Son Of Fate

A Miraculous Event!

After about an hour.

Marcus is lying on the edge of a cliff, near the waterfall, beneath the shade of a large tree, lying on his back, hands crossed behind his head.

Marcus had his eyes closed, buried in concentration, attempting to recall and make sense of everything that had occurred.

Marcus began to nod off; the calm breeze and the faint sound of the wind around him; his body began to drift off...

"Marcus?" As she was near Marcus's face, Anne whispered.

"Ah!" exclaimed Marcus, startled.

"Oh, Anne! You frightened me!" Marcus exclaimed, uncomfortable chuckling.

Marcus' demeanor had altered, and Anne noticed it.

She knew that something was bothering him a lot.

She could also tell he was bewildered and disoriented.

"Sweetie...Would you like to speak to me about something?" Anne inquired, her head cocked, worried about Marcus.

Marcus paused before responding.

He didn't want to keep everything from Anne, so he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly while frowning.

"While my soul was separated from my body...I witnessed the memories of the night that changed everything."

"I tried again and again to forget about it."

"Trying to run away from it all..."

"Only to end up back in the same place."

Marcus's mood darkened more as he lowered his head to the ground.

"I was running in circles the whole time and had no idea..."

"I'm truly a coward."

"slaughtering innocent women, children, and men on that fateful day..."

"while trying to justify my rage by making excuses..."

"And attempting to convince myself that they 'deserved' it!"

Marcus's voice began to fill with remorse, and the agony in his voice was audible.

"I-If only I had listened to you that day!"

"If I had only listened to you and stayed behind..."

"Then none of this would've happened."

Marcus inhaled deeply and buried his feelings once more.

"I shouldn't have left you..." Marcus stated in a chilly tone, overwhelmed by all emotions and unable to show his sadness properly.

Marcus turned to face Anne and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't stop sobbing.

"W-Wait, Anne, I'm sorry, I--" Marcus was about to apologize, unaware of the true reason for her tears...

Anne lunged at Marcus, forcefully hugging him.

"IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT!" Anne placed her arm around his neck, drawing his head closer.

"It wasn't--" Anne struggled to finish her sentence because her voice was cracking, and she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Marcus felt guilty with himself for making her cry.

He held her back and smiled sweetly to ease her down...

"Thank you very much, Anne...That was exactly what I needed to hear." Marcus murmured, he was attempting to console Anne.