The Hybrid Fateful Sorrow

The Esparia Family

[ Early Autumn, eight years ago before the fateful day ]

While on a devil form with his bat-like wings out in the air, Gray glides just above the ground, hasting towards the commotion, he could hear a low whimper back to the caravan he just passed as his mind wanders from the cloudberries smell.

“No, focus on what’s ahead Galiet, not right now!” Gray said.

Not long after, Gray reached his destination and found the source of the resounding wail. It was from a family fighting against a massive raging brown bear.

There they are, the family who was crying for help, with their caravan toppled on the side of the road. Their merchant goods fell and scattered in the area, and nearby was a man mauled to death as he laid lifeless on the road.

While an older man is looking for a weapon in the toppled caravan to defend himself; close to him is a young adult woman who is cowering in fear as she sits on the dirt.

“Don’t freak out now!” the older man said.

“It’s coming true dear! All she said is happening. Oh god no! Please don’t let my boy die!” the woman said.

“Brace yourself Silva! You hear me boy!” the older man said.

The brown bear was growling madly while it was on the top of a teenage boy. The bear was sniffing his fear that he’s letting out freely. While the boy was cowering in fear with his back revealed to the furious bear, he called out the name of his family, asking for help.

“Father help! Damn it! Please help,” the boy yelled.

The boy’s father successfully found a wooden pole; as he hurried towards the brown bear with the pole up high, he moved closer and struck the bear’s head. The blunt thudded on the bear’s skull, although it wasn’t enough as the brown bear stood on its hind legs, reaching the height of ten-feet tall.

The giant brown bear towering at the older man as it rampantly growled with its paws stretched, ready to claw his whole existence. Before long, the bear thrust its mouth, but before the bear could reach the older man’s head, Gray intruded between them.

“He’s not food, you know!” Gray yelled.

Gray didn’t block nor struck back, resulting in the bear biting his whole head.

“Hey ah, I don’t know how to tell you this but, your breath is displeasing to my nose,” Gray uttered.

The older man was appalled from the devil’s sight with his reddish skin and his vast dark wings that fluttered while the bear gurgled his head inside his mouth.

“God damn! Who are you! And your head is still okay!?” the older man said as he stepped away to grab his son.

“Yeah I’m okay, but currently not great,” Gray replied.

The massive bear growled as it continued to bring pressure to its bite. Although with that force, it would ruggedly behead some ordinary people. But, Gray is not your everyday human. He doesn’t even consider himself as human; instead, he thought of himself as a Devil with a hybrid capability giving him the strength to his flesh that even a massive tooth of a brown bear couldn’t crack if so he wishes.

“Hey, I’m not trying to offend, I have a friend who looks like you, although she’s a she and your breath gives me the idea that you’re a he,” Gray uttered inside his mouth.

Upon failing to detach his head, the bear removes his mouth that is clasping Gray’s head.

“So are we friends now? If not I could introduce you to Boris. I’m sure she likes a big... big bear such as yourself,” Gray said, grinning as he wiped his head.

Not impressed by him, the large bear uses both of his paws to try and push Gray to the ground. Afterward, with glaring red eyes, it tried to maul Gray again with its ferocious teeth.

Gray realizes something as soon as he sees the bear’s eyes. The color of the bear eyes was not brown but instead a glinting red.

Annoyed from the sight of the bear’s eyes as he stopped toying around. He didn’t want to kill the bear, and he wanted to end the commotion without even harming it.

He furiously roared at the bear with a godly voice as he attempts to control the bear’s mind and to hope to calm it. But, unfortunately, right after the bear seemingly got stronger, Gray only failed incredibly, as the bear managed to shove him to the ground and continued to assault his bare flesh.

But in an instance, Gray seizes the massive brown bear by its sizable neck as he brings himself to a stand. Then, he lifts the bear, during which he ascends using his bat-like wings only to swoop back down as he slams the bear to the ground.

Even with the devastating assault of the Devil Gray, the massive brown still managed to recover and stood up from the ground. Seeing the bear hasn’t given up, Gray sighed while slowly shaking his head. He would have wanted to end it there as fighting the bear does not bring joy to his heart.

“I might as well free you from whoever is corrupting your mind. I’m sorry, I’ll promise I’ll make the one responsible pay.” Gray uttered.

Gray stared at the bear’s eyes with grief, thinking, I don’t want to see it happening to Boris, to Lily and Hope. They are all I got.

The brown bear roared in fury and charged viciously towards him. But before the bear could assault him, Gray dashes at full speed as he pierces the bear’s heart out from its hides, effectively ending its life or its suffering. Then, clutching at his hand is the still-beating heart of the bear that makes him think of Boris and her yearlings.

‘Another death in my hands that I don’t want in my conscience. Why was it red? God damn it! I’m sure something or someone is behind it, even my power of suggestion couldn’t penetrate,’ Gray thought.

“You killed it! Oh ho! Thank God!” The older man said.

The older man stepped closer to Gray, unfrightened from his appearance as he held Gray’s hand and greatly expressed his gratitude to Gray.

Gray instinctively shoves the older man's hand away.

“Thank God!? Do you think I was sent here by a God!? Look at me, do I look like an Angel to you! I’m here because of her cry, you should thank her not me,” Gray annoyingly yelled.

Surprised by Gray’s yelling, the family groveled to the ground as they asked for forgiveness.

“We are very sorry, we don’t know anything. I hope you can forgive me and my family!” The older man pleaded.

Gray, seeing the boy's clothes ripped from the bear’s claw along with the wound that bleeds behind his back, he speaks to remind them.

“Forget it, take care of your boy’s wound,” Gray said.

“Oh! Good gracious! Thank you so much!” The older man said as he stood up.

“Thank you for saving my husband, and my boy. Whoever you are, I'm forever in your debt. I would do everything to pay your kindness to us!” the woman said.

“Your face is familiar, and your voice. Tell me, who are you young lady?” Gray asked.

“Oh! Young lady, No, I’m already near at my peak, I’m thirty-four and at the middle of my life,” she said as she tended the wounds of her son.

“Still, I would like to know your name as to why it is so familiar to me, the tune of your voice. Feels like I have known you for so long,” Gray uttered.

As the woman continued to mend the wounds of her son, with a clear bandage and an alcohol to disinfect, slight mystified as she spoke. “My name is, —” she said only to be interrupted by the older man.

“I am called Santi. This is my wife, Carmelia and our son, Silva,” Santi said.

“We are the Esparia Family,” Carmelia added.

“Carmelia, carmelia,” Gray let out.

‘She’s here and she’s looking much younger. And in the future I would kill someone she loves and her heart will break, yet still she would try and save my waste of a soul,’ Gray thought.

“Yes, is there anything?” Carmelia said.

“Thank you for everything,” Gray said.

“Wha.. what?” Carmelia inquired, slightly embarrassed from Gray's sudden words.

“You are one of the people who have shown me true kindness,” Gray said.

“I don’t understand. Who… who are you? Why do you talk like you know me, I have never met you,” Carmelia said.

“Carmelia! Don’t doubt our savior!” Santi yelled.

“I’m sorry, I was just confused, forgive me,” Carmelia said as she looked down.

Gray steps closer to the ashamed Carmelia, as he gently pat her shoulder.

“You have every right to feel that. Carmelia, it’s normal that you are feeling confused right now but I just wanted to say my appreciation,” Gray said.

Camelia happened to glance at Gray’s chest which in turn put a surprise in her face, her shaking hand as she reached for her husband's shoulder.

“That stone, that pendant. You are the bearer of the heart stone!” Carmelia uttered in awe.

“You are the one true king!”