Andel and The Boy were silent and unmoving for a few moments, struggling to believe what they had just seen. The small boy they'd been living with for over a year had murdered the unconscious, defenseless Lori in cold blood.
No one in that alley doubted that Lori was dead for a second.
Andel, breaking the stillness, tackled the man off The Boy. Andel and the man wrestled on the ground, and it was up to The Boy to take down Ronnie and Soren.
"Get back before I stab you too!" Soren shakily shouted. "I'm not playing, don't you see?"
"You..." The Boy clenched his fist. "SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH YOUR WHINING ALREADY, DAMN!"
The Boy ran towards the trembling Soren and jumped into the air, drop-kicking the boy right in the face. The knife clattered across the ground, and he climbed onto Soren. He started assaulting him with relentless punches.
He screamed as he tore at Soren's flesh, like a wild ape. Rain started to fall, and the thunder covered up the noise in the alley. Not that anyone would come to the rescue, even if they could hear.
"You... are... cough... a demon," Soren made out.
"Well, that takes care of one problem!" Ronnie laughed, suddenly kicking The Boy off of Soren. "He actually thought I was letting him in the gang or something. A useless little brat like him? He really was dumb!"
The Boy lay on his back, staring into the sky. He turned his head to check on Andel, who was now being brutally beaten to a pulp. The clicking sound of the knife echoed through the air, and The Boy couldn't help but laugh.
"You seriously gonna use a knife right now?"
"Well, 'course I am. We already saw you can beat me fair and square."
"You're becoming a murderer because, what? I stole some money? I just don't get it..."
"Who said I'm becoming a murderer?"
"Tch, so this is a normal evening for you? You sick piece of—"
"You've got such an ego for a weak little runt. You think they look up to you? They just fear you, since you're a fuckin' demon or something. Everyone hates you."
The Boy started laughing. "That's funny, I was about to say the exact same thing about you!"
He jumped up from the ground and ran at Ronnie. His eyes widened, though, when it was Andel who was stabbed, not him. He fell to the ground, a puddle of blood forming from his stomach. The Boy looked back to the young man, who was collapsed on the floor with a rock next to his head.
Andel had fought off the man and then jumped in front of the blade.
"You idiot! I was gonna get stabbed in the hand or something and finish this idiot! Why'd you do that!? I was fine—"
Ronnie slammed the boy's head into the wall. "Fuck, that idiot couldn't finish a kid? Seriously?"
He bent down to grab the knife back from Andel, but with his last bit of strength, he held the knife tightly in his stomach. He struggled long enough for The Boy to regain his bearings and slam the wooden board into the back of Ronnie's head.
The board broke into pieces, and the two fell to the ground. They both lunged for the knife, but Ronnie got to it first, ripping it from Andel.
"I've won! I can finally get rid of this fucker!" Ronnie thought.
He brought the knife forwards, but The Boy stopped it by letting it stab through the palm of his hand. Catching Ronnie off-guard, he whaled punches into his face. The dozens of cuts and gashes from the earlier fight opened with each punch, sending blood everywhere.
Right as Ronnie was about to collect himself, The Boy kicked his groin with all his might, causing Ronnie to wail in pain.
"You monster! Get the fuck off me!" he shouted, pushing The Boy away. "Fuck, I'll do it! You were right! I'm a useless piece of shit! Just stop this already!"
The Boy stopped. "Who is he talking to? Me? What was I—"
From the rooftops, nearly a dozen cloaked men dropped down. The Boy couldn't believe his eyes.
"No way... who the hell!?"
"Ronnie, damn, kid. You're pathetic!" One of them laughed, slapping him on the back. "So is Tobi. Guys, look at him passed out over there. Looks like he took a rock to the head. Seriously, what an idiot!"
They laughed. Meanwhile, Lori and Andel's blood was washing away with the rain.
"Just kill that demon-fucker already!" Ronnie ordered.
"Don't forget, now. Your poppy ain't gonna be too happy about this, is he?"
"I said I'll give it to you, didn't I? Just do it!"
"Alright, alright. And all I gotta do is kill this little kid? How lucky..." The cloaked man stepped forwards, instantly appearing in front of The Boy. "You don't look like much... hm."
He spat in the man's face. "You need this many grown men to kill a runt?"
"Ha! Naw, only I get the honors!" he said, grabbing The Boy by his neck.
He raised The Boy up into the air, choking him. He scratched and clawed at the hand around his throat, but it was useless.
"Not like this! I won't die like this! I won't... DIE!"
"You..." he coughed.
A strange heat was building up inside of his chest. At first, he thought it was the regular anxiety and fear of battle. But it kept growing. A physical heat was emanating from his chest.
"Hm? Trying to say something?"
"You're... dead!"
The cloaked man's eyes showed uncertainty for a moment, then surprise. "Get down!" he yelled, throwing The Boy up into the air.
A bright light filled the air, followed by an intense heat. A roaring, instantaneous flame consumed the entire alley. It was only for a moment, though, and the rain continued to fall, quickly cooling the sizziling ground.
When The Boy opened his eyes, everyone, including Andel, Lori, Soren, and Ronnie, was gone. Instead, horrifying sillohuettes remained, plastered along the ground and walls of the alley. Unwashable sillohuettes, made from the intense heat flash-burning the surrounding surfaces.
The Boy clumsily clawed himself off the ground, coughing up blood.
"Did I do this...? Damn, the world... feels... like it's... spinning... I gotta... I gotta get outta here!"
He started sprinting as fast as he could to escape the crime scene. There was no doubt they'd have his head if it were discovered. There was only one place he could go: the army's post.
The knight lady had promised.