“I don’t get it. If people are afraid of dying, why do they fight?”

“Hmm. That’s a tough question.”

Ethan rubbed his chin as he pondered his daughter’s question. His eyes wander towards a group of soldiers dressed in black. Cloak in a somber atmosphere, the soldiers march down a gravel path carrying a casket over their shoulders.

Funerals have become a common occurrence. But that is war. Thousands of lives are lost during turbulent times like these. And yet still thousands more eagerly take up arms and throw themselves into the fire, each willed forward by a dream they hold dear. Some dream of being written in history, a few merely seek money. And then there are the others.

“I think the reason why most people fight is because they’re scared.”

“Huh?” His daughter cutely tilts her head confused. Ethan chuckled slightly and knelt next to his daughter so he could look her in the eyes.

“What would you do if you saw a spider chasing your mother?”

“Spider?!” The little girl trembles at the mere mention of the multiple legged monsters. I-I’ll fight the scaring creature and save mommy!” The little girl’s ball her tiny hands and threw a couple of jabs at her father. Ethan laughs as his daughter’s fists softly hit his chest.

“See? Even though you’re afraid of spiders, you’ll fight them in order to protect your mother because I think what scares you more than spiders is your loved one hurt, And I think that’s what scares everyone more than death.

“Are you scared of seeing me hurt, daddy?”

“Of course, I am. I have no idea what I’ll do if I lose you.” The little girl smiles softly. Happy to know her father care so much about her. But her smile faded when she looked at the marching soldiers following behind them was a small family dressed in black.

“Dad, you’re not going to leave, are you?”

“Don’t worry, Catherine. I have no intention of leaving you. Ethan tenderly pets Catherine's head to calm her down. “After all, I won’t get to see my precious little girl grow up if I’m gone.”

Catherine purr as her dad scratch the back of her furry ears. It took all of Ethan’s willpower to stop himself from picking up his daughter and squeezing her.

“Would you two stop you’re embarrassing me.”

The stern womanly voice causes the father and daughter to separate from each. The woman’s black dress and long brunette hair flow behind her as she approaches the two.

“Sorry, darling. Our daughter is just so adorable.”

Deborah looked down at her daughter. Catherine quickly ran behind her father to hide from her mother’s intense gaze.

“Indeed, she is cute, but there’s a time and place to dote on her. A funeral isn’t one of them.”

“You’re right.” Ethan stood up and stretched his body.” So, did you get it?”

“Yup. Right here.” Deborah dangle the basket in her hand.

“Is that lunch, mommy?” Catherine stares hungrily at the basket, which made Deborah worry. She ate an hour ago, yet she is acting like she hasn’t been fed in weeks. Despite her small size, Catherine had quite the appetite. It made both her parents wonder where all the food she eats goes.

“No, sweety, these are the drifter plants you and your father been tending to.”

“Drifters? Oh, you mean those weird plants that were growing in our garden. Are we going to eat them?”

“No, baby. We’re giving them to the grieving family. It should ease their pain and help them move on. You understand?”

“Basically, we’re saving people. Right?”

“Not really saving, but more like helping.” Deborah tried to correct her daughter, but it didn’t reach her ears.

“Then what are we standing around for? Let’s go save people!”

“Like I said Catherine, we’re not saving… hey, wait!” Before Deborah could finish speaking, Catherine ran off to chase the marching soldiers.”

“She really takes after you,” Deborah said with a sigh. Ethan awkwardly scratches his head.

“Really? I don’t remember ever being that hyper.”

“I’m talking about her eagerness to help others.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m eager, but…” Ethan looks at the graves all around them. His heart ached when he saw some the headstone belong to some people who weren’t even old enough to be considered an adult. “Now, more than ever, we need to come together if we want to survive these dark times.”

“Again, with the flowery words, but I do agree with you.” The two lovers held each other hands and follow their daughter. Unlike everyone else in the town, their eyes still shine with hope. It was like they were looking at something past the war that the world was submerged in. What it was nobody knew, not even their daughter, and while Catherine was upset that she couldn’t see what her parents saw, she was content with being near them. They gave her the courage to keep moving forward. Indeed, to her, they were like a star whose light would never fade. But in time she’ll come to realize that even stars dies and, even after their death, their light continues to shine.

Chapter 14

Moonlight Drifters: Awakening

How strange, I’m in a precarious situation. Yet I don’t feel scared it almost like my heart stopped entirely, killing all my emotions. This is just like the time I was trapped with an ogre, and that time when I thought, Dante was going to kill me. It's like there's something inside of me eating all the emotions that clouds my judgments.

“Ahh! let go of me!” The goon screamed as I squeeze his wrist to the point. I could hear the pleasant sounds of his bones snapping.

“I don’t want to. Your arm is making such a soothing sound when I squeeze it.” I tighten my grip on his arm, which made him scream even louder.

“Let go!” Desperate to escape, the goon tries to hit me with his free hand. His eyes widen with fear as I easily grabbed his other hand.

“I guess you don’t want this arm either.”

“What are you guys doing? Help me!”

Realizing their friend was in danger, the other goons charge at me. I let go of the thug’s arms. Still thinking I’m holding onto him, he threw himself backward, knocking his friends down.

“How pathetic. You guys are almost as bad the pretty boy who thinks I can’t hear him sneaking up on me.”

The pretty boy let out a surprised gasp. Now that he knew I was aware of him. He gave up on sneaking and ran at me. I drag my tail across and flung dirt into his eyes.

“Ah! You little…” The pretty boy angrily flails his knife around while trying to rub the dirt out of his eye. It seems he quickly forgot about my height as he swung his knife way above my head, which allowed me to easily walk behind him without having to even duck.

“Damnit, where are you!”

“Behind you.” I kick him in the back of the leg, forcing him on his knees. I snatch the knife out of his hand and place it at his throat. “Move, and your money dies.”

The thugs that finally got back onto their feet froze in place.

“Good. Now, will the last person come out of hiding.”

“Huh?” The goons looked at me, confused. It seems they weren’t pretending. Which means whoever is hiding isn’t one of them.

“These ears on my head aren’t decorations. I can hear you.”

“Those some sharp ears. As expected of a beastman, I suppose.”

The thugs looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from. It wasn’t from behind or front. Instead, it came from above. A lone man with a sword hanging from his waist stood at the top of

“A mercenary? No.” My eyes fell on the card on his waist. A license? He’s an adventurer. “You really are petty if you hire an adventurer just to capture me.”

“Ac-Actually. I hire him to escort me back to the capital.”

“I have nothing to do with these scumbags plans. However,” The adventurer leaped off the building and landing right behind the thugs. “I can’t have you hurting my client.”

The adventurer reaches for his sword. I felt a cold shiver crawl up my spine, but the moment of fear quickly vanish. He’s more competent than the others. Doubt I can beat him, probably can’t outrun him either. Luckily, I got the perfect meat shield to get out of here.

“No sudden movements now.” I place the knife near the pretty boy’s cheeks. “I’m sure you notice I’m quite sloppy with a knife who knows what will happen if I feel threaten.”

I press the blade even closer, cutting his cheeks. Blood dripped down his cheeks.

“You idiots! listen to her!” The pretty boy screamed at his men. The adventurer slowly took his hand off his hilt.

“Good, you’re finally listening to me. If you have done this from the start and left me alone, we wouldn’t have been in this situation.”

“I-I’m sorry I won’t bother you again!”

“Really now? I don’t know why, but I get the feeling if I let you go. You’ll be telling your men to kill me again.”

“My job is to solely protect my client. If you release him, no harm will come to you.”

Does he seriously expect me to believe that? No, unlike the other scum, he’s a proper adventurer. Adventurers survive on trust. They’ll never get a job if their clients can’t trust them to complete a mission. And they’ll lose their license if they commit a crime. He’s the only trustworthy person here. However, I can’t trust the pretty boy.

I know what kind of person he is. To him, there’s nothing more important pride. He’ll do anything to regain his “honor” even killing the person who dishonors him.

I shouldn’t take any chances. I should just kill him before he has a chance to seek revenge.

I move the knife to the pretty’s boy throat. How terrifying. All it’ll take is a slight movement to kill him.

“I can do this.” I tighten my grip on the handle of the knife.

“Catherine.” Just as I was about to sink my blade into his neck, a familiar voice entered my ears, freezing me in place.

“Please stop, you’re scaring me.”

“Mom? No, that can’t be. That isn’t possible.”

“I don’t want them to take you away. Please, Catherine, you have to control yourself.”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

I shook my head to try to get rid of the voice haunting me.

“What the hell are you guys doing?! Get her now!” The pretty boy roar at his men.

“What?!” I looked up to see the pretty boy manage to get away from me.

“Stop right where you are.” The adventurer steps in front of me, blocking the thugs' path. “I made a promise that no harm will come to her if she honors the deal. Are you guys trying to turn me into a liar?” The adventurer reaches for his sword, causing the other men to back down.

“What the hell are you doing? Did you forget I’m paying you?”

“I didn’t forget. However, my job isn’t to bully a little girl. It’s to protect you. A job I can easily do if I knock you unconscious.”

The noble back away, clearly frightened by the adventurer threat.

“You….” The noble turn his hateful glare towards. “I promise you; you will suffer from humiliating me.”

“God, you never learn, do you?” I let out a sigh. Unfazed by his threats.

“Of course, people like him never learn. That’s why you should’ve killed him, kiddo.”

I could feel my heart drop into my stomach when I heard his voice. The Crooked Man steps into the alley carrying a bag in his hand.

“Crook, what are you doing here?”

“I thought it’d be waste to let the maids throw away all the food I order.” Crook lifts the bag in his hand, which looked like it could burst open at any time. I know that you don’t have any food at your place. So, you might as well take it.

How the hell does he knows that? While I was wondering if I should board up my home, the pretty boy steps up to Crook.

“That girl called you Crook. I’m assuming that short for The Crooked Man, right?”

“Perhaps.”

“The Crooked Man is a cold-blooded killer. There’s no way this wimp is him.”

“And what if I was. What would you do?

“Then I have these men beat you half to death. Then I’ll turn you over to the royal guards. I heard there's quite the bounty on you. But even if you aren’t The Crooked Man, I’ll still have my men half kill you for your insult towards me.”

“All this over a simple insult. I guess there’s no way I can reason with someone as irrational as you.”

Crook drop the bag to the ground and approach the thugs.

I instinctively back away when he took his right hand out his pocket.

“I-It’s going to happen again.” My teeth clatter uncontrollably. I didn’t want to remember, but the memories of the mangled bodies and horrible screams came back to me.

“Relax.” The adventurer places his hand on my shoulder. “I told you before. No harm will come to you.”

My body continues to shiver uncontrollably. I know the adventurer was trying to help me relax. But my fear only grew. If they knew what kind of man Crook was, they too would be terrified.

“Look at this coward, his hand trembling.” The goons pointed and laugh at Crook, whose right arm was shaking uncontrollably.

“Sorry about that. It’s a condition.” Crook grabs his arm in order to calm it down.

“Are you sure you’re not afraid.”

“Now, why I would I be afraid of narrow-minded idiots like you?”

“Watch it. Punk.” One of the bigger thugs walks closer to Crook.

“You idiot. If you get closer to him, you’ll- “

Before I could finish speaking, the thug threw a punch at Crook. Just as his fist was about to connect with Crook’s face, something strange happen. Instead of hitting Crook, the thug ended up punching himself. A tooth flew out of his mouth as he staggers backward.

“You bastard, how did you-“ The thug stopped and slowly looked down at his arm. I cover my mouth to stop myself from screaming. His arm was twisted in an impossible direction. Realizing the state of his arm, the goon opens his mouth to scream, but Crook immediately covers his mouth with his hand.

“Shh. We don’t want to draw attention, do we?” While wearing a calm smile, Crook easily twisted the goon’s head until it was facing the opposite direction. The moment the goon’s body went limp, he tosses the lifeless body away as if he was throwing away trash.

My stomach churned when I looked at the twisted corpse. Just a second ago he was alive now he barely resembles a human.

“A-Are you a monster?” The noble step backward, his face was ghostly pale; it looked like he was about to pass out any moment.

“No, far from it. I’m completely, disgustedly, human.

“B-But how did you-“

“Shh.” Crook places a finger on his lip, instantly silencing him. “That’s a secret.”

This wasn’t the first time I saw him mutilate a person beyond recognition. I always thought he just he was just super strong. But after meeting Dante and Bella, I’m confident now he has a supernatural gift just like them.

“And here I was trying to be incognito at least until those pesky royal guards left town. Oh well. Now I guess I have no choice but to get rid of evidence one by one.”

The air grew deathly cold as Crook raised his gloved hand. “Pay very close attention, kiddo. This is how you get a job done.

.

.

.

The sun retreated behind the walls that made up the alley allowing the darkness to swallow the world around me. And yet despite being submerged and pitch darkness, I could still clearly see the horrific scene before me. And for the first time in my life, I hated that I could see clearly in the dark.

“This has to be a nightmare. It must be. It can’t be real.

“And yet, it is.”

A cold hand grab my face and force me to look at the nightmarish scene before me. Bodies twisted into unimaginable shapes covered the dark alley, what was left of their mutilated faces were frozen in fear.

“Ugh.” I ran to the nearest trashcan and vomited everything I ate today.

“I guess you don’t want these leftovers.”

Crook causally threw the bag of food he was carrying into a trashcan.

“How, how can be so calm after killing all those people?”

“Quite easily, actually. They were out to get me, so I killed them. Survival of the fittest, you know that better than anyone kiddo. After all, you were pretty damn close to slitting that rich boy’s throat.”

I could feel a lump in my throat. I couldn’t say anything back to him. The bloody knife in my hand was proof of how close I was to taking a person’s life.

“If that idiotic swordsman didn’t interfere, you would’ve crossed the line. How vexing.” Crook clicks his tongue and stomps what remains of a corpse. My stomach turns as I listen to the sound of bones and flesh getting crushed.

“I-I got to go.” I ran unable to stand the sight before me any longer.

“Wait.” Crook grabs my arm.

“What? What do you want from me?!” Fear and panic cause me to unintentionally raise my voice. I clench my teeth, afraid I might’ve angered him.

“Had I not made it obvious? What I want is that potential deep, deep, deep inside you.”

As he talked, he moves his glove hand closer to my chest as if he was reaching for my heart. I violently shook my arm until I manage to slip out of his grip. I immediately jump away the moment I escape from him.

“Potential? The hell you on about? I’m just a normal girl. Yea, I have a tail and weird ears, but if you go to any other populated city, you’ll see plenty of people who has the same characteristic as me. There is nothing special about me, nothing at all! “

I took a deep breath to calm my overly excited heart. Crook silently looks down at his outstretched hand. The usual twisted smile on his face was gone. For a moment, there was a pained expression as if he was reliving a terrible memory.

“Fine. If you’re just a normal girl, then there’s no point in keeping you around.”

Once again, he reaches out for me. This time I could sense malice behind his intention. “If there’s nothing special about you, then you’re just another witness I need to get rid of.”

“W-wait you’re seriously not planning on...” I tried to back away but ended up tripping over something. My heart nearly stopped when I realize I was lying next to the corpses. It felt like the bodies were holding me down as every time I tried to get up, I fell again.

“Relax, I’ll make this quick.” Crook continues to approach, his hand drawing ever closer to my face.

“Stop, please.” I gave on trying to get up and crawl away. “I won’t say anything else, so please just leave me a- ah!” A cold hand grabbed my tail. A sharp and intense sensation travels up my spine and directly into my head, causing my mind to momentarily go blank.

“Please don’t leave me.” A weak and pitiful voice brought me back to my senses. I looked behind me to see it was the adventurer holding onto my tail, at least what was left of him.

“Oh, you’re still alive. Let me fix that.”

Crook crushes the adventurer head with his foot sending blood and brain matter flying everywhere.

“Now, to deal with you.” He steps on the now-deceased body and reaches for me.”

“S-Stop, please.” The world became pitch black as he wraps his hand around my face. “I said, stop!!”

“Gah!” Suddenly Crook backs away while holding his stomach. A knife was embedded in his lower abdomen. I slowly looked and realized my hand was covered in blood, and the knife I was holding was gone.

“See? I knew you had it in you, kiddo.” Crook's painful grunts turned into a cold laugh.

I used the remaining of my strength to escape from the alley. I could still hear Crook’s laughter, no matter how far I ran.

“See? You’re crooked just like me.”

“Shut up!” I slam my door shut. Immediately the laughter vanishes. “Thank you” I let out a sigh let my body slid to the ground. I nearly rested my hands in my face when I realize that it was still covered in blood.

“It was self-defense. Yea, self-defense, I had no choice.” I got back onto my feet, making sure not to leave any blood anywhere. I shakily walk into the kitchen and dump my hands into a bucket of water I used for my plants. Thankfully, the blood came right off, and there isn’t enough of it to change the water. Although I should probably still change the water, doubt it’ll be good for the plants if I gave them something contaminated. Maybe I should get some better fertilizer too.

Haha, what the hell is wrong with me? I‘m casually talking about plants even though I just stab a person. Maybe I am crooked.

“No, no, no. Don’t think like that. That’s exactly how he wants me to think. I’m not crooked. I’m just. I’m just tired.”

I flopped down in a nearby chair. The little strength I had left vanished. As my conscious begins to fade, the smell of dirt suddenly enters my nose rousing me awake.

Two pots with the label “mom” and “dad” written on them sat on my kitchen table. A strange white stem rose from the soil of the pots. The flower on top was wrapped in its cocoon, waiting to bloom.

Drifters, I remember we used to give these flowers to anyone who lost a loved one during the war. It said these flowers allow a grieving person to talk to the person they miss the most.

“Nothing more than fairy tale probably created by some swindler, hoping they could make some money off grieving idiots. I guess I’m one of those idiots. Honestly, I’ll do anything to see them again. Not just because I miss them, but I want to know if they’re disappointed in me.

I’m trying to change my life around, but it feels like every step I take, I slip deeper into an abyss just like Crook always wanted, and it’s scaring me.

“So please…” I clasp my hands together and pray as hard as I could. “If you can hear me, please talk to me.”

I waited in silence for any form of a sign, but naturally, nothing happens.

“Yea. Figures.” I let out a sigh and stood up. I was too tired to even be disappointed.

“I should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow going be another long day.”

Not only do I have to report what happened in the alley, but I most likely will have to go into hiding since I doubt Crook’s men are going to be happy when they found out I stab their boss. Well, Dante might end up killing me before Crook’s goon have a chance to. I haven’t made any progress in my training, so I’m sure he doesn’t mind getting rid of me and finding a better student.

The more my thoughts wander, the darker they became. I looked out the window to distract myself from thinking. It looks like there’s a full moon tonight, but it's hidden behind the clouds.

I let out another exhausted sigh as I head towards the stairs. “I really don’t want tomorrow to come.”

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.

.

Just as Catherine made her way up the stairs, the clouds that hid the moon broke away, allowing moonlight to sneak into the kitchen, illuminating the blooming flower. As if stirred awake by the light. The white flower slowly opens and emitted an ethereal green glow.

Beckon, by the mysterious glow, a shadowy figure silently enters the kitchen. It grabbed the flower memorized by its light.

“Ahh.” The shadowy figure spread their arms wide and took a deep breath as if they were trying to absorb the scenery into their being. “Catherine, I’m home.”