Many say that the price of having great ambitions is facing failure.
But what many don't say is that even after overcoming failures and catching a glimpse of victory, you will still face several obstacles, and these obstacles are those that don't want to see you win.
Having grand ambitions, such as the pursuit of wealth, fame, power, or even the pursuit of love, will bring serious consequences, whether you are a winner or a loser.
If you decide to pursue wealth, it means taking it from the hands of others or conquering it for yourself, attracting the envy of those who are richer than you, and the wrath of the poorer, who will blame you for their miseries.
If you seek fame, it means that your presence will overshadow the brilliance of those who live in glamour and remove them from their fragile, illusory pedestals…
If you pursue power, as soon as you stand out from the others by exercising your new authority, many will challenge you. Whether it's to prove their own worth, or to prevent you from ever surpassing them…
As for chasing love… That shouldn't even be included as an ambition, but the more beautiful the damsel you pursue, the more terrible enemies you will make…
For every obstacle overcome, three more will appear in your path.
For every three obstacles overcome, six enemies will be created.
For every six enemies defeated, twelve families will seek revenge against you…
It's an endless cycle of struggles, victories, and defeats…
A cycle I never aspired to participate in…
And that's something I deeply regret…
If I had known I would be executed today at only 16 years old, I would have been more ambitious, I would have aspired to more than just living a quiet life, I would have dreamed bigger, I would have desired power, even if it meant repeatedly risking my life or stepping on others…
As I reflect on my life choices, I observe the other boys beside me, who will also be executed. We are all kneeling with our hands tied behind our backs. In front of us is a small, dark ravine; it may seem small from one side to the other, but don't underestimate its depth. The setting sun in the west barely illuminates its bottom…
People call this type of ravine a Little Gorge, Little Streak, or even popularly, a Little Crack. They are small ravines branching off from a Secondary Scar. This is the perfect place to dispose of our bodies and avoid anyone looking for us. That's because the monsters that live in this place will surely devour our corpses…
As I take my eyes off the dark Crack in front of me, I look to my left, observing the various other boys from Blackwood Village. They are in the same situation as me, all ranging in age from 15 to 18, and I realize that I am the last in this execution line. I should be first if the execution order were reversed.
In this kind of situation, would it be easier to die first? Or to die last? The downside of dying last is being forced to watch everyone else die first, but the advantage is the small hope that I would gain more time alive until something happens, perhaps being saved by some hero who happens to pass by?
"Heh, who am I trying to fool? There are no heroes in this world. The Scar World is a place where only cowards have prospered… No one will come to save us!"
I almost said it aloud while letting out a somewhat psychotic laugh…
After all, the only authority near the Village who could prevent this injustice that is about to happen would be the leader of the Blackwood Village…
But the person who gathered us here today to execute us is precisely the eldest son and heir of that person…
And the reason for Zack to kill us? His own dangerous ambitions to gain more power…
"You all know why you're here today, right?"
Zack Blackwood, the eldest son of the Village leader, asked in a loud tone while gesturing with his hands and maintaining a sarcastic smile on his face as he observed the terror on the faces of the kneeling and bound boys.
He didn't wait for anyone to answer and continued his speech, answering his own question.
"You are all here today because you are all of the right age to be eligible for the Kingdom's Scar Conferring Ceremony, which will take place in two days…"
"Zack, what does this mean? You know we can talk…"
"Zack, please spare me!"
"Zack, I swear I won't participate in the Ceremony!"
"Zack, I'm leaving Blackwood Village right now!"
"Young Master Zack, if you desire one of the three spots in the Ceremony, who am I to stop you? Just say what you need, and I, your humble servant, will fulfill your wish!"
11 boys were kneeling and bound, including Nolan himself. And half of them begged Zack, hoping he would believe their words…
But Nolan knew the ruthless young man well, and he knew he wouldn't risk trusting any of the boys there; their fates were already sealed even before Zack's final words confirmed it.
"The only thing I want from you is your deaths!"
"NO, I BEG YOU!"
"PLEASE!"
"ZACK, WE WERE CLOSE WHEN WE WERE KIDS!"
"SILENCE!"
"Pow"
"Punch"
The three boys, who were screaming for mercy once again, suffered heavy blows to their heads at the hands of Zack's bootlicking henchmen, making them groan in pain and almost fall into the dark ravine in front of them.
This served as a signal for the others who had chosen to remain silent, and they began to shed tears of despair.
Zack's two henchmen were familiar figures to Nolan and the others; they were sycophants who glorified him daily and followed him like loyal trained dogs. Now, with the death of all the other young boys of Blackwood Village, they would join Zack in the Scar Conferral Ceremony.
The Scar Conferral Ceremony was a special event that occurred every three years in remote, inhospitable villages like the one they currently lived in. During this ceremony, a representative of the Scarmith Kingdom would come to the village and, through a fair draw, choose three young people aged 15 to 18 to receive three items considered miraculous, greatly increasing the chance of surviving injuries and obtaining a Scar.
In this world, suffering any injury meant a 90 percent chance of death. But if you were one of the lucky 10 percent who managed to survive, you could gain power through the Scar you obtained.
However, Zack Blackwood, the son of the leader of Blackwood Village, was unwilling to accept a fair draw and share the rare chance of gaining power with the other 11 young boys of the village.
And that was why everyone was in this deadly situation now. Zack aimed to obtain one of the three spots by eliminating all those who could compete against him for them!
Even though most of the young people didn't really want to risk being injured during the Scar Conferring Ceremony in pursuit of power, Zack couldn't risk losing the only chance he would have in life; therefore, he had the necessary cruelty to kill everyone who was there, including the innocent, to pursue his ambitions.
After beating the three young people who tried to plead with Zack, he smiled and finally said the words that no one in line wanted to hear:
"Alright, let's begin the executions…"