The last time I felt alive... was the morning the world ended.
"Everything was so unexpected — the kind of tragedy I never imagined could be real."
I remember everything—every single thing. The trauma was seared into my mind, like a knife or a shard of glass—every scene so clear that it hurts to touch.
The morning sun had painted our village valley in a golden hue. Elena's laughter echoed through the house as she chased my little sister, Mira, around the kitchen table. She had baked bread since the morning, and its scent filled the room with warmth—not just from the hearth's fire, but from the love in that home.
"Garrett, tell your sister to stop stealing my honey cakes," Elena shouted, her black hair shining in the light as she tried to grab Mira's hand.
I was carving a wooden horse for Mira—for her 8th birthday. Simple work. Honest work. The kind of work that tired the hands but soothed the heart.
And to be honest... I was the boy the villagers knew. Garrett. First in everything—be it farming, hunting, or studies. Physically strong, mentally tough. I had no complaints about my looks either—the village girls would look at me secretly, and the elders would pat my shoulder.
"This boy will achieve great things one day," they would say. Maybe back then, I thought I could save someone. Maybe back then, I could have been a hero.
"Let her be," I said without looking up. "Her stomach will hurt in a while, then she'll be quiet on her own."
Elena's fake anger made me laugh. how easily I used to laugh back then. Life felt light when love was your only armor.
"You two are a bad influence on each other," she said, but she was smiling too as she picked Mira up in her lap, her cheek covered in flour, which she kissed lovingly. "What will I do with you two when we get married?"
That question hung in the air like a promise. Next month, when the harvest was in, Elena would become my wife. We had talked about having children, expanding the house, and growing old together. Simple dreams. Beautiful dreams.
I should have known that beautiful things don't last in this world.
The first sign of danger was silence. Even the birds fell quiet, as if poison had been dissolved in the air. Then a black smoke rose in the distant sky—not like the white smoke of cooking fires, but black, thick, violently tearing through the sky.
"Garrett?" Elena's voice had changed—a voice full of instinct, like prey sensing a hunter drawing near.
I immediately went to the window. In the distance, I could see fire—red flames burning above the treeline. Ashford, the next village—just 3 miles away. It was burning now.
Then I remembered—Elena's parents were in the fields on that side.
"Take Mira, hide her in the root cellar," I said. My voice was calm, but my heart had turned to ice. Elena had already started moving—wrapping Mira in her arms. In her eyes was the understanding that only true love can have.
But I didn't stop. I went to Elena.
"You two—Mira and you—go to Uncle Joren's house right now. Do not look back. I will bring your parents."
"But—"
"Trust me."
She nodded. She grabbed Mira's hand and ran, not looking back.
"And I ran... ran for Elena's parents. But by the time I reached them... The moment I stepped outside, all I could see was blood and bodies scattered everywhere, flames devouring the houses around me. I ran as fast as I could toward Elena's parents' home. Their house wasn't on fire — for a second, I saw a glimmer of hope… but then…" their bodies lay in the dirt. A soldier had already killed them.
My feet froze where they were. Fury burned through my breath, which was made of ash.
I turned around instantly. I started running back to Elena. When I reached my home, what I saw... it broke me.
The sound of horses' hooves came first. From the kitchen window, I saw the soldiers coming over the hill, as if darkness itself was flowing—in black armor, their faces hidden by iron masks. Behind them were fire. And death.
They entered our village—setting fire to every house, without any hurry. People were running and being killed, but I couldn't do anything. This wasn't war. This was clearly genocide.
I quickly grabbed my hunting bow. My hands were shaking. I was not a soldier. I was a carpenter. A brother. A lover. Who made toys. But today, I had to become a wall for two people—for Elena and Mira.
And in that moment… I remembered her voice.
Mira had come back and hugged me, trembling.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
I bent down and held her tight.
"You have to go," I said softly. "Nothing will happen to me. Trust your brother."
She nodded. Then Elena came behind her—fear on her face, but courage in her eyes.
She kissed me. Her tears were salty on my lips.
"Come back…"
"Promise," I lied—because some lies are born of love.
Just then, the first soldier advanced towards me.
That soldier was terrifying. Heavy iron armor, a sword covered in blood. Two more were behind him—ready, they didn't look like humans.
"Where are the others?" the first one said—in English, but with a heavy accent. "We know there are others hiding."
I raised my bow, aimed directly at his chest.
"Only me," I said.
And then I shot.
The arrow went into his neck, his mask turned red. He fell.
Then the other two pounced on me.
I shot another arrow, hitting the second one's shoulder. Then the bow was broken. A fist-fight broke out. They were trained. I was just a man who loved his family.
I killed one soldier with his own dagger. The other cut my back, but I choked him until his neck bone broke.
After that... something awakened inside me. Not anger, something else. Fire.
I kept falling. Kept killing. One by one, they fell.
I was not a soldier. But on that day... I became a monster.
I saw—the villagers were being dragged away. Mrs. Henley, Tom the blacksmith, the minister.
And then Elena.
I got very scared seeing Elena. My heart started beating very fast. I could only see Elena and Mira.
When I saw her—she was on her knees in the dirt, her hands tied. I thought, Why did she come back? And where is Mira?
The commander got off his horse—silver hair, eyes like ice. He said something to Elena, then slapped her.
Elena spat out blood. Still, there was fire in her eyes. My brave Elena.
I screamed, running, killing everyone. I kept running.
They were all attacking me at once,
but I didn't back down.
I was fighting them with my full power.I couldn't even understand it myself—was I always this strong from the very beginning...?
I ran 20 paces, then someone hit me on the head. I fell to the ground—the taste of dirt and blood.
They dragged me and made me kneel. And the commander's intentions didn't look good.
"Please... no..." I said.
He heard, then laughed.
"It feels better when the husband is watching."
What happened after that... became the biggest nightmare of my life. Their laughter. Elena's eyes—which looked at me with love until the very end, with tears in her eyes.
I screamed. Broke my hands. Begged them. But they didn't stop.
And when they stopped, Elena was lying in the dirt—breathing softly.
The commander took out his sword.
"Watch," he said. "Remember, your weakness killed her. And ask her last word."
Elena said—
"This is not your fault," I said. "Do you hear me? This is not your fault."
"I love you so—"
And then...
He cut her throat.
In that moment... something inside me broke. Not my heart, not my mind. But the part that believed there was justice in the world.
I don't remember how I took their sword. I don't remember how I cut them.
I only remember how I kept killing the soldiers, one by one.
I killed 12 of them. No... not 12. More than 50. My hands were raw. My thumb was cut. But the sword didn't stop. One by one they fell.
But it was not enough. It will never be enough.
The commander stood over me—I was on the ground, broken, but my eyes were still alive.
"Impressive," he said. "We need people like this in the arena."
(I didn't even have the strength left to lift my hand now.)
"Chain him up."
"Fresh blood for the arena."
They were dragging me away... when I saw Elena for the last time.
Her hair... was spread out in the dirt. Her face was peaceful.
Only one thought echoed in my mind:
I will kill you. Kill you.
And looking up at that calm sky, I made a vow—
"That night, I didn't just lose her... I started to lose my humanity too."