How Did It Feel?

Guren's tears blurred his vision, making it hard to see the shadowy figure holding a staff.

The figure shouted:— "I hate crybabies! Get up and fight!"

In that moment, Guren's mind raced. One thought stood out: Could this be one of the heretics his father had hunted?

"Are they going to kill me? Or abduct me?" he wondered.

The shadow slowly approached, then suddenly appeared beside him and struck at Guren's head with the staff. Thankfully, Guren's reflexes kicked in just in time, and he blocked the attack with his arms. Though his eyes were shut, the pain forced them open again.

But the shadow wasn't finished. As Guren fell to the ground, the figure kicked him, sending him crashing into the wall of the estate.

— "Get up, you whiny brat! This is just the beginning. We're going to have so much fun!"The man cackled.

Guren realized the seriousness of the situation—he couldn't win this fight. He had to run.

Just as he stood up, the shadow reappeared and aimed a lethal strike at Guren's throat with the staff. Guren struck the staff with the side of his hand, breaking its tip. The shadow paused, stunned.

Without hesitation, Guren ran toward the estate's garden gate. His body moved on its own, faster than his thoughts.

The shadow smirked darkly:— "Now you think you've won…"

But as Guren reached the gate, a second shadow stood waiting beside the large, iron garden doors, holding his little sister Yasemin up by the neck.

The man laughed cruelly and locked eyes with Guren.

Yasemin, eyes full of tears, choked out:— "B... brother... h-help..."

The shadow slammed Yasemin to the ground and stepped on her. Though terrified, Guren couldn't ignore her. He had to help.

But the moment he took a step forward, he fell flat. Looking back, he saw a second figure pinning his leg to the ground with its knee.

"There's two of them?" Guren thought in panic.

He tried to kick the figure, but something was wrong—his leg wouldn't move properly.

Then he felt a wetness in his abdomen."Blood?" He looked down.

His legs were gone—from the femur down...Blood was gushing.

He screamed with all his might as the shadows laughed.

Looking up at Yasemin, he vomited. What else could he do? He lost his legs.

But Yasemin was more important.

The figure reached for a sword behind him and, without hesitation, killed the small girl lying on the ground.

Guren screamed with all his strength:— "Someone—someone help!!"He pounded the ground with his fists, tears streaming.

Guren cursed through tears:— "You bastards! How dare you! I'll kill you! You'll beg for mercy in Heldiya!"

He screamed until his voice was gone. The shadows only laughed.

Guren stopped crying. Despair swallowed him whole. Sleep overtook him. The pain faded.

"Damn it… If I were stronger, this wouldn't have happened! I swear I'll get revenge. I'll shove those damn laughs right down your throats..."

In his final moments, the only thing left to him was rage. His vision faded. His breathing stopped.

Guren died.

Then he woke up, screaming.

He continued shouting for a while before checking his body. Looking around, he saw the peaceful, flower-filled scenery of the estate's garden.

The birds chirped, the noon sun warmed the earth, and the flowers perfumed the air. It was like a piece of heaven. The same place where he had fallen asleep in dreams.

It had all been a dream—but it felt far too real.

Looking down, he noticed he had wet himself. His hands and clothes were covered in blood. As he tried to find the source, he felt a dry crust around his eyes.

He had cried blood.

To his right stood a tall, old man with long hair and a beard, dressed in a robe and wearing a hat. The man was sobbing uncontrollably.

Guren recoiled in fear.

The old man looked at him with sorrowful eyes and spoke:— "What you saw... it was my doing. That was your first lesson. Your trial. I'm sorry."

Guren looked at him, baffled. This round old man caused all of that?

The man continued:— "I am your teacher in magic and combat. My name is Kris Rulen. I know it's sudden, but I have to ask:How did it feel?"