The leader sighs in defeat.

  “Alright. For now, I need to discipline my men. But I will still come when he wakes up.”

  ‘Fine by me but I plan on taking this one with me.’

  The leader sighed “Alright, fine by me as long as you don't kidnap him.”

  ‘Haha… kidnap? Why would I ever do such a thing’

  The unit leader looked at him as he cracked a laugh but instantly changed his tone and yelled back at his men. Telling them to get back to the camp right now as he gathered and led them outside.

  The dark translucent smoke around the area was being lifted away as holes started to burn into its veil smoke and the air started to return to normal.

  But the land that it left behind was dark and lifeless. The whole terrain changed up leaving behind dead and desolated land.

  ‘I guess I will never get over this feeling’ as the red haired sighed.

  ‘Lets take you back home.’ as he looked at the kid resting. He carried him on his back and the speed with which he moved was insane and his shoulders were stable, almost without a single bump.

  While moving through the village, one of the creatures' skin that was exposed to the outside light, it started to shine just like Ignis but with no cracks and it was burning the creature.

  It just started to be converted into dust slowly like a virus spreading around the body and eating away everything in that light as it burnt off into dust after being exposed to the outside as the shield of black mist was destroyed.

  The veil was protecting the inside against the outside world and now without it, the inside was being destroyed.

  That creature had long arms and it started to charge towards the red hair man as it screamed in agony as if it was crying for help. The red haired man also ran towards it.

  The speed of the creature that was fast for the kid was nothing compared to the red hair as he simply jumped onto his head saying ‘I am sorry’ as if he showed pity for them and jumped off. The head of the creature was instantly buried into the ground with dust kicking on the ground as he stepped off it and the screams stopped.

  He pulled it off so easily as if he was not even trying without creating any disturbance on his shoulder where the kid rested peacefully and picked up the pace once again as he exited the area dashing towards the village.

  The distance that took the kid multiple steps to cover was covered by the man in almost a single step and soon he arrived back at the village.

  He went straight towards the tavern carrying him as it was the only place which worked as both, a tavern and had an inn.

  Rhina instantly recognized the situation.

  ‘A roo—’ said the red haired man but was cut off by Rhina “The first one by the stairs.”

  The rumors once again circulated around the village but not of the kid but the man who brought him.

  “The mad hero, Ananke, is in the village”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The title given to him for his awakening. No one knew why he is called the “Mad Hero” but they used it to refer to him, even kids themself knew about the man who is given the ranks and title of hero while not being one became an inspiration for all. There were more titles for him but it was the most commonly known.

  Rhina soon charged into the room with bandages and hot water in a bucket. As she touched the kid's skin, her hand retraced instantly from the cold. It was almost like touching a body taken out fresh from a frozen lake.

  Looking at how badly the kid was injured, she demanded what went on from Ananke but as she touched him for it was not some normal injuries one can get.

  First he hesitated at first but she almost looked like a mother worrying for her child. He told her everything that went on but it was not that much as he arrived there at the end himself.

  He told her to not worry about him as he will recover sooner or later. She said in a shocking expression “His ribs are broken. Head bleeding, scratches all over his body. How will he recover soon?”

  ‘That is exactly why. When I arrived, he was bleeding much faster. His body is recovering at an extraordinary pace for some reason.’ said Ananke as he looked at the ring.

  The ring was healing him to some extent but it seemed like it was dying as the effects were wavering off but something seemed off about the ring than just healing.

  ‘Do you know who gave him the ring?’ asked Ananke.

  “It was his master, Fariz’s ring, he showed it off as he got it from some travelling stranger. He asked me if he ever was to not return then to give the ring to the kid. It was weird for him to say and do that. I thought he was just rambling on like an old man.”

  ‘I see… thank you for answering my question.’

  He thought to himself ‘Used to huh… I guess I was still late once more…’ as he sighs in defeat.

  “Why are his eyes… shining?” Rhina asked as she inspected his eyes.

  ‘Oh yea I forgot to tell you. He rejected the hero awakening’

  “Rejected the what?”

  Meanwhile the kid was again dreaming something. He felt cold and he was floating, surrounded by endless water.

  ‘It hurts… I can not move.’ As he opened his eyes, he found himself being submerged deeper into cold water with two ice pieces floating on the top. He saw one giant chain slowly being submerged into water above him and his body had holes marking like thrones from where he bleeded continuously.

  He was wearing white clothes with his black eyes and hair, the more he sank deeper, the more his clothing lost its color.

  He instantly closed his eyes shut tight as he was scared of water going into his eyes. He was not able to move his body at all except his vision and at the top of the water was a shining light.

  The same soothing voice from before once again came back ‘Save her…’ ‘Help her…’

  The voice was clear and it kept on echoing in his head. The memory of that woman being trapped at that lonely place and the girl who was lonely on the floating terrain flashed in his mind.

  The first voice was mature while the other voice was childish, same from the sky island before. It kept on occurring continuously in his mind as he kept on sinking deeper into the depths of endless water.

  The deeper he sank, the more clear and louder the sound of the kid became as the mature sound faded away. Almost as if it was forcing him to make a choice between the two.

  To either float to the top of the water surface or to sink to the bottom surface. As if water was despair itself forcing him to make a choice between the two but he had no will to choose either of them.

  Soon new voices started echoing to give up louder and shadow-like hands appeared from around the darkness and grabbed his limbs and restraining him from moving they grabbed him tightly, even engraving their finger into the flesh.

  Two blue light-like hands came to support him but those weren’t the voices of girls as soon. One of those hands disappeared against the darkness which tore them apart as it was not able to withstand yet other refused to give up as it was being torn apart and still standing firm supporting the kid not letting him go any further below nor higher.

  The voices kept on ringing in his ears and soon more voices appeared trying to throw him inside despair but he kept his eyes tight shut.

  ‘Can everyone please shut up. Let me sleep… Its so cold… is this. what death is?’

  …

  ‘I really hate cold’