It happened again. He once again took another life. Not just one, nor two. No, an entire village. His mind was blank as he looked at the various corpses littered across the village. 

"How did this happen?" He muttered to himself as he brought his shadowy hand to cover his face.

'Why did this happen?' 

He did not mean to do any of this, he did not mean to kill anyone. Recalling how he approached them, was this avoidable? Could he have avoided all of this?

Naya stood in the middle of all the dead bodies in the center of the once lively village with a blank gaze adorned on her face. Her parents, laid still by her feet as if they were sleeping, yet no matter how much she nudged and pulled at their bodies, they simply wouldn't wake up.

"Mister, why did mom and dad fall asleep here?" She asked as she continued to nudge them, waiting for them to wake up. 

Leo, the reason behind all of this was standing silently behind her. She was the only one immune to his powers. How could he explain to this little girl that he killed her parents, that he killed her entire village by mistake? 

Even he himself didn't mean to do so, he had just arrived at this new world, yet blood already stained his hands. Blood of the innocent.

'Why did this happen?' He repeated, his heart feeling heavy in his chest, yet his shadowy face betrayed no hint of expression. 

'Maybe if I didn't follow after her, if only I didn't stop by the village.' Such thoughts clouded his mind, yet he pushed them away. This was no time to feel pity for himself.

Looking at the little girl calling out to her parents, not understanding that they were truly gone, made Leo's heart ache. And so he simply stood there waiting, he did not know what to tell her, how to tell her. So he simply stood there.

He truly did not mean for any of this to happen, he had already suppressed all of his aura and powers before following after Naya to the village. Once she was reunited with her parents, the mood was joyful as her mother lovingly scolded her. Her father watching over the scene with a smile, while the rest of the villagers smiled while looking at them.

That was when he decided to make himself known, he did not know if creatures such as himself were considered normal in this world, yet seeing how a child was unafraid of him, he had his hopes.

And it turned out to be good, at least at the start... Seeing him walk out of the forest, the villagers were surprised, yet he sensed no fear from them as he stepped out of the edge of the woods.

"Greetings." He spoke, his voice deep reverberating throughout the village, causing a few raised eyebrows, and glances of curiosity, yet no fear. 

This reaction further confirmed his suspicions that perhaps, his existence was normal. 

"Greetings, stranger. What brings you to our humble settlement?" Asked Naya's father.

Before he could reply, Naya jumped and spoke. 

"Mister is my friend! I met him in the forest!" Yet as soon as she said that, her hand immediately covered her mouth as she glanced towards her mom with a sheepish smile.

"Oh, so you DID go to the forest dear." Replied her mom with a chilling smile on her face. 

"It was just at the edge! I promise!" Answered back Naya.

Grabbing her by the ear, her mother scolded. 

"What would you do if you met a wolf? Or worse yet a Bear? Could you stand the pain of him eating you until he had its fill?!" Sternly reprimanded her mom.

"I'm sorry." Replied Naya while lowering her head. 

"We will talk about this later young missy." Added her mom before turning towards Leo.

"My apologies dear, She's a child that still didn't even reach her one hundred birthday." She said while shaking her head. 

Naya's father let out a hearty laugh as he looked at his daughter before speaking. 

"We can't stop the curiosity of the child, don't compare her to us old-timers. Just cause we had enough of the world doesn't mean she had as well." He said while gently patting Naya's head.

"So from where did you come from stranger?" He asked.

"I-I don't remember..." Said Leo, technically, he wasn't lying. He truly did not know how he came to be in this strange world. 

And what was that he heard about her one hundred birthday?! 

While he was trying to think if he heard that wrong, the villagers suddenly became noisy as they learned of his situation.

"Is it an elder?"

"I think so, poor thing, I wonder for how long he roamed the plane." 

"I heard that the ones that walked since the beginning have all decided to retreat to the caves in the north since their memory was no good."

"You think he is one of them?"

"Probably. The only ones that start forgetting are those that were here since the beginning."

Various hushed conversations sprang amongst the villagers, as they looked towards Leo with eyes full of respect and sympathy. He felt as if they were misunderstanding something yet did not bother to correct them.

"You are in the village of hope, down The Great southern forest, elder." Spoke Naya's father, his voice respectful as he patted his daughter's head.

"The Great southern forest." Muttered Leo. They also said something about the caves up north, so he decided to ask.

"What about the caves up north?" Once he said that the expressions on various villagers turned into ones of understandings as if their thoughts were confirmed.

"The other esteemed elders have all left for the northern caves, I believe that's where you were heading when you lost your way." Said the mother, as she gazed at Leo with eyes full of pity. 

"Well, how about you stay here for a while before you resume your journey!" Laughed Naya's father, the other villagers nodding in approval. 

"Thank you." Answered Leo with his deep voice. 

"No need for thanks elder, come, come." Smiled the father as he approached Leo and extended his hand to him, It was then that it happened. 

His powers that were dormant up until now suddenly rushed out like a flood, a dark fog quickly expanded out of his body and onto his surroundings fully covering everyone in the vicinity before he had any time to react.

Leo had no time to respond, and no did anyone else. The black fog swiftly covered the small village of hope, and when Leo was finally able to recall it back, all that was left behind were the corpses, with Naya standing in the middle of them unscathed.