Chapter 43

  Erik crept slowly through the dark corridor, never letting go of his younger brother. A bad feeling gnawed at him. Something massive sat inside, tearing at his soul with razor-sharp teeth. That voice sounded like that guy’s. But could he have survived? How do you survive what they saw? Worst of all, those strange words from the far room drove his mind insane. Each one burned into his memory, echoing endlessly off the stone walls. Every step forward was agony. His body marched toward the door, unstoppable, as if someone else controlled it. He wanted to scream and run far away. To go home. Hysteria was ready to take over any second. But the voice wouldn’t stop. It chained his will, dragging him closer. A creepy nursery rhyme with a countdown, followed by faint thuds after each line. He mentioned a poem… What the hell’s going on? Erik’s sweat-soaked hands tried gripping the knife tighter, but it kept slipping, as if it wanted to escape. He was almost at the door. Those ten meters of corridor were the longest of his life. The voice grew clearer. Odd, almost cheerful… A light chuckle slipped between words, sometimes a heavy cough… As Erik prepared to peek inside, the final line hit.

  - And then there were none…

  Silence crashed over him like an avalanche. He stopped breathing. He realized he couldn’t hear Din breathing either. He spun to check if his brother was still there. In the orange gloom, their eyes met. Reflected in Din’s gaze was Erik’s own fear. His own weakness. Everything he’d desperately tried to bury his whole short life. And now, it was all for nothing. That frail, weak boy was still him. It pissed him off… Resolve flooded in. Lisa was still out there… But then, like a punch to the gut, a loud laugh erupted.

  - AHAHAHA!!! HAHA! FUCKING HELL… AHAHAHA…

  Erik burst in, knife raised. He was met by blood coating the floor in a dark blanket and dozens of bodies chained together, dead. Kids lay face-up, scattered around. And in the middle of this hell, he loomed. The demon sat against the wall. From charred lips on a burned face, yellow teeth flashed in a ghastly grin. The monster stared into the void with its one bright yellow eye. Barely any skin left on its head. A few stray locks covered a patch of cheek. Its mangled black body was draped in smoldering rags. Hands, coated in sticky red, clutched filthy daggers. Short black horns completed the sinister image.

  - Forty-eight… Exactly forty-eight… Hahaha… Forty-fucking-eight…

  The monster kept laughing. A tear rolled from its lone, wide-open eye, leaving a thin, pale line on its red cheek. Erik tried swallowing, but the lump was spiky as a hedgehog. His hands shook harder. All dead… They’re dead? Where’s Lisa? Where’s Lisa?

  - Yo, kid, I told you to wait outside. – The monster’s short sentence flipped everything upside down.

  - What…? It’s you…?

  - Yep… Me… You don’t know my name anyway, so just me. Listen… Your brother’s a healer, right? Call him.

  Erik opened his mouth, unable to speak. Din hid behind him. His younger brother stared off, wide-eyed, soaking in the reality until his gaze hit the granite of this room like a scythe. With that same detached look, he tugged Erik’s arm.

  - Lisa… – He whispered, eyes locked on her.

  Her dead body lay on its back among the others. Blood trickled from a small chest wound. Her glassy eyes stared beyond this world. No one would ever know what she saw. On her pale cheek burned an ugly spiral brand.

  - NOOO! Lisa! – Erik rushed to her. – Lisa! Lisa! Wake up! Please! Din! Help her, quick! Din!

  Din didn’t answer. He dropped to his knees, sobbing.

  - Din! Save her, hear me?!

  - She’s dead… – The monster said. – No helping her now.

  - No! No! Lisa! Come on, Lisa! – Erik shook her fragile body until realization hit, and bitter tears streamed down his cheeks, mixing with the red lake of her blood.

  - You… YOU KILLED HER?! – The boy’s blue eyes blazed. Boundless rage gathered in his heart, desperate for release. His tears stopped falling. They hung in the air, orange droplets in zero gravity.

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  - You’re wrong… I didn’t kill them.

  - YOU’RE LYING!!!

  - They were already dead. See the brand? Anyone with it is doomed to stay here forever.

  - So what?! You’re a demon! Who gave you the right to decide? – Blood rose from the floor. Thin red streams swirled around the boy.

  - If you loved her so much, you should’ve killed her yourself. Or do only your feelings matter? You don’t give a shit about her suffering? Would you stay here with her ‘til death? No?

  - YES!!!

  - And your brother? You’d leave him here too? If he matters, pull your shit together. Your floating snot’s pissing me off. I feel like an astronaut… You controlling that? Or are you some Divergent? Either way, you two can still be saved, unlike the others. And I’m the only fucker in this whole damn world who’ll take on this lost cause.

  A low growl filled the room. Air, heavy with bitter stench, hissed through clenched teeth. The red streams spun faster. Trying to steady his shaking, the boy gripped the knife with both hands. Thousands of explosions went off in his head. Demon!!! Demon!!! Him!!! He did it!!! He killed her! But… But… It’s so fucking sick… He’s right. Damn bastard!

  - AAAAAAH!!! – His whirlwind of emotions fused into one scream. Blood splattered the walls. The brothers leaned over their dead sister, pouring tears. Meanwhile, the demon in the corner watched with his one eye, occasionally coughing heavily and cursing someone out.

  Fucking Carrie wannabe… One eye left, and it’s got snot in it. How much more can they torment me? Mood’s already in the shitter. Forty-eight… Exactly forty-eight… Absolute fucking nightmare… No curse words can capture it… Feels like I’m the hero of some pitch-black comedy. So dark, Martin Luther King would rip his hair out. Even Menace II Society takes a backseat. I thought my wheels couldn’t take more sticks, but…

  -

  / Congratulations, you’ve earned a title! /

  // Child Killer //

  / Condition: Kill 50 individuals under 14 years old /

  / Title Penalty: -30 points to all stats /

  -

  There you go… Do a good deed, get a shovel to the face! Thanks, system, for this anti-child-violence gesture. Only after the fiftieth victim… Even Marvel’s Avengers are nothing compared to this world’s child protection service. I worked my ass off to gain ten levels today… Ugh… I miscalculated. Not just a little—a fuckton. Wanted adventure for my ass? Sign here. Stealth didn’t work out, so I thought, let’s grind agility. Yeah… fucking grinded… Plus ten, minus thirty. What came over me? Like someone else did it, not me.

  But I learned one key lesson: heat resistance isn’t fireproofing. I majorly underestimated fire magic. Now I’m a horror version of Two-Face. Gotta shoot Insta pics in profile. I’ll say I’m an ancient Egyptian culture fan. No… I’m not okay with this. Time for the kid to get to work.

  - Hey, boys! If you wanna get out, it’ll be easier if I’ve got one more eye. Get me? And if I had, say, three more, you’d practically be home.

  - Shut your mouth…

  - Holy shit, that’s scary… I get it. Grief, sadness, all that, but we’re out of time. Soon, almost every healer around will show up. I can’t miss this chance to shit the biggest pile of crap on the demon lord’s doorstep. From what I heard, a general’s coming, so it’ll be tough. Those assholes are fucking strong. I need to be in top shape.

  - You’re a demon… – The younger one spoke up.

  - Nah, technically half. Wanna see a real one? Check the street.

  - You killed Lisa!

  - And all those fuckers who tortured your brother. Listen, kid, you took the Hippocratic Oath, so don’t fuck around. My eye socket needs an eye. Skin and all. With your skills, we might need half a year. So start now.

  The boys glared daggers, but the older one convinced the younger to do what I asked. Thank God, a smart one. Gotta prioritize right in every situation. Not everyone can think ahead, but this kid’s an exception.

  When Din started, I knew it’d take a while. There’s a huge gap between this scrawny kid and demons with centuries of experience. He won’t restore my eye, but it’s better than nothing. Fine, let’s say I won’t die. If he’s as gifted as his brother, I could mold him into a real Dr. House. That’d let me kill certain demons with their more sensitive bits.

  Erik decided to move the bodies. Nothing else to do… If you sit idle, dumb thoughts creep in. I’d help if I was in shape. Athletic shape… Not grilled chicken, like now.

  Under the little doc’s grim stare, I finally relaxed a bit. Healing was slow, and minus thirty to all stats meant my endurance tanked too. The last fight drained my strength and health. I burned through my mana and hit exhaustion. Plus, I hadn’t slept in days. I felt consciousness slipping. Not bad, actually. I’ll recover faster.

  - Guys, small problem. I need to crash, pronto. Older one, stand guard. If any fucker shows up, wake me. Any way you can, got it? Otherwise, you’ll get caught again. And Erik? Your magic’s like tickling to these demons, so don’t even think about fighting.

  The brothers said nothing, but I saw understanding in their eyes. Good kids. The younger’s skills are weak, but I expected worse. He could be a solid support later. I’ll bulk him up, grab some useful skills, and make a badass combat healer. The older one’s got huge potential. Thinking back to me at his age, I’m a bit embarrassed. I’ll bulk him up too, but in the physics of atoms and molecules. He can control liquids—fucking overpowered. Can’t wait to see what he becomes.

  On that thought, my last eye closed, and I passed out. I came to with a knife rudely lodged in my chest. It didn’t stay long. Din realized his mistake and pulled it out. But the kid was fickle. He changed his mind and stabbed it back in. Twice. So much for helping people… As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions