"Hearing is not Listening"

Dawn finally broke.

Hours had passed agonizingly slow. Leo had been trying to climb for hours, but he couldn't scale more than two meters, for the walls were smooth and covered in mud. It was truly impossible without help.

"Baby, talk to me a little to distract me. It's getting very cold," Leah whispered to Leo, her body wracked with shivers.

Leo stared at his mother—she was deathly pale, her lips tinged purple, and dark circles had formed under her eyes. He knew somehow that she was slipping away.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Leo asked, worried, his voice barely an audible whisper.

"I am okay. I just need to rest a little... Tell me, how are you and Mia?" Leah managed to whisper.

"Mom, I made a promise to Mia. I said I would take care of her… as soon as we get out of here, I'll tell her everything. I hope she's okay. I even gave her a plushie. Just some Dad's tips," he said with a hint of embarrassment, trying to distract his mother.

Leah's heart ached for her son, for the innocence he had lost and for the burdens he now carried. She was deeply concerned about Leo, attempting to soothe and divert his attention. She knew this situation was a dead end.

"That's very good, Leo. Take good care of your friends and be a great man to your future wife. Always eat healthy food at the right times and in moderate amounts. Study as much as you can. I hope you get a good job, my son. Your father and I are proud of you. I bless you, my love." Tears streamed down Leah's face.

Her eyes fluttered, and for a moment, she wasn't in the cold, dark well anymore. She saw a fleeting image: Leo, older, stronger, his eyes blazing with a fierce light. He was facing a creature of darkness, a golden pendant shining in his hand. 

Then the vision was gone. Leah had a vision—a premonition. Leo held aloft a familiar golden pendant, its surface gleaming with power in that quick glimpse. She knew she wouldn't last much longer.

"Mom..." He hugged her tightly.

"Take this necklace." Leah weakly unclasped her necklace and pressed it into his hand. "Live, my baby; survive; be strong. I... love... you... forev—" Leah's voice faded away while her hand fell down with no resistance.

"Mom...? Mom! I LOVE YOU TOO!! MOM!!! Don't leave me here alone! Wake up, Mom! I promise to be a better son and never leave the village again! LEAH!!!" 

His cries were raw and desperate, echoing in the confined space of the well. He clung to her lifeless body. His chest was heaving, trying to find air through his sobs.

For hours, Leo wept over his mother's body, embracing her and reminiscing about how she had been a devoted, hardworking, and caring mother. 

He recalled how she would do his laundry and, even amidst her own work, would stop just to give him a little treat. He remembered her helping him with his schoolwork, always with a smile and unwavering patience. Leah gave her love to Leo with everything that she could have.

He vowed that he would survive at any cost; it was his duty, a reciprocal act of gratitude. His mind had shattered on that fateful day. He had lost his parents and everyone he knew, and he was still trapped in that abyss.

The days passed, one after another. Leo had lost all hope; he no longer knew how long he had been in that pit with his mother. His mind was clouded; hunger gnawed at him, and despair filled his thoughts. To survive, he drank the rainwater that was collected at the bottom.

The water, unfortunately, was not clean all the time. He would try to drain it to renew when the rain offered a fresh supply. Eventually, he grew numb to the difficult conditions.

Many days had passed—only the gods knew how many. The hunger was overwhelming for Leo, a boy of just 10 years old. When he was on the verge of fainting from starvation, he made a difficult choice to survive, remembering his promise to his beloved mother.

He spotted a small lizard skittering along the wall. He lunged, trapping it with his hand. He stared at the creature for a long moment, his stomach churning, then, with a grimace, he ate it. He felt so nauseous but could clench his jaw and persevered to survive.

Leo's spirit was deeply wounded, but he prayed to the Seven Gods of Humbra every night before sleeping, like his mom taught him, seeking strength and hope.

Leo had already considered smashing his head into the solid wood until he passed out and died there. He had tried countless times to climb out without success and had screamed until his voice faded into a hoarse whisper. 

In the end, he just wanted to be with his mother. He missed her, and her body being there only made everything worse—it would be better to just leave.

As his last tears fell and he prepared for suicide, when faint voices mingled with the rain that had returned that day.

"People?" Leo wondered, confused. He wondered if it was just a figment of his imagination.

He chose to shout—it couldn't hurt; it was just one more of the tens of thousands of attempts he made day after day.

"Help…!" Leo tried to yell, but he was very weak, lacking strength. "Someone… please… save… me…!" He tried with his last bit of energy, but there was no breath left in his lungs.

________________________________________________

After 14 days without communication, the rescue guard and reinforcements, along with caravans, had arrived at the village of Besen. Due to the intensity of the massacre, the neighboring city of Gothia had been slow to realize what had happened. The time it took to rebuild a bridge was excessive in those flooded areas with ravines around Lake Zafir.

"Captain Roland! We're arriving!" shouted the coachman.

"My God, it was a massacre." Roland whispered, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged village, his face grim.

"Captain, it looks like we're in hell," said one of the guards.

"Everyone, search everything! Look for any signs of life!" Roland bellowed.

Roland got out of the wagon and commanded the guards, who followed in a line. Everyone was working their hardest, gathering the bodies and trying to identify them to give them a proper burial.

"Joshua! Get over here, help me with this jammed door!" one of the guards shouted.

"Useless creature," replied the soldier Joshua.

Joshua and other guards were trying to open one of the house doors to retrieve some of the bodies. As they heaved, the splintered wood groaned in protest. When they finally managed to open the door, a distinct sound crossed his mind. Joshua looked towards the sound…

He heard the sound of wind, raindrops, the steps of war boots—ordinary sounds.

"Joshua! This one's heavy; help me! Stop dozing off!" A soldier shouted.

Joshua turned to the soldier and grumbled, "What a crappy job!"

The soldiers searched the houses and recovered all the bodies, beginning a simple cleanup and organization to begin the burial soon. The soldiers began working on organizing the objects that were scattered throughout the village. 

While carrying a bucket that was in the way, Joshua again heard a sound behind him. He stopped, looked, and saw rain, wind, boots... He then realized that his work was almost over.

The soldiers managed to identify most of the bodies and buried them in a plain near the road as a sign of respect, with a memorial.

Roland prepared his wagon with the important items and shouted for the guards to line up; the battalion was about to depart. He ran through the battalion, checking if everything was in order. When he reached the last man in line and saw that everything was okay, he ordered the march back. 

Roland then turned back to the village of Besen and, with a bitter taste in his mouth, silently questioned why such an atrocity occurred. As he turned to follow the battalion, a metallic sound crossed his mind, and he looked again at the city. The rain blurred his vision, and fatigue clouded his mind.

Roland then turned back to the battalion, which was already distant. The sound of rain, the leaves, the almost inaudible lake—a silence prevailed.

A metallic sound crossed his mind again; Roland turned and looked at the city. Then the sound repeated. Roland now knew it wasn't just fatigue.

He had really heard something.