Dread.
That was all he could feel. It shivered through his skin, tore into his brain, and crushed his spirit. The possibilities were endless. Was medieval torture in the mix? He shook his head, no, he shouldn't think about that.
As they exited the forest, the moon sat high in the night, lighting a path for them back home. But he didn't even want to step into it. His soul cringed with each step he took towards the light. It was too pure, something righteous. The weight of his actions sat on him like a stone. If he stepped into the light, it was like the extent of his sins, the pleasure he derived, and the pain he inflicted would be revealed. But he had to, because it led the way home.
The slash across his chest pulsed dully, his muscles heavy with ache. It was the only feeling left that felt real. Everything else... distant, dreamlike. He wished it had been a dream.
In the distance, a familiar shape appeared in the moonlightâthe silhouette of their small house. The memories he had made in the short time he'd been here flickered through his mind: his funny-looking wooden animal toy, the piggyback rides, the laughs, and the conversations he eavesdropped on. A small smile tugged at his lips. Did he really make this many memories? If he did, that was kind of crazy. Sadly, he might not have any more time to create new ones.
"Should I take you to the village center?" Leo's voice was thinner than expected, almost snapping with the question.
"Yeah, that'll be better," Anna nodded. Her eyes fluttered, growing heavy. He gulped. She wasn't bleeding anymore, so hopefully she was just tired.
"Alright..." his tongue moved, but he killed the words. He wanted to askâwhat would happen to him now? But he couldn't. Not while Anna looked like that. Not while her eyes still fluttered from pain. He didn't want her to suffer anymore, so he continued dragging his feet into the village.
The houses and shacks around them were falling apart. He could see their wooden roofs slanting, waiting for a slight tremor to send them crashing to the earth. Some houses had entire planks missing from their walls, letting the outside in. It wasn't even like their homes were made of junk. They were built from some lumber from the forest and the occasional assortment from the city. There was some dignity, even in their shame.
Echoes of voices sounded over his dragging feet. An orange glow, followed by a flush of warmth, washed against his body, loosening his tense limbs. They were nearly there. The village center was still awake.
He bit his lower lip, slowing his pace as anxiety crept in. Could he just run away? Deep into the forest, he'll take that man's body too, he'll carry it with him, making sure they don't find it. That was possible.
"No, Leo. You can't run," Anna's voice snapped him out of his madness. "They'll know by now that a party member had died. With the way you killed him, it wasn't something an animal out here would be capable of. It was too fast."
You can't run.
But that was all he was good for. That was all he ever did. He ran from the struggles in his past, straight into the arms of comfort, never truly testing himself, never trusting himself. Were those dreams he had back then even possible? The fantasies of retiring his parents, buying them their dream cars. He dreamt big, but he always ran away. Now he was living in a nightmare, and couldn't run away.
He came to a stop. "So, am I going to die?"
Anna gulped. "Likely."
He knew it. The world flipped, crashing upside down on his head, as his canines pierced into his lower lip. Why did he think there would be a different answer?
Leo took one step forward. Then another. That was all it took, right? Even if you take a step backward, you can always go two steps forward.
In front of them, a bonfire flared into the sky, its embers spraying like a sparkler. A large group of people sat around the fire, chatting as children ran around, playing a game he'd seen countless times beforeâa game he wanted to play one day.
They didn't notice him yet, so he took another step. Was his father there? Or his mother? He didn't know anyone, and they surely wouldn't recognize him. He took a step back. No. He couldn't come here. What would they think when they saw him? A bloody claw, carrying a half-dead Dwendol, what was he thinking?
"Ahh! Mother, look," a child screamed as they bolted past him diagonally. " A monster!" Leo scoffed. Yeah. That's what he was. Even a child could tell.
"Hey, don't say that!" Anna managed to scold even in her weakened state. A glare in her eyes as she followed the child.
Then came a woman's scream, a chorus of children's screams, and finally, a voice.
"What in the great Aether stumbled into the village?" a man seated by the bonfire asked, flinching at the sight of him. He must've looked miserable. Inhuman. Then again, maybe that was just accurate now.
"Is that Anna?" a loud, bold, familiar voice followed. It was quite a bit weaker than he remembered, but it wasn't hard to forget.
Aunt Maggie bounded towards them, her eyes wide in shock. She didn't seem fazed at all by his appearance. But Leo was.
Her nails weren't anything like his. They were well-kept, rounded, and trimmed. There were no remnants that even hinted at the fact that she had claw-like nails previously. It was so oddly human, unlike his.
"Anna," Maggie's eyes bounced between Leo and Anna, trying to take in the situation. "Hurry, we need to treat her. We can talk about what happened later." She muttered a quick spell before ushering them off to the medical building.
Leo couldn't help but look at Aunt Maggie on their way there. She was a dwendol, too, but why were her nails different from his? Even her teethâwhen she spoke, he saw she had fewer canines than he did. She was more of a blue-gray human than a dwendol.
The door swung open with the cracking of wood, and the scent of herbs flooded his senses. Lamps lit up the hallway, hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers. He had never seen these lamps before, crafted into a boxy frame from dark metal, a luxurious thing for dwendols to have.
The inside of the hospital wasn't much different from anything else. It was made of nearly entirely wood, except for the stone foundation, which stood around knee height. And it was eerily silent, like a morgue.
Maggie knocked on a door before it slid open. His heart nearly stopped.
Behind the door was his father.
His green eyes narrowed, his eyebrows furrowing with emotion. Then he closed them. With a deep breath, he stepped back.
"Come in. I don't know what happened, but I need a story," his voice stung with hostility, making Leo flinch.
"Of course, Aram. We need to get her treated first," Maggie said, waiting for Leo to enter.
Leo gulped as he stepped inside. He looked around, noticing how sophisticated it looked compared to everything else in the village. Vials and beakers of what he assumed were medicine or potions sat on the counters. Shelves were neatly filled with medical equipment, with even what seemed to be a scale in the corner of the room. He couldn't forget to mention the white coat his father was wearing and the silver, glowing stethoscope dangling around his neck.
"Set her down here," Leo's father patted the nearest hospital bed, sighing and shaking his head. Then he lifted his hands. "Mundare." And a pure, clear glow washed over his hands before disappearing.
"Okay, Dad," Leo croaked as he set Anna down. Oh no. Should he have said that? Waitâ
"Dad?" his father snapped his head towards him. His mouth opened slightly, then tightened shut. Their eyes locked as a gasp came from beside them.
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Leo nodded, ashamed of everything. Ashamed of how he looked, what he did, and who he was. "Yeah, it's me. Leo."
His father bit his lower lip, creases forming between his brows. It was like he didn't know what to do or how to comprehend this much information in such a short span. He shook his head before sliding over an island of medical equipment. His fingers picked up what seemed to be a light-blue pen and got to work.
"Leo, how am I supposed to believe that?" his father scoffed, a chuckle catching at the edge of his breath. He shook his head and muttered another spell. This spell made the pen shoot a stream of water, and he used it to clean Anna's wounds.
"I don't know either, but it's me," Leo said, looking down at his feet.
"Leo, turn over here," Maggie said, and Leo turned. The same pure glow emanated around her hands as she stepped closer to him. "We have to treat you, too; this isn't a light cut." She took a similar tool and did the same thing his father did.
His chest flexed together in response, face scrunching in pain as the contact of water onto raw flesh stung.
"It really is him, Aram." Her voice was one of awe and a sprinkle of fear. She looked up at his face. "He sounds like you as well. He has the same golden eyes as Ela and your brown hair. There's no denying it; his facial structure also resembles you two."
"Yeah, I can tell too," Leo's father grunted. "Now, tell me what happened."
Oh right. He had to retell what happenedâthe moments leading up to the kill. The hunt. He took a deep breath.
"I killed a man. A human," Leo said, laying it out for everyone to see. It sat in the air like a murder weapon. Bloody. Undeniable.
It wasn't like they couldn't tell from how he looked anyway, but of course, it's better confirmed by the person themselves. His heart ached, seeing Aunt Maggie freeze slightly at his response. He didn't dare look at his father.
His dad didn't say anything. Just stared.
"That man, he was going to kill Anna. I saw him, grinning, ready to finish her off on the ground. Then I snapped."
The gentle whirring of the water pen stopped, leaving his words in the air. Maggie swallowed and closed her eyes, and his father closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Dad, he's not lying," Anna's voice pulled their attention. She was awake again. "A man from the city attacked me. He told me that we should've been sent out into the wilderness or taken as slaves last night."
His dad's fist shut around the water pen, shattering it into pieces.
"Damn it! We do everything they want us to and more, and they can't even control one person?" Aram snapped, his green eyes lighting ablaze. "We're out on the kingdom's edge for a reason, so they don't have to see our face. Yet, they come out here to poke us."
"Aram," Aunt Maggie sighed, reaching for a salve, thread, and needle.
"Right," he exhaled, doing the same. "We'll deal with this later."
No one said a word after that. That laughter outside had turned into low murmurs. It seemed like news had spread, and the council members had gathered. The stitches hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his chest. He was a burden. He was nothing like them.
"Aram?"
Oh no. His knees buckled, and he reached out to try to catch himself. Maggie shouted in surprise before catching him. No. Please no. Anyone but her.
Anyone.
His motherâs face peeked into the room, golden eyes wide, as if reality had betrayed her. She stepped into the room with a rattle, nearly knocking down an island.
Surely, she would go to Anna's side first. Not his. She wouldn't recognize him. He wasn't worthy to look at her. Not like this.
"Leo."
She knew.
His face twisted in pain, turning away from the sound of his mom's voice. Wet eyes snapped shut as he stumbled backward. Not again. He couldn't help but laugh on the inside. How many times would he cry?
He felt gravity pull him down, but then something caught him. Then it sobbedâno, it mourned. Mourned like they had just lost their child.
"Leo!" his mother sobbed. Her arms locked around him like a crushing vice, with no intention to let go, or else it would lose all it had. "Oh, my baby...I won't let them take you!"
His chest heaved with sobs, but he kept them in. So much pain. So much suffering. This wasn't a dream world. It wasn't anything better than home. Something no one could escapeâa persistent thorn in their sides.
But time waited for no one. Not even them.
"Ela..." Maggie cooed, hesitantly kneeling. "It's time."
"Honey, we need to decide before they arrive," his father added. A pause. A breath that sounded like it hurt to take. "It's only a matter of time." Leo saw his mouth open slightly, as if he wanted to reassure her, but he stopped. There was no hope.
Despite this, she tightened her grip briefly before letting go. Her hands reached up to his face, her thumbs tracing his cheekbones, taking in her precious child like it was the last time she would see them ever again. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and a small, sorrowful smile appeared.
She was proud.
For as much suffering as there was, there was just as much love, if not more, in this world.
"Okay, let's go then," his mother said as she stood up, her face still flushed from the emotions. They shuffled out of the room like a veil of death hung over them. He couldn't blame them. He felt it too.
As they stepped outside, the fire seemed to roar. Its flames burned hotter, brighter, and bigger. The silhouettes of the council members and elders were shadows in the backdrop of the fire. Even though the flames were burning, chills ran through his body. This was like a divine judgment, right before entering the afterlife.
Then they came into view.
Leo had seen all the council members and elders before, although he didn't know their names by heart. One of the elders cleared their throat, their eyes narrowing as they looked at Leo.
"Are you the one they're talking about?" he asked. The elder's cool, gray eyes took in every one of his features. He could see his eyes shift from his face to his chest to his bloodied hand.
Leo's body tingled, and he felt the countless eyes in the village bore into him like a monster. Even the elders looked at him in spite. Their eyes burned with disdain, like something from their past had just returned. He chuckled inside, noticing the differences between them. He really was something from the past, wasn't he?
Everyone here had the same changes, even the children. Their nails were trimmed to be round, like human nails, and their extra canines were probably pulled as well. They wanted to assimilate. To be accepted by...their own kind? No, that couldn't be right. They werenât humanâbut theyâd carved away every dwendol trait they could to look like it. So much so that they hated seeing what they were before.
"Yeah, I'm the one," Leo answered. It was getting easier for him to say. Weird how saying it out loud didnât even sting anymore. Maybe he was accepting the reality of everything, although it wasn't like he could change it anyway.
The elder pinched some of his beard and looked at the others. All the other villagers tried to stay silent, but Leo could hear their whispers, sometimes even catching fragments of their sentences. After a few moments, another elder spoke.
"Leo, I'm not sure how you grew this fast, but I'm assuming you don't know much yet," the elder spoke, a distinct notch marked his upper lip. It was Elder Naud. "But killing a human is a grave action. With how the kingdom sees us, they would rather we die than kill any race above us to protect ourselves. It's a hard reality, but the truth."
"Surely we can do something, right?" Leo's father asked, trying to hide the anxiety in his voice. "I can give myself up in his place."
The council sat up straighter at the suggestion, and the crowd gasped. Leo's heart skipped a beat.
No. He couldn't let this happen again. He wouldn't let his father, or anyone in that case, take his spot. They suffered too much, sacrificed too much. They didn't need to do any more. This was his burden to carry.
"No. You're not going to take his spot, you're a council member, and most importantly, the village doctor," Elder Naud shot down his suggestion before it had a chance to breathe. "In fact, no one can take his place. No one here has long or sharp enough nails to match the damage done."
Leo saw his dad's jaw tense, his eyes shimmering, reflecting the flames. Leo sighed, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. No one was going to take his spot, thank goodness. He was the one who did it after all.
"I'm sorry, Leo, but for the sake of trying to preserve our village, we'll have to let them take you," Elder Naud explained. His eyes locked onto Leo's, and Leo could see the remorse and pain beneath the stoicism. "Even if we tried to hide you, they would burn the village down. If you ran, they would exile us. And if someone did take your spot, they would figure out it was you. I'm sorry."
"I understand," Leo said, his voice oddly full, even sounding brave momentarily. Maybe it was because there wasn't much fight left in him anymore. After all, he had accepted entirely what had happened at this point. If he died, maybe he wouldn't have any regrets. He saved Anna; that was enough.
But maybe it wasn't. Perhaps they would come and burn down the village even after he died. He was sorry for whatever happened after, but he wouldn't be here to know about it anyway.
"Leo," his dad said. Leo turned to face him. Tears welled in his father's eyes, and his lower lip quivered as he tried to put on a brave face. "My only son, my child...I'm proud of you. Don't be ashamed. Be proud that you saved your sister and stood up to the oppression in this world. People like you are the ones who make a change. I love you, son."
Leo's heart swelled with something different from everything he's experienced so far, but it was something he felt before, in this life and the past.
"I love you too, Dad," he said with a small smile. For some reason, he felt stronger, not enraged strength, but a calm resolve in his core. It was funny how love changed people. He killed, and now he would die. Life was a bittersweet song.
His dad pulled him into a hug. It must've been hard. Just a few weeks ago, Leo was just a baby, and now, he was fully grown, being prepared to die. It was like his family had just speedrun how fast they could lose a family member.
A sudden thought pinged in his mind. His last name. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't want to die without it.
"Dad, before I go, can I ask you something?"
His dad wiped some tears away before answering. "Sure, what is it?"
"What's our last name?"
Leo's father blinked, taken aback. He probably expected something more. After a moment, he answered.
"Somberthorn. Your name is Leo Somberthorn, son."
Not even a moment later, a stampede tore through the night. The clicking of hooves echoed, and voices neared as the quakes strengthened.
His time had come.
"I'm sure you worms know what we're here for!" a snarky voice shattered the moment. The sound of their voice boiled Leo's blood, even in his state of calm. But this was just a reality for them. He couldn't fight it.
Even then, only one thing was louder than his anger. It echoed in his skull.
His last name. It was ironically fitting for him.
Somberthorn.