ARIS'S SIN : slave path

Fear... It crawls in darkness, carried by the unknown. It kills the man yet keeps him alive, leaving him to wonder… slowly perishing. A man who knows nothing is prey to fear, but a madman is invincible. For only one who knows too much... can be called mad.

And Heinrich… he fears neither men nor monsters, for he is a madman.

He does not fear the consequences of his actions. Here he is daring to camp in the open, his fire shine like a beacon for those who desire his blood. He lies beside it, stretched out on the ground, snoring like a pig.

Next to him sat the boy, wide awake under the dark sky, surrounded by drifting cinders. It wasn't the snoring that kept him up. It was his plan.

He waited. Waited for Heinrich to sleep so he could kill him.

His small hands clenched a rough stone. Slowly, he crept behind the man, raising the rock…

"You never told me why you want to kill me." Heinrich's voice broke the silence. He didn't move, didn't even turn to look.

The boy hesitated, then dropped the stone and sat down. "Like you don't know."

Heinrich finally turned his head slightly. "I know a better reason than whatever nonsense you've come up with."

The boy narrowed his eyes. "And what's that?"

"Not until you tell me yours."

The boy hugged his knees, his voice low. "You hurt my mother… and I'll kill you for that."

Heinrich exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "I've hurt a lot of people. A lot of people wanted me dead… but here I am. You'll need a better reason."

The boy lay down on the cold ground, staring at the sky. "If I kill you… my mother will love me."

That made Heinrich sit up, intrigued. "Oh? So, you want your mommy's love? And how exactly does killing me get you that?"

The boy's voice wavered, but he spoke anyway. "My mother hates me. She's always smiling, always cheerful when taking orders, but when she looks at me, she frowns. She never looks me in the eyes. Never hugs me."

"I'm pretty sure you don't understand what's going on", said Heinrich

The kid continued "I can tell… she doesn't want me around. She despises me. And sometimes, late at night, I hear her crying… wishing she never gave birth to me..."

Heinrich sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's that got to do with me? Did she tell you to kill me?"

"No, she didn't." the boy chook his head

"Then why are you here?" Heinrich bothered

The boy took a stick and started drawing on the ground "I noticed… sometimes, she looks at her missing finger. There's sorrow in her eyes when she does. Then, the other day, I heard some Ravens mention your name at the restaurant. And when I looked at her, she was terrified…staring at that missing finger." He looked forward "So I followed the Ravens until I found you."

Heinrich laughed. "So you think if you kill me, she'll love you? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

The boy glared. "I don't need your opinion. I'm free to think whatever I want."

Heinrich's smirk faded slightly. "free" his eyes widened "that's a great thing to say you know … 'Think'… 'want'… 'act'… You're making choices. Taking action. Like a free man." He nodded. "And you almost died like one."

The boy frowned. "Yeah? So?"

"So… I like that. I like that beliefs can pass through blood. I'm a free man… glad you will be too."

"What the hell are you talking about, you old rat?" the kid shouted

Heinrich leaned back and smiled. "I tell you what .. how about I give you the real reason your mother hates you? … but.."

The boy's breath hitched. "…But?"

Heinrich reached his hand to the boy "But first, you have to prove you're willing to pay the price for knowledge."

"And what's that?" the boys asked in hesitation

Heinrich grinned. "That will be…"

*** "madness" ***

Otto said to himself after a reckless idea crossed his mind as the Pale Siren approached the cabin.

He took a glance at the woman, struggling to suppress her cries of pain, and the little girl, wide-eyed with fear and confusion.

His thoughts were a mess, scrambled under the crushing weight of pressure. But one thing was clear… he needed to act, fast.

One fact he was sure about it, he needs to make a decision, which break the most important rule in his life … obeying orders.

"Madness," Otto muttered again to himself.

He exhaled sharply, then stood. Meeting the woman's gaze for a brief moment, he turned and walked to the door, the wooden floor creaking beneath his steps.

Then, with one final deep breath… he stepped outside.

The Pale Siren stood still as it watched a free meal walking towards its claws, what a lucky day.

Otto walked out with a single thought in mind, lure the beast away, lose it, then return to help the mother.

Not the brightest plan. But it still good enough. the only problem is that Otto wasn't sure how to make it happen.

With a swift motion, Otto loaded a fresh "Kraujo Ašaros" magazine into his gun and made some distance.

The night was calm.

The sky was dark.

Their eyes met.

And then… BANG!

A shot rang out… followed by another and another…

The beast shrieked in agony, it tried to shield itself using the long arms. But Otto's bullets tore through its flesh, forcing out more and more horrific screams.

He reloaded. Fired again. Aimed at different spots, but…

 "9mm rounds are too small to do a critical damage. It will only make small injuries… maybe that's enough to drive it off" Otto thought.

CLICK… Empty… CLICK…

The gun is empty…

He quickly reached into his pocket, but… nothing.

His stomach sank. his face paled

No more "Kraujo Ašaros"…

And regular bullets are no good against monsters. it can't even scratch the skin...

His grip tightened around the black knife at his belt… but no. He wouldn't get close enough to use it.

A long silence stretched between them.

The Pale Siren slowly lowered its arms, staring at Otto with an unreadable expression.

Then… It screeched…

Its hooves hit the ground, muscles tensing to charge.

Otto felt his pulse pounding through his ears.

Then… suddenly… the beast stopped.

It hesitated… Then turned away.

Otto let out a shaky, relieved chuckle. "It's leaving." He said…

little did he know… the monster wasn't leaving…

The Pale Siren stomped toward a nearby dead tree.

Otto watched, confused, as it tore off a thick, heavy branch.

Then, His face paled again as he saw it, branch in hand, the creature returned… then, kneeled and start drawing on the ground.

Otto's breath caught.

The scratching stopped.

The Pale Siren stood again, gripping and tapping the branch against its own palm.

Otto hesitated, then shifted his gaze to the ground.

The letters were jagged, uneven, written in a trembling hand.

R… U… N…

Otto looked back up.

The monster was smiling.

A deep, knowing grin stretched across its face.

A mocking smile.

Otto paled. "Oooh."

******

Surrounded by a hail of bullets, Badro and Jasper couldn't just keep hiding behind the rusted car.

They fired back.

But there was nowhere to run… trapped between the rusted car and a pile of wrecked vehicles, their options were thinning fast.

Badro tried to count the number of Owls attacking them, but the blinding darkness made it impossible.

"Watch out!" Jasper shouted.

A massive figure climbed the cars pile behind them and lunged.

Badro dodged, but Jasper wasn't as lucky… the man tackled him, knocking his gun loose.

Badro raised his pistol to help, but a gun fire forced him to dive for another cover as Jasper wrestled on the ground.

Badro sprinted toward a safer spot…

BANG… A bullet tore through his leg.

His stride faltered, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on.

BANG… his arm.

BANG… his side.

BANG… his shoulder.

Stumbling, he finally threw himself behind an old rusted car, rolling to a stop. His back slammed against the metal as he gasped for breath.

A movement…

He turned… two silhouettes approaching fast.

No hesitation… he fired.

One Owl dropped instantly. The other scrambled for cover.

"You think I'll just lie down and die?" Badro snarled.

He kept his gun close and pulled a pocket knife, digging into his wounds to pull the bullets out, forcing himself to stay calm despite the searing pain.

A shot rang out… But it only hit his coat.

The owl tried to shoot… but he found only the coat he shot

Something shifted behind…the owl turned

Badro came out of nowhere… charged with a metal pipe

CRACK.

The Owl crumpled.

***

Meanwhile, a little farther away, Jasper and his opponent were still locked in a brutal struggle, fists flying as they rolled across the dirt.

But Jasper was losing.

His hands blindly searched for a weapon… anything. The Owl had him in a chokehold, tightening with every second.

His fingers brushed against something.

A screwdriver.

With a desperate swing, he struck…

But missed the neck.

The Owl caught Jasper's wrist and twisted.

Jasper screamed.

But through the pain, he saw an opening…

His free hand shot up, grabbed the man's collar, and…

CRACK.

A brutal headbutt shattered the Owl's nose.

The Owl stumbled back, blood streaming down his face.

The both men stood swaying like if they were drunk.

The man went mad an swiped his blood with his palms

Then the man's hands clenched in fury as his blood burned.

Jasper's eyes widened as the droplets turned to floating embers.

"Oy, oy!! ain't no way that's fair, man," he panted.

***

Badro flicked his fingers, and his wounds sealed.

***

The Owl lunged with fiery fists, throwing a flurry of rapid, crushing blows.

Jasper dodged… barely.

a punch missed and struck a car in the bottom of vehicles pile.

The metal glowed red-hot from the impact, embers scattering into the night.

Jasper swallowed hard. One wrong move, and he's as good as a stake.

***

Badro tried firing at the Owls standing atop the junk piles, but his ammo was running low. The distance and darkness made his shots unreliable.

***

Jasper dodged another punch. Then another. But every punch melted the car side more as it hit… the vehicles pile Shaked…

The Owl reared back, gathering all his strength for a final, bone-breaking strike…

Jasper smirked.

The Owl hesitated.

Jasper jumped back…

And the entire pile of cars came crashing down.

Metal screeched. Dust exploded into the air.

The Owl disappeared beneath the wreckage.

Jasper landed hard on his back, breathless, then let out a shaky chuckle.

A sharp whistle caught his attention… Badro signaled something with his hands.

Jasper squinted. "What? I can't see your damn hands, man!"

Badro groaned. "Lead my gun, you dumbf*!"

"Oh. Right. Gimme a sec."

Jasper glanced around, spotting a faint glow.. the melted car still radiating heat inside the wrecked pile.

Grinning, he tore a mirror off a wrecked vehicle.

Holding it up, he carefully angled the beam of light… The reflection flashed across the junkyard, illuminating the perched Owls one by one.

Badro smirked.

BANG… One down.

BANG… One by one

Jasper pinpointed, Badro shot, the Owls dropped…

Then click… out of ammo.

"that one's running!" Jasper yelled.

"Oh, hell nah," Badro growled.

Without hesitation, he reached into his mouth… And tore out a tooth.

With a sharp flick of his fingers, he shot it like a bullet.

The speeding fang struck the last fleeing Owl right in the skull… dropping him instantly.

"Did you just…" jasper blinked

"Yeah, I am going to live on porridge for a while" Badro shrugged.

Jasper sighed. "I guess that's the last one"

"how many of them again " Badro asked

 After few seconds, jasper counted "nine, they were nine"

"Alright, just get the damn tire and let's get outta here" jasper walked in pain, hoping the wounds still sealed...

******

Like a reindeer fleeing a wolf, Otto ran.

The Pale Siren chased him down, gripping a massive branch like a golf club.

For nearly an hour, Otto had been running at full speed.

And it was almost amusing… watching a prey push itself beyond its limits to survive.

But what was truly surprised … was how fast this human could run.

Yet… The gap between them was closing.

Otto's stamina was fading.

His breaths came ragged. Sweat chilled his skin. His muscles screamed.

Desperate, he threw his gaze across the barren horizon.

Nothing… but sand and few scattered rocks standing ahead.

No shelter… No where to hide.

The monster loomed closer, branch raised high…

And struck…

The impact sent Otto flying.

Agony exploded through his leg as he crashed, rolling across the ground before slamming to a stop.

A sharp, burning pain… Otto's leg was broken.

He screamed, the sound ripping from his throat. His stomach lurched, nausea twisting in his gut.

Then… He noticed…

The wound on his chest (sealed shut earlier by Badro) had torn open. Blood seeped through his clothes.

Fighting against the pain, Otto forced himself up, hopping on one leg…

But the beast was already swinging again….

a second blow… a second blow crashed into him, sending him slamming into the jagged rocks ahead.

A sickening laugh echoed through the night.

Adrenaline kept Otto conscious, but the pain was unbearable. He felt his ribs shattered.

Then… Otto saw it

A narrow opening between two rocks.

Crawling through the searing pain, Otto dragged himself toward it.

The Pale Siren charged again… with its twisted laughs …

Otto reached out, fingers clawing at the edge of the crack…

pulling himself in…

 It stroked…

The branch slammed into the rock…

Dust erupted into the air…

Silence…

Then… a twisted, guttural laugh.