chapter 5 : No Atonement For Sinners

I didn't know how much time had passed since we were hiding, but every second seemed like an eternity, I just waited for the sunlight to come out, for everything to end. Adell was shaking beside me, his body cold and tense. The sound of the ghouls prowling outside increased the pressure in my chest, but, fortunately, we managed to go unnoticed in our small hut.

Finally, the first rays of morning light filtered through the cracks in the door. I peeked out with extreme care avoiding any unnecessary noise, holding my breath, then I saw that the ghouls were gone, scared away by the sun. I wasted no time and took Adell's arm to leave, we couldn't continue staying in this village. Not after what had happened. I hurried, ignoring the traces of blood that stained the ground. I ran with Adell at my side, knowing we had to leave as soon as possible before they found out I had taken the supplies.

Without a second thought, we passed through the rickety gates that marked the edge of the village. Once outside, I slowed my pace, walking cautiously, listening to every sound, every movement. I had to make sure we didn't run into any ghouls. Adell trailed behind me, his breathing heavy and ragged. But we still couldn't stop, not now.

***

**Rebecca's Perspective (Dark and Gloomy Version)**

The first hour of morning came with a dim light that filtered through the cracks of my cabin, bringing with it another day in this nightmare. As I opened the door, the cold air hit my face, laden with the iron smell of blood and rot. Mr. Andersen's corpse lay before me, disfigured, almost unrecognizable. Only a few hours earlier, he had offered me some fruit, his eyes tired but kind. Now, it was just a distant memory in front of his mutilated body. His hut, not far from mine, was nothing but a pile of rubble. The blood stains on the ground seemed to scream silently, reminding me of what had happened last night.

The first hour of morning came with a dim light illuminating my hut. I opened the door carefully, but the sight was gruesome. A corpse lay on the ground, barely recognizable. It was Mr. Andersen, who had given me some fruit the night before. Beyond, his hut was completely destroyed, and traces of blood were everywhere. I couldn't bear to look at it for long. Guilt consumed me. I couldn't help him, or his family. I was afraid. His daughter's screams still echoed in my mind, like an indelible echo that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I couldn't help but feel remorse at the tragic scene. Her daughter's screams still echoed in my mind, so persistent that I couldn't forget it in this life. "Dad! Please, no!" Her words were constantly repeated over and over again. I had been there, hiding, paralyzed by fear. I did nothing. I couldn't even move to save her daughter. I am a coward, a waste of a human being who only knows how to hide while others die.

"I'm sorry..." I murmured, the words came out of my mouth loaded with melancholy, but in the end, I was just trying to alleviate a little of the guilt that was eating away at me. "I'm sorry..." I repeated, perhaps in my heart I knew that if there was another chance, I would act the same way. Wasn't I as monstrous as the ghouls? They killed by instinct, but I... I let a child die out of cowardice.

I closed my eyes, trying to push the images away, but it only made them clearer. Mr. Andersen, his wife, his daughter... they had all died in front of me. I turned around, unable to bear the sight any longer, and walked toward the leader's cabin. Each step was heavier than the last, guilt still dragging me down to the ground.

The meeting had already begun by the time I arrived. The leader was screaming furiously, his face distorted with anger. The other people present seemed just as upset, their eyes burning and filled with despair.

"What happened?" I asked. My weak voice was barely audible, but no one looked at me as if they didn't even think I deserved an explanation.

At that moment, a short, stocky man rushed in, his breathing labored.

"Leader, there's no one there. They seem to have left."

"Damn it!" "Samantha," the leader roared, slamming the table so hard that blood began to drip from his palms. "That bitch stole from us."

"Wait… what happened?" I asked again, though each word cost me more effort.

"Samantha," the man with slanted eyes said, his voice cold and full of contempt. "That bitch stole our supplies. She ran off with her brother."

—Sam… Samantha stole from us? I asked, trying to process the information. "Are you sure? You're not mistaken?"

— How can I be wrong? —the slanted-eyed man snapped, his voice full of venom. —After yesterday's attack, we searched the warehouse. The chains were broken, the supplies looted. Samantha and her brother are gone. If it wasn't them, I have to believe it was you.

Cold sweat seemed to break out on my back, as I remained silent. Samantha, perhaps, had realized that the leader planned to kill her brother, still...

I looked around, seeing the desperate and angry faces of the others. I knew this wouldn't end well. Samantha had made the wrong decision, the leader wasn't one to stand by and watch Sam was definitely in danger.

—What are we going to do? —the slanted-eyed man asked.

—Whatever we have to do —the leader said, his voice full of anger and determination. —We can't let him get away with it. Samantha and her brother will pay for what they've done.

I nodded slightly, but deep inside, I felt a mix of disgust and resignation. First I had wanted to kill his brother and now they were playing the victim, I felt disgusted for following such a person. The village was on the verge of collapse, and now that Sam had taken the supplies, everything seemed lost.

I looked at the horizon for the last time, feeling the weight of my guilt dragging me towards the abyss. There was no atonement for us, only death and despair. Maybe this is what I deserved.