Chapter 41: Disaster

Zayn navigated the Obsidian Forest, avoiding any sticks or other sharp objects he might step on. Then he saw it: a strange formation of logs that seemed to encircle something.

***

Zayn was pleasantly surprised.

When he first looked up and discovered the crazed, shirtless man had somehow become the leader of their group, he had gotten scared. But the guy, Axel, seemed oddly competent.

The guy was also surprisingly skilled at fighting.

’I also learned I’m quite good at it as well...’

Perhaps his body was somehow remembering the past he’d forgotten. Or he was just naturally inclined.

But that didn’t particularly matter. What mattered was what Zayn spotted within the enclosure: the miniature green dots darting frantically around the camp.

"It’s not over."

Axel’s gaze shifted toward Zayn.

Ryon yelled:

"What do you mean it’s not over? We should return before more goblins appear!"

Zayn simply stared at the black wall and muttered:

"They would escape if we left now."

"What?"

Zayn did not respond. Instead, he quickened his pace toward the camp. As he drew closer, the figures within came into view.

Just as he suspected, some sort of young goblins inhabited the camp.

Zayn stared into their beady eyes, finding a strange kind of cuteness in them.

Suppressing that thought, he mentally prepared himself for the disturbing task of eliminating them... his bloody path to reuniting with Fluffles. Even as the goblins scurried away and huddled in a corner, his resolve remained firm as he raised his sword. But his determination to kill went beyond merely carving a path back to Fluffles.

Zayn instructed the group who had caught up with him:

"Don’t let any escape."

"Pardon?"

Axel’s face noticeably fell when he saw the inhabitants.

Zayn knew exactly what he felt.

’I don’t want to do this either.’

These things seemed similar to humans in a way. And they were children.

Yet...

And yet...

’I have to.’

Zayn knew the sorrow and misery that would plague these young goblins for the rest of their lives if he let them live.

In his mind, death was a cruel yet kind mercy.

"Tch."

Claire clicked her tongue in disapproval, but Zayn wasn’t swayed.

He ignored their reactions and took a step forward, fully intent on carrying out this atrocious act.

"Stop!"

Axel lunged forward, seized Zayn’s arm, and held him still. The second their skin made contact, a cursed, grating voice reverberated inside his mind, followed by a transparent screen.

[Disaster: Axel Hart - Identified]

’...’

Zayn’s mind blanked for a moment. Then, a torrent of realization crashed over him in dreadful waves.

’No...’

’It can’t be...’

’No...’

’No, no, no, no, no! Please, gods, no!’

Axel continued yelling at Zayn:

"I know they’re goblins, but how could you be so merciless?"

Zayn tried to formulate a response, but his thoughts spiraled too rapidly for him to reason. He tried. He tried and tried and tried.

But only a single word crawled from his throat:

"Disaster..."

’Why...’

’What does this mean?! This man is a ’disaster’?! Why?!’

The task stated that he must hunt disasters to save humanity.

’Even though this man made a terrible first impression, he seems pure-hearted and kind! Why does he pose a threat to humanity? For what possible reason?!’

Axel glared at Zayn as if he were the devil incarnate, then said:

"Disaster? Am I some sort of human disaster just because I refuse to slaughter children?"

"No, it’s just... I..."

Zayn didn’t know what to do.

How could he?

He might not have been the kindest or noblest, and he might have distanced himself socially. He might have hated the world and the people in it at times...

’But I’m not a killer.’

When he compared himself to Janina, he thought he’d make a decision like hers, but there was one key difference...

Axel had done no wrong.

Neither by accident nor by intent had Axel committed any wrongdoing against anyone else.

While Zayn had said he would kill to get back to Fluffles, that didn’t mean he wanted to kill, nor did it mean he had the mental capacity to do so.

Theory was far easier to discuss than to put into practice.

Zayn shut out everything around him, clutching his head in an attempt to untangle his thoughts.

’Why him?’

He couldn’t comprehend it.

’Is there no other way besides killing him?’

’There has to be, right?’

’Right?’

’Yeah...’

’Why should I even trust this task?’

’Why should I...’

But if Zayn didn’t trust the task and everyone perished because of him...

’Wouldn’t it be my fault?’

Would Zayn not be indirectly responsible for dooming humanity?

Zayn felt someone’s arm wrap around his shoulder and violently yank him, but he was too consumed by his thoughts to care.

If he ignored this task and continued living in ignorance, it could potentially lead to humanity’s extinction.

No matter how Zayn rationalized it, when comparing ignoring this task to completing it, the answer was obvious...

’Sixteen lives or all of humanity.’

Zayn attempted to fortify his resolve by considering the possible consequences.

He ignored Axel’s screams and the others who held him down. He ignored whatever situation had just unfolded.

’If I ignore the task or fail to complete it, then...’

Wouldn’t those sixteen die either way? Assuming they were all human.

Zayn started to take a step toward Axel, but immediately paused.

Even the slight possibility that this task was fake and nothing more than some twisted joke gave him too much hope to carry through.

But that small hope simmered within a cauldron of despair, and Zayn breathed in the horrid fumes of doomed possibility.

While it stated that failure equaled humanity’s extinction, it didn’t specify how long it would take. If the cause of extinction was these sixteen people in the future, then who was to say it would be quick?

What if a few lived longer than the others? Maybe they would survive for their entire natural lives. Those few would lose their families, friends, everyone...

’I’d be damning them...’

"Tch."

Zayn knew the pain of losing everything, and because he knew that, he wished the feeling on no one, not even his worst enemy, much less all of humanity.

So, he took the first step toward Axel.

’Because if I have to kill him, I should do it right now, right?’

At that very moment, Zayn could have easily ended his life while he lay motionless from exhaustion and everyone had turned their backs, staring toward the gate they’d shut.

But if Zayn killed him, he’d have to kill everyone else there too, unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life on the run.

Everyone present was innocent, including the man Zayn was destined to kill.

With each step Zayn took, more thoughts surged through his mind.

’Wait... there was a possibility that he might die naturally in this death challenge, or whatever this is.’

Zayn let out a hollow, wry chuckle.

’No... never mind.’

Axel was too strong for that.

Zayn didn’t know why or how he was so strong already, but Axel’s fighting ability matched Zayn’s, and Zayn surmised that his body fought using instincts from his past life.

Plus, if Zayn’s guess was correct and they were to unlock some transcendental power...

’He’ll only get stronger.’

If someone of Axel’s caliber were to die naturally, then perhaps they were never meant to survive this place. Furthermore, his strength might be crucial to defeating the Goblin King.

’I can’t kill him. At least not yet.’

This might have been a fabricated justification — little more than an excuse — but there was some truth to it.

’On the other hand, I can’t ignore him forever. He will continue to grow stronger. If I truly have to complete this task...’

A gut feeling told Zayn that Axel was destined to become strong. Really strong.

’...’

Gripping his forehead, Zayn slumped against the black wooden wall.

’What the hell am I thinking? Seriously...?’

’What the hell is my line of thought?!’

’Kill? Kill?! I’m seriously contemplating murder?!’

Zayn thought of his vow.

He’d promised not only to refrain from taking his own life, but also not to give it up.

And if Zayn knew his death was coming because he was willfully remaining ignorant and letting the disasters live...

Was that not giving up his own life?

’Ah, damn it.’

’Damn it all.’

While he didn’t know what would happen between then and the inevitable fight with the Goblin King, Zayn would formulate a plan to kill Axel either during or after that fight. He couldn’t let him live past that point, or he feared taking his life would slip beyond his reach.

’Sorry, Axel.’

He knew neither who he was nor why he had to die, but Zayn would exploit his strength and end his life when the time came.

’I understand that a mere apology cannot absolve me of my crimes to come, but please know that any events that unfold in the next thirty days will be necessary for the survival of humanity.’

Zayn lowered his gaze.

’Forgive me.’

An unknowable length of silence had passed when Claire approached Axel to rouse him and said:

"Let’s get him up and get going."

Zayn glared at the vulnerable man before him — the man he had to kill.

"No... Let him rest. He deserves it."

Claire teased Zayn in a strange tone, as if suppressing horror:

"Huh? That’s surprising. You didn’t strike me as the considerate type."

Zayn turned away in disgust with himself.

"Aw, feeling shy?"

Claire stepped around him to get a better look at his face.

Zayn wasn’t sure what expression he was making, but as soon as she saw it, she backed away from him.

She forced a smile and maintained an upbeat attitude as she spoke:

"Whatever. Let’s gather supplies before we head back. Although we’ll be running late."

Zayn glanced at Axel once more, then at the sword in his hand — the very weapon that might soon pierce his chest.

Zayn dropped his gaze to the ground, disgusted by the unfairness of this world and his circumstances. Then, he looked at the innocent bystanders who might become entangled in his path of destruction.

’Once again... Forgive me.’