II. The Demons
1692 Words
II. The Demons
Aziza tells Atticus that he should become more alert to his surroundings because demons suddenly appear and eat humans. They went to the grozarya because Aziza told him that she needed to get a new weapon that she had bought for herself.
He sighed. He knows that whatever he does if demons appear in front of him, he will just tremble in fear.
When Aziza got the weapon, they headed to the exit of the grozarya to go home.
When they are almost at the exit of the Grozarya, Aziza tells him that she has forgotten something to buy and she will get it as fast as she can. Bell went with Aziza and she was left alone there in front of the fountain in the grozarya.
Atticus looked at the people around him; they were all busy doing something. Kids are busy playing and they are so happy.
He was patiently waiting there when suddenly the wind started to be strong and what he didn’t expect next, when a demon appeared.
“Ah! A demon!” people screamed as they ran to save their lives.
Atticus stood but he looked at his feet when he felt them tremble.
W-What the…
Atticus then looked at the demon. He needs to do something.
“An adventurer! We need someone to help us! Help us!” people screamed in fear as the demon walked near the child at the corner of a closed store.
When he was about to walk, Atticus looked at his feet horribly. He was now holding on to his sword but his feet, his feet were not moving!
Damn it! What’s happening to me?! What’s happening?!
A lot of people were screaming for help because a child was caught by a demon. Atticus' mouth parted and his eyes widened when he saw the child was trying to escape from the demon’s hold.
He was stunned and he didn’t know what to do. He was holding his sword that Aziza bought her but his feet were not moving.
Coward! Weak! Even in this world he still really is!
He was close to the demon and he had a sword.
“Please, please, help the child!” a woman said to her.
He then tried again to move his feet but it was not moving. He is scared! He could also feel his hand trembling. He saw his hand holding a sword trembling in fear.
Aziza—no! Shut up Atticus! You are relying on Aziza again! These people need you and a child’s life is in danger. You need to move! You need to do something now!
Atticus looked around him and he saw some people shouting for him to save the child. They saw him having a sword but he couldn’t move. He can’t fckng move!
People were expecting him to save the child but he was rooted in his place. He couldn’t move because of fear.
What happened next made him fall to the ground.
“Aaaahh!!!” people shouted and ran.
The demon’s mouth opened and eats the child. He hears loud screams from the people after the demon devours the poor kid.
When Aziza saw what had happened, she ran and covered Atticus with a cape because people were looking at him badly. She looked at him and she bit her lower lip when she saw his face.
“It’s not your fault. Please, Atticus. Don’t look like that. It’s not your fault.” She said as she guided him to leave the grozarya.
When they went home, Atticus was still not in his mind, the scene where the child was eaten by the demon kept on playing on his mind, and the people who were looking at him angrily. He can’t blame them, he has a sword but was not able to save a child from a demon.
“Atticus…” Bell said and he sensed sadness in his voice.
“Atticus, don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. You are still not capable of killing demons,” Aziza said.
“But when? When?!” he shouted and then left Aziza’s house.
He was so mad at himself for letting it happen. He was so mad that in front of him a child’s innocent life was lost.
“Still a coward! Still weak! Damn it! You are still useless even in this world, Atticus!” he shouted.
After what happened at the Grozarya, Atticus never talked, Aziza never heard a single word from him. She always sees him at night looking at the sky. Aziza and Bell were so worried about him and Atticus could feel it.
“We are here if you need us, Atticus. Please, it is not your fault,” Aziza said.
He didn’t say any words until Aziza decided to leave him outside the house. Atticus brushed his hands on his face and he punched the tree. That’s his fault, there’s no one to blame but him because he became a coward. He didn’t have the courage to help the kid until the demon devoured the kid.
Aziza and Bell were so worried about Atticus but they knew that what happened would be an eye-opener for him to be more aware of what kind of world they are in right now. The Tercera world is cruel because of demons.
When Aziza heard a noise in the middle of the night, she walked outside. She saw Atticus counting while swaying his sword. He really wanted to be strong and Aziza can see that in Atticus' eyes right now.
“He’s really trying his best, Aziza. I feel bad for Atticus.” Bell said as she wiped her tears.
“We can’t do anything about the pain he’s feeling right now, Bell. Only Atticus could mend it. What we can do for now is to look at him like this. And pray for him.” She said.
The light from the moon helped her to see his face. She saw Atticus’s orange eyes burning like fire. His appearance was different now than the first time she saw him.
“The color of his eyes is not warm anymore Bell, he’s changing into a different person now. His eyes are changing, the way he looks right now has changed.” She said.
Aziza knew it was difficult for Atticus to stay and defend their world from demons. He told her his life in his world was not easy. He told her that he was a coward, that he was weak. He tried to kill himself but before he fell off the bridge, a black book absorbed him and was sent into this world.
She smiled. She was seeing a strong personality in Atticus now. His eyes were full of determination.
She saw his determination to kill all demons.
When Aziza thought that Atticus would not talk to her that night, she was shocked when he called her to talk for a moment.
He told her that he needed to go out alone to be strong. He doesn’t need anyone who will help him; he doesn’t need anyone who will save him from death.
“I am going to leave the Hermoza Village, Aziza” he said.
When she heard that, her mouth parted. She didn’t expect that Atticus would say that.
“B-But why?” she asked.
Atticus looks away, “I need to survive on my own, I need to be strong on my own, as long as you are here beside me I will just rely on you, Aziza. Do you know what happened at the grozarya? When a demon appeared, I called for your name. Pathetic, right?”
Aziza shook his head, he moved closer to Atticus and then touched his face.
“No, I told you not to blame yourself and don’t look at yourself like that. What happened is different. What happened is not your fault.” She said.
Then she saw the soft eyes of Atticus again. He held her hand which was on his face, and then Atticus closed his eyes.
“I will forever be thankful because I met you. I am so happy because I met a person like you. I want to protect you, I want to become strong for you and for this world,” he said.
“Do you really want to leave this place and travel alone?” She asked.
Aziza was so near to crying when Atticus nodded.
“B-but what if something bad happens?” she asked.
Atticus brushed his cheek when a tear fell, “Then can you please not cry for so long? Do not mourn for too long. If I don’t come back after six months please promise me that you will not always cry?” he said.
Aziza nodded and when Atticus looked at the corner and Aziza saw a bag, her mouth parted.
“You are… leaving now?” she asked.
“Yes, I need to survive on my own, Aziza. I think I will not be strong as long as I know that someone is behind me. I am relying on you so much and it’s not good,” he said.
Aziza lets him do what he wants, but he needs to promise her that he will come back alive and stronger than before. Atticus smiled at her and hugged her, which made her stiffen. She wasn’t expecting that from him.
Atticus thanked Aziza for being there with him and for guiding him on what he should do. His mind was open now after what happened at the Grozarya. This is not the time for him to be a coward, because there are people who need his help.
Aziza told Bell about Atticus and she was also crying.
“Why did you suddenly decide to leave?! Just take care, okay?!” Bell said.
Atticus nodded and then he wiped Bell’s tears.
“I will take care and I will come back to both of you,” he said.
Aziza nodded.
“I will be the strongest adventurer here in the Tercera World,” Atticus said and turned his back.
- Writer
