I was stunned and completely lost. Grandpa's over reaction to my simple question left me on edge it didn't make any sense.
I'd never seen him both furious and terrified at the same time.
He let out a heavy, sad sigh and slowly pulled his hand off my shoulder. His voice came out low, almost like he couldn't finish the sentence: "I'm sorry… it's just…"
Then his tone suddenly sharpened: "We'll talk about this later. Right now, go to bed and get some rest."
"Why won't you tell me now?"
He gave me angry look and repeated "I said go to sleep. Now!"
I left feeling annoyed and didn't say another word. I threw myself onto the bed.
"What's wrong with this old man? Why's he acting like he saw a ghost?" I muttered to myself.
I stayed awake for a while lost in my thoughts until I finally fell asleep.
The next morning I woke up cursing my wrecked mattress again: "Agh this fucking bed"
I sat up rubbing my aching back "It should buy a new one by the end of the day"
I got out of my room looking for Grandpa, but he wasn't there.
"Where the hell is he?" I grumbled, scratching my head in irritation. I am used to finding him already cooking at this hour.
He always woke up early, makes breakfast first, then heads out to work on the farms.
I scratched my head then I looked around the kitchen
"Looks like I've got no choice."
What I found is just some bread so I sighed "Better than nothing, I guess."
I ate a little, then sat by the front door thinking to myself.
"Why isn't that old man here? Did I bother him so much that he just… left me?"
The thought actually scared me for a second, but the worry vanished the moment I saw him walking up the path with some stuff wrapped in cloth slung over his back.
I smiled and set up to greet him: "Morning, Grandpa where-"
But before I could finish, he cut me off in a serious tone: "Pack a few things and follow me."
"Huh?" I said annoyed, but I couldn't argue, afraid he will leave me for real.
-------------------
Meanwhile, rumors were flying through the city were some shocking, some wildly exaggerated and the whole place was starting to feel worried.
In a massive military fortress in the city's center, a soldier, Officer Sai, approached Commander Morgan's door.
Sai announced, knocking forcefully on the door, "Commander, I have the report you requested."
"Get in," The commander's reply.
As Officer Sai entered the room, there was Commander Morgan sitting at his desk, holding a cigarette.
With a stern expression, black hair, taut muscles, a distinctive scar over one eye, and a powerful presence, Commander Morgan looked at the report annoyed.
He muttered before addressing Sai directly,
"These bastards always manage to ruin my time."
"So, you're telling me this rumors are spreading like wildfire in the city, ?"
"Yes, sir," confirmed Sai, sighing.
"Our informants have verified these rumors."
Then he added "The village mentioned in the report, Avaghida, has already been wiped out."
Commander Morgan took a long puff from his cigarette, exhaling slowly as he processed the news.
"Avaghida village... what a tragedy," he said with a sigh.
Blowing out smoke, Morgan continued,
"We need to act fast to prevent panic to spread more the city."
"But first, go to Elina and tell her to assemble a team to investigate the village."
"Understood ill let her know" Sai replied then saluting before leaving the office.
As the door closed behind him, Commander Morgan leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
"Fuck i was about to travel this week," he muttered to himself.
A few hours later, Officer Sai moved quickly to meet Captain Elina,
"Captain Elina, we need to talk" Sai announced as he approached her quarters.
He knocked on the door, waiting for her response.
The door opened to reveal Captain Elina, with her beautiful long red hair and blue eyes
Her body was mature and seductive, with a charming look she wore a long yellow dress that made her look beautiful.
"Oh Sai ? What's the problem." Elina asked.
Sai quickly told her about what happened in Avaghida and that commander Morgan asked her to make a team to investigate.
"I'll gather the team," she responded.
Sai nodded then looked at her worried " Thank you captain, please take care and be safe "
-------------------
I was panting from exhaustion as I moved with my grandfather.
"Grandpa, where the hell are we going?" I asked.
He answered calmly, "We're going to Deepwood forset."
I stared at him with wide, blank eyes like a fish. "Why the hell are we going to the forest? I'm fucking hungry and I am tired already"
He just ignored me and stayed silent. I muttered to myself, "fuck what's wrong with him today."
After almost two hours, we reached a large hut in the middle of the forest.
The hut was crumbling and gave off a strange vibe. About two meters away, a river flowed. The sounds of birds and the rustling breeze were clear, but they didn't ease my anxiety.
My grandfather sat down his belongs and ordered, "Wait here."
I sat on a rock in front of the hut, panting. "Ah, damn it… I'm dying."
He came out carrying a rusty golden sword and tossed it in front of me. "Take this sword and chop a hundred tree trunks every day. You'll stay here for a few months."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Huh!"
"Why the hell do I have to do this? Do you think I can handle this shit? I can barely move, I am starving and how the fuck am I supposed to use this rusty sword to chop a tree trunks! Are you crazy?"
"And not just that, what about the merchants and the herbs I have to gather in the coming days!"
He looked at me annoyed. "Do as I say and don't talk too much."
Then he added, "You'll need to escape the city soon anyway, so work hard in the coming days."
"Escape? Why?" I thought in shock. "Are you scared of what I said yesterday? Haha, don't worry, Grandpa. I'm sure they're just a pack of wolves, nothing crazy there."
He sat calmly in front of me and sighed. "Look there's a lot you don't know. Have I ever told you what happened to your parents?"
I froze, thinking fast. "What do you mean?"
He looked at me with a mix of pity and sadness and explained something that weighed heavily on my chest. "You might not understand the terror of the chaos is, but it brings nothing but destruction and death."
I pressed my chest in tight. "W-what… what is the Chaos?"
"I cant explain that for you yet."
He sighed and then stood up. "I will let you train your body a little bit for a while so you can stand a chance at least a little"
"I'll be back tomorrow. I expect to see those hundred trunks ready."
He pointed east. "There's food in this bag and a river nearby for water so good luck"
He smiled at me then he left without saying another word.
I sat alone in the dark shocked, looking at his back as he went, not knowing what to think about anymore…