Jake stared at his mother's corpse in dumb silence. How had this happened? One moment they were talking and the next a powerful skill had killed her. How? This was how.
Ashen Outpost where his family lived and his father ruled as the leader was a small town with thick big walls that covered the bulk of the town to keep out the monsters.
It was made up of weak poor people who had come to the outposts when they heard that there was an outpost in the far east where their leader was not charging tax for protecting them.
Jake's father was a Middle Channeler Awakened learning water-making technique. And that was enough to provide shelter for his people and keep him from the many politics of the Doomhaven continent.
It wasn't enough.
"I'm tired of eating vegetables and water!" Jake snapped at his mother who just served him his breakfast for the morning.
His mother smiled warmly and ruffled his black hair. "You should manage this. You know your father and his hunters are working hard."
Jake snorted, putting a spoonful of green vegetables in his mouth. His father and his awakened hunters do work hard, he knew but they don't work hard enough in his estimation.
His father was always afraid to go into the wastelands or visit high-rank Crypts. The only low-rank crypt their outpodt has bearly provided enough food for the outpost.
Jake raised his brown eyes to his mother's own. "Next week when I reach twelve I want to become a battle Awakenr and learn battle techniques instead of water making."
His mother frowned. "You know your father prefers hunting with weapons instead of Awakened techniques and our outpost don't need it anyway, our walls keep any monsters that made it this far away and we are far away from any output or crypt eruption."
Jake rolled his eyes. He had heard this lecture before about how their outposts are about keeping the survivors safe and no need for battle techniques But Jake had dreams. Large Dreams. He wanted to be a grand hero. A wanderer Awakened who would roam the apocalypse world and slay monsters.
Jake looked around the wooden dining room with bored eyes. He knew he should be glad to be born to the family of the Ashen Outpost leaders, their house was the biggest and they had enough food and water. Even their clothes were clean if worn compared to the majority of the people in the outposts.
But Jake was dying of boredom. He was four when the apocalypse happened and anytime he was told about the "Dark Times" and how it was horrible and bloody it always got his blood pumping with excitement.
Then he glanced up guilty at his mother. His mother always worried about him and the mild disappointed look she always gave him when he talked about how their family deserved meat more than the sicky people of the output always grated on him and made him feel a little bit miserable.
"At least get yourself some meat to eat."' Jake's eyes flickered to his mother's stomach and he smiled. "For my little sister."
His mother brightened and her hands went to her stomach. Jake knew he could distract his mother with the talk of his unborn sister. "The healer took a look at her and she's doing well!"
Jake was excited about his unborn baby sister himself, his mother would have another person to worry about and it's not bad to have a little sister. A little sister looking up to you.
Jake imagined it. Him a legendary hero who saved his outpost and little sister to look up to him. A sudden thought occurred to him. He had to protect his little sister.
But how? His eyes slipped past his mother to the door to his father's room. Jake had seen a scroll in his father's chest one day and he was certain it was a battle technique.
Jake had to get his hand on the scroll before he Awakened and started learning the technique in secret.
"Have you thought about the name for....." An explosion reverberated far away, shaking the mansion and sending plates clattering.
Jake was on his feet fast his eyes on his mother who had put her hands on her stomach and was frowning. "What is that? Father?" Jake said but he doubted it.
His mother shook her head. "Certainly not your father, I haven't heard anything like...."
Fire laser the size of Jake's torso tore through the mansion, melting anything in it way, including Jake mother's head. Bloody meat with bits of hair and brain splattered and headless body tumbled to the floor with a dull thud.
Jake stared. And stared. And stared. He Stared at the body twitching before him. He stared, even as heat washed over him and fire began eating the mansion.
Nothing made sense. Where had the fire come from? Surely his mother and father had planned a prank on him because of his stubbornness.
His legs jerked him forward without his consent and he crotched before the headless body of his mother. Jake put his hand on her chest, but nothing. No heartbeat.
At first, he felt nothing then the pain came and Jake screamed. "Mum! Mum!"
He clutched her body and drew her close, body that was still warm, sorrow twisted him inside and he began to cry. Great sobs that turned to screams
"Dad? Dad! Where are you? You should be protecting her!"
Then Jake laughed, his laughter mixed with pain and hate. "What would you have done? Pore water on her enemy?"
Enemy? Enemy. Jake looked around. Someone had shot that fire. An Awakened. There was no battle Awakened in their outpost which means only one thing. Somebody or a group had come to their outposts for raiding.
"But why?" Jake screamed. They had nothing. The fire had gotten bigger now, rolling through the crumbled roof and smoke choked the air.
One portion of the wall collapsed, which forced Jake to stand up."Father. I must find father, he must have something to help mother. He must!"
He was about to run out of the room when the door to his father's room caught his eye. He ran towards it, the heat draining the oxygen in the room.
His father's room had started to burn too but he managed to hurl the chest out and removed the technique's scroll.
The wall to the door collapsed, blocking his way of escape. Jake laughed with insanity, his mother was dead and probably his father as well, and now he was next.
He gazed at the technique scroll. All he ever wanted was the power to protect his own. And it had been torn away from him. Taken away brutality.
All he wanted now was power to take, as it was taken from him.
He wouldn't get the chance. The fire had covered the whole room now, creeping steadily toward him. He had lost it all.
He didn't know what made him do it, maybe it was the heat or his closeness to death but Jake crumbled the scroll and put it in his mouth.
At least he would die with the presence of learning battle techniques. It was a better imagination than what was happening.
He chewed the technique and his world turned upside down.