Chapter 8: Overcoming

Kouji: Ah… AHH… My head.

Éstefer: Don't move so much; your wound hasn't fully healed yet. -Sigh- Ahh… my son didn't measure his strength well. *It was cold, and it was still night. The only warmth came from a small candle in the entire little cabin, without a single moonbeam.*

Kouji: -Agitated- My family! Where is my…!

Éstefer: They're no longer here. I suggest you stop shouting. *The only people inside were Éstefer and Aldreuno. Éstefer was the teacher who taught the children about planting and harvesting, the mother of Dúlimy, Aldreuno, and the wife of Freudo.*

Kouji: -Gritting his teeth- *I still wasn't prepared to accept it. I had already lost my father, and now my family was gone. The flood of emotions and the shock of the information made me break into tears.*

Kouji: -Tears flowing endlessly with audible pain- *I cried like a comfortless child, like a little one who knew they were left alone. I had no one left, and when I touched my chest, it hurt—hurt like hell. Do you understand? Feeling like you're going to die, but knowing you won't, in fact, it would be preferable to die. It hurt inside, my heart ached, my chest tightened to the point where I couldn't control my breathing. Perhaps it hurt so much because living no longer had a reason.*

Aldreuno: Kouji, I…

Kouji: Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up… I could have saved my niece…

Éstefer: You could have died. That's what could have happened. *Éstefer wasn't behaving as she usually did. She seemed grumpy, and the words she spoke were cold, as if nothing mattered anymore.*

Éstefer: Nevertheless, I sent my son to save you even after losing Dúlimy. And after what he did, that's how you thank him? If you're so eager to die, go back. But from what I understand, you wouldn't have been able to save yourself. *Her words, as harsh as sandpaper, made me hurt, but at the same time, they made sense.*

Kouji: -Crying- But my sister and my niece…

Éstefer: Yes, also Freudo and Dúlimy… *Dúlimy was part of the group of five who went to look for my father. She was a good warrior, very clever, tough, but she never mistreated anyone or humiliated a man for being stronger than most.*

Kouji: -Looks at Aldreuno- … -Agitated- My sister! Linnethe!

Aldreuno: -Shakes his head from side to side while closing his eyes-

Kouji: So, it wasn't a dream…

Aldreuno: No… I'm sorry.

Éstefer: We deeply regret your losses, Kouji, but seriously, you need to stop shouting. We're not in this little cabin because we like it. *She said it as if her reason for living had disappeared, while approaching a small opening to see outside.*

Kouji: What about my mother? *Aldreuno stood up, put his hand on my shoulder, and without a word, he conveyed it to me, just a steady look and a sad face. I knew what that meant.*

Kouji: I don't understand… How did we end up like this?

Éstefer: Who knows… the same thing happened at the main gate.

Kouji: Eh…?

Éstefer: The main gate fell too. Just like at the North gate, some people from the village opened the main gate. *The first appearance of the monster… I thought that, before finding myself in the cabin, the others were fine and that the monster hadn't gotten to them… until I saw the chief among its ranks before passing out. However, I hadn't reconsidered it until Éstefer mentioned it.*

Éstefer: After the monster appeared at the North gate, where we were, I ran with a few others towards the center of the village and found my son…

Aldreuno: -Looks at Kouji and nods-

Éstefer: He was scared but with his father… He was still himself. My husband told me that after that thing appeared, many started falling to their knees and sometimes looked at each other, others started standing up and killing each other. The chief approached my husband, who was far away, and asked him to take those on the ground and bring them to the center of the village. He did just that, until he saw Aldreuno.

Kouji: -Looks at Aldreuno-

Aldreuno: -Closes his eyes, and tears start falling- *I understood at that moment… Aldreuno was in the same situation I had experienced moments before. I couldn't hate him; we had already lost enough.*

Éstefer: His father woke him up as best as he could and told him to run. Along with a few people, we gathered in the center of the village. I hugged my husband, and that's when he gave me a brief summary before leaving. He had gone to the center of the village alone for his son; he wanted him to be safe. But my foolish husband had to go back for the others. I told him, "Please don't go; we've already lost Dúlimy. Stay with me," and he only replied, "There are still people trapped," as he left.

Éstefer: After a few minutes, Aldreuno recovered, and the first thing he did was ask for you. I told him you were still there, at the North gate. He, despite being scared, had the desire to go. Before leaving, I told him, "You're just like your father; I can't stop you," and I saw him run. There, he saw Dúlimy and his father, you know? -Starts sobbing- Didn't you notice? They were among all those people… My son told me that his father tried to talk to him, but Aldreuno just ignored him and tried to wake you up. I really don't know what's happening; that thing first confronted your family. I don't know what it means; I don't know if you did something… Tell me, Kouji, did you curse the village? Did you sin in some way? Tell me, Kouji! I understood now why she had been treating me so coldly. It wasn't because she was tired or grieving. She thought that those in the center of the disaster were probably to blame, and those were precisely my family.

Aldreuno: Mother, it's not fair, please. Kouji has suffered enough, and even if his family was at fault, I doubt he has the solution. He would never harm us. Besides, now is not the time to blame anyone. *Aldreuno, I looked at him in amazement once again. So mature and critical in thought. Sometimes, I really wished to be like him; maybe that's why my father's words affected me so much.*

Éstefer: Okay, son. Kouji… I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired, and as far as I know, we might be the only three survivors. Furthermore, I don't have a plan; I don't have a strategy. I know I'm the adult, but really… I'm on the verge of wishing to sleep and never wake up again -she cries-.

Aldreuno: Calm down, Mother -puts her against his chest- It's okay. You don't have to take charge because I will. Please, just this once, trust your son. *I had no one, no one except Aldreuno. I didn't want to lose him; I didn't want to be left alone. Furthermore, I was afraid.*

Kouji: -Remains silent- I didn't know what to do. Listening to Éstefer, I wondered what I could do. However, in the state I was in, I couldn't think clearly.

Aldreuno: -Approaches Kouji- *I know I said I would take care of it, but I need you. I know I can't do this alone. He took my head in both hands, looking at me seriously.*

Aldreuno: Wake up, Kouji. This is reality. I know you must feel the same as my mother, but you can't just back down. That wouldn't be the act of a man, and you would never do that. You're the most optimistic guy I know. Even in a moment like this, with your condition, right now, I would trust you with my life. I'm asking a lot of you in the short time you've been grieving, I know, but I can't do it without you. I need you by my side. *He still looked at me intensely, and all my body wanted to do was cry. However, I couldn't, I shouldn't, failing Aldreuno was not an option. I regretted my loss deeply, but I could still hold on to him.*

Kouji: -Frowns- … -Stands up- … -Looks out the small window of the cabin- *I remembered a piece of advice from my mother when I was little. Once, I dropped a small sack of rice. My mother looked at me furious, which was understandable for two reasons: first, because I had insisted tirelessly on carrying the sack, and second, more importantly because it was practically the food for two weeks. However, instead of scolding me, my mother breathed. It was surprising to me because she usually lets emotions take over. So, I breathed… I breathed as deeply as I could, held it, and finally let it go. When I let it go, I smiled to myself, thinking, "Problems don't get smaller when you avoid them and scream."