historical

"How does it feel when death really is about to come for you, Nathan?"

Nathan tried to move and free himself, but Marco's restraining skill was too strong for him. Cold sweat trickled down his face.

Nathan had completely exhausted all his strength. He had just fought the Dungeon Boss alone, and after that, he even fought with all his might against someone far above his level.

He had nothing left in his tank. At that moment, he could only hang on to the last ace he had.

Marco threw his head back and laughed heartily. The sound of his laughter pierced Nathan's ears, who couldn't even make a single word.

Marco looked back at Zander's carcass lying on the ground. He kicked it lightly, lifted Zander's leg with his stick, and bent it. And then he sat on it.

"There is no other place for me to take some rest. At least I can still use this despicable human carcass as a place to sit." Marco smiled faintly at Nathan.

Marco nodded his head slowly, then the black energy which bound Nathan stretched out into his body and forced him to kneel in front of Marco.

Marco brought his face closer to him.

"Do you have any idea how to run away from me, Nathan? Or are you too tired to think? Do you need me to help you?" Marco laughed lightly.

"Oh.. Let me guess, your stupid escape mechanism skill? Hmm, it doesn't matter what the name of the skill you have is. What matters is that you will definitely kill yourself if you activate the skill. Am I right?" Marco narrowed his eyes at Nathan and gave him a sinister smile.

"I saw a lot of blood in the cave you used as a hiding place. Did you bleed because you didn't have an affinity for some ancient element?"

Marco thumped his right thigh lightly, which was wrapped in bandages. "Ah, it really sucks to live with one leg like this. But I guess you're used to this thing, aren't you? Life without your legs? Do you miss those days, Nathan? Do you miss it?" Marco continued his monologue with a lighthearted voice

"What's next? Uh, golem? Your personal golem? I want to see you faint, silly, and even prevent your soul from returning to your body because you forced yourself to control the golem in your weakened state." Marco looked calmly at Nathan, who was silent at his words.

"What? You want to talk? No, let me tell you how cornered you are right now, Nathan. Stupid Nathan!"

Marco threw a punch with his right fist at Nathan's face. "You think you can trust someone that easily? Do you think everyone is kind? Do you think you can live peacefully with other people? Do you regret that you have put some trust in me?"

Marco grabbed Nathan's collar with his left hand and pulled him up. His once calm face was contorted in a fury, and his breath was coming in fast and heavy.

"Remember my words well, Nathan, and take this until your grave. Trust no one! Not even someone who has done nothing bad to you. Never! Because only fools have trust in other people."

Marco stopped, pushing Nathan's head, and released his grip.

"You have made a big mistake by trusting me. Do you think I'm a good person just because I gave you a spirit beast and helped you kill this useless bastard?" Marco turned his head to the side and spat at Zarden's carcass.

"What can you do in this kind of situation? Can the blessing of god help you in this situation? Tell me, what kind of blessing of shit god do you have? Sins? Virtues? Shits?" Marco looked at Nathan with narrowed eyes and an angry face.

"Stupid." Marco punched Nathan in the stomach.

"What? You want to talk?"

Marco laughed heartily, looking up at the sky for a while. He paused, turned back to Nathan, and continued to laugh wildly.

He stopped and turned back to face Nathan. His face, which originally looked angry, now dimmed, and even a frown appeared on his forehead, like a sadness.

"Let me tell you a story, Nathan."

***

I lived with love from both my parents. At least before my dad died when I was five years old.

Since then, my mom had always lived her days with sadness. Even though she always tried to cover it up, I could see it clearly from her puffy and teary eyes.

I haven't talked to mom much since then. We lived our lives simply because we had to.

I went to school because of my mom's wish. She worked hard to support both of us.

Until one day, I saw something different in her. My mom became cheerful and was no longer as sad as the previous times.

When I was eight years old, she told me the big news that she had found someone willing to marry her and had also shown how much he loved her in recent years.

"Marco.." Mom stroked my hair as she sat across from me with her exhausted-looking smile.

"Mom promised to do anything to make you happy. I promise, and... I hope you accept my decision. He is a good person. I'm sure you can easily accept him." She explained her intention to marry someone soon.

I just nodded slowly, saying nothing.

When the marriage happened, my mom's days, which were previously filled with sadness, were slowly returning to the happy days I remember.

Linda, yes, Linda, she was my step-sister. A 5-year-old girl who was only three years apart from me. I lived my life after that by forcing myself to live in a family I never wanted.

Yes, I know, that was all for my mom's happiness.

"Marco.. Why do you always spend your time in this room??? Don't you wanna play outside with me??? Marco.. Do you think with your books you no longer need friends? Marco.. Big brother Marco..."

I was silent, not paying the slightest attention to her.

She did it very often. The thing I didn't like the most, she came into my room and said things that annoyed me.

I covered my ears, not acknowledging her presence until she got tired and gave up.

When I was ten years old, I had to go to school with her.

With Linda, my step-sister, someone whom I had never liked in the slightest.

Linda, that stupid girl who looked more like a boy, had even dared to embarrass me in front of the students in school.

"Hey, stupid!" Linda punched my classmate in front of me.

"Stupid girl." My friend looked annoyed and was about to punch her back, but Linda was agile enough and managed to dodge. She even fought back against my classmates.

I didn't care in the slightest about what was happening in front of me. They, my classmates, used to bully me a lot. Cornering me, punching me, did they think that physical pain would affect me? No! No!

I didn't care about the world or anyone.

Linda stupidly fought three guys my age. She even made them leave.

"Marco... Are you stupid? Why do you let them do this to you? Marco... Hey... Big brother Marco... Did your sister have to do this to defend you? Shouldn't you be the one protecting and defending me??? Marco.."

Maybe it was wrong to let the girl go to the same school as me.

I stood up and left Linda. I didn't care about anyone.

Happiness, yes, my mom's happiness, was the reason I lived in this family. A family that maybe I never imagined in my life.

However, that reason slowly faded as the happiness in my mom's eyes started to leave her.

One time, I heard that stupid man shout, his shout at my mom.

And then I heard my mom cry.

It repeated itself several times in the next few months.

However, as always, my mom tried to cover it up. As if I was just an idiot who would never understand what happened.

That stupid man even dared to bring a woman into our house, fucked her in front of my mom and the others.

Another fight happened that night, one that I could no longer stand. I can't let this continue.

I ran from my room, with anger welling up in my heart. I stopped to grab a knife from the kitchen.

I didn't care what would happen. I had to end that stupid man's life.

I ran fast toward my mom's room, and when I was right in front of the room, the door opened. I did not see a fight, but my stepfather bent down in pain because a knife was stuck in his stomach.

Yes, a knife had pierced the stupid man's stomach, and the person who did it was none other than Linda. Linda, his biological child, and had killed him to protect my mom.

"No, no, no, no, no honey.. Linda..." My mom ran, hugging Linda's small body. She looked panicked at what was happening in front of her.

I ran inside and watched as the stupid man fell to the floor with blood running down his stomach. For some reason, I felt a happy sensation that I had never felt before, seeing someone covered in blood, someone I really wanted to kill.

However, there was something else that I had to do. Me, mom, and Linda have to run away from this. None of the three of us should be held responsible for what happened. I had to find a way to run away from all this.

***

"That's my short story, about me, my mom and my sister, Linda." Marco said and glared at Nathan.

"Do you want to know what happened after that? Nod, if so."