The cruel world

That night was probably the longest one Khael ever had. Time can be more drawn-out the more you want it to go past. And what Khael wanted to end was the suffering of those people with him and for himself.

The accused illicit heretics were now in a deplorable hopeless state. They could not even plead or cry, unlike earlier when the horrendous torture had only started. Khael wasn’t spared as well, as he had already gone numb when all of his fingers were severely gashed—not entirely separated from his hands.

The worst nightmare had only then started when Rennar said. “We’re not done yet,” he said. “Francis, heal his fingers… so we can start over again.” Then Francis went from where Khael was and started doing something he had never thought could be done.

Unlike the rest, Khael was restrained. The only noise he could make was the muffled voice from his stuffed mouth. Francis, the person with Rennar, now kneels right in front of him, then a flicker of soft light shines right from his hand.

But when it reached Khael’s severely gashed right hand. He started muttering curses due to the excruciating pain he had undergone. What he had felt was far from what he thought it would be. He couldn’t even look anymore as the intolerable pain took over him.

And it did. Khael’s right hand mended in the flesh with only a slight resemblance of proliferation to his skin. The whole experience was far from being pleasant. It was intense and horrifying; he felt something strange crawling on the insides of his fingers—at the time, they were ‘healing’ it.

No one had ever talked or confessed anything. The shrill cries filled the entire cramped room that night. Khael was terrified hearing all of them suffer, but what made him more terrified was when he couldn’t hear those cries anymore…

***

“Khael, wake up….”

A whimpering voice awakens him. “…”

“I’m glad… c-can you get up on your own?”

“…Wha-what happened to,” Khael grimaced as he steeled his arms to support his attempt to sit up.

He saw Roldan sitting as well in front of him. His severe expression made Khael feel soreness in his chest. But when he turns his glance at the others… he almost passes out at the sight of them, devoid of life, and their appearances were in a horrible state. It was dark, but they could still see some part of their body—slightly burst and blown up.

Khael’s stomach had turned upside down from the sight of elder Gado and the rest of them. Despite the struggle to move his body or maintain a stable stance, he still strives to take a closer look at them with a slight ray of hope that some of them might still be alive.

But their hope was instantly crashed as the two of them were the only ones left alive. Despite Khael and Roldan being in a poor state, they still managed to put all the lifeless bodies in order. After that, they just sit silently while thinking about what would happen to them after this.

“W-Was it my fault?” asked Khael. He didn’t want to feel guilty, but him—coming there had probably contributed to what had become to them.

“No,” Roldan answered flatly. “Don’t blame yourself over this or anyone’s.”

Khael clenched his chest to bear up at the heavy emotion he was feeling. “But still, I-”

“It’s been two weeks since we were brought here. For me, it all started when I received a labor job in their settlement as a carpenter. They said it pays more than enough, so I accepted it,” Roldan sniffed as his whimpering voice faded. “If only I knew this would happen… I should have just stayed at my wife and daughter’s side.”

And Roldan began weeping.

“Do you think… we’re still able to get out of here?” Khael asked, hopefully waiting for a positive response from Roldan because he had already lost all his remaining hope.

“I’m still hoping. I can’t afford to die not until I saw my family again,” said Roldan. His face traced with pure determination, even though his condition was worse than Khael’s. “How about you? You are too young for this. To be honest, I was amazed you could remain sane after all that.”

“Right,” Khael said nonchalantly as if not struggling to stay conscious and even his balance. “I was also astounded myself.”

“Are you for real?” said Roldan failing to conceal his astonishment. “You can’t even remember anything from your life. That’s… too much for you to handle.”

“I wasn’t sure myself as well. I don’t think anyone would endure this far,” said Khael. “But I did. So, I must keep going to see—what was about to unfold to me.”

“That’s amazing. You know… you remind me of my son.”

“You have a son? You only mentioned your daughter and wife earlier.” Khael inquired as he adjusted himself comfortably on the ground.

“Ashbourne is a smart and talented child,” Roldan smiled, reminiscing the memories with his son. “I would never get tired telling how proud I am as a father.”

“I can see that,” Khael remarked with his full attention captured.

“Back when he was four years old, he can already conjure complicated spells that should take many years to work on,” Roldan said, proud-looking. “At the age of ten, he already had matured enough.”

“T-That’s… amazing,” Khael said, more or less convinced that magic existed in this world. But pondering about it was not his prime concern right now.

“Right? To tell you the truth, I was embarrassed as a father sometimes because he was so reliable despite being so young,” said Roldan. “I don’t think I still have something to teach him anymore. And… that’s what I regretted in my life the most.”

“It’s tough being a father, huh… so what happened to him?” Khael asked curiously.

“It was an incident when we encountered an out-of-control forsaken blooded on our way to our new home in Liloan. It was too much for us despite having few elite sorcerers aiding us to fight or even restrain it.”

“Forsaken…”

“Yes, it’s ridiculous that my son was the only one standing on par with such a monster. He was… he was the one who protected us throughout!” Roldan started sobbing as he clenched his fist. “I was so embarrassed as a father that I couldn’t do anything to help him that time!”

“I-I am sorry that you have to be reminded of that. I shouldn’t have asked-“

“No, it’s fine,” Rolan smiled solemnly. “It was better when you have someone to tell what you feel in the direness of time. Thank you.”

“That’s nothing. But if you don’t mind… may I ask what happened after that?”

“Ah, it’s fine. Ashbourne did manage to stop the forsaken, but he had many severe wounds on his body. But to do that, he throws himself together with the forsaken on a cliff to protect us from further danger. After that, we immediately looked for him and tried for many years, but we could never see our son anymore.”

Roldan now looks far more tired and devastated than before, so Khael decided not to ask any more from him. They at least needed to spare some of their remaining strength to be able to get by—if they really wanted to stay alive.

“I never had thought Ashborne was gone,” said Roldan. Khael glanced back at him, having a worried expression. “My wife and I always believed in him. We know that he survived that time! That’s why I can’t afford to die before we can be together again.”

At once, the door opened again, revealing Rennar and, this time… a person he was familiar with despite Khael having met him once. His pale blonde hair and delicate face made him feminine-looking. Still, Hector was a man with a demeanor to be feared.

Hector walked toward Khael and told Rennar. “Mend him as much as wounds and scrapes are not discernible in every corner of his body.”

“As you wish, Lord Hector,” said Rennar, that seemed confused. “Let me get Francis here immediately.”

“And you,” Hector seems to pertaining Roldan. “You are pardoned. It seems you are mistakenly implicated in this conflict. Forgive us for this trouble. We will prepare the-“

“What do you mean,” Roldan doesn’t seem to restrain the outburst of his emotion. “Are you telling me that you feel sorry for me?? They… they died! These persons had died by your nonsense torture despite your false accusation!”

Hector remained silent for a moment. His pale face seemed to have no trace of sympathy or any remorse towards the few lifeless bodies in front of him. “It’s not for you to decide if they are innocent,” he said softly but firmly. “I was the one to proclaim that. And here I professing that you are unlike them, innocent unless you oppose it.”

“So tell me… do you?”

This is the worst. Khael thought to himself. He knew that if Roldan decided to oppose him, he would waste the chance of getting out of this mess and meet the same fate elder Gado and the others did.

The look in Roldan’s eyes was tinged with hatred and fear. It was the hatred towards what happened to elder Gado and the others because justice for them wasn’t possible. And feared that he would waste a chance to see his family again if he did.

“I-I… did not. I-I am indeed innocent,” said Roldan reluctantly. He did not even hide the distaste tone from his voice.

“That’s good to hear,” said Hector. As then, Rennar and Francis arrived. “Rennar, Francis, do as I told you to.”

“Surely, Lord Hector.” Both of them said in unison.

Khael looked at Roldan. He saw the guilt and regret in his eyes. Them, not being able to do anything but only obey those above them, is something he was quite familiar with. Be it in a world with nothing like magic or some unusual occurrences. It was still the same, and the world will always be cruel.

“What are you going to do to me?” Khael asked, staring unswervingly right at Hector.

“Don’t worry, you are free as well,” he said. He then gazed back at Khael, having a thorough look at him. The curious gaze he gave was the first expression he showed them. “Tell me… what are you to Dessia Adhilla??”

“Huh…” Khael muttered. It took him back, and suddenly, he somewhat felt a ray of hope hearing that name.

“Bring along the kid once you’re done,” said Hector. He then leaves immediately, and the two of them, Rennar and Francis, hurriedly free Khael.

He struggled to stay conscious as his body and mind were in a mess. His sight was hazy as if a fog encircled his vision, but he could still make out something in his tired teared-swollen eyes.

And then, somehow, he can feel his strength recovering and the pain in his body slowly diminishing but not completely gone. Strangely, he feels a tad better all of a sudden. Then he remembered that they were ordered to treat him, though he wasn’t thankful for that.

Khael can finally feel the part of his body from where precisely the steel cuff was—leaving a swollen reddish skin as a sign of being tied for so long.

“Come on, don’t make Lord Hector wait,” said Rennar.

Khael doesn’t have much resistance from his body as he helplessly allows them to move him, despite his urge to punch the shit out of them. He turned his gaze back to Roldan, who was still in a terrible state. Probably he was just keeping himself from passing out for so long and still sitting on the ground—looking at him in relief. “Khael… go on, we can meet later or maybe… someday,” said Roldan. “Don’t worry about me.”

A few moments had passed, and they arrived in front of a tall wooden door. The three of them entered, revealing an elegant room with a decent size enough to hold a social gathering. There are two people inside besides Hector. Khael looked into them thoroughly as he seemed to recognize one of them.

Her distinct firmament hair made her recognizable. While Khael couldn’t clearly see her face, he was confident it was her. Her voice made it more apparent despite the short time they had talked during his time in the strange prison. “Khael!” Dessia Adhilla called out. “What-what they had done to you?”

The old woman was supposed to help him out if only things did not end up the way it does. Dessia pulled Khael close to her and gently embraced him with the utmost care, bringing a warm feeling.

“Why would you go such length to save some kid?” asked Hector.

“You had got what you want. We had our terms, and one of those is you won’t question anything or even talk about this ever again,”

“Forgive me, that’ll be the last time,” Hector frowns, “but we must cut ties between ourselves from now on.”

“Of course, we won’t ever bother you again, Hector,” said Dessia as she took Khael and brought him over to the person with him. “Kalafu, would you mind?”

Hector inspects them expressionless for a moment and finally says. “It was my utmost honor to be raised and taught by none other than you,” Hector said as he kneeled and gave the old woman his token of gratitude. “Francis, escort them on their way out.”

“As you say, my Lord,” Francis responded.

“That wasn’t needed, Hector,” said Kalafu carrying Khael in his arms that seemed effortless to him. “Unlike you, we would never get lost on our way.”

Those are the last exchanged Khael had heard before finally passing out.

***

The moment he woke up was when he met an unfamiliar ceiling for the fourth time. But he wasn’t cuffed this time or even in a narrow, cramped room.

Khael hastily scanned his surroundings to determine the current situation he had. And it took all of his might to prepare his heart and mind for whatever he seemed to find out. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw an utterly ordinary bedroom.

And beside the bed where he’s lying, someone was asleep with her head resting on the armrest of the wooden chair, looking tired and worn out.

Khael tries to remember something from his mind from the events that happened before giving in to the hellish experienced he endured. Was I finally safe? At first, he doubted it because he knew nothing about his current situation or whereabouts. It made him still worried and anxious.

The nightmare of an experience he had taken still lingered on him. Khael still pictured the unfortunate fate of elder Gado and others in his mind. He wondered if they would even have a proper send-off or were just getting rid of insignificantly. And what will happen to Roldan? Those thoughts kept him from having peace of mind—continuing to nag him with guilt and sorrow.

Khael carefully gets off the bed to prevent a slight quiver that may cause the old woman to wake up. He chooses not to think about it at the moment, to momentarily relish what seemed to be the temporary conclusion to the sufferings he experienced.

Khael then unconsciously reached for something in his left hand that made him wonder why. Did I try to grab something just now? he asked himself, but nothing came to mind no matter how hard he thought about it.