Chương 422: Madmans Wish

Korin slowly stepped away from the beast, carrying Vale's blade as he started the long walk back to camp. Vale stayed on one knee behind him, unable to move. At first, Korin did not notice. He kept walking through the trees, until the silence made him look back. Vale was still there.

"Why aren't you coming?" Vale looked up at him. For a moment, he tried to laugh as if he could brush it off. The act lasted less than a second. Blood rose into his throat, and he doubled over, vomiting blood and bile onto the grass. When he raised his head again, shame showed in his eyes.

"I don't think I can walk right now." Korin stared at him. He knew what that meant. If Vale tried to walk back, he might fall before they reached camp. His wounds had opened again, and he was losing too much blood. Even if he made it back, he would likely spend days in bed while Nova healed him. Korin looked down at his hands and paused. His fingers slowly curled into fists.

"I'll carry you. There is no other choice." Vale said nothing. He understood. Korin was scared, and it was easy to see. He was scared to touch Vale. Scared he might hurt him. Scared that what had happened to his father might happen again. He had spent years trying to trust himself again. He had learned to stand beside others without fearing his own power. Then one night had broken all of that. Korin was back to the boy Vale imagined he had been after killing his father. Quiet and afraid.

Unable to touch anyone without thinking about their bones breaking beneath his hands. Vale tried to stand, but his legs gave out at once. He fell back to one knee and coughed hard. His throat felt dry and raw. Korin's face softened.

"It's alright," he said quietly.

"Just... don't move." He crouched beside Vale and slowly wrapped his arms around him. A moment later, he lifted Vale and placed him over his shoulder like a child. With Korin's huge frame, it almost looked normal. He made sure Vale's legs were safe, then started walking again. Neither of them spoke. For a few minutes, the forest stayed quiet. Only Korin's heavy steps and Vale's rough breaths broke the silence. For once, the quiet felt good. Neither of them needed to say anything. After a while, Vale spoke.

"Hey, Korin." Korin did not answer.

"It wasn't your fault." Korin stopped. His whole body went still. He stood there for a long moment without saying a word. Then he spoke, almost as if the words hurt to say.

"Would you mind if we talked?" Vale swallowed.

"Yeah. Of course." Korin slowly lowered him from his shoulder and placed him against the base of a tree. He stayed there for a moment, looking down at him. There was something strange in his eyes. Something Vale could not read.

"So," Vale said softly, "what's on your mind?" Korin stayed silent. A few seconds passed. Then a minute. Vale waited and did not push him. After a while, he opened his mouth. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"We don't have to talk about it if you—""When I killed my father." Vale stopped. Korin's hands were shaking. He stared at the ground as if the memory had taken him somewhere else.

"It was... a nice night." His voice shook as he spoke.

"I had just turned eight. My sister had been born a week before. My father had come home too. He could only come back once a month because of his work as a Paragon, so it was always special when he did. Everyone was happy." A faint smile appeared on Korin's face.

"I was happy. Really happy." The smile soon faded.

"I got presents. I saw my parents smiling at me. I remember thinking that I wanted to become a Paragon just like Dad." His fingers tightened around his clothes.

"I didn't know how good I had it. I was just a stupid kid. I thought I had all the time in the world." Korin bit his lip until a small line of blood appeared.

"That night, I went to bed hoping my powers would wake up. I wanted them to so badly." He gave a weak, bitter laugh.

"My wish came true. But it couldn't have happened in a worse way." Vale stayed silent.

"My plane was madness. I found myself inside my first trial. I accepted it because I thought that was all there was to it. Then, like always, my powers came out the moment I cleared it." His hands began to shake harder.

"I... I didn't know. I didn't want it to happen." Korin took a shaky breath.

"The first stage was a huge wave of Atum. It spread through the house. My father knew something was wrong at once and rushed to my room." A tear ran down his cheek.

"I was still inside my body. I could see everything." His face twisted.

"He smiled. He told me I had done well. He said he was proud of me for clearing my first trial." Korin's voice grew softer.

"And then I attacked him. He tried to defend himself. He tried to calm me down. He didn't want to hurt me. Not even then." Korin gave a broken laugh.

"What an idiot." His fist clenched.

"If only he had broken a few of my bones. If only he had knocked me out." His voice cracked.

"He would still be here." Vale wanted to say something, but nothing came to him. Korin kept going.

"You know the rest. I destroyed half the house before Dad got us somewhere far away. He tried his best. He really did. But my powers were already too much for anyone to deal with." He swallowed.

"The fight lasted ten minutes. Only ten." Korin's hands started shaking again.

"That was all it took for the voices to learn his power. They changed to match him. They tore through his armor. Then they ripped out his heart." He paused.

"Then his Visora Organ." Vale stared at him.

"Only after that... was I given control again." Korin looked down at his hands.

"I remember standing over his body. I don't know how long I stayed there. I don't know who took me away. I don't know what happened between that moment and the day Miss Rosemary took me in." He closed his eyes.

"But I killed him." A tear rolled down his cheek.

"And I only needed ten minutes. I killed my father on what should have been the best day of my life." The forest fell quiet again. Korin's shoulders shook as he tried to control his breath.

"So why am I still alive?" Vale's face shifted. Korin looked at him.

"Why?" His voice rose.

"The only thing I bring is pain. My mother is scared of me. Every time I make a friend, my powers remind me why I shouldn't have them. So why should I keep going? Why should I even think I'm human anymore?" His voice suddenly turned into a shout.

"All I can do is kill!" Korin grabbed his head.

"I can't save people! I can't reach my dream! I can't carry on my father's name! I can't even live without fearing that I'll tear my friends and family apart!" His eyes were wide with fear.

"Why would the Creator give me this fate if all it brings me is pain and despair?!" Vale stayed frozen. Korin's breathing grew ragged.

"How am I meant to live like this?! I'm nothing but dead weight! Sooner or later, I'll lose control again. And when I do, I'll kill everyone." His eyes locked onto Vale.

"You. Nym. Nova. Eskar. All of you." Tears ran down his face.

"You'll all die by my hand if you stay with me." He stepped closer to Vale.

"So why do you keep trying to keep me around? Do you really think the voices won't come back? Do you think you can avoid the same fate my father couldn't?" Korin's breathing slowly calmed. His face became strangely empty.

"I'm a monster." He looked down at the blade in his hand.

"I need to be put down." He held the blade out toward Vale.

"What is so hard to understand about that?" Vale stared at the weapon. Korin's voice dropped to a whisper.

"I'm not your friend. I'm a ticking time bomb. Just like Nym told you at the gala." His eyes met Vale's.

"I can't be trusted." Vale slowly shook his head.

"Korin, you couldn't really mean—""Oh, no." Korin's voice was quiet. There was no anger left in it. Only deep exhaustion.

"I do." He pushed the blade closer.

"I want you to kill me."