second decision: Otto Von Ramstein?

"When night falls upon you in the open, wish for the howling of wolves… may a merciful death befall you."

It was a phrase taught to newcomers daring to venture into the wilderness, where sand wasn't the only thing roasting under the scorching sun.

Five Ravens corpses (the local nickname for bounty hunters) lay scattered across the ground. These men had just tried to corner "Heinrich the Fingers-Eater" … a wanted man.

As ridiculous as the name sounded, it's hard to get one, so be grateful for what you get for getting one mean you earned it… especially this name…

Once again, Heinrich had proven why he carried it. He crouched over one of the bodies, severing the fingers from a Raven's hand and stuffing them into a cloudy pickle jar. As he stood, something on the horizon caught his eye.

A silhouette ... a child...

"A child? Out here?" Heinrich scoffed to himself.

for days, this kid had been following him like a cursed ghost, and Heinrich was not a patient man. To him, anything that irritated him (like a pebble in his shoe) deserved to die. Just like those Ravens.

The child approaches with tired but steady steps, filled with determination, clutching a rusted gun in his small hand. When he was close enough, he snarled, "Damn you, you filthy rat! I'll end you righ…"

But he did not finish…

The moment his finger twitched on the trigger, Heinrich pounced like an angry bear, slamming him to the ground and pinning the kid's arms beneath his knees..

The boy thrashed and screamed, cursing wildly, straining to reach his fallen gun…but it lay just beyond his grasp. Heinrich's gaze locked onto him, eyes widening as his rough hands closed around the kid's throat.

and before it was over… his hands trembled...

 "Vera...?" Heinrich muttered in astonishment, then he soon fell to the ground laughing like a madman (which he is)

"You are really Vera's son... unbelievable...You look exactly like your mother the day I strangled her on the kitchen floor... How many years have passed...?" he shook his head as if recalling an old memory "I would never forget a virgin's face."

Regaining his composure, Heinrich stood and turned away. "So be it… I'll let you live. Just as I let your mother live before."

But the kid refused ...

Fueled by rage, he charged at Heinrich, with all what he got… It wasn't much.

Heinrich kicked him square in the face. The boy crumpled.

"You should find a village near enough if you go back" Heinrich said as he picked up his things.

But once again… the boy stood...

he picked up his gun and aimed at Heinrich…

"If you ever used that gun... endure what will come to you... boy" Heinrich barely glanced at him

the boy pressed the trigger…

 CLICK…

 but the gun was empty…

The kid cursed under his breath, then, in a final act of defiance, grabbed a stone and charged forward

Another kick to the face.

This time, the boy didn't get up... he couldn't, He tried… but his arms shook, his body trembled… he collapsed.

"You really stubborn, aren't you?" Heinrich chuckled. Then, crouching beside the beaten boy, he grinned "I like that!!"

Then he asked "what's your name kiddo?"

The boy muttered… "My name… Why do you care?"

the man smacked the kid lightly on the forehead... "Just answer you little shit"

the boy sighed: my name is…

*** "hey otto!!" ***

A call woke the boy from a series of fleeting childhood memories as he sat peacefully, watching the clouds drift across the sky.

Jasper called out to the boy as soon as he spotted him, almost immediately. As he approached, his eyes swept over the carnage, blood on ground ,on dry grass, lifeless corpses. Then, finally, he looked at the boy.

Otto sat on a pile of severed monster limbs, wounded and bloody, a deep scratch running across his chest.

Jasper sighed, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it, Otto?"

Otto was silent for a few moments before speaking, and without turning to Jasper, his voice tight, as if struggling to keep calm.

"Why?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look like you're about to cry?"

Otto lost his cool, his composure cracking as tears formed in his eye:"Because you told me to ask them to surrender... but they laughed at me when I did."

Jasper exhaled a slow stream of smoke. "I'm sure they didn't."

"That was embarrassing…" Otto muttered, his voice shaking.

"I think you have something a little more important to worry about."Jasper pointed at the wound on Otto's chest. "You have something on your shirt"

Otto calmed, and without taking his eyes away from the sky, his tone oddly casual. "I think the beast I killed had some kind of calming venom. I don't feel any pain."

A few moments of silence passed between them. The only sound was the occasional gust of wind.

"Actually..." Otto murmured as if only now realizing something. "I think it was a paralyzing venom. I can't move."

Jasper blinked. " How the hell did you kill it then?"

Otto thought for a second. "Oh! It didn't kick in right away. Probably after the fifth time I killed it. I have pretty good poison resistance."

Jasper stared at him. "The fifth what..? The fu… what the hell happened here?"

Before Otto could answer, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. Someone was approaching.

It was The Old Raven.

Jasper quickly leaned toward Otto and whispered, "Oh yeah, by the way... I kinda lied and told the old man I don't really know you."

Otto frowned. "Why would you even do that?"

"He was asking too many damn questions. I just wanted to drink in peace, and he was like a snake in my boots… Just back me up, alright?" Jasper muttered quickly.

Otto started to protest "What am I supposed to…"

"Shh, here he comes…just act normal." Jasper said

Otto, still unable to move, deadpanned. "I CAN'T EVEN MOVE."

The Old Raven, "Badro", was a short man with wild shoulders and a goatee, streaked with only a few white hairs. He was hyperactive, loud, joyful most of the time. As soon as he spotted Jasper, he slapped him hard on the back.

"Aw! What a great day it is! You're treating me to a fine meal, Jasper!" he shouted with a grin

jasper laughed awkwardly "Oh! Badro, you are here... you seem to be in a good mood"

"Damn right, I am! Four heads, an extra monster one, a bag full of money, and for dessert? We even got a natural little girl. We ain't going on any mission for a while!"

Before Jasper could respond, Badro snatched the cigarette from his fingers, snuffing it out.

"Put that shit away. You know I hate that smell."

Jasper sighed in relief.

Then, Badro turned his gaze to Otto. "You're not bad, kiddo. I admit, you did great."

Otto, who still can't move , hadn't expected the Old Raven to address him, stammered without looking at him. "A-th-thank you, sir."

Badro narrowed his eyes. "Oi, boy! Didn't ya hear me?"

Otto stiffened, his voice cracking as he nervously shouted, "Y-Yes, sir! I heard you…sorry!"

"Then look at me when I talk to you!" the old man snapped.

Jasper started to intervene. "Actually, Badr…"

"Shut it, you damn loser! I'm talking to the kid, the boy think himself better than me."

Otto felt like dying, he had never been good with awkward situations.

Then, Badro suddenly laughed. "Of course you do, You're just a teenager who thinks he's invincible. Alright, just don't cause any trouble, boy. I like your spirit."

Both Jasper and Otto were left speechless.

Badro clapped his hands together. "Alright! Jasper, you and the boy bring the beast's head. I'll take the bandit heads."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused, turning back to Otto. With a flick of his fingers, Otto felt a sharp, burning pain in his chest as his wound closed.

"Don't make any sudden moves, kiddo. The injury isn't healed, it's just closed."

And with that, Badro walked away.

Jasper blinked, still processing the old man reaction. "The hell just happened?"

Then he glanced at Otto. "Can you move yet? I can't lift this thing all by myself."

"I... I'm still unable to move," said otto

Jasper sighed. "Well, the good news is… the old man likes you. I can tell."

Otto said nothing.

For a while, they sat in silence, watching the clouds drift by.

Then, Jasper spoke. "Why are you doing this, Otto?"

"H-huh?" Otto stammered, though he had clearly heard the question.

Jasper cleared "Why are you here? I mean, going on a hunt mission"

Otto barely thought before answering. "Because I was told to."

jasper chook his head "No, I mean… risking your life doing this, people doing it for money, fame... that's fine, but… why are YOU doing this? "

for few seconds, Otto thought about it "because ... I was told to do so "

Jasper unsatisfied "Hmm … what about YOU … What do YOU want to do?"

otto couldn't think of anything to say, hesitated, struggling to find an answer. But then, something flickered in his eyes "I... I want… to do what I want."

Jasper considered that for a moment, then scoffed.

"Well, you'll never get to do that."

Then, as he walked away, he added, "Not unless you do something about it."

Otto didn't understand what Jasper meant.

Not yet, at least.

*****

the mother was frantically packing for herself and her two children, her hands trembling with stress. Her daughter was still crying over her murdered father, while her son stood nearby, angry and confused.

"Mom, what's going on? Where are we going?" the boy asked repeatedly, but his mother ignored him, stuffing clothes into a suitcase.

Frustrated, the boy yanked the suitcase from her hands, spilling clothes onto the ground. "I said…where are we going?!"

His mother snapped. She slapped him. The boy screamed, but she quickly grabbed both children by their shoulders, shaking them until they quieted down.

She sighed and met their tearful eyes. "Listen, and listen closely. Your father is dead. Deal with it. That's a fact, and nothing will ever change that."

"No... Mom... Ma…" the boy started to protest, but she cut him off.

"Damn it, Jackson." She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I'm expecting to give birth any day now, and there is no way I'm doing this as a widow, not here, not now."

She sighed again before continuing. "We need to keep moving forward. We don't have the luxury to sit around and complain. We don't have much of a choice. Either we struggle for the rest of our lives, or we go with the Ravens and get a better life."

Her daughter sniffled. "Where are they taking us?"

"To the Raven capital," the mother replied. "It's the safest city in the Shaded Region. It's called Sira."

Jackson frowned. "But why?"

"Because your sister is special," she said. "She has a chance to gain power, and that makes her valuable to the Ravens. They need super-humans."

Jackson's face twisted in envy. "But I'm special too!"

His mother scoffed. "Special your ass. With that scar on your neck, you're as good as a mule."

Jackson clenched his fists. "So you're sacrificed us to them back in the bar, And now you're coming with us too?"

His mother tensed. "You have a choice, Jackson. The Ravens won't leave without your sister, and I am not wasting another minute in this rotting town. You can stay here and be dead to me... or you can come with us."

The boy hesitated, thinking for a moment. Then he exhaled sharply. "Alright."

His mother nodded. "Then move your ass. We need to finish packing."

*****

After the Ravens finished packing, gathering supplies, and getting their 4x4 truck ready, they set out in the afternoon. Badro had argued that it would be safer to wait and leave the next morning, but Jasper insisted they should flee as soon as possible. He argued they could reach another Sobbing Tree by sunset and set up camp there. After a brief argument, the old man finally agreed, and so, they left the town.

Badro took the wheel, with Jasper sitting beside him to watch the road. In the back, the mother sat between two Ravens, her young daughter curled up in her lap. Across from her sat her son, Jackson, next to Otto and another Raven named "Salingo".

"Salingo" was a skinny, moody young man, his face covered in acne scars, with a patchy beard and a restless demeanor. He was in his early twenties and, like Otto, was a newcomer, this was his first mission

It was quiet… until Jackson started throwing bullet speed questions at Salingo.

Jackson: What's your name?

Salingo: Salingo.

Jackson: That's a dumb name.

Salingo: Thanks for the feedback.

Jackson: Do you have powers?

Salingo: Most Ravens do.

Jackson: What's yours?

Salingo: None of your business.

Jackson: Wanna be my friend?

Salingo: No.

Jackson: Why not?

Salingo: You're annoying.

Jackson: I get that a lot.

Salingo: You're welcome.

Jackson: Your face looks like a sponge.

Salingo: Nice of you to notice.

Jackson: Why do you have a beard?

Salingo: I'm a man.

Jackson: Your friend doesn't.

Salingo: So do you.

Jackson: I'm young.

Salingo: So is he.

Jackson: Why is he blonde?

Salingo: Ask him.

Jackson (turning to Otto): Why are you blonde?

Otto: …

Jackson: I think he's deaf.

Salingo: I wish it was you

Jackson: Do you have a gun?

Salingo: Yes.

Jackson: Where is it?

Salingo: About to be up your ass.

Jackson: You can't hurt kids!

Salingo: Usually.

Jackson: How come?

Salingo: I don't hurt special ones.

Jackson: I'm special.

Salingo: Special your ass.

Jackson: I might get powers.

Salingo: Abnormal humans don't.

Jackson: What's abnormal?

Salingo: Missing or extra body parts.

Jackson: I'm normal.

Salingo: You've got a scar.

Jackson: So?

Salingo: Scars blow your chances.

Jackson: Don't get it.

Salingo: It's the bare minimum.

Jackson: Does hair count as a missing part?

Salingo: No.

Jackson: Nails?

Salingo: No.

Jackson: A broken bone?

Salingo: Could be.

Jackson: How come?

Salingo: Shouldn't cause a deformity.

Jackson: Like what?

Salingo: You ask a lot of questions.

Jackson: I know.

Salingo: Don't you get tired?

Jackson: Nope.

Salingo: Can you hold your breath?

Jackson: Yeah.

Salingo: How long?

Jackson: A minute.

Salingo: Hold it.

Jackson: No.

Salingo: Why not?

Jackson: still got questions.

Salingo: Fair enough.

A little moment of peace

Jackson: So, what's a deformity?

Salingo: Look at your mom.

Jackson: That's mean.

Salingo: Just explaining.

Jackson: You're mean.

Salingo: Bad for you.

Jackson: You're ugly.

Salingo: Your dad's dead.

Jackson: Stop it!

Salingo: Just wanted to be mean.

Jackson: I hate you.

Salingo: Good for me.

Another moment of peace

Jackson: Some people have powers and deformities.

Salingo: Doesn't matter.

Jackson: How come?

Salingo: You have to awaken powers before age six.

Jackson: Then?

Salingo: Doesn't matter.

Jackson: But…

Salingo: One more word, and I'll knock your teeth out.

Suddenly, the truck came to a jarring stop, slamming everyone inside forward.

"What the hell?!" Salingo shouted.

"No, no, no… this can't be happening." Badro cursed as he jumped out of the truck. The others quickly followed. One of the tires had exploded, and they are stuck in the open. The old Raven crouched down, inspecting the damage.

"Damn Owls! It's an old trap." Badro growled.

Tension spread like wildfire. Everyone knew what this meant.

"Let's just change the tire. We should have a spare, right?" Salingo suggested, trying to keep his voice steady.

Badro shook his head. "We already used it. We never replaced it."

The realization crawled under their skin like a disease.

"What's happening?" the woman asked as she opened the window, her voice tight with fear.

Badro turned to her, his voice softer but firm. "Nothing. Stay inside." He gently pushed her back into the truck.

Then he looked at Jasper. "Where are we?"

Jasper scanned the surroundings, his expression darkening. "A bad place… The Sobbing Tree is still far."

Badro reached out his hand, measuring the setting sun against the horizon. "Half an hour at most before nightfall."

The weight of the situation hit them. One of the Ravens started to panic, his breath quickening.

Before he could lose it… Bang!

Badro shot him dead.

Salingo and Otto froze, stunned into silence. The lifeless body hit the dirt with a dull thud.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Salingo roared. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT, YOU CRAZY BASTARD?!"

Badro and Jasper just stared at him, silent.

Salingo grabbed the old Raven by the collar. "THAT'S NOT NICE!!" He stammered, struggling to find the right words. "IT'S NOT NICE TO DO THAT!!"

Badro shoved him back. "Panicking slows us down. Panicking attracts enemies and monsters. We're better off without him." His eyes flickered to the corpse. "He's lucky. Died painless. Let's hope we're luckier than him."

Then, turning back to Jasper, he asked, "Any cabins nearby?"

Jasper took a deep breath, nodding. "Yeah… there's one." He pointed south. "Not far. An abandoned cabin. We can get there if we don't waste time."

"Good." Badro turned to Otto. "Take the mother and her kids there. Hide. Don't come out until we get you. Don't leave, don't let anyone in, and don't talk or eat anything, if you can... don't even breath"

Otto nodded, motioning for the woman and children to follow. The mother struggled to move quickly due to her pregnancy, but they pushed forward as fast as they could.

Jasper barely had time to catch his breath before Badro asked again. "Any place with wrecked vehicles?"

Jasper hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah… but it's dangerous. Could be Owls there."

Badro exhaled sharply, then pulled a gadgets box from the truck. Turning to Salingo and the other Raven, he said, "You two stay here. Guard the truck and the heads. The smell of blood will attract monsters."

Then, just before he and Jasper took off west, he added, "Good luck."

It was the same kind of good luck teachers wrote on an exam paper… meaningless, but leaving no room for argument.

And with that, they disappeared into the fading light… soon enough , Salingo heard the howling of wolves, the merciful death… will tear some limbs…