neighborhood? Henderson would go ballistic!

I stood, feeling satisfied with the result. Rushing forward, I continued my pursuit. All was going according to plan. I would ensure that nothing got in the way of my revenge. Absolutely nothing. However, that determination easily faded as I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

The euphoric rush that I previously experienced began to dwindle, leaving me only with…unease. I hesitantly glanced over at the hole. That unpleasant, gaping hole. Soft crying continued to spew through. A twang emanated within my chest. What could this be?

…Should I go and look...No.

I didn’t want to. In fact, it wasn’t my problem. My only goal was to bear witness to their crimes so that I may report it to Henderson. Besides, I’ve already had a rough day. I didn’t need any more problems.

I shook my head and readied myself to continue the chase.

“You have yet to realize, sir, that for some people, every single day is a jeopardy.”

Her words unexpectedly came to mind. I furrowed my eyebrows in irritation. It couldn’t have come at a worst time. Hell, it even sounded like her. That same, unenthusiastic tone of voice.

However, I was unable to get it out of my head. It gnawed at me. Her words looped in my head, over and over. If I didn’t do something about it, I would go insane.

I wanted it gone, and just then, I knew how. Nonetheless, I hated that I knew. This would mean that I was giving in to her ideology. Her condescending, unsympathetic ideology. But somehow…I just couldn’t deny it.

I glanced over at the hole once again. It never failed to irk me. Still, I needed to do something.

I let out a frustrated groan. Fine, I guess have no choice…

I slowly made my way towards the hole. The sobbing was still perceivable.

I couldn’t help but be anxious. The palms of my hands moistened, and my breathing shallowed. Each step felt like a millennium, heavily scraping against the dirt as I approached the very thing I dreaded.

I finally got to one side of the hole. All I needed to do then was peek through. Yet, I was still hesitant. I didn’t want to face it. But her words kept urging me.

After all, I claimed to be the unluckiest person in the world. Having “lived” such a perfect life, only for so much misfortune to occur in one day, no one else should be as unfortunate as me…right?

I gulped, the gnawing feeling becoming more unbearable by the second.

Calm down…calm…down…Count down from 5.

I breathed in. “5…4…3…2…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say 1. What if all of this was unnecessary? Why was I so compelled to do this anyways?

However, her words continued to repeat in my head. Once more…twice more…thrice more…again and again and again and again and again.

The pressure finally got to me. Without any further hesitation, I shot my head into the hole, taking in the entire scene. Ironically enough, there wasn’t much to take in. All that stood before me was a woman and her child. I scoffed.

What was I so worried about? It was just a woman and her child. How could I have gotten so worked up over this? Seriously. It’s just a woman…and her…child…

Indeed. A woman and her child. A woman so frail that she was practically bones. A woman with tattered clothing, a sunken face, and blisters all over her body. A woman who vigorously shook as her purple eyes gazed upon me in absolute fear.

I froze in place. I was shocked by her appearance. She looked just like how one of my books described a ghost. Seeing it come to reality, it unnerved me.

When I came back to my senses, I tried saying something.

“Hey, everything is gonna be-”

She yelled, backing further into the barren house. She continued to sob, filling the air with more unpleasantries.

An infant in her arms, wrapped by a dirty cloth, had its eyes wide open. She held her child close to her chest, positioning the infant as far from me as she could. The child wasn’t crying like its mother. All it did was stare, making not even the slightest movement.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to be there anymore.

“I…I’m sorry…”

I slowly backed away from the hole, the woman’s teary eyes still locked onto me. She never let me out of her sight. Her child was the same. I hated their stares. Why were they staring at me? I couldn’t take it.

I turned away and bolted down the same path as the two guards. My breathing grew heavy. I forgot to be stealthy, but how could I? All that went on in my mind was that woman and her child. Never have I seen something so unsightly.

Despite everything that had happened today, encountering them was the worst of it.

-----

“We’re here.”

“Yup. It’s your turn to light a torch.”

“Yeah whatever.” The short guard brought one end of the wood next to his right hand. “Lic fluer.” His palm ignited a flame, causing the wood to combust. “God, this feels disgusting.”

“It’s what we agreed to,” the blond guard said, smirking.

“Doesn’t make it any less disgusting,” the short guard mumbled. “Anyways, hurry up and open it. I’ve been waiting all night for this.”

The blond guard went over to the cellar door and forced it open. The short guard went in first, holding the newly formed torch. The other two followed suit; the mysterious person pushed forward by the blond guard. Afterwards, the cellar door slammed shut; dust blowing into the air.

When all was said and done, everything appeared normal. It was as if no one had tampered with the door in the first place. Of course, I knew this was false. Lying on my stomach, I watched the whole thing play out.

I’ve calmed down since the incident, pushing that memory to the far back of my mind. The only goal in sight was revenge, and I’d make sure it stayed that way.

The cellar appeared to be the guards’ final destination. After a harrowing journey, I’ve reached the end. It was time to put the final nail in the coffin.

I treaded over to the cellar door. Upon looking at it, I felt a cold sensation rush down my spine. It had an ominous aura to it. There were a number of scratches and rotting wood marks all over the door. On top of all that, it was in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, it was a cellar in a dirt patch. There were no signs of any other structures around. It was just the cellar, its dwellers, and I.

I wanted to get things over with, so I hurriedly cracked open the cellar door. It produced a harsh squeak, causing me to jump.

Shit. I hope they didn’t hear that.

I paused for some time, but nothing happened. I let out a sigh. Things were going fine.

Presented before me was a descending stone staircase, completely worn down and tampered with age. It was rather dark. The only bit of light came from the bottom of the staircase, where the guards were presumably holding the torch. I had to watch my steps.

I carefully closed the cellar door and began my descent downwards. I raised my feet so that only my toes touched the stairs, ensuring that I produced no sort of noise. Of course, I tripped a few times, stumbling forward and almost plunging to my doom. The fact that I was still alive was a blessing, so I silently thanked the gods for that.

Eventually, I reached the bottom. Before me was a ruined tunnel. At the end of it was a shining, yellow glow. Familiar echoes rebounded off the walls, belonging to the ones I hated the most. My determination spiked.

It’s time to finish this.

I lightly treaded down the tunnel. Jagged rocks were scattered everywhere, and some parts of the roof caved in. It was surprisingly hot. My arms felt sticky, and my forehead moistened.

Some time has passed before finally reaching the end. Hiding off to the side of the entrance, I slightly reared my head in to get a glimpse of the situation.

Inside was a chamber made of gray stone. Vines crept along the walls, patches of moss sprinkled the floors, and wooden crates and torn knapsacks were littered around. At the far end of the chamber were them: the two guards and their victim.

“How should we go about doing this?” the blond guard asked his fellow.

“I’m thinkin’ the usual beating,” the short guard replied.

“Eh, that’s too bland. How about spicing it up a bit?”

“Hmmm.” The short guard briefly glanced around the room. When he found what he was looking for, his eyes suddenly lit up. “We can always throw her into one of the knapsacks. A little suffocation could do the trick.”

“Fantastic idea!” The blond guard peeked over at his victim. “How’s that sound to you?”

“Whatever pleases you, sir,” the victim responded.

My body tensed. I didn’t wish for this to happen, but my suspicions were proven true. Her unemphatic voice had been stuck in my head this whole time. I recognized it. It was her: Anna. That waitress. But I couldn’t understand what she was doing. Why wasn’t she fighting back?

“That’s the spirit!” The blond guard went over to pick up one of the knapsacks.

During that time span, I stared at Anna. She seemed unphased, no sense of fear in her demeanor. Was she just going to accept all of this? I just couldn’t understand it.

Why am I getting so concerned?

I was there for revenge. I said it myself: nothing would get in my way. All that I had to do was bear witness to the guard’s crimes. That was it. I should not be getting involved in any other sort of capacity.

Suddenly, she caught glimpse of me. She didn’t say a word; all she did was stare. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t help myself. I stared back, deep into her purple eyes. There was nothing there. No sign of any light.

It reminded me of that woman and her child. Their stares ran cold. The fact that I wasn’t able to do something irked me.

Wait, why I was I suddenly remembering those two?

No, I had to get rid of all these negative thoughts. I had to focus. Only think about revenge. Think only for myself.

The blond guard came back, knapsack in hand.

“Alright, hold still. This will only hurt for just a few minutes.”

The knapsack approached Anna’s neck. There was no sort of resistance. She was accepting everything at face value.

This was perfect. All I had to do was just watch. Get my evidence, rush back to Henderson, and be on my way. That was all I had to do, and yet…

“You have yet to realize, sir, that for some people, every single day is a jeopardy.”

As the knapsack was about to wrap around Anna’s head, I busted forth.

“STOP STOP STOP!” I shouted, running out from my hiding spot towards the center of the chamber. “PLEASE STOP THIS!”

“Huh?” The blond guard turned around, surprised. But once he got a good look at me, he grinned. “Oi oi, I recognize you.”

“Oh yeah, it’s that fellow with the basket.” The short guard followed suit.

“What was it…ah, Galvin!”

“That’s right! Galvin!”

“Yeah Galvin. The guy who doesn’t have a last name Galvin.”

“Just Galvin.”

“Yeah, just Galvin.”

“Galvin…” The short guard paused, smiling as if he were recalling a fond memory. “So, what brings you here?”

“I…I want you to stop this!”

“Stop this?” He looked over to Anna. “Oh, you mean our little stress reliever. That’s rather harsh of you.”

“Y-You’re hurting people!”

“People, you say? You really consider these things as “people?” The blond guard chuckled.

“Oi, how retarded are you, seriously?”

“We’re just doin’ the world some justice.”

“No! This isn’t justice! They’re innocent! They’ve done nothing wrong to you!” I shouted.

“’Innocent?’ Now where did you get that idea from?” The short guard pondered for a minute. “Ah, I remember! You have amnesia. You don’t know jackshit. I can see why you’re misinterpreting all of this. I see I see…” He put his hand to his chin, contemplating. “Eh, but it’s too much to explain. It’ll be better if you just fuck off.”

But I’ve already resolved myself. “I’m not going anywhere until you let her go!”

“Okay asshat, settle down,” the blond guard said, waving both of his hands. “Look, we really don’t have that much time. Let us go about our business, and then afterwards we explain why these creatures deserve our punishment? Does that sound good to you?”

I wouldn’t give in. I wouldn’t let them hurt Anna. “Just let her go. Let us be on our way and nobody gets hurt.”

The blond guard widened his mouth, amused. “Boy, who the hell are you? You’re totally different than before. The last time we met, you were about to bawl your eyes out. I kind of like this new look.” He snapped his fingers as he came to a realization. “Ah, I see! You’re in love with this thing. That’s why you’re like this!”

My shoulders suddenly stiffened, and heat ran up my cheeks. “W-what? No that’s not it. I-it’s cause I kind of know her you see. She was my waitress and we talked and I haven’t really met her until tonight and and-”

“There’s the Galvin we all know and love,” the short guard said, throwing his arms triumphantly. “That same spineless prick.”

“You really had me fooled there for a second. You almost made me break a sweat…not that you really scare me or anything. It’s just fuckin’ hot in here.”

“Hey, don’t get his hopes up. We don’t want to embarrass him any further.”

“My bad, but it’s just too funny not to. I mean, did you get a glimpse of him? He really thought he was stronger than us.”

“Like that’d ever happen!”

They then proceeded to do what they knew best. They laughed to their heart’s content, full of scorn and disdain. It was that same laughter that I hated so much. The very thing that reminded me of my first encounter with the guards. How it made me recall that I was weak, how I couldn’t do anything against them. And perhaps they were right, maybe I was weak. A being without any capability to channel affinity or to remember his past, it was pathetic. What have I been doing for the past two months of my life? At this point, I should just give in, right? After all, what could I do? Hell, I wanted to give in...but my pride wouldn't allow for me to falter.

I wanted to prove something. I wanted to show them that I wasn't pathetic; that I could outmatch them. Those bastards were going to regret ever messing with me.

Something snapped from within. My mind went blank as all sense of logic dissipated. My blood boiled, my face tensed, and my breathing quickened. At that moment, my vengeful flame suddenly reignited. Nothing else mattered. I’ve had enough of them.

I started to laugh, producing an echo that outmatched their own laughter. Upon hearing it, they turned quiet.

“Oi, what’s so funny?”

“Yeah, what’re you goin’ on about.”

I was going to give them what they deserved. “You dumbasses. You fuckin’ dumbasses. You really think you’re all tough, huh? You call me spineless? Ha! What a bunch of hypocrites. You two are the ones without a backbone!” That was right, I knew their weakness. I had leverage over them. “I saw you both cowering when Henderson came by, how he put you both in your places instantly. And then he went on to give you a beating after all was said and done. How pathetic! And now with all of this? Seeing you tear open a hole, pissing in a well, and now assaulting someone? I'm going to tell Henderson about all of this! You two are so fucked.”

I continued to laugh, feeling triumphant, on top of the world. At that moment, I was invincible. Not a single thing could touch me.

Ha! Who is the spineless one now?

I turned over to the guards, expecting them the cower in fear or beg for forgiveness, being the hypocrites that they were. But alas, that was not the case.

“Galvin, Galvin, Galvin. Listen, I get that you remember jackshit about anything. You’re a bit stupid. That’s fine. There’s plenty of stupid people out in this world. But you’re starting really piss us off.”

The guards’ demeanors darkened. Their hands were clenched, and their eyes were filled with murderous intent.

But despite all of it, I still wasn’t going to back down. “So what? I’ve had enough of you two for one day. I’ll make sure that the two of you end up eating shit.”

The blond guard scowled. “Alright, I’m no longer in the joking mood.” He took a step forward. “Fuck off or I’ll break your neck.” His words were seething with rage.

However, I was too headstrong. I disregarded his threats. The fire raged on, and it would stay that way until my revenge was satisfied.

“Oh yeah? Then come at me. I’ll fuck you both up--”

[Right…]

I sidestep to my right as a large object flies past, crashing into the wall and shattering into dust…

[Down…]

I duck onto my knees as a fist swings forward…

[Behind…]

I jump backwards as a kick flares in an upward arc…

[Awaken…]

I inhale…I exhale…I open my eyes…

I opened my eyes. I was suddenly gasping for air. My forehead was wet, my heart was racing, and my hands were shaking. It took me a moment before realizing something strange. For some reason, I wasn’t in the center anymore. Far from it. Instead, I was tucked away at the back of the chamber, my body pressed against the wall.

“Looks like he’s got some skill.”

“Yeah, for a weasel.”

I looked forward. The blond guard, who happened to be mid-air, somersaulted, and gracefully landed beside the short guard. “Tsk, he even managed to dodge my kick.”

Kick? Dodge? What?

“It can’t be helped. Probably got lucky.” The short guard sighed. “Oh well, we’ll get him this time. Hwar Rulk.”

A brown rock, larger than the size of a fist, took form on his right palm.

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll try not to miss.” The blond guard projected both of his hands forward. “Rulk Faust.”

A layer of stones protruded from his knuckles, completely enveloping the skin with a hard material.

My whole body began to shake. My already beating heart accelerated tenfold. The fire within me was immediately extinguished.

I sensed that I have gone too far. I had underestimated their threats. Right then and there, I knew that I wasn’t safe. Not in the slightest.

“Oi, Galvin no name, today’s your lucky day. We’re going to send your worthless ass to the grave.”

“It’ll be quite an honor coming from us. So enjoy it while it lasts.”

And with those final words, the two guards sprang forth.