What—what the…
Before anyone could comprehend the sheer speed and brutality of Elias's attack, the village advisor saw his own guts spilling from his stomach, warm and slick in his hands. He stared in disbelief, his mouth agape, as his lifeblood flowed out of him.
The villagers screamed, their cries of triumph turning into shrieks of terror as they scattered in panic, desperately trying to escape the monstrous child.
The village advisor, his mind struggling to process the impossible, slowly bent down, his hands trembling as he tried to scoop his intestines back into his abdomen. He raised his head, his vision blurring, and tried to focus on Elias, but he was seeing the world upside down. Then, with a sickening thud, his body collapsed to the ground, his head severed cleanly from his neck.
Elias had removed his head with a speed that defied human comprehension.
Elias went on a rampage, his movements a whirlwind of death and destruction. He tore limbs from limbs, ripped heads from necks, his fury unleashed upon the terrified villagers. The whole village descended into blood and chaos, a scene of unimaginable horror. He went on and on, fueled by grief and rage, eventually wiping out over half of the villagers before passing out from sheer exhaustion. His small body, covered in blood, lay amidst the carnage, a chilling testament to the violence he had unleashed.
"Found him! I found the devil!" one of the villagers voice hoarse with fear as he stumbled upon Elias's unconscious form.
Lenore, his heart pounding in his chest, heard the villager's scream and immediately knew it was directed at his son. A wave of dread washed over him.
"Elijah, stay here with the chief and your sister," he ordered, his voice firm despite the fear that gnawed at him.
"What are you going to do?" Elijah asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"They'll kill him at this rate. I need to get your brother before they do... I'll come back for both of you," Lenore assured him, his voice filled with a desperate hope. He reached out and gently stroked Elijah's hair, his touch a fleeting moment of comfort.
"Let me come with you,"
"No... It's too dangerous. You can't run with a broken leg and with your body like this," Lenore countered, his voice firm. "Besides, who will look after your sister if they get to us?" He looked at Elijah, his eyes conveying a silent plea for understanding.
Elijah gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched, his face a mask of frustration and despair. Why did everything have to turn out this way? he thought bitterly, his heart heavy with grief and a growing sense of helplessness.
Lenore turned and ran out of the hideout, his movements swift and silent despite his injuries. He had to reach Elias before it was too late.
He found the villager dragging Elias's unconscious body roughly across the ground, his small limbs trailing limply behind him. The sight filled Lenore with a surge of protective rage.
Moving with surprising stealth, Lenore broke a discarded branch over the villager's head, rendering him unconscious. He gently picked up his son's limp body, cradling him in his arms, and tried to run back to the hideout. But the remaining villagers, alerted by the commotion, were already upon him, their eyes burning with vengeance.
There was no other option. He had to draw the crowd away from the hideout, to protect Elijah, Lilith, and the chief. So, he turned and ran out of the village, the enraged villagers hot on his pursuit.
He ran barefoot through the dense forest, the rough terrain tore at his feet, leaving them badly bruised and bleeding, but he persisted, driven by the primal need to protect his family.
The angry shouts and chants of the villagers echoed behind him, a constant reminder of the danger. In his arms, he carried his son, the child he would never want to see harmed. That thought, the fierce love for his children, was all he needed to keep moving, to keep pushing himself beyond his limits.
After running for what seemed like days, his strength finally failing, he stumbled upon a small, uninhabited cave. He gently laid Elias down on the cold stone floor, his body still and pale.
Elias finally woke up to the blurry image of his father's silky silver hair hovering above his face. He blinked, trying to focus. It was then that he noticed the full extent of his father's injuries. The man was clearly in immense pain, his body covered in bruises and cuts, his face gaunt and pale. Dried blood stained the cave floor, a testament to the ordeal he had endured.
"Finally awake, eyy?" Lenore smiled weakly at his son.
Meanwhile, Elias, his mind still clouded and confused, had no memory of anything that had happened after the initial wave of pain. The world had gone black, and he had no recollection of the events that followed.
"Dad..." Elias whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Don't worry about me," Lenore said, his smile widening slightly as he reached out and roughed Elias's hair affectionately. "Look, I left your brother and sister back in the village. I must go get them back before the villagers do. I promise, I'll come back with all of them." His voice was filled with a firm determination, a promise he intended to keep. He mustered a reassuring smile and then, with a final, lingering look at Elias, he left the cave, disappearing into the darkness.