Is That My Alter Ego

Chapter 75 – Kali

In the continent, countless cities exist. And as many as the cities, there are overflowing villages.

In a remote corner of the eastern continent lies a small village. A nameless little settlement formed by a few beastfolk was where Kali was born and raised.

Though they had to hunt for food, gather, or occasionally trade with passing merchants, there was never a shadow cast upon the faces of the villagers.

Kind and wise elders steadfastly supported the small village, and the good-hearted children blossomed like budding sprouts, becoming the hope of their little community.

It was hard to call it a perfect place to live, but perhaps because life was not easy, they cherished every moment spent with those around them, grateful for their existence.

“Kali! Come join us!”

“Okay. I’m coming.”

—

Kali was no different from the other children. Just a bit shy, a timid soul who often kept to herself. Yet, she lived each moment with gratitude, never losing her smile.

“Did you have fun today, Kali? No one bothered you, right?”

“Y-yes… it was fun today.”

“I wish I could play every day like you, sister!”

“Don’t worry, Kalea. You’ll be better soon. Let’s just wait a little longer, okay?”

“Uh-huh… I understand. Sister…”

A loving mother, and a father who silently watched over the family. And a younger sister, born a bit frail but cherished more than anyone.

Kali was blissfully happy every single day. She had no desires, no ambitions. She only wished for this happiness to last forever.

Time flows swiftly. No matter how much it passes, the warm hearts of the village did not fade. In fact, as the years went by, their bonds grew ever more tender.

“I’m happy.”

Kali grew, her childhood innocence nearly vanished. She smiled as she stroked her sister, who lay curled up, resting her head on Kali’s lap, softly snoring.

Memories of tales told by the elders surfaced. Long ago, in a time far removed, there existed a god.

A benevolent and just god who bestowed blessings upon all the beastfolk who believed and followed him, granting their wishes.

‘May this happiness last forever.’

Now, it was merely a legend that even the elders scarcely believed, yet Kali clasped her hands tightly and prayed.

Needing nothing else, she wished only for this serene happiness to endure.

But in this world, gods did not exist.

“Sister… wake up…”

“Uh…?”

One night, in the late hours when everyone was asleep, Kali stirred at the sound of Kalea’s voice, rubbing her eyes awake.

“…Kalea, what’s wrong?”

Kalea was drenched in cold sweat, her face twisted in fear.

Had she been having a nightmare? Kali quietly embraced her. Yet, even so, Kalea’s rapid heartbeat did not ease.

“Sister… outside… there’s a sound…”

“….Outside? What kind of…”

– GRaaahhh -!

– Help… help me…!

– Run away!!!

Terrible screams began to seep through the small wooden door. Those voices were all too familiar to Kali.

The piercing screams of her closest friends. The wailing of the kind woman who always smiled and shared her food.

Something crumbles and falls apart. Flesh is torn, dug into, devoured.

At the same time, a thick stench of blood begins to suffocate the air.

“….Huh?”

The sound and smell pierce through the fog of sleep, jolting Kali awake.

Am I trapped in a terrible nightmare? Yet the vividness of this reality convinces her that this is no dream.

“Sister… I’m scared…”

“…Wait, Kalea. Just stay here for a moment…”

“Okay…”

Kali rises quietly from her place. Afraid even the slightest sound might echo, she carefully makes her way to the window, where the outside world beckons.

Reaching the window frame, she leans out, peering into the darkness beyond.

“……..Hik!”

Her eyes widen, flooded with terror. A scream threatens to escape her lips, but she barely manages to stifle it with her hands.

The world beyond the window. The village, once serene and warm, has transformed into a hellscape.

The landscape, always lush and green, now bleeds crimson. The green blades of grass are soaked in scattered blood.

A monstrous wolf prowls the village, exuding a palpable malice. Its chilling howls reverberate through the air.

Bens. Her closest friend since childhood is being devoured by the beast. The light has already faded from his eyes.

Aunt Perrin. The kind woman who always smiled and shared food with Kali and her friends now lets out a horrific scream.

The beast has already torn away her left arm, gnawing at it, and soon, the creature that circled her lunges forward, silencing her cries.

Some of the adults resist the monsters. With crude shields and spears, they attempt to fight back, but it is futile.

The tools they wield shatter under the onslaught, becoming just another morsel for the beasts.

The village chief’s house burns, the torches that once illuminated the place now fallen, engulfed in flames. The space filled with her memories is consumed by fire.

Drip—

Kali’s eyes are already consumed by fear. Tears flow endlessly from her wide-open gaze.

The screams seem poised to erupt, but she manages to hold them back with her hands pressed to her mouth.

Please, let this be a nightmare. Wake me from this terrible dream.

Kali closes her eyes, opens them again, striking herself in a desperate attempt to awaken. But there is no escape from this dream.

For the nightmare unfolding before her is a reality more horrific than hell itself.

“Kali!! Kalea!! Get to the underground bunker now!! And do not come out!!!”

“…Dad…”

“Dad…?”

The voice of my father echoes loudly. A man who has never once raised his voice, who has never shouted, now bellows as if his very throat might burst.

…No. Daddy, please come back. Please protect me, stay by my side…

Free me from this dreadful nightmare.

Kali, her mind turned to a blank slate, could not muster a single action. She stood there, tears streaming down her face, lost in a daze.

“Quickly!! This is my last request!!! Get inside now!!”

“….!”

“I love you…! My daughters!!!”

“Ugh… Huhhh…!”

“….Sister, Dad…!”

It felt as if her heart might shatter. The screams of her father were relentless. The sound of flesh tearing, of something being devoured, filled the air.

With a surge of will, Kali lifted her younger sister, who looked at her with tear-filled eyes, and opened the door that lay on the living room floor, stepping inside.

“Ugh… Huhh… Kalea…”

“Sister….”

Without words, they understood each other’s feelings all too well, and the sisters simply clung to one another, weeping.

The sound of their home crumbling echoed as it struck the door of the bunker where they huddled.

The howl of a wolf pierced the air. The sound of heavy footsteps thudded above them.

Fearing that any sound might escape, they could barely breathe. They held each other tightly, trembling in terror, tears flowing freely.

Time began to stretch, as if it would last forever. How many hours had passed?

Eventually, the howls of the wolf, the footsteps, any sound at all faded away. All that remained was the crackling of something burning and the cawing of crows.

Creeeak…

Kali opened the door and stepped outside. No signs of life could be heard. The monsters had already departed.

With trembling hands, she grasped her sister’s hand tightly and pushed open the battered door of their home.

“Ugh… Aah..!!!”

“Uwaaang…!”

The sight before them brought the sisters to their knees, wailing. There was no one left alive but them.

The once joyful village, brimming with dreams and hopes, had crumbled overnight. And everyone had vanished. Neighbors, beloved family—gone.

Tears streamed from their hollow eyes, showing no signs of stopping, and thoughts eluded them.

They silently buried the bodies of those who had departed, holding their memories close.

Kali gazed at her sister, who wept in that place where all hope had collapsed. And deep within her heart, she made a vow.

No matter the cost, she would ensure her sister, Kalea, would find happiness. Even if it meant changing herself forever.

—

After that, the Kali sisters began to wander throughout the East. They had nothing left to their names but their own bodies.

Homelessness became their norm, and they resorted to eating bugs or scraps left behind by others. It was revolting, but survival demanded such sacrifices.

“Cackle, cackle… Come here, pretty ladies.”

“We’ll treat you well. Just behave yourselves.”

With two women surviving without anyone’s aid, it was only natural that loathsome creatures began to swarm around them.

They looked at Kali and her sister with eyes so vile it made them want to retch, tongues flicking out like snakes.

The emotions radiating from those men were too disgusting to even describe. Kali’s sister stood behind her, wide-eyed and trembling as she gazed at them.

Perhaps they found her fear amusing, for their laughter grew louder, more sinister.

Kali was not unafraid. Her heart pounded, and she could have fled in terror.

But—

She felt the warmth of her sister’s hand gripping hers tightly. Kali’s wavering gaze hardened.

As they brandished their blades at the defiant Kali, perhaps it was the conviction to protect her sister that surged strength through her veins.

She dodged the incoming attacks. She aimed for the enemy’s blind spots. She struck at their weaknesses.

Surrendering to the instinctive flow of battle, she soon found the repulsive men crawling on the ground, begging for their lives.

Not wanting to kill, Kali tried to pull away, still holding her sister’s hand.

“W-wait, sister!”

“Stay still, you little brat! If you don’t want to see me die, just be quiet…!”

It was only until she suddenly sprang up, eyes fixed on the man who had drawn a knife to her sister’s throat.

As a single tear rolled down her sister’s cheek, Kali’s gaze sharpened with a newfound ferocity.

That day, Kali killed for the first time.

Tears streamed down her face. The fear of having taken a life with her own hands was overwhelming.

The sensation of muscles tearing, flesh being ripped apart was so foreign, so revolting, she could hardly bear it.

Yet, wrapped tightly in her own embrace, she heard her sister’s voice, trembling with gratitude as tears fell.

That day, Kali made a vow.

She would kill the fragile version of herself. For the sake of protecting her sister, she would do whatever it took.

Even if it meant extinguishing someone’s life, even if it meant slaying her own heart.

On that day, the day she first took a life, she buried the old Kali alongside it.