Zack wasn't just cruel in killing all those innocent young people; he was also a sadistic, narcissistic sociopath who felt no guilt for any of his actions…
Since he was young, he had bullied all the boys and girls of Blackwood Village just for his own amusement. And now, the same thing was happening again.
He had knocked out all the boys who were kneeling here in their own homes. He could have killed them all while they were unconscious and disposed of their bodies. But of course, he didn't do that. He wanted them all to be awake during their deaths; he wanted to see them all beg for their lives and see their expressions of despair as they realized it was all in vain.
All this for his own delight and pleasure, to satiate his ego. After all, Zack was still an ordinary human without abilities, and controlling everyone's lives here was the only "power" he had at that moment. In the future, when he had Scars and the powers they grant, the havoc he would wreak would be even greater.
Nolan knew Zack very well; in the past, when they were children, they were even close friends, but certain cruel attitudes of Zack quickly distanced Nolan from him. That's why he didn't beg; he knew it was useless to argue with him, and he didn't want to give the sadistic boy that pleasure…
"WAIT, ZACK I—"
"Cough"
"Pow"
"Sigh, it's started…"
The first boy kneeling in line in front of Little Crack had his throat cut by Zack himself, and then was kicked in the back, his body thrown into the darkness of the ravine.
The boy's name was Gary. I remember him well: he was a kind, responsible young man, an orphan who had lost both his parents to the plague six years ago. Currently, his only family was his younger brother, who was barely nine years old…
Nolan saw Gary's desperate expression as he gasped for air, trying to say something while his throat was being cut, but soon his body fell into the dark ravine, never to be seen again.
We all heard his body hit the jagged rocks on the sides of the ravine before landing at the bottom with a muffled thud.
Judging by the sound, the place where he fell must have been 4 to 6 meters deep, which is normal for a Small Crack so far from a Secondary Scar.
Gary's death drew the attention of everyone kneeling; they panicked, now knowing they were going to die, and that all of this was real, most of them begging again. Allowing a smile to bloom on Zack's face, he was satisfied with everyone's despair and moved on to the second boy in line, repeating the same movement: a deep cut to the throat, from ear to ear, followed by a kick to the back.
Cries of despair ring out again, and one of the boys, fourth in line for execution, decides to try his luck at escaping. He struggles to his feet, and even with his hands tied behind his back, he runs at a good speed, quickly distancing himself from Zack and his henchmen.
Neither Zack nor his two minions react, letting the boy run freely. He quickly distances himself by almost 10 meters, making everyone think he might escape before the worst happens…
"Swish"
From within the dark forest behind us, an arrow flies, striking the poor fleeing boy in the knee.
"Ahh"
The boy falls to the ground screaming in pain, but doesn't give up. With his hands still tied behind his back and now with a wounded knee, he makes a tremendous effort and manages to get up. He then continues fleeing, even limping. But soon a second arrow comes out of the forest again and hits his other knee.
Zack's two henchmen advance, smiling towards the boy who had both knees pierced, and drag him back to the ravine.
Nolan stares at the dark spot in the forest where the two arrows were fired, and only one figure comes to mind: an old man covered from head to toe in black fur and leather, leaving only his yellow eyes exposed: The Viper.
Aside from Nolan's father, he was the only Scar Bearer in Blackwood Village. According to rumors, he was a former adventurer seeking a peaceful place to retire and was then hired by Zack's father as a guard/handyman for the Blackwood family.
As Nolan observes the forest where The Viper is hiding, he sees blood dripping from his head again; this is the main reason he didn't try to escape. The head wound he suffered when Zack knocked him out and brought him here would probably have killed him anyway, and he already suspected that The Viper was hiding nearby. After all, the leader of Blackwood Village, who is also Zack's father, certainly knew what his son was planning and supported him in everything...
Soon, the young man with the two arrows in his knees was brought back, his throat cut by the two dogs that dragged him, and he was thrown into the Crack.
Screams of despair sounded again, but this time one of them came in a threatening tone:
"ZACK, ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO KILL ALL OF US HERE? DO YOU THINK OUR PARENTS AND FAMILY WON'T NOTICE WE'RE MISSING?"
"Hahahaha"
At that moment, Zack's restrained smile turned into a loud laugh; it seemed he had been waiting a long time for this moment. He tucked the dagger he used in the executions back into his waistband, and with both gloved hands, he adjusted his long blond hair before finally speaking in a mocking tone:
"Look at the ground beneath your feet. The blood is already a little dry, but earlier today, your parents and relatives were executed in this very place. So the answer is no, nobody will miss you…"
Nolan's eyes widened, and his throat went dry; he was one of the first to look down, noticing the traces of dried blood mixed in with the yellowed grass and barely visible in the black earth and dry leaves…
His father had been a very important figure in his life since his mother passed away a few years ago, and the two were very close. His father and mother were also the reason and inspiration for Nolan wanting to live in Blackwood Village until he was older, raising his family here without great ambitions; after all, all he wanted was to live the same peaceful life his parents had lived in this place since they got married…
"He was really executed here?"
Nolan thought as his eyes turned red with fury, and all that fury was directed at Zack. Gritting his teeth, he muttered:
"Zack, you son of a bitch…"