When the sun finally rose, only Lucas remained.
Blood covered his body, dried and dark, as he stood among the corpses of villagers and Exorcists alike.
He had lost everything.
His family.His village.His sanity.And the one person who meant the most — his brother.
Lucas stared at the lifeless bodies around him. His lips trembled, but no words came out. Not a single sound. Only grief and emptiness filled his eyes.
He was exhausted. Injured. Numb.
All of it… had happened in a single day.
Later, a patrol unit of knights arrived. After the rift had appeared, the kingdom had sent investigation squads across nearby lands.
What they found horrified them.
A village of corpses.And one boy standing in the middle of it.
Lucas felt a flicker of hope when he saw them.
Help had finally come.
But that hope shattered instantly.
Instead of saving him, the knights drew their swords and surrounded him. To them, the scene was simple.
Everyone was dead.
Only Lucas was alive.
He tried to explain. He begged. He pleaded.
But no one listened.
In the end, he was dragged away in chains…
And thrown into a prison cell.
Lucas's words trailed off.
The prison cell was quiet for a long moment.
"…Kid?" the old man's voice gently called.
Lucas blinked. The burning village vanished, replaced by stone walls and iron bars.
He lowered his head."…That's what happened," he whispered.
The old man sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall. He had heard many tragic stories in his life… but nothing this cruel. The sigh he let out was filled with pity.
"You've been through a lot, kid. No wonder you didn't fight back… You didn't want to resist anymore, huh?"
Lucas didn't answer.
"It's heavy, I know. Get some rest. You deserve at least that."
Lucas looked up weakly. "What about you, sir? Why are you here? And… how long have you been imprisoned?"
The old man chuckled and shook his head, amused. Despite everything he had just heard, the boy still cared about someone else.
"Well… let's just say it's been about twenty years. As for what I did… that's not a story for someone your age. Not yet."
He laughed softly.
Lucas simply nodded. Sleep was already pulling at him. His body and mind had both reached their limits. He yawned and slowly lay down on the cold floor.
"Finally sleepy, huh?" the old man murmured. "Go on, kid. Get some rest. Hopefully tomorrow will be better than today. I guarantee it."
Lucas gave a faint nod.
And after everything he had endured…
He fell asleep.
A young boy, falsely accused of murder, carrying burdens no child should ever bear.
Lucas had been forced to grow up far too soon.
The old man watched him quietly, a soft smile on his face. Then he turned toward the dark corner of the prison cell.
"So… is he the one?"
A shadow shifted.
"It has been a while, Grandmaster Exorcist."
The old man's smile faded slightly.
"…I see."