"Seek justice for your friend, hey Freajan terrorist?"
"SHUT UP!! WHAT DOES A KID LIKE YOU KNOW?" The man raised his voice. His firearm's barrel was aimed directly at Theo's head. "You Shanans always underestimate us. Accusing us of being terrorists when you're the ones responsible for our existence!! We do not associate the title of terrorists with individuals like you who truly deserve it!"
The gun jolted when he pushed the trigger. Three projectiles slipped into Theo's shoes, leading him to step back in reflex.
"BIG BRO!!!!"
Lizzy let out a piercing scream, overwhelmed by fear for her brother and consumed by guilt for the role she played in their current state. Theo, on the other hand, did his best to keep his composure.
"Don't worry, Lizzy. Everything is alright." He fibbed naturally but struggled to find other words to calm Lizzy. "Won't continuing this will get us all toasted?"
"You think I'm afraid? It is impossible for a stranger like me to survive here. No matter what our method is, it's clear that we won't be greeted with open arms. There will always be discrimination from you arcane savages. We are not terrorists; we are just refugees—something you never even think about!"
The first try did not work. Theo had no clue these fraudsters were so unconcerned about mortality.
"Police and firefighters currently surround the village. Run now, and maybe you can get away."
"And miss out on the opportunity to devastate an entire village? NO WAY, HAHAHAHA!!!" The man's voice cracked as he laughed like a maniac. "What matters is not this life or death, but the message it leaves behind. You see us as enemies, threatening your false notion of harmony. Well, let me show you just how dangerous we are. This village is already doomed. We'll see if a dozen search parties and the remains of two youngsters will get those folks to see the light."
Everything Theo had believed before turned out to be completely accurate. This man, armed only with a gun, shot dead the few firefighters who went in to help those inside. It's unbelievable, but there was nothing else that could have happened. This man posed a serious threat. It was as if one were to face a terrible monster. Theo couldn't think of any way out, yet his mind wandered.
In the end, Theo could only manage a smile. No matter how smart he was, he knew his sister was the only one who could escape this dangerous situation unharmed. For him, that's enough already.
"You know, you sure have the worst taste." Theo taunted the man.
"Not nearly as bad as you, arcane bastards!"
He was staring down the barrel of the gun. Theo still has to find the proper moment. He glanced around—at her sister, the man, the door—but then stopped. After carefully considering his choices again, he inevitably concluded that his sister could be the sole survivor. There's simply no alternative.
The fear that he would not see tomorrow caused his heart to race. Still, he grinned contentedly at the end outcome he had imagined. Lizzy would make it through, just as he had hoped.
His hand struck up with precision, perfectly timed with his instinctive dodge. Held breath, senses heightened, nerves electrified—the atmosphere surrounding them sparked tension. Just in time to miss the impending peril, the imposing figure in front of him gave a startled start. In that exhilarating moment, the man's finger twitched, and the metallic click of the trigger echoed in the silence, breaking it like fragile glass. The sudden and intense explosion reverberated within the cramped area, overwhelming Theo's senses and momentarily leaving him bewildered.
Amid the chaos, Lizzy's scream cut through the air, standing out against the backdrop of violence. But Theo couldn't afford to slow down or let the excitement pumping through his veins waver. With unwavering determination, he charged ahead, driven by an unstoppable energy towards his goal.
Theo swooped up behind the attacker with the agility and precision of a predator. His lean build belied his inner strength as he silently closed the distance, resembling a specter. With a thrilling intensity, he entangled his arm around the man's throat, his grip unwavering, every muscle tense like a coiled spring. The man fought desperately for breath, but the din of pandemonium engulfing them drowned out any sound. Their feeble attempts to break free from the unyielding grip around their throat proved fruitless.
"BIG BRO!!!!!" Lizzy let out a piercing scream, but Theo remained unfazed.
Theo's grip, fueled by primal instinct and desperation, morphed into talons as he gouged bloody furrows into the man's neck. Growls and cries sounded like a wounded wild animal. His eyes were fiery, full of killing intent. In a daring display of fearlessness, the man quickly raised his pistol, unaware of the danger he was inviting with each inch he moved. Sensing an opportunity, Theo launched himself again, a relentless force of nature driven by raw survival instincts. In a fierce clash of flesh and steel, he seized the gun's muzzle with a vice-like grip, silencing its deadly intent with his own flesh, the searing pain eclipsed by the primal roar of adrenaline.
"RUN, LIZZY!!!!!!!"
"But...."
"RUN!!!!!!!!!!!"
Lizzy stood frozen, overwhelmed by a wave of terror and unease that loomed over her. The cold click of the gun had shattered her resolve. Reluctant to part with her brother, she finds herself immobilized. However, Theo's desperate cries break through the fog of doubt, compelling her to act with a raw and instinctive drive. With every fiber of her screaming in protest, she abandoned all thought and all reason and fled from the heart of the chaos. As soon as Theo heard his sister's hasty exit reverberating through the air, he could finally breathe, a quivering sigh of relief coursing through his trembling body as the weight of her absence bore down upon him like a crushing burden.
"SHIT!!!!"
With each pull, the trigger yielded nothing, the assailant's panic escalating as Theo's grin widened, a silent challenge hanging between them. Tension crackled in the air, poised on the brink of eruption.
"What the hell!?"
"Fool!"
In a flash of intense action, Theo quickly grabbed the silencer and tore it from the gun, his eyes filled with fierce tenacity. In the moment that followed, he brandished his weapon with fierce determination, driving it into the man's eye with intense brutality.
"AAAAARRGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The atmosphere pulsed with the man's piercing cries, a raw chorus of anguish that overwhelmed every other noise. Every scream pierced the air, blending with the gruesome sight of blood splattered across the floor in unsettling shades. Like a wounded beast, he thrashed with feral intensity, his movements fueled by an instinctual drive for survival. During the chaos, Theo, despite his slender frame, refused to let go of the silencer, holding on with an unyielding grip as he was thrown aside with brutal force. The man's eye sockets were brutally damaged, with blood flowing out in a horrifying display of his suffering. With a swift and savage resolve, Theo rose to his feet with the silencer firmly in his hand. Blind and furious, the man groped for his gun, a desperate attempt to regain control, but Theo was faster.
"HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
With a feral cry of defiance, Theo bashed the silencer into the man's face, the impact ringing like thunder as the man slumped to the ground, defeated.
Theo quickly crept onto that man's body, casting a shadow over the man lying on the ground. His attention was fixated on the partially shut eye, the face hidden behind a mask of blood. Even so, the boy's face displays no trace of empathy. With a calculated precision, he raised the silencer high, taking a deep breath before delivering a decisive blow.
"HEYAA!!!!!!!"
The forceful impact reverberated in the air, causing blood to spew from the man's mouth while his teeth were violently dislodged from his jaw. It was a harsh and brutal scene, a vivid display of the unfolding violence.
Unsatisfied, Theo raised his weapon again.
"HAAA!!!!!!!!"
Now, a linear strike to the face. Destroyed that man's nose.
"HAAA!!!!!!!!"
He raised his weapon again; he struck the man's face again.
"HA!!! HEYAA!!!!!!!"
Raised and slammed again, raised and slammed again. Theo's unrelenting attack persisted without mercy. Each strike resounded in the room, an unyielding beat that echoed alongside the man's fading resistance. Slowly, the twitching stopped, giving way to an eerie silence that filled the room. Yet, undeterred by the lack of response, Theo persisted, his anger burning as he struck his defeated opponent.
Just as Theo dared to believe in victory, a sharp jolt of pain ripped through his stomach, halting the rhythmic sway of his weapon. His eyes darted downward, drawn to the source of agony. A knife, deeply embedded in his abdomen, revealed a grim reality. With a forceful pull, it was torn away. A vivid spray of red painted the surroundings, serving as a stark reminder of the danger he was in.
"GAHK!!!!"
Theo collapsed onto his back, his strength draining away in an instant. Intense pain shot through his abdomen, driving his knees to shake uncontrollably. His gaze flickered to the spreading pool of blood, a grim testament to the violence that had unfolded.
"You really giving me trouble, boy." The man grumbled as he staggered to his feet. His face is battered, swollen, and oozing blood. He couldn't even breathe through his nose, but his will remained steadfast. His hand darted towards his weapon once again. Without any silencer, he fired a bullet into Theo's thigh.
"Gah!!!"
Devoid of energy to even muster a cry, Theo was consumed by the searing pain in his stomach. Each breath is a struggle against the relentless ache. As time slipped away, the growing darkness loomed a constant reminder of the bullet's severe damage to a critical artery, leaving his vision fading. In the silence of impending oblivion, it became clear that the man's intent wasn't just to wound but to ensure Theo's demise.
"Any last words?"
He had thought about it earlier. What would he say in his will if he knew his time was running out? He had absolutely nothing. After the passing of their parents, the ownership of their property was transferred to his sister. He had no desire to possess any of it. There was no more he could offer.
Was there any hint of remorse? Maybe he'll never get to watch Lizzy become an adult, but saving his sister from a terrible fire and an insane arsonist more than makes up for it.
He bid farewell with brevity, yet his words flowed abundantly.
"See you over there, bastard!"
A deafening silence enveloped them as the man aimed his gun at Theo's head, poised to end it all. However, just as the final verdict seemed imminent, the piercing sound of breaking glass shattered the heavy silence, abruptly disrupting the intense standoff. The man's focus immediately shifted to the source of the disruption. The window next to him shattered by a tiny pebble near his shoe. In that split second, the balance of power changed, and the result of the upcoming fight was barely stable, about to tip into the unknown.
"..... What?"
In an instant, as hope and concentration began to fade, a loud noise broke the quiet. From the shadows came a figure that was quick and hard to catch, giving off an air of mystery. He launched a deadly counterattack with great accuracy, sending the Freajan assailant crashing into the window sill with a resounding impact.
"GAHK!!!!!!" The man's gaze shot up, his eyes widening as he took in the unexpected presence. Yet, what caught his attention was the sight of cascading red hair, seemingly intertwined with flickering flames. "WHO????"
The young man raised his hand in defiance, ignoring the Freajanian's desperate cries. He snapped his fingers in one quick, fluid move, setting off a raging storm of noise that drowned out the fire outside. As the chaos erupted, Theo's senses reeled, struggling to comprehend the unfolding spectacle before him. The Freajanian was immediately thrown back by an unknown force that pushed him with all its might. A loud blast shook the room and broke the concrete wall. It was like the very fabric of reality had been torn apart. Theo saw the window shatter, leaving a frightening hole that looked out into the raging inferno, a silent monument to the mystical powers at play.
An ear-piercing buzzing noise accompanied Theo's hazy vision and mounting bewilderment. Even though his awareness was dwindling, curiosity coursed through him as the man with the flaming red hair crept closer. With his last bit of consciousness, his thoughts can only go for one thing.
"Lizzy... Lizzy... Liz..."
And he fell unconscious.
