Emotions.
The flaw of humanity. The ultimate mistake in our creation.
Broken and bleeding, the beast lay crumpled before me, its body mangled beneath the weight of my rage. Its skull had been shattered by a single blow, yet looking at it brought me no satisfaction. No relief. Nothing.
If I had simply allowed it to gnaw at my flesh, perhaps I wouldn't be feeling this pain. Perhaps I wouldn't be drowning in this anger. Perhaps I could have surrendered to the darkness and let the world do whatever it wanted with me.
But I hadn't.
And the worst part?
I didn't even know why I felt this way.
I sank to my knees, my breathing uneven as I stared at the strange energy swirling around my body. It moved like an invisible current, twisting and gathering around me, its presence impossible to ignore.
What is this?
Is this... an ability?
My thoughts collided in endless loops. I couldn't understand what was happening to me, let alone explain it. Normally, I wouldn't have been able to kill a Grade Three beast with a single blow. Hell, under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't have even considered confronting one.
I could have died.
Not that I cared.
But Elizabeth would care.
At least, I hoped she would.
I lowered my gaze towards my hands. They felt hot, almost feverish, trembling with an unfamiliar strength. There was something different about them, something powerful. I felt as though I could snap bones with the slightest effort, as though my body had become capable of things I had never imagined.
Yet, this strength meant nothing to me.
Not now.
There was something far more urgent to deal with.
Precious.
Although even that name wasn't really hers. It was merely a fragment of a story that had ended long ago, a name attached to memories I had spent years trying to bury. I couldn't completely let go of it, but neither could I pretend that the girl beside me was still someone I wanted in my life.
I had strayed too far from my goal.
The last few days had been nothing but chaos. Beasts, pain, Nome's arrows, strange changes within my body and the unexpected reunion with someone I had once trusted. Every new problem had dragged my attention away from the one thing that mattered.
Elizabeth.
Three days.
Three whole days had passed, and I still hadn't reached her.
I needed to find her. I needed to know she was safe. Even if I couldn't protect her from everything that awaited us, I needed to see her. Even if it was only for a moment.
That was enough.
I clenched my fist and brought it towards my own face.
The punch landed hard.
Precise.
My head snapped back, and the impact sent me tumbling into unconsciousness. I had deliberately knocked myself out, forcing my mind to shut down before the storm inside could consume me any further.
Ten seconds later, I was back on my feet.
My expression was blank. The anger, frustration and confusion had been pushed beneath a familiar layer of indifference. My breathing steadied, and I looked towards the direction of the camp.
With one measured breath, I turned and walked back towards Precious.
When I reached the camp, I found her exactly where I expected her to be.
Rummaging through my bag.
Her hands moved through my belongings, searching for something with an eagerness she clearly hadn't bothered to conceal. I didn't need to guess what she wanted. I already knew.
Humans...
Your species is so predictable.
Born to lie, deceive and conquer. Always searching for an advantage, always looking for something to take. Perhaps that was why I had grown so tired of them. No matter how many times I encountered the same behaviour, it never became any less disgusting.
I approached silently.
She didn't notice me.
Not until I spoke.
"Precious."
She froze.
Her head whipped around, and guilt flashed across her face. For a brief moment, she looked like a child caught doing something she knew she shouldn't have been doing.
"Oh, hey! I wasn't doi—"
My hand moved.
A swift strike, delivered before she could finish her sentence.
I opened her throat.
Blood sprayed across my body, warm droplets staining my clothes as the metallic scent filled my nostrils. Precious collapsed, her hands instinctively moving towards the wound. She convulsed on the ground, struggling to breathe as incoherent sounds escaped her throat.
I watched her.
There was no hesitation in my expression.
No anger. No satisfaction.
Just a decision.
She writhed like a wounded animal, desperately trying to make sense of what had happened. But I wasn't finished with her.
I knelt beside her and pinned her down. Then, with deliberate care, I began stitching the wound in her throat closed.
Slowly.
Methodically.
I wasn't going to let her die.
Not yet.
I already knew her ability, and that knowledge made all the difference.
Prophecy.
That was her blessing. The ability to make her words manifest as reality. With her voice, she could impose her declarations upon the world, turning spoken commands into something far more dangerous than ordinary threats. She could even convince someone they were dead, making her ability a terrifying weapon in the hands of someone who understood how to use it.
But every ability had its limitations.
And hers had a particularly important weakness: it didn't work on someone who knew its secret.
There was another way to neutralise her, too.
Without a voice, she couldn't speak her Prophecy.
She couldn't command.
She couldn't impose her will.
For now, she was powerless.
I had rendered her silent because once, she had rendered me powerless.
Back then, I was still Okechukwu.
I remembered what it felt like to be at the mercy of someone who could decide what happened to me. I remembered the helplessness, the frustration and the inability to fight back. Perhaps that was why I had chosen this particular method.
Whatever the reason, I wasn't interested in giving her another opportunity to use her ability against me.
With Precious incapacitated, I lifted her onto my shoulder. Blood continued to drip down my back, but I paid it no attention. I adjusted my grip and looked towards the horizon.
The sun was beginning to descend.
I had already wasted too much time.
I broke into a sprint.
Every muscle in my body burned as I accelerated, the unfamiliar energy still swirling around me. My legs struck the ground with tremendous force, carrying Precious and me across the open terrain. The weight on my shoulder slowed me, but not enough to make me stop.
I couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not when I was so close to finding her.
Elizabeth.
I had to reach her before the sun disappeared.
And then, through the rushing wind, a familiar voice pierced the distance.
"WHY ARE YOU ALL SO BENT ON KILLING ME?!"
Elizabeth.
Her voice rang out, defiant and fierce.
My eyes widened.
I ran faster.