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❝𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏! 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐌𝐄, 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄!❞
The cries of a boy echoed throughout the orange wood. The late-night air was crisp and cool with hints of autumn's arrival. However, the seasons didn't seem so forgiving this year.
A small group of bandits cornered him against an old oak tree. They were armed to the teeth, while he only had his two hands for defense. One bandit held a knife threateningly towards him, glinting under the moonlight. Another brandished a sword menacingly at his throat while the other three stood behind them, ready to strike.
Their leader stared down at him through slitted eyes. They were the only visible features beneath their bandanas that covered most of their faces. Their beady eyes reflecting nothing but malice.
The boy could tell they weren't going to let up until they got what they wanted. And it wasn't money. It was evident that he could barely afford a meal these days.
He'd have been better off selling himself into slavery than being held at knifepoint by these thugs. Then he might've had a chance.
But no such luck.
These men were skilled fighters. Well-trained soldiers if one could look past their roguish appearances. Not to mention the scars that decorated their bodies. Clear signs that violence came naturally to them.
He couldn't outrun them either. Cons of both being a kid and having little stamina left after scrounging his town for food all day, he supposed. He knew running would get him nowhere. But neither did standing there like a fool waiting for death to come.
His options seemed bleak.
All he could do was hope fate favored him tonight and that she would grant him mercy, even if it were the slightest bit.
"Please, I beg of you...." the boy whimpered as tears began forming in his eyes. "Spare me..."
The bandit holding the knife tilted his head—a mocking and cruel gleam in his eyes. Then he tightened his grip on the blade, pressing it closer to the boy's skin.
"You're begging? You pathetic worm?" The man sneered. "I'm surprised a woman gave birth to something as weak and pitiful as yourself."
This remark made the boy flinch. Even though he tried hard not to show it, the insult stung. As if he needed another reminder that he was worthless.
"What sort of man decided to bed her?" added the bandit holding the sword to his throat. "A bloody idiot if you ask me. Or better yet, a coward whose balls shriveled away once he found out she was carrying a child. That's probably why your father abandoned you, too, right?"
