Aftermath (1)

Beneath the glimmering moonlight—a pack of wolves could be seen surveying their surroundings with utmost precision—picking up the scent of a potential prey to feast upon.

But out of the blue, amidst their inspection—a mighty horse flashed before them—carrying four people; two adults and two children. Without wasting an ounce of a second, the pack of wolves immediately pursued the horse.

Situated on top of the horse were none other than Tain, Alice, Andre, and Elena controlling their mount. The experience of having ridden a horse on multiple occasions beforehand played a crucial role as she managed to avoid most obstacles throughout the rough terrain—only sustaining a few cuts.

Nevertheless, luck was not on their side today as the pack of wolves eventually caught up and began taking turns trying to assault them. Elena gave her all in an attempt to minimize the damage as much as possible. As if the situation could not worsen any further—they suddenly had to tread on an incredibly steep surface.

The wolves' chase was halted as their prey escaped from their grasp. Once more, Elena's endeavors and skills allowed them to be mostly unscathed as they descended—with the exception of the horse nearly tumbling onto the ground numerous times, as well as Elena who suffered from crashing onto nearby branches.

At the end of their journey, they found themselves trudging towards a crystal clear river situated amongst mountains and forests—giving it an ethereal vibe. Fishes could also clearly be seen jumping out of the water enthusiastically—catching any unsuspecting bugs hovering over the water.

Just as a sigh of relief was about to escaped from their lips—a massive cross made out of what appears to be oak logs in the distance caught Tain's attention.

"W…What is that?" He asked innocently, breaking the silence that had ensued for far too long.

"...I am not sure myself. But do not worry, for I will investigate that structure." Elena said as she got off the horse and carefully strided to the mysterious construction.

Upon reaching a certain distance—her nose picked up a familiar smell that she wholeheartedly hated—blood. Although baffled, she still continued and steeled her heart for the worst. The leaves fluttered as she hastened her pace and soon enough—she had reached it.

But, the thing she was going to discover was outside of her calculations. Strapped onto the wooden cross was the man she once considered as her adversary—his limbs separated from his body. His face bruised to the point it could barely be recognized. A pool of blood was situated underneath the figure as droplets of blood continuously dripped from his body.

"Andre! Get over here!" Elena shouted from afar as Andre hurriedly rushed over to her.

"Ha…So…what is it…" Before he could finish his question—Andre effortlessly discerned that man even if his body looked mutilated. It was none other than Jacob.

Unable to utter a single word—Andre's body unconsciously took action as he began removing the ropes with Elena aiding him. Soon enough, Jacob was in Andre's arms—barely alive and still bleeding profusely.

"Who…Who…!!!" Andre's eyes were bloodshot. His face was deprived of all but a single emotion—pure unadulterated anger. He desperately wanted to shout—scream at the top of his lungs for the tragedy his beloved friend had undergone, but stopped himself as he bit down on his lips with every single fiber of his body.

"Calm yourself. For now, let's do everything we can to save him. Focus on the present first, Andre." Elena's tone was cold—seemingly used to this type of situation.

Taking a few deep breaths, Andre's mood became slightly better—albeit still a bit enraged. Using the remains of the rope—Elena did her best to seal up the open wound from the repercussions of his body parts being forcibly ripped apart.

After a certain period of time, blood has mostly stopped streaming out of Jacob's detached arms and legs. However, his breathing was still shallow and the state he was in would only drag them down if he could not make a recovery. Jacob's future was bleak, yet Andre refused to give up.

"...For now, I will look after him and the children. In the meantime, please make a temporary shelter for us and the horse. You are a lumberjack, so I assume you have knowledge on suitable materials to build a hut."

"Alright…and…please do all you can to try and save him…"

"I will try and not betray your expectations, but I am unable to ensure his survivability. If it makes you feel better, I will immediately report any significant problems he may experience."

"...Thanks." Andre spoke somberly. He—formerly a joyful, humourous and optimistic man—now had to face the sickening reality he was destined onto. Having lost his wife, his entire village, and his friend—Andre's mental state was a wreck. Yet, he still had his daughter. And he will never forgive himself if he failed his duty as a father.

With a heavy heart, Andre started amassing the materials needed to make the momentary shelter they all would have to reside within for the night. Due to the lack of equipment, he had to improvise to the best of his abilities. Fortunately, he succeeded in building a somewhat stable and durable place for them and the horse.

It was small and a bit tight, but enough to fit all five people. And he also erected a place for the horse as per Elena's request. Soon, they all headed to sleep—exhausted both mentally and physically after the ordeal they had survived.

…

"Argh…" Andre groaned—being the first person to wake.

As he stood up, he noticed Jacob opening his eyelids faintly while his lips moved weakly—muttering something incoherent. Andre leaned his ear and tried his best to make sense of the words coming out of Jacob's mouth.

"W…w…a…r…R-run…a…way…"

"W-what do you mean, Jacob?" Andre inquired, but it was already too late.

By the time Jacob uttered those words, his heart had finally stopped pulsating. His cold, lifeless body made a new scar on Andre's heart. Silently, Andre carried his friend's corpse and buried it by the riverside. He could hardly contain all of the emotions coursing through his veins. But he still tried bottling his feelings nonetheless. Despite his endeavors at containing tears from leaking out—a few droplets managed to escape in the end.

As Andre stared at Jacob's grave, he recalled all of the bad and good memories they have made throughout the years.

"Jacob…may you rest in peace…my friend."