NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: In silence
Walking, my steps are slow yet quick, head down as I watch the dirt path beneath me. I see my own shadow, cast by the midday sun, on what is undoubtedly a good day—a beautiful day to be alive. But with each step, my load feels heavier, though the sack on my back holds nothing but air. It might as well weigh as much as a mountain, too heavy for my back, my mind, and my body. It's exhausting.
I know what I'm going to do, and there's no turning back. At my side is a blade—a knife, to be exact—the only weapon I could find in my room.
I know where the protagonist is because at the start of the game, you know exactly what he's doing. He's on the outskirts of the city, helping a farmer load straw for the cows. It's during his journey that he meets him and lends a hand. Right now, he must be walking the same dirt path I'm on…
I'm nervous and afraid—nervous that someone might see me kill him and afraid of actually killing a person. My hands tremble, but I keep walking. I can't stop walking…
I see him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him—the protagonist of the game. Matte black hair and bright eyes full of life, wearing a brown cotton shirt and leather pants, he approaches. His eyes are worried... he hesitates and stops.
Cold sweat covers my body as nerves consume me. I feel my face turning even paler than usual, teeth clenched... he must be doubting... Without a second thought, I let my body collapse to the ground like a rock.
Holding back a groan of pain, I hear the sound of footsteps rushing toward me. Silently, I open my right hand... blue flames begin to form…
"Are you okay?" The protagonist's words are full of concern...
Biting my tongue, I endure the terrible pain spreading through my body... "Cough! Water... please, water..." My words are dry as I try to control the spasms in my body... a warm liquid rises in my throat...
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the blue flame in my hand vanishes... A wave of relief washes over me...
Feeling a pair of arms around me, he turns me over, his hand rummaging through his leather pouch for water... Slowly and silently, I pull the knife from my side...
It happened in seconds... no, I would even say it was in an instant...
Slash!!
Wide-eyed, I look at my hand gripping the knife's hilt, the blade embedded in David's neck. Thousands of memories flash through my mind—hundreds of them from playing the game through David's eyes... I saw his life through my own...
"Eh...."
He froze in place... blood began to gush from the wound, staining my hands as well...
"Eh...."
David's body collapsed... His black eyes, once full of life, lost their sparkle. The corners of my lips curled upward... I felt happy, I felt ecstatic... The noose that had been tightening around my neck loosened and disappeared entirely... I felt free, free from death…
Bang!!
David's body hit the ground, his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe he was dead...
My hands trembled, dropping the knife, but the smile never left my face... My mind clicked into action, and I quickly moved. Grabbing the sack, I swiftly placed David's body inside. Seeing the blood trail, I gathered the surrounding dirt with my hands, desperately trying to cover the traces. Picking up the knife, I tucked it back into my side...
Glancing around with wide eyes, I hoisted the sack containing David's body onto my back with all my strength... and ran as fast as I could toward the forest on my right...
****
Panting heavily with my mouth wide open, I struggled to get as much air as possible... saliva dribbled from the corners of my lips... My hands on my knees, I breathed deeply... Around me were thick trees with dense vegetation. My vision blurred, and I felt on the verge of collapsing. My legs and arms trembled uncontrollably.
I was extremely tired... It felt as though my legs might give out entirely...
Looking silently... the bottom of the sack was soaked in blood... I sighed...
Gahh!!
Retching with all my might, my face turned red from the effort... trying to vomit, but only bile and water came out... It's worth noting that I hadn't eaten a single bite all day... I had no appetite whatsoever...
"Jaaa... jaaa... jaaa..."
Panting, feeling a headache from the strain I put on my body... Sitting down and leaning my back against a tree trunk, I fell silent...
"How did I end up like this?" I thought to myself... staring at my hands, covered in dried blood... The smell was awful, my shirt soaked with blood as well... I sighed...
Looking again at the sack containing David's lifeless body... and then back at my hands... I killed him. I have to accept and process it. There's no turning back. I completely altered the course of this world for my own benefit...
I changed the world's direction...
In silence for a few more moments... I only have two options: bury him or burn him...
Standing up... there's no reason to doubt; the best option is always to burn him... Breathing deeply, I placed my hands on the sack...
Blue flames began to consume the sack entirely... Sitting back down against the trunk, I stared at David's lifeless eyes, watching me... It was as if he was asking why I killed him... Without turning away, I remained silent...
In the middle of the forest, blue flames flickered faintly...
Minutes passed as David's body was completely consumed by my blue flames. The ashes rose into the sky as if, somehow, he was ascending to the heavens...
Letting out a sigh, I bowed my head, trying to process everything that had just happened.
"I had no other choice."
Leaving those words as a sort of apology, I stood up... and once again, the forest fell silent.