Hyram was a good kid he grew up in a village with his older brother, little sister, and his mother. His father left them after his sister was born. He was called in the war, but he never came back. Hyram was happy. He didn't know his father that well, but he still missed him sometimes. Life in their village was good. They had enough food and recourses, and they all cared and helped each other. It was peaceful until it wasn't. The server they lived on was at war. The opposing side came to their village. They killed most of the people, but some gut her on away, including Hyram and his sister Jessica. His older brother and his mother weren't fortunate enough to survive. The ones who survived run into the mines and barricaded the exit they needed to go lower. So they did. They have gone so far that they stumbled upon the ancient city. 'What is this place?' No one knew. A city? Multiple kilometres underground? Who built it? And what is that weird substance all over the walls and on the floor? One of the men stepped forward and opened a chest that was near the entrance. Once he opened it, he gasped, there were so much stuff. There were diamonds, gold tools, and armor. They decided to split up into small groups so they could explore the big area quicker. That didn't happened, a loud shriek was heard when someone made a sound. All of them agreed to be quiet since they didn't know what the sound was. All of them were whispering and were trying to be as quiet as possible. But it was bound to happen again. The sound. They maybe didn't know what it meant, but it couldn't be good. Hyram and Jessica were exploring the middle of the strange structure.
Jessica opened another chest full of valuables, but even the slightest sound the chest made was registered and instead of the shriek that was heard before people who weren't there to witnesses it heard a loud scream which was followed by heartbreaking cry. In that moment, Hyram saw something that would hunt his dreams forever and ever. A shriek happened, but once it started. The ground started shaking, and that 'thing' rose from it. It was tall, really tall. Its chest was hollow, and where you'd expect a heart, there was something sinister. It looked like the souls were trying to crawl out of the monsters ribs, it's as if it was a prison for the souls with no way to escape. Hyram was still not daring the breeth, but once Jessica turned around, it was all over. She let out a loud scream of terror, and once the monster heard it turned right at her. In that moment, it was as if the world was moving in slow motion. All of a sudden, the soul disappeared, and its ribs started to grow. Then, it started to move forward. She looked terrified. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. And then the ribs snapped, tearing her head from the rest of her body. The body falls to the floor and is now lifeless. The blood was poring from where there was the head of his sister just a moment ago. The blood was also pouring from the stomach of the monster. His sister...is dead. He didn't even realise he started crying. Once the realisation came, he couldn't hold back his cries anymore. You hold it in for so long.
He was holding it when his mother was dying in his arms. He was holding it when he saw an arrow piercing out of his skull. He did it all for her. But now that she's dead, there was nothing left for him to protect. He couldn't do it anymore. The cry he let out was a cry for help. It was cry full of pain. He had nothing left. He had no one to live for. He was about to give up, but then it was a voice that brought him back. "...M-mother?" "Run..run!" So he did. He had no reason to, but he did it for them. He ran towards the entrance and told anyone to run as well. Whatever was up there is safer than whatever 'that' is. As he was running upstairs, he heard screams behind him. There was no time to look back. Then... there were no more screams, and he was painfully aware that no one was following behind anymore. The sculk was all around him crawling at the walls on the floor it was faster than he was. Soon, it was in front of him, and then he was surrounded. The sculk covered the rock that was masking the entrance. It was coming towards him. He wanted to back out only to find that the path behind was blocked as well. There was no time to think about how that is possible. The walls were closing together. They were suffocating him. They were getting closer and closer. He couldn't breathe. No one was there to save him. So with one last breath, he spoke out loud.
"I am sorry."
In that moment, Hyram wasn't the only one to die.
In a completely different place, there was a lone wolf. He wandered the wilderness alone and wounded. His family was killed by hunters. He was the only one who survived, but he didn't look well. He was going to die soon. And in that moment, both brothers, both sons with the instincts to protect the once they love, have merged into one a soul who will keep them both eternally alive.
______________________________________
