Chapter 73 - Price of War

The forest was eerily quiet as the usual sounds of wildlife replaced by the oppressive silence of death.

River and Maria moved cautiously, their footsteps soft against the blood-soaked ground.

The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid smell of burnt flesh.

Around them, the remnants of battle lay scattered—Fantasians, Terrans, and even gryphons, their lifeless bodies a grim testament to the brutality of war.

Maria's hands trembled as she clutched her staff, her eyes darting nervously at the carnage around them.

She had always been the cheerful one, the one who could lighten the mood with a joke or a smile.

But now, now her face was pale, and her usual spark was extinguished.

River walked beside her, her expression equally somber, though her calm demeanor remained intact.

She looked round, her staff slung over her shoulder, but her grip on it was tight, betraying her unease.

"I… I didn't think it would be like this," Maria said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, I knew war was bad, but… this…"

River nodded, her gaze fixed on the path ahead. "It's different when you see it up close. When you smell it. When you step in it."

Maria shuddered, her eyes lingering on a fallen Fantasian soldier, his face frozen in a grimace of pain.

"What could possibly be so important that this is the only solution? Why can't they just… talk? Compromise? Anything but this."

River sighed, her voice heavy with resignation.

"I guess some people just believe there's no other way. That their cause is worth any cost. And then there are those who… thrive in this chaos."

A pause then she continued.

"People like Nathan, Alicia, Marcus. They're strong, yes, but they're also… different. They don't just fight to survive. They fight because they enjoy it."

Maria's brow furrowed, her grip on her staff tightening. "Alicia… she scares me. The way she taunts her enemies, the way she kills them… it's like she's playing a game.

And Nathan… I didn't think he could be like that. He's always so calm, so protective of Natasha really. But when he fights… it's like he just becomes someone else. Someone… bloodthirsty. Someone who just wants blood and gore and death."

River's expression softened, though her eyes remained troubled.

"Nathan's complicated. He's been through a lot, and sometimes… I think he doesn't even realize how much the battle consumes him. But deep down, he's still the same person. He just… doesn't know how to turn it off."

Maria shook her head, her voice trembling. "I still don't understand how anyone can be like that. How they can enjoy this… this slaughter."

River placed a hand on Maria's shoulder, her touch gentle but firm. "Not everyone is like that. Natasha and Lucas… they're strong, but they don't revel in the bloodshed.

They fight because they have to, not because they want to. And that's what makes them different."

Maria looked at River, her eyes searching for reassurance. "Do you think… we'll ever be like that? Like Natasha and Lucas? Or will we be like..."

She didn't finish, but she didn't need to. River knew exactly what she was talking about.

River hesitated, then nodded. "I think we'll have to be. If we want to survive, if we want to protect the people we care about and not turn out like them… we'll have to learn to fight without losing ourselves."

Before Maria could respond, the sound of distant explosions echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

River's head snapped toward the direction of the control room, her expression tightening with worry.

"That's where Nathan and Natasha went," she said, her voice tense. "I hope they're okay."

Maria's eyes widened with fear. "Do you think they're in trouble?"

River didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned her attention to another sound—closer this time. The clash of weapons, the cries of battle. Someone was still fighting.

"Come on," River said, her voice firm. "We need to keep moving. If there's someone still alive out there, we have to help them."

Maria nodded, though her hands still shook as they pressed forward. The forest grew darker, the trees thicker, until they reached a clearing—or what was left of one.

And the scene before them was nothing short of horrifying.

Bodies littered the ground, their forms twisted and broken. Some were riddled with holes, their lifeless eyes staring blankly at the sky.

Others were encased in ice, their faces frozen in expressions of agony.

A few still clung to life, their limbs twisted into grotesque shapes as they wept and begged for death.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay, and the ground was slick with it.

To the side, two hooded Fantasians knelt, their heads bowed in terror.

They trembled, their hands clasped together as if in prayer, too scared to even dare look up.

And in the center of it all, seated atop a pile of corpses like a macabre throne, was a boy.

He was young, no older than sixteen, with fiery red hair streaked with black. His nano-tech suit gleamed in the light, and his expression was one of cold indifference.

To his left stood a blonde-haired boy, his face impassive, and to his right, a white-haired girl, her eyes sharp and calculating.

But what drew River and Maria's attention—what made their blood run cold—was what the red-haired boy held in his hand.

A Fantasian woman, her body battered and broken, her legs twisted in unnatural angles.

One eye was missing, the socket a gaping wound, and her remaining eye was dull, devoid of any will to live. She hung limply in his grasp, her breaths shallow and ragged.

Maria's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. River's eyes widened in horror, her grip on her staff tightening until her knuckles turned white.

The boy's gaze shifted toward them, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Well, well," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "What do we have here? More spectators?"

River's heart pounded in her chest as she recognized him. Theodore Hunt. Nathan's half-brother. The heir to the Hunt family.

The boy who had challenged Nathan in their first combat class, who had always been a step ahead, a shadow seemingly looming over Nathan's life.

Theodore tilted his head, his smile widening. "You're not here to join the fun, are you? No, no… you look like the type who'd spoil the mood."

Maria took a step back, her voice trembling. "What… what are you doing?"

Theodore's smile turned into a sneer. "What does it look like? I'm cleaning up. These Fantasians thought they could invade our territory, and now they're learning the price of their arrogance."

River's voice was steady, though her fear was palpable. "Even if this is a battlefield. These people… they've given up already. They're defenseless."

Theodore laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Given up? Defenseless? They're enemies. And enemies don't deserve mercy. Surrender or not. Defenseless or not."

Maria's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the tortured woman in Theodore's grasp. "Please… just let her go. She's suffered enough."

Theodore's expression darkened, his grip tightening on the woman. "Suffered enough? She's lucky I'm even letting her breathe. But if you're so concerned…"

He tossed the woman aside like a ragdoll, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. She didn't move, her remaining eye staring blankly at the sky.

River's jaw tightened, her fear giving way to anger. "You're a monster."

Theodore's smile returned, though it was devoid of any warmth. "And you're naive. But don't worry… you'll learn. Everyone does."

Before River or Maria could respond, Theodore turned his attention back to the two trembling Fantasians. "Now, where were we?"

River grabbed Maria's arm, pulling her back. "We need to go. Now."

Maria nodded, her legs shaking as they turned and fled, the sound of Theodore's laughter echoing behind them.

As they ran, River's mind raced. Nathan had always spoken of Theodore with a mix of fear and hatred, but she had never truly understood why.

Now, she did. Theodore wasn't just strong—he was cruel, sadistic, and utterly devoid of empathy.

And as the forest swallowed them once more, River couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

That the horrors they had seen today were just a glimpse of what was to come.