His hand clenched over his heart, pounding fiercely as a cold wave of dread washed over him. Before his eyes lay the brutalised form of his only friend, Jack-his body cruelly torn, limbs twisted unnaturally, and crimson blood pooling thickly around him, staining the ground like a dark wound on the earth itself. The whispered murmurs of the crowd only deepened the horror, but Kevin could barely hear them; his world had narrowed to the devastating sight before him, shattering every ounce of hope he had left.
He didn't even notice the tears streaming from his eyes, nor his knees bending beside Jack's lifeless body, nor his trembling hands lifting it—until a broken cry escaped him, mourning his friend with unbearable sorrow and grief.
He wasn't aware of Dorian or the other farmers who tried to pull him away from the body, nor of their desperate attempts to console him.
The only thought consuming him was of the merciless, inhuman creature that had ripped his friend apart with such savage cruelty. And through the storm of grief and rage, a single name throbbed in his mind—haunting, unfamiliar, yet heavy with suspicion: Arthur.
After Dorian dragged him back to the house and tried to calm him, Kevin sat in a haze—his eyes wandering, torn between the crushing grief for Jack and the burning anger toward Arthur. Lost in that storm of emotions, he never noticed that his magical necklace had vanished.
After gathering the shattered pieces of himself and burying the hatred deep within, Kevin swore he would find Arthur and take his revenge. Rising to his feet, he demanded answers from Dorian, his sharp tone carrying nothing but grim intent.
Dorian told him he had seen Arthur heading toward the forest, urging Kevin to calm down and wait until morning. But Kevin heard nothing—only Jack's agonised screams echoing endlessly in his mind. With cold resolve, he took up his gear and walked into the forest, searching for Arthur.
Kevin pushed his way through the forest, the image of Jack's mangled body hammering into his mind like a nail. His eyes burned as they fought back tears, and his rage clenched his teeth tight. With a voice heavy and thunderous, he bellowed Arthur's name into the dark, calling out with furious desperation, determined to find him.
As Kevin's voices shook the forest, Arthur stepped into sight—but the moment Kevin saw him, the world around him collapsed into pure, unbridled rage. With a roar torn from the depths of his grief, he hurled himself forward, his knife thrusting straight toward Arthur's chest, desperate to shred him apart.
Arthur twisted, trying to avoid the blade without hurting Kevin, but Kevin's fury was unstoppable. His body shook, his face twisted with anguish as tears blurred his vision, yet his hands struck with relentless force. His voice cracked, carried by pain and fury alike, as he screamed:
"Why did you kill him?! What did he ever do to you?! Why?! Who are you?! What do you want from us?!"
Arthur staggered back, narrowly avoiding the furious blows. Desperation surged through him as he seized the boy's wrists with all his strength, struggling to restrain him. Yet the boy thrashed wildly, deaf to every plea—blinded by rage, consumed by grief.
With his heart pounding, Arthur screamed out in anguish, his voice breaking through the chaos:
*"Stop! I am your father—I did not kill your friend!!!"
Kevin's eyes blazed with fury, his breath ragged, his whole body trembling as he brandished the knife wildly in front of him. He refused to believe a single word, his voice erupting like a storm:
"Nonsense! What vile lies you speak! You are nothing to me—nothing but the murderer of my only friend!!!"
Arthur could no longer endure it. With a sudden surge of strength, he struck Kevin, sending the knife clattering across the ground. The metallic clang echoed through the air, then silence fell heavy, broken only by the ragged breaths of father and son. Shadows trembled against the walls as Arthur's voice thundered, raw and commanding:
"Believe it or not—I am your father! If you truly wish to know the truth, then calm yourself first and look closely at your necklace —it is gone! The one who killed your friend was after the necklace, nothing else! Think, Kevin! Why would I kill him, steal your necklace, and yet continue this journey with you?!"
Arthur's words reverberated through the stillness, hanging in the air like an unshakable truth. Kevin froze, his rage faltering. The knife lay distant, glinting faintly in the dim light. His chest heaved, eyes darting as if the walls themselves closed in on him. Slowly, with trembling limbs, he sank to the cold ground, silence engulfing him as he struggled to grasp the storm of chaos into which he had been cast.