Forsaken

Two

Once the storm cleared, I scouted for more Broken. Luckily, I didn't encounter anymore. I was beat, and taking out another one would've been too much for me. I took the route back to where I lived. It was far from the city and away from almost anyone.

I couldn't say whether I enjoyed living in such a place or not, but I had no choice. My life didn't belong with other humans. I was destined to live on my own, and that was the way it was. Accepting it was hard at first, but once I came to terms with it, I began my journey of quelling the Broken.

I set my keys down on the counter and threw myself on the couch, hoping to relax. Some things were still unclear to me, like the little girl that suddenly disappeared. And how there were no Broken after a huge storm like that.

Even the new formation in the sky was quite odd. Neons like that were something I had never witnessed. If only I knew what that symbolized. Without it touching the ground nor the people, that meant chances of Broken appearing were less.

Was humanity finally getting the peace I had been hoping for?

The thought of a world free of the Broken sounded glorious, but also, unrealistic. I did all I could do, but it was never enough. The people of the world didn't deserve such a fate. 

In history, Legends existed to help and guide the people. If they went astray, they had the tools to lead them to the right path again.

But Legends had been extinct for decades. My father, who was one of the strongest Legends, perished forging my sword. I placed a hand on the carvings. Feeling my nails go inside each letter from the Legendian language. My teachings were cut short, so I never truly learned the words of my heritage. Never even gained the powers of my father.

After a long rest, I gathered items I would need on the go and headed out into the clear, starry night. Watching the stars shine above was relaxing for the soul. The storm that swept the world had put me on edge, but when I was able to witness the beauty that surrounded me, it was worth it.

If only there was a way to prevent the human race from warping into Broken, it would be a better world. It was almost impossible to solve the problem if what was causing it was unknown. Legends died out years ago, so a magical solution would be hard to come by. My father passed right after he created the sword I carried. He didn't admit it, but I knew by using all his magic to save me it ended his life.

No one as powerful as my father had walked the earth as a Legend. Inside, I felt like a disappointment to my family. First born and...

I jumped back at the sight of a Broken. My hand flew to the weapon on back, pulling it out. I let out a heavy sigh as I griped tightly and ran to cut parts of their body. They mindlessly swung their bodies without thought or proper control.

I couldn't lie, they freaked me out, but I had no choice. There was only one person who could handle them and it was me. When humans discovered they couldn't do anything against them, they gave lockdown orders. Most people were safe inside their homes once it hit sunset.

A Broken would never be out in daylight, though I had no clue why that was. To trap one and force them out in sunlight was on my to-do list. But they were hard to catch and a danger to others, so executing the plan would prove to be difficult.

I had time. I'd get to it eventually. But even if I learned any secrets behind the Broken, I wouldn't be able to do anything. There was no way for me to help those poor souls. My only option was the one I had been doing for years.

The Broken before me fell to their knees, screeching. I let all my thoughts and emotions flee as I stabbed my sword in their chest and slid it up to their head.

I had learned that to completely destroy a Broken, I had to cut both heart and brain.

It wasn't an exciting job. I never thought in this life I would be a killer.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," I whispered to the Broken's dust as it faded above.

There was no explanation on why Broken disappeared. Humans died and their body remained on the soles of the earth for proper burial. Where did the remains of the Broken go? Did they exist beyond tangible life?

There may never be an answer. 

I glanced up at the stars above again. Watching them twinkle, even though I had seen it many times before. It never changed. Just like me. 

It was another night spent searching for Broken and killing them. That was the sad truth. Humans didn't get a chance to live anymore. The world was filled with fear, but it was not this way before. Humans lived, full of life. Hearts so pure. 

When the sun rose above the mountains, I headed back to my home. Tired and beat up, as usual. I felt a strain around my heart and had to stop to heave. I knew my body was deteriorating from how old the sword I carried was. There wasn't much time left...

"Thea!" A woman's voice shouted. I tried to gather myself and hid behind a building. 

Human contact and communication was something I avoided as much as possible. There wasn't an explanation for why I kept a sword on my back. And with moments like these, I was glad the Broken species vanished. 

A dead body would be hard to explain if I were caught. 

The woman caught the little girls hand and carried her up. "Thea, I told you a million times not to run out on your own." 

Thea frowned, "I saw someone, Leila!" 

"Where? I don't see anyone," she replied, glancing around. 

"There!" Thea pointed toward the bridge. Leila and Thea went toward that direction together. I felt relieved. Thea wasn't pointing in my general direction, thankfully. 

Before, I turned and headed back to my home, I caught a glimpse of the person that little Thea was searching for. 

The girl from a few nights ago. When Neons flashed and she called for her mother. Had she been on her own that entire time? 

I shook my head. But part of me couldn't help but take a look at those girls. To be part of a world like that. It wasn't meant to be mine. 

"Leila, who's that?" Thea said, but once her eyes made contact with mine, her curious and innocent demeanor changed. They froze, going cold and hard. As if an ancient hatred had sprung within her. 

"Thea, honey, what's wrong?" Leila shook her in her arms, gently. I panicked as Leila followed Thea's gaze and then met mine. A gasp escaped me. Human contact... 

Communication. Conversation. With a human.

How did one speak to another human being? Because it had been years since I spoke to one. Broken's were mindless, inhuman. Words spoken from me to them were meaningless. Broken had no thoughts and were unable to form real sentences. Let alone words. 

My feet were moving on their own, taking steps away from the humans. But that was a mistake, Leila had caught sight of the sword residing against my back. Her eyes grew wide, then narrowed them. 

"Let's go, Thea," she said in a serious tone. 

"Another one..." Thea mumbled. "Why do they... break?" 

"It's not our concern, sweetie. We need to go find who you were searching for." 

"Oh, yeah!" Thea said. 

And with that, they let me be. A sigh of relief escaped me. I only hoped this encounter wouldn't cause me problems in the future. Not a single soul knew of my existence. I had been cautious, but alas, someone had spotted me.