The man in the green hoodie ran as fast as he could.
Damn, that was close!
—
He remembered the moment Ethan hit him.
—
He was dangerous enough on his own... and then I had to deal with the four others who had come to help him. I had no escape. The only choice was to run... and with a bit of luck, I managed to escape.
The boy stopped to catch his breath.
This should be enough... — he thought, glancing back.
"I was just wasting my time! Three whole days after those two!" he shouted in frustration.
—
The boy was watching Ethan and Amina from behind a tree near the beach.
[Time passes]
Now he was watching them again, perched high on a branch.
[More time passes]
This time, from behind a rock.
—
"I waited for the perfect moment, and still... nothing! All that time wasted, and no reward."
His stomach growled, and he let out a defeated sigh.
"Ahh... dear Borys Danylenko, how the hell did you get into this mess? I can't even explain it."
Borys paced aimlessly, his eyes wandering to the stars, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"I wonder how the old woman is..."
"Haha! This is funny!" shouted a male voice, startling Borys.
Who was that!?
"Anyway, we're eating well again tonight!" added another male voice.
Voices... not far away.
Borys crept closer to the sound, moving slowly, blending into the darkness like a shadow.
After a while, he saw a bonfire in the distance.
A camp...
He approached and hid behind a bush to observe.
"The mythical creature really gave us a hard time today!"
"Yes, but in the end, it couldn't hold my hand!" The muscular man flexed his arms, showing off.
Everyone laughed as Borys watched intently.
There are four of them... three men and a woman. Two are armed.
He examined their weapons.
The girl has a sword... and the muscular man uses... a shield? Really? Is that the kind of weapon the gods give to their subordinates? — he thought mockingly.
"Anyway, Clara, you did great today." a curly-haired boy approached her, jokingly.
"Oh, come on, I didn't do anything special..." she replied, embarrassed.
"If it weren't for your ankle hit, it wouldn't have been so easy." the muscular man added.
The group laughed and praised Clara. Borys continued to watch, a puzzled expression on his face.
Making friends in this world... I just don't see the point.
[Hours passed, and with them, the calm of the fire.]
The curly-haired boy fell to the ground, lifeless, his throat slit.
Clara and the muscular man were the only ones left.
"Clara, stay back!"
"No, Lazar, I can help you!"
"You can't... this thing is a monster!"
They both slowly backed away as Borys stepped forward, holding a bloodstained stone blade.
"How lucky... you created extra stone weapons for the unarmed."
After examining the blade, he raised it toward them.
"But bad luck for you..."
Borys lunged forward, but Lazar managed to block with his shield.
What speed! — Lazar thought, shocked.
Borys unleashed a flurry of blows, but Lazar's shield held like a wall of steel. Suddenly, Clara leapt from behind him and struck from the side; Borys dodged just in time, the blade slightly tearing his hoodie.
"You're coordinated... but it won't be enough."
Borys attacked Lazar again, ready for Clara's counterattack. As Clara stepped forward, he twisted his wrist and hurled the dagger in one fluid motion. The blade whizzed through the air and lodged in Clara's right shoulder.
"Clara!"
Seeing his wounded companion, Lazar pushed Borys back with his shield to reach her.
"Watch out, Lazar!"
Lazar raised his shield to parry, but Borys slid the blade along the edge, twisted his wrist, and struck him in the neck with a clean blow.
Lazar fell, clutching his wound, his eyes filled with panic and pain, while Clara stared at him in horror.
"Making friends here... is pointless." Borys said coldly.
At those words, Clara's frightened eyes met his.
"Because eventually, you'll come to the point where you'll suffer..." she added, finishing Lazar off before her eyes.
"Well, then it's your turn."
Borys approached her slowly. She couldn't move, paralyzed by shock.
"You..." Clara's trembling voice made Borys pause.
"Perhaps you're right," he whispered faintly, "but at least the others will have someone to remember them when they die... and you, on the other hand, will be alone."
Borys stared at her for a moment, then slit her throat without hesitation.
"Alone? Perhaps. But not dead."