Chapter 28: Alex

In a world built of fog, dust, and clouds of gas, numerous large rocks were floating like small islands there. They were moving slowly, but with rhythm, a rhythm that was set by those who ruled this place, faint brown semi-transparent creatures.

On these islands, groups of humans were kept there, as they strived to live by planting a certain type of seeds that grew to form long strips of weed-like plants. These seeds were the only resources available there, besides a single well that got fresh clean water in this barren lands.

On one of those islands, a man and his wife stood inside a small cave, which acted as their home. The couple was looking at a youngster, not exceeding 17 years old, who was sleeping like a baby on the ground motionless.

"Are you sure of this?" The wife asked with great concern while holding her husband's arm. The couple was already old, old enough to know the truth of this cursed world they were living in, old enough to make decisions, even if they were risky and full of variables.

"We have no other choice, Lamera. Our boy has been cursed by those nasty creatures, and I'm sure they will come to get him soon."

The wife moved without hesitation to stand between her husband and her son as tears flew over her cheeks while begging:

"Please don't do this to him, we can hide him anywhere, anywhere except the abyss."

The husband sighed in pain as he said:

"Do you think it's easy for me to throw my own and only son to that abyss? At least he will have a chance to live away from here."

The wife interrupted him with a painful scream:

"No one has ever survived that abyss… No one!"

The man sighed as he tried to convince his wife:

"Listen to me, we didn't go out to know for sure if those who went to the abyss survived or not, but at least there is a chance for him to survive."

The wife didn't speak as she glared with anger towards her husband who added:

"Ok, it's a slim chance, but it's still a chance. If we let him stay here any longer, he will die for sure."

The wife pointed her finger threatening him:

"Don't you dare touch my son… I warn you."

The husband looked conflicted as he tried to convince her by saying:

"Lamera, c'mon, you know I'm telling the truth."

The wife obviated looking at her husband as she said:

"I don't care about what you say or believe, I won't throw my own son to the abyss no matter what."

The husband stood in his place motionless without knowing what to do with his wife, while the wife didn't budge an inch away from her son. She wasn't denying what her husband said, but her heart couldn't take even the idea of doing this to her own child.

Just as the situation between the two was in this weird state, a huge screams came from far, followed by the loud shout:

"The purge, the purge is happening."

This shout had ended the hesitation inside the husband, as he looked with determination towards his wife, who also looked towards him in the same way.

The purge was the known word for everyone here, as it was the sign of the beginning of a huge slaughter. Humans were raised here to act like live stocks for those creepy merciless monsters that swam around their islands all the time.

Legends said all humans here came from a paradise like world from outside, a world free of monsters, fear, or purge. Other legends said that gods had forsaken man, and an apocalypse happened leaving only a handful of humans scattered in this hell.

Tom knew both were right, especially when he and his wife, Lamera, had dreams that felt real from their young ages. Both carried the bloodline of nobility, or that what they decided to call it.

Their son was special, very special as he had both bloodlines mixed in his body, so when he had this strange accident and lost his consciousness all of a sudden, Tom and Lamera knew something awful was going to happen.

Both guessed the dark fate coming to reap their son's life, but each acted differently in this critical moment, and no one of them knew who was right and who was wrong.

"Don't you da…"

Just as she was trying to stall for time, he moved rapidly like lightning and punched her strongly on the back of her neck. She looked at him with wide eyes and a scary face, while both hands tried to bite on his body with no avail.

Her body slipped despite all the effort she did to land on the ground motionless like her son. The husband looked at her for a moment before sighing, he didn't want things to reach this far, but if he didn't move fast he would lose his son.

Without delay he carried his son and ran outside the cave. This cave was just beside the ridge of the small rocky island everyone was living at, and this abyss was everything else around them away from the island.

Just as he reached there, he threw his son like throwing a forsaken sack to fall into the nearby fog and clouds of gas.

The man looked for so long towards the spot he threw his son at, so long till his wife came from behind him weeping and wailing, today she lost her son, today she lost her soul. The husband took her into his arms as he muttered:

"Let your fortune be better than us, Alex."