Chapter Four
"Death… death will consume all… death… death will consume all…"
The words would not stop echoing in Gazel's head.
They repeated again and again, gnawing at him.
He was disturbed. Deeply.
Could it even be called a nightmare?
If he thought carefully, he had not woken from it naturally. He had collapsed. Crushed by a primal fear he could not explain. What followed was that absurd, terrifying vision.
That demonic figure. That voice.
"Death… death will consume all."
"Hey, Gazel. Wanna have some fun?"
The eager voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Gazel turned his head and saw Jarren standing at the doorway, smiling brightly, waving him over like nothing in the world could ever go wrong.
Gazel stared at him for a moment.
Then he stood up and walked right past him.
Jarren blinked.
"Hey. Come back here," he called, quickly chasing after him. "Do you want to play Sky Break today?"
No reply.
Gazel kept walking.
Jarren walked beside him, poking, teasing, throwing comments, trying everything he could think of. None of it worked.
After several failed attempts, Jarren sighed.
He seriously considered knocking Gazel on the head to reset him back to normal. He decided against it.
"I will leave him alone," Jarren muttered. "He will fix himself."
Minutes later, Gazel sat atop a cliff.
Below him stretched a wild expanse of jungle, endless and alive.
Beyond it roared the ocean, waves crashing against stone. Birds chirped. Creatures called. Life filled the air.
Gazel noticed none of it.
His thoughts were locked onto a single word.
Death.
"Death will consume all."
What message was that thing trying to convey?
Was it a demon? A devil?
He pondered it again and again, tearing at the sentence, trying to force meaning out of it. No matter how hard he tried, there was nothing. Just emptiness.
Morning blurred into afternoon. Afternoon slipped into evening.
The sun dipped toward the horizon.
Gazel remained seated, staring at the setting sun, his expression bleak.
"What the hell was that devil talking about?" he muttered.
He had no answer.
"Here you are."
Gazel turned slightly.
Jarren walked up and sat beside him on the cliff, legs dangling over the edge, eyes on the horizon.
They sat in silence for a while.
"What's wrong with you?" Jarren finally asked.
Gazel glanced at him, then shrugged.
"I was thinking about a devil's word."
Jarren blinked. "What word?"
Gazel shrugged again, his voice calm, detached.
"Death."
Jarren stared at him. "You mean you have been thinking about death this whole time?"
Gazel nodded.
Jarren looked stunned. He shook his head slowly.
"You have finally lost it," he said. "Did I thrash you too hard yesterday?"
There was worry on his face.
Gazel knew it was mostly fake.
"Tch."
Gazel scoffed. "You know I am not joking."
Jarren studied him for a long moment, eyes sharp, serious. Then he smiled and looked back at the setting sun.
"Well, everyone dies one day," he said casually. "So what is there to be scared of?"
He stretched lazily.
"Besides, I plan to live a really long life. Maybe a couple hundred years."
Gazel stared at him.
Stunned.
Then again, maybe he should not be. His older brother was insane.
Yes, everyone would die one day. Gazel knew that.
But the words spoken by that devil did not mean that.
They meant something else.
Something far worse.
"Hey, Gazel!" Jarren called out.
Gazel turned. The mischievous grin on his brother's face made his heart skip a beat. That expression.... reckless, wild.... was exactly his own when he was planning something insane.
"Everyone will die one day," Jarren said, raising his hand. He held a locket. Gazel's locket. "But you might die today."
Gazel froze.
"This belongs to you," Jarren continued.
"Proof you stole sis's golden hairpin. What do you think will happen when she finds out?"
"Death," Gazel muttered.
Jarren grinned, nodded, and disappeared, vanishing into the forest with the speed of a shadow.
Gazel didn't hesitate. Forget the nightmare. If Jarren delivered that locket to their sister, the nightmare waiting for him would be far worse than any dream.
He gave chase.
Gazel was faster, more agile, more precise than Jarren, but his older brother had the initial advantage. For several meters, Gazel could not close the gap.
His heart pounded as he saw the manor in the distance.
His chest tightened. If Jarren made it inside first, he would see death.... his sister's wrath.... and that thought ignited every ounce of resolve in him.
"Stop!" Gazel roared.
He charged. Speed, momentum, force... all combined.... and collided with Jarren as they smashed through the manor's entrance. They tumbled across the floor in a chaotic roll.
"Ouch," Gazel groaned, clutching his head.
Suddenly, a chorus of voices exploded around him. Familiar, joyful, bright.
Colorful petals rained down, carpeting the floor.
Blinking, Gazel realized what was happening. Birthday songs?
His birthday. He had forgotten. The nightmare must have clouded his mind.
Rising to his feet, he saw them: his family. Warm smiles, radiant faces.
Colorful silks flowing around them, white being the most abundant. Even Jarren has joined them, drumming an erratic rhythm in celebration.
Warmth spread through Gazel's chest.
His mother approached, her long black hair shining, porcelain skin glowing in the sun's last light. She handed him a woven cloth and gloves.
"Winter is coming. Stay warm, stay safe, dear," she said.
Gazel smiled and nodded. She kissed his forehead.
His older sister followed. Pouting, she looked at him.
"You're growing too fast. Soon, you'll be as tall and handsome as Dad. How is that fair?"
Gazel smiled back.
"Don't forget, I'll be strong too… to protect myself from—" He stopped, catching himself before ruining the joyful moment.
"Protect yourself from who?" Karren asked, curious.
Gazel gulped. "Oh… I mean I'll be strong to protect everyone. Especially my beautiful sister."
Karren nodded, satisfied. She handed him a ring, metallic with the image of a worm.
"That's my gift for you. Cherish it."
Gazel wanted to complain about the worm motif.... what if he tried fishing again.... but he smiled and accepted it.
"Of course. I'll cherish it with all my heart."
Karren nodded, then stepped back, making way for Jarren.
His older, ever-annoying brother rubbed his head. "You're really growing, little bro. Soon, you might even rival Father in monstrous physique."
Gazel frowned. "Why does that sound like jealousy instead of praise?"
Jarren coughed and shook his head. "Too hasty. Listen to this part."
He pulled out the locket... Gazel's locket.... and handed it back.
"That's my present. Cherish it, little bro."
Then Jarren turned and left, leaving Gazel speechless.
His own brother… had just given him back his locket and called it a present. That deserved a lesson.
Gazel clenched his fists, a smirk forming. He would make sure Jarren learned his place.
TO BE CONTINUED....