Chapter 46:
he Long Way,
Part 2
We halted for a moment after the emperor raised his hand and ordered us to stop. He turned toward us, his expression grim but calm, and said,
"Listen carefully. The plan was to rest for the night in a nearby village. Unfortunately, that village is under attack by monsters."
He paused, glancing briefly at Julian before continuing, his tone heavier.
"I don't know how dangerous it is, but I don't intend to endanger all of us unnecessarily. I will leave my family and those of you who cannot fight with Luke, Raco and the rest, Ajbadan. Captain Murad and Aden will come with me."
I wasn't sure if that was all the fighting power we had, but I knew there were others whose roles the emperor hadn't mentioned. I personally didn't know much about the two men called Tahir and Ozak, but the two girls who had been with me part of the way—Amran, the younger one, and Nana, the older—came to mind. Amran didn't look like she could fight, though I had a feeling she was capable of more than she appeared. Nana, on the other hand, carried herself with quiet confidence, her posture straight, her grip firm on the long stick she'd been holding since we met. She looked like someone who could at least handle herself if things went bad.
But who was I to question the emperor or offer an opinion? Nobody asked me, and considering my age and the reckless actions I'd shown when we first met, I was lucky to even be considered useful. So I kept quiet. No one else spoke up either, which meant the rest would be staying behind.
It didn't take long before we reached a clearing. The forest thinned out, and after only ten minutes of walking, we stepped out beneath the fading glow of the sunset. None of us realized how close the village was.What met my eyes froze me in place.
I had heard the emperor say the village was under attack by monsters, but hearing it and seeing it with my own eyes were two different things. I had never seen a monster in this world before—so I didn't know what to expect—but this... this was beyond anything I could imagine.
The village stood at the edge of the forest, maybe less than a hundred meters away from where we emerged. Even though darkness had started to fall, the sky still glowed orange and crimson from the fires devouring the village. The scene looked like the end of the world.
Several houses near the outskirts were already destroyed—some completely leveled, others half-standing with broken walls glowing in the light of burning rooftops. Flames climbed high into the night, crackling and hissing, their heat reaching us even from a distance. Smoke rolled upward in thick black waves, carrying sparks and ash that danced in the air like dying fireflies. The smell of burning wood and flesh mixed with the cries of people running in every direction.
Women and children were screaming, their voices echoing through the chaos. Some ran toward the forest—not far from us—clutching each other in blind panic. I didn't see what they were running from at first. There was only confusion, sound, and fire. But then I saw it.
The shape rose from behind one of the burning houses, and the moment my eyes caught it, my entire body froze.
The monster was enormous—easily five meters tall. It stood upright on two legs, its massive frame covered in coarse gray and black fur that gleamed under the flickering firelight. It was humanoid in shape but monstrous in every other way, its arms longer than a man's height and each hand gripping a massive club made from twisted black wood or bone.
Its chest bulged with muscle, veins running thick under its fur, and when it turned, the light revealed a head that didn't belong in this world. Two curved horns jutted from its temples, each at least a meter long, curling inward toward its snarling face. Its eyes were deep black orbs, like pools of tar—empty and soulless. The mouth stretched wide, more like a wolf's snout, lined with teeth the size of daggers.
If I stood beside it, I wouldn't even reach its knee. That was how massive it was.
I didn't know if it was my imagination or not, but I could swear I heard its breathing—a deep, thunderous rhythm that seemed to shake the ground itself. The monster swung its twin clubs wildly, crushing anything in its path. It wasn't targeting anyone specifically; it was simply destroying everything it touched.
And worst of all—it wasn't alone.
Farther down the village, I spotted another one, slightly smaller but no less terrifying, tearing through what remained of a wooden fence. The sight of two of them was enough to make sense of the chaos—no wonder the villagers were running in every direction.
I don't know how long I stood frozen, watching in horror. My legs felt heavy, my heart pounding in my ears. Then I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.It was the emperor.
He didn't speak—just pointed silently toward the far end of the village. I followed his gesture, forcing my eyes away from the destruction, and there I saw a third creature. This one was standing still near what looked like the main gate of the village. It wasn't attacking or moving—it was watching. Its gaze was fixed on the burning ruins, its posture rigid, like a guardian or a commander observing its work.
But the emperor wasn't pointing at the monster itself. It was what stood behind it that froze the breath in my lungs.
Behind the creature, in the middle of the road, a strange light shimmered—like a hole in reality itself. A circular opening floated above the ground, radiating a blinding white glow framed by a dark, swirling edge. It pulsed softly, alive, like it was breathing.
At first glance, it looked like a gate—standing in the air with no wall or structure to hold it. Then it hit me.
A portal.
It clicked in my mind instantly. The emperor had told me about Julian's vision—what he had seen when he was unconscious. I didn't need to ask. I knew what this was.
Looking back at the emperor for confirmation, he met my eyes and gave a single nod. No words. No explanation needed.
My chest tightened. I turned my gaze back toward the villagers, watching some of them stumble through the smoke, fleeing toward the forest. My voice came out almost as a whisper, though it carried enough weight to be heard.
"We need to help them first… at least."
The emperor looked at me, and I saw his eyes flicker—not with surprise, but with agreement. That single moment of resolve passed between us silently… and I think that woke him up.
"It's time to move," the emperor said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension in the air. "Our first priority is to help the people. If the monsters attack us, we defend ourselves—and defeat them if we can. Stopping them and ending the destruction with just the four of us is easier said than done, especially when we don't even know what kind of monsters these are or where they came from."
He paused for a second, his expression tightening before he continued,
"I will be the party leader. Everyone will follow my instructions without question. Is that clear?"
He said that last part while looking straight at me—as if he were speaking to me alone, not to all of us. I wasn't in the right state of mind to argue or question him, so I simply nodded in silence.
Then he went on, "Aden and Ajbadan will take the front line. Captain Murad and I will provide support. That's only if we have to fight—if the monsters attack us, or if someone's life is in immediate danger. But as I said before, our main goal is to save as many people as we can."
Without waiting for a response from any of us, he gave the order:
"Let's move."
Little did I know that this would mark the beginning of the longest road—one that would lead me to uncover the truth about this world, about why I was brought here against my will, and why my memories were taken from me.
A/N
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