"Father..." he says seriously. "Actually, I also wanted to tell you something important."
Edeh lets out a slight sigh as he fixes his tired eyes on the face of the boy who means so much to him. "I know... but first let me tell you what I went through... what happened..." he says in a faint voice.
He pauses, as if choosing each word carefully so that the shock of his discovery does not overwhelm them, as if building a bridge to Edras' soul.
He then describes how he found traces of blood in the forest, footprints that appeared to belong to the Devourers, the dead hero, how he had to move the body to prevent panic from taking hold of the village, and the pact he was forced to make to safeguard everyone.
Edras listens attentively, as if this were nothing new to him, holding back his emotions without letting the tremor show, without letting fear overcome the courage that was born in that man.
Suddenly, a rumble shakes the ground beneath them, as if the world itself were about to break into pieces. In the distance, towards the centre of the village, a huge column of fire and smoke rises, staining the sky scarlet, while the air fills with screams of panic that pierce the neighbourhood like a collective lament.
Edeh stops talking and Edras jumps to his feet, his calm expression giving way to a more tense one. "Father... What... what is happening?" he murmurs, staring at the fire rising in the distant neighbourhood.
Edeh frowns, his eyes fixed on the sinister glow. "It's them..." he says in a whisper, pressing his lips together. "It's the Devourers... what we feared most... has come..." He clenches his teeth tightly as the ground shakes beneath them once more. He looks towards the source of the noise. "Damn it... How... How can this be happening so suddenly... I didn't think... that it would happen so quickly..."
Edras stares at the site of the explosion, not letting his emotions get the better of him. Even so, without Edeh noticing, he clenches his fists slightly, holding back more than just anger, not letting the tremor show. "Father? Should we...?" he murmurs, still staring at him.
Edeh lets out a broken sigh. "Edras... listen to me." He pauses to calm his emotions. "Take your mother, Adelise, Jota and Saida... Get out of here... go to the Yellow Zone. You'll be safer there..."
Edras nods, silently tensing every muscle in his body, without Edeh noticing the cold flash that crosses his eyes.
"And you... What are you going to do? Won't you come with us?"
Edeh places a hand on Edras's shoulder, firmly but affectionately. "I'll stay... I'll do what I can to buy you more time... so you can leave without them finding you..." He pauses. "If... if I don't come back... don't wait for me. Go on without me... live... that's the most important thing."
Edras nods silently, never taking his eyes off Edeh's face, never forgetting that last act of sacrifice, which he stores deep in his memory.
Just then, two figures appeared, running towards them, emerging from the shadows of the nearby huts. Sira advanced, sobbing, while holding Ela tightly, who clung to her neck, tears streaming down her cheeks, nothing able to calm the panic in her chest.
"Help...! Please...!" Sira's voice broke, breathless, as she approached Edras and Edeh. "We need support!"
Edeh turned abruptly, his brow furrowed and his face tense. "Sira? ... Ela? ... What happened?"
Ela tried to speak, her voice broken, but it was Sira, braver at that moment, who found the strength to express the horror they had experienced. "Noam..." she sobbed... "Noam... stayed... to... defend us... A Devourer... attacked us... when we were returning from the market."
Edeh held his breath for a moment, staring at them. "A Devourer... so close...?" He pressed his lips together, not letting the panic show. "It's closer than I expected..."
Edras held Edeh's shoulder, unable to ignore the trembling of Sira and Ela. "What can we do?"
Edeh took a deep breath. "What we can do... is survive... take our family to a safe place... that's what Noam would give his life for."
Ela stirred in Sira's arms, still sobbing, until her feet touched the ground. Even so, without letting go of the hem of Sira's skirt, she looked up at Edeh, her eyes filled with tears. "Grandfather..." she said in a faint voice. "Please... help Dad... bring him back..."
Edeh was silent for a moment. Then he leaned towards Ela, not letting the trembling show in his hands. "I'll do... whatever I can..." He paused to find strength in that vulnerable pair of eyes. "Don't worry... everything will be all right..." He stroked her hair, comforting her with that simple but intense act of love.
Edeh turned to Edras, who was still standing beside them, pale and with tense lips. "Edras... I'm leaving them in your care..." he said, looking at Sira, Ela and the rest of the family, who had gathered outside the cabin. "Take them far away from here... to the Yellow Zone... Find shelter... take care of them..."
Edras nodded. "I will..."
Edeh turned around, not letting the panic show on his face, and began to run towards the village, carrying the weight of that request with him. His footsteps echoed on the stone floor, under a sky increasingly filled with fire, smoke and lamentations, as the man entered that hell to give his loved ones one last chance to survive.
In that moment, we see Jota, Saida, Adelise and Rose inside the cabin, staring at the fire rising in the village below, in the distance.
Jota grips the window frame tightly, unable to stop his fingers from trembling. His eyes, wide open and filled with anguish, are fixed on the flames consuming several of the houses that had once held so many dreams. The light from the fire casts dancing shadows on the wooden walls of the cabin, heightening the tension surrounding everyone.
Saida curls up next to Adelise, still holding her arm, as if that would give her some sense of security amid the chaos. Adelise's face is pale, her lips tightly pressed together, holding back the panic that threatens to overwhelm her. Even so, she pulls Saida close and wraps her arms tightly around her, as if that embrace could form a shield against what is happening in the village.
Rose, further back, still staring at the fire, accidentally lets a tear fall down her wrinkled cheek. She wipes it away with the back of her hand, not wanting the younger ones to witness this moment of vulnerability. She takes a deep breath, as if stealing air from a fire that consumes everything in its path.
"Dad... Where are you...?" Jota whispers to himself, his eyes searching for the place where Edras has stayed with Edeh, not knowing if he will return.
Saida clutches the hem of Adelise's skirt, her little body still shaking. "Jota...? Is Dad coming back...?" she asks in a whisper, still staring at the fire.
Jota stops holding onto the window frame and reaches out to stroke Saida's hair, comforting her silently, not letting panic show on his face. "Dad will come back... he has to come back..." he murmurs, more to convince himself than to calm her down. "He... promised us he would..."
Adelise hugs Saida a little tighter and lets the silence fill with emotion, not letting fear overcome her. "Edras... please... come back... come back to us..." she whispers, still staring at the fire with Jota.
Rose takes a step towards them, still wiping the tears from her wrinkles. "Edeh... Edras... may the gods be kind... may they return alive..." she murmurs, her hands still shaking, but without losing the courage she carries in her soul.
At that moment, the cabin door bursts open, shaking on its hinges. Edras enters hurriedly, still holding Sira's shoulder, who has Ela clinging to her. The little girl cries inconsolably, her tears streaming down her cheeks.
Edras presses his lips together before speaking, not letting the trembling of his hands betray his emotions. "Listen...!" he says urgently. "We must leave... now! The fire is approaching... the Devourers are very close..." He pauses, as if the air were thick with ash. "We need to seek refuge in the Yellow Zone... there we can survive..."
Jota, a little calmer, stops staring at the fire in the distance and turns to them when he hears his father's voice, but still showing agitation in his words. "Where...? Where is Grandfather Edeh...? Is he... coming...? Please... tell me he's coming..." he says, his voice breaking, still searching for his grandfather with his eyes.
"Edeh... stayed behind... to give us time... so that we could leave..." he murmurs, still looking into Jota's eyes. "But if... if he doesn't come back... you... you have to survive... that's the most important thing..."
Saida lets out a more intense sob and huddles close to Adelise, who, still trembling, wraps her arms around her children in a protective embrace, as if she could form a shield against the hell that was unfolding in the village.
Rose, not letting her tears completely overwhelm her, clutches the pendant hanging from her neck. "Edras... please... do whatever it takes to get us to safety... they're all we have..." she murmurs, her voice broken with worry, her eyes fixed on the fire consuming everything in the distance.
Edras lets the warm, ash-filled air hit their faces, but doesn't let it stop them. Clinging more than ever to Sira, Ela, Jota, Saida, Adelise... and Rose, he keeps remembering the sacrifice that will allow them to have a future.
Saida lets out a cry of anguish, still clutching Adelise's arm, who pulls her daughter closer to her, not letting panic overcome her.
Edras turns to his family. "Let's go... now..." he says forcefully, but still showing his love for them.
Adelise takes a step towards him and hugs him tightly, her body still shaking, as if she could hold on to that moment of security in the midst of chaos. Saida presses herself against them, wrapping her little arms around them, not letting any of them separate.
Sira holds Ela closer to her chest, rocking her as she sobs silently. "Let's go..." Edras says again, fighting back the lump in his throat as he leads his family west, away from that burning hell.
Sira crosses the threshold of the cabin first, holding Ela tightly, who clings to her, sobbing uncontrollably, hiding her face in the crook of her shoulder. Behind them, Jota leads Saida by the hand, squeezing her fingers tightly, as if that could transfer some sense of security to her amid the chaos surrounding them.
In front of them, under the shelter of a half-charred tree, the family car—a large, sturdy steel-grey SUV with several dents and scratches from the rough road—waits with its doors open.
The headlights are on, piercing the soot-filled air, drawing two beams of light that show the way to what could be salvation. Adelise, still circling Saida, helps the children get in, while Edras starts the engine, which roars under the bonnet like the beating of a heart ready to take them far away from danger.
Adelise lets Saida climb in behind Jota. "My love... if something separates us... if something happens... remember that you are safer with your brother... He will take care of you... just as we have taken care of you..." she murmurs, gently holding her face, not letting the trembling of her hands betray the fear that runs through her.
Saida nods silently, holding back the tears that threaten to overflow from her eyes, but still clinging to Jota, as if that would keep the world around her from falling apart completely.
Rose hesitates for a moment before getting into the car. "Edras..." she says, still searching for Edeh in the distance. "Are we really going to leave it like this... just like that...?"
Edras grips the steering wheel, not letting the tremor show in his hands. "Edeh..." he says quietly. "He stayed to give us this chance... if we went back, we would fall with him... that's what he decided..." He pauses, holding his breath. "I know... it hurts... but this way we can save ourselves... this way we can survive..." A faint smile appears on his lips, unnoticed by anyone else.
Rose sheds one last tear as she lets herself be led to the passenger seat. "I know..." she whispers, never taking her eyes off him, never forgetting the man who sacrificed everything for them.
Edras starts the engine, not letting panic paralyse him, not letting the exhaustion of the moment overcome him. He increases his speed as he drives along the dirt road, carrying with him the people who matter most in the world that is crumbling behind them.
Jota looks around, still holding Saida's hand tightly. Even so, he can feel the trembling in her fingers, the panic in her eyes... in everyone's eyes. Adelise stares at the road behind them, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand; Rose presses her lips together, holding back her tears; Sira cradles Ela in her arms, while Edras drives, searching for a safer route.
Jota lets the tense silence envelop him. Even so, in the midst of that silence, the images of what he experienced in the forest that night come back to him... that intense red fire, darker than any other fire, that fire that seemed to beat with pure evil, as if it were alive. The sinister luminescence rising behind the trees, constantly twisting, constantly expanding its shadows, leaving no room for relief.
Jota held his breath, not letting the panic show on the outside, but that fire, that glow so alien and full of hatred, was etched deep within him. That colour, that flash of evil, which foreshadowed that nothing would ever be the same again.
Inside that car, under that sky that was beginning to fill with ash, Jota understood that this fire was more than just a simple blaze... it was the beginning of something bigger, more terrifying. Something that was ready to destroy everything.
On the other hand... Edeh ran without letting the fire, smoke or panic stop him. With every step, the air filled with burning particles that entered his lungs, but that was the least of his concerns. His purpose was more important than himself.
Amidst the fire and the crackling of collapsing wood, Edeh tried to orient himself towards the place where Noam was fighting... towards the place where, according to Sira, the Devourers had appeared. "Noam... hold on... please... hold on..." he muttered without stopping. His voice was more of a prayer than an encouragement.
Turning the corner in the alley next to the tavern, Edeh stopped dead in his tracks. A short distance away, beneath the stone frame of what had once been the main gate, he saw several creatures with misshapen silhouettes and eyes as red as the fire surrounding them.
Among them, Noam's body lay on the ground without his left arm, weakened but still alive, without dropping the weapon he held in his right hand.
At that moment, fear tried to take hold of Edeh, but he held it back. "Noam! ... Hold on ..." he shouted as he advanced, still looking for a way to get him out of there without them tearing them both apart.
Edeh clenched his fists tightly as he watched the Devourers surrounding Noam. Despair threatened to paralyse his muscles, but at that moment something else awoke in him — something that had been dormant in the depths of his soul.
Edeh closed his eyes for a moment and focused all his will on that latent power. The Break and Birth—the RN—began to manifest itself in him. A black whirlpool formed first on the backs of his hands, as if a vortex of shadows had appeared out of nowhere. From that whirlpool, thin black lines began to spread throughout his body, criss-crossing his arms, torso and legs, as if they were veins of living darkness.
Gradually, that network of black lines began to lighten, transforming into a bright blue glow that spread to every corner of Edeh, filling him with strength. An intense wind rose around him, stirring the dust, sparks and ashes floating in the air, as that luminous aura expanded.
In front of him, the Devourers stirred, attracted both by Noam's soul and by that flash of power emanating from Edeh.
They were imposing creatures, over two metres tall, with twisted, armoured bodies, as if made of molten bone and living metal. Their long arms, armed with sharp claws, could strip a man of his flesh with a single blow. Their jaws, filled with irregular fangs longer than daggers, dripped with thick, foul-smelling ichor. Their eye sockets lacked pupils; instead, a crimson fire burned within them, emotionless, merciless.
Above them and at their feet lay the dismembered corpses of several people—men, women, and children—whose entrails hung from their bodies, leaving no doubt that they had been subjected to the most savage of feasts.
The Devourers had mercilessly torn them all apart, leaving nothing but scattered limbs, broken bones, and pools of blood staining the ground of that ruined neighbourhood.
From that pile of creatures came voices, a guttural and sinister murmur, as if they were communicating in a foreign language, their jaws with sharp fangs moving incessantly.
"Well... an awakened human... this will be more complicated than we thought..." said one of them, in a deeper tone than the rest, as if he were in command.
"How I hate humans like you... clinging to survival... always seeking power..." spat another Devourer, as the fire in his eye sockets burned more intensely, as if Edeh's soul were about to be consumed.
"Nothing escapes us... nothing..." whispered a third Devourer, as he advanced with his creatures towards Edeh, his claws constantly moving, salivating thick ichor that dripped from his jaws.
Edeh clenched his fists even tighter, concentrating that power in them, not letting panic show on his face, not letting fatigue weaken his limbs. Because this was the moment when he would give his all... the moment when sacrifice was justified if it meant saving those he loved most.
The force of the wind that was part of his Breaking and Birth began to concentrate in the palm of his right hand, swirling into an increasingly intense whirlwind.
From that whirlwind was born a bright blue blade, a sword of wind as sharp as the purest steel, emitting flashes of light and crackling with concentrated air currents.
The blade seemed to be made of living glass, capable of cutting through both stone and the souls of creatures who dared to oppose him.
Edeh gripped the elemental weapon tightly.
In front of him, the Devourers continued to advance, their claws moving incessantly, salivating thick ichor that dripped from their jaws.
Their sinister voices echoed in the air, heightening the horror of the place.
But Edeh, armed with the wind blade, was ready to give his all... the sacrifice was justified if it meant saving those he loved most.
Edeh advanced step by step towards the Devourers.
With each step he took, the air around him began to swirl violently, raising particles of dust, sparks of stone and ash.
Edeh paused for a moment, still gazing at the nightmarish creatures rising before him. The gust of air surrounding him grew fiercer, increasing in speed, like an elemental shield protecting him from any blows they might try to strike.
"Perhaps..." he said forcefully, without a tremor in his voice, "...my RN may not be as great as that of the heroes..." He paused, gripping the hilt of the air blade. "...but this will be enough to send them back to the abyss... so that the village where I was born can once again have peace."
He raised the blade slightly towards them, continuing to advance.
"Devourers... cursed creatures... today you will find the end of your dreams of death here!"
"I will send you back to where you came from... leaving nothing but ashes and silence!"
Among them, the largest Devourer, the one whose claws dripped with a thick, dark liquid, advanced with a sadistic smile on his face. As he moved his hands, cracks appeared in the ground beneath his feet.
"Human... you dare to challenge us...?" spat the Devourer, his voice so deep it seemed to come from the bowels of the earth.
"You will be the first awakened soul to fall under our claws... the beginning of a new feast!"
"No man can defeat the legion of Devourers!"
"You will be torn apart... without mercy... without redemption...!"
At that moment, the Devourers burst into maniacal laughter, as cold as it was delirious, their voices reverberating in the ash-laden air.
"Redemption...? Mercy...? Those are fleeting dreams of the living..." said one of them, still laughing. "In the abyss, only hunger is eternal... and we are hunger made conscious."
In a burst of stone, the largest Devourer lunged at Edeh, growing in size, while purple fire sprouted from its claws. Edeh dodged the blow by inches, continuing to move the whirlwind of air around him.
"Feel the cold of your own despair, man!" The Devourer launched several bursts of spectral claws at Edeh, who blocked them with twists of the air blade.
"You will be the last flame to be extinguished on this endless night!" Another Devourer broke the ground with a blow, increasing the crater beneath them.
Edeh gripped the handle of the air blade tighter, not letting the hatred of that being weaken his resolve. The blast surrounding him formed a whirlwind of luminous particles, increasing in size.
"Shut your mouths, creatures!" Edeh dodged the blow of a claw that was millimetres away from piercing his chest, lunged forward and severed the Devourer's arm with a slash of air.
"Tonight... I will be the gale that ends you!"
"In the name of all who fell... in the name of all I love... you will return to nothingness!" Edeh said, gripping the hilt of the air blade tightly.
"Devourers... prepare yourselves for..."
In a burst of light, Edeh pierced the skull of a Devourer, who disintegrated into particles of shadow while screaming in agony.
"DIE!"
The others took a step back, continuing to hiss and wave their claws menacingly.
The Devourers formed a semicircle in front of him, continuing to hiss and drip viscous liquid from their jaws.
"Human...!" The largest Devourer burst out of the shadows at full speed, increasing the size of its claws as it tried to crush Edeh with a powerful blow.
Edeh dodged the blow by stepping to the side, continuing to move the air that formed the whirlwind around him. The blade of air in his hands lengthened, increasing in size and strength, transforming into a spear of wind that pierced the Devourer's torso.
"Aaaarrgh!" The Devourer let out a scream of pain as it disintegrated into particles of shadow.
"Did you think that would be enough... human...?" Another Devourer, shorter but more elusive, emerged from behind the ruins of a house, appearing right behind Edeh, ready to sink its claws into his back.
Edeh turned at the last moment, increasing the whirlwind as a shield that deflected the blow.
Then, with a dizzying spin, he launched several sharp bursts at the Devourer, who was cut into multiple pieces while continuing to scream.
"Aaah! ... the master ... the master will awaken ... and the world will fall under our wrath!" cried the last Devourer as he tried to crawl to the most protected place he could find, leaving a trail of ghostly blood behind him.
Edeh advanced mercilessly towards the dying creature. The blade of air he wielded concentrated all the force of that gale.
"This is the fate of all who threaten my people!" Edeh pierced the Devourer's skull before he had a chance to finish his threats.
CRACK!
Silence fell upon the place... only the crunching of the ruins and the crackling of some burning buildings could be heard. Edeh, still holding the whirlwind that surrounded him, contemplated the landscape of the village he loved so much, ready to give his last breath to save its inhabitants.
Edeh breathed heavily, still holding the blade of air, as the whirlwind began to calm down.
The Devourers had fallen, torn to pieces, leaving nothing but particles of shadow floating in the air.
In the midst of that tense silence, without Edeh being able to anticipate it, something savagely pierced his torso from behind. An arm... a human arm, colder than steel, mercilessly pierced Edeh's chest, shattering part of his ribs.
"Did you think... that this was over, Edeh...?" The voice behind him was deep, laden with ancient hatred, as if it were more dead than alive.
Edeh dropped the blade of air, which dissipated into particles of light, while several drops of blood escaped from his lips. Even so, he clenched his teeth and forced his hands to hold on to the arm piercing his torso, continuing to resist.
"N-no... I won't let you destroy...!" Edeh murmured forcefully, not letting that blow put an end to his will to fight.
Edeh held his breath, not letting the pain overcome his will. Between the cracks in his ribs, as that arm continued to pierce him, a denser, heavier... more evil aura began to emerge.
The man behind him began to release an ebony-coloured aura that writhed as if it were alive. Edeh, still holding his arm, sensed that this power was more than that of a simple Devourer.
"Face... Abyssal...?" Edeh muttered, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"That... that only... high-level Devourers... possess it..."
The man let out a guttural laugh as the aura grew in size, surrounding them both in a whirlpool of shadows.
"That's right, human..." said the man in a deeper, more sinister tone. "[RA]... also known as Abyssal Face... the power that you, ephemeral creatures, could never defeat, even in your dreams..."
Edeh clenched his fingers around that arm, continuing to resist, not letting panic take hold of him.
Edeh clenched his fingers around that arm, continuing to resist, not letting panic take hold of him.
"How... how can a human have... that power...?" Edeh murmured.
Blood dripped from the wound, staining the ground beneath his feet.
Suddenly, the man behind him fell silent. The sinister laughter faded, and that aura began to concentrate, to calm down, as if it were under someone else's control.
"Edeh..." said the man, still holding him. The tone of his voice changed, becoming calmer, deeper, as if he were returning from a distant place. "I had... a very interesting son..."
Edeh held his breath, still struggling.
"Son...? What are you talking about...?"
The man continued: "I didn't know he also had that power... the Abyssal Face... It seems that fate continues to play its cards..."
In that tense silence, the aura began to swirl again, growing stronger, while Edeh tried to decipher that cryptic message.
At that moment, the darkness surrounding the man began to gradually dissipate, as if it were being absorbed into the air around them.
Edeh felt the grip on his insides weaken until, without strength, he was dropped backwards onto the ground. His head hit the ground, raising a faint cloud of dust, as he tried to breathe heavily.
Amidst the heavy silence, the man took a step back. The last mist of shadows vanished completely, revealing the face hidden behind it.
Edeh narrowed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing: it was Edras, the boy who had forged so many dreams, hopes and sacrifices in the past... the one who was... his own son.
"Edras..." whispered Edeh, still holding his hand to the wound, still staring at him. "How... How is it possible that... you... have the Abyssal Face? What does this mean? Why... Why would you do this to me... What are your true intentions...?"
Edras, still looking at him, remained silent for a moment before taking another step towards him. The breeze that swept through the place began to swirl particles of ash and stone, as if the world were holding its breath beside them, sensing the horror that was to come.
"No... you don't need to understand," said Edras with a coldness that chilled Edeh's soul. "After all... your work here has come to an end."
In a movement as swift as it was relentless, a whirlwind of darkness rose from his hands and shot up into the sky, tearing through the air with an ominous whistle. From that vortex descended a flurry of shadows as dense as the deepest night, completely enveloping Edeh.
"No!… Noooo!" Edeh screamed as he was consumed by that whirlwind of stone, ash, and emptiness. His screams of agony faded into a final gasp, leaving nothing but floating particles in the air, as if that man had never existed.