Children, come on, we are almost at the hut—quickly!
And suddenly, a monster appeared before us. In its hand was Sister Olit's head, and her body lay on the ground, her blood covering the grass.
All the children panicked. The monster stood still for seconds, then let out a terrifying scream that reached Lord Albert.
"What? Did I just hear a monster near the children?"
"Yes. I made three monsters surround the place, and it seems the second one has found the children."
"What?!"
"Don't worry. It won't hurt them unless they move. Isn't that fair?"
"I must go to them—"
"Where do you think you are going?"
Suddenly, a cage made of bones emerged and trapped Lord Albert.
"Your problem isn't solved here. Will you leave me and go?"
Meanwhile, the children trembled in fear. Every time they moved, one of them was killed by the monster.
There were sixty children. Among them were two with Andria, while the rest were older.
Andria did not move at all—not from fear of the monster, but from the fear of returning to that hell if he died.
The children were being killed one after another.
Dave and Charles tried to attack the monster, but it was useless.
The monster lunged at Charles and almost struck him, but Dave saved him.
They both tried to fight again, but within a second, Dave's body was pierced through.
When the monster released him, Charles screamed in rage and attacked.
Andria tried to stop him.
Charles shouted:
"Just protect the children and escape with whoever remains!"
Despite Charles's grief for those who had died, he grieved more for Dave—because Dave was his brother, the only one who, along with Lord Albert, knew the truth.
"How could you do this to him? I didn't even get to tell him… Damn you, monster!"
Charles's attack this time was different—faster, stronger. But how could someone who had never learned to use his power defeat a monster stronger than him?
The monster struck Charles, throwing him against a rock, unconscious.
And it continued killing the children.
Every time Andria saw the children dying one after another, that voice returned:
"Look at this frightened chick. Afraid of what? The monster? Or the children's deaths? Poor one, I brought you the solution. Look closely—that is the Gate of Hell. If you want power, enter it. What do you say? Come on, twenty children remain, their number shrinking, and time passing. Will you enter, Andria? Just say yes. Or are you afraid? Hahaha! The children die before your eyes, and you tremble, oh savior…"
"Andria, save me!"
"Michael, save… Michael!"
"Andria… Julia too…"
"What should I do? What should I do? No… I don't want to enter. I don't want to lose more…"
Andria's breath grew heavy. The children moved, and more died. He was powerless, terrified.
"Say yes, Andria. Fifteen remain. Time is running out…"
"I… I… I wa—"
Suddenly, a light appeared from the ruins of his dwelling. Thunder rose to the sky, darkening the heavens, storms and lightning striking everywhere.
And from nowhere, Director Albert appeared, looking at Andria, the dead children, Dave, and Charles.
He spoke:
"I know you are afraid. I know you have no power. But you are the oldest. Sadly, you didn't fulfill your duty—not even a little. You have changed. The Andria I know would risk his life for a stranger. But now, seeing you like this… I must say, that flame is gone. Step aside."
Albert gathered all his strength and unleashed a blow that not only destroyed the monster but crushed a huge part of the forest.
When it was over, the monster was dead, and Albert himself collapsed—his body pierced everywhere by bones.
As he fell to the ground, the children ran to him, crying, trying to save him.
Meanwhile, the voice mocked Andria:
"In the end, you chose cowardice. Better than I thought."
Andria screamed:
"I am not that person! I only took over his body. That boy never had power—what could I do? And I will never go back to that place, that gate!"
The voice laughed, hungrier for blood, then calmed:
"Do you know what that powerless boy did before you possessed him? He saved an entire village from monsters that would have invaded it. True, he had no power—but he had a mind. While the heroes searched elsewhere, twenty kilometers away, monsters marched toward the village. That boy took an energy stone, placed it in a bike built by his friend, and lured the monsters away. The cost of using that stone without energy was agony in his heart. But he bore it, screaming in pain all the way. Near the village, the stone died. The monsters rushed at him. No heroes, no one to call. He stood firm, raised his arms despite the agony, and declared: When the monsters eat me, they will not touch my village—because it is now nineteen kilometers away, and the other village is safe with heroes there.
And who saved him? Lord Albert—flying toward him on a dragon. He said:
'Boy, even the greatest heroes we know would never do what you did. So tell me, Andria's vessel, who are you to be less than him?'"
Hearing this, Andria thought: Impossible… impossible that just a child would do this. Are you mocking me? His heart wasn't broken?
The voice replied:
"On the brink of death, Albert killed his dragon and turned the boy's heart into that heart, saying: Your death means the word 'hero' will die too. You are the bravest of us all. And if I must sacrifice my dearest friend, I will—for he is… greater than me. Learn this, coward."
"No… don't joke with me—!"
Andria, drowning in thought before Albert's and Olit's corpses, suddenly saw another monster appear, charging. But it froze, terrified—not by anything ordinary, but by something far worse, hidden in human form.
It was Andria. He had entered the gate—burning with flames.
But the fire was less painful than his shame.
The monster tried to flee, but Andria chased and destroyed it, raining blows until it stopped only at the sound of children's sobs.
He carried Lord Albert's body first, buried him, then Sister Olit, and stood with the children before their graves.
Elsewhere, the villain—the bothersome elder—smirked:
"I didn't get much from him. No information. And because of that power, I couldn't capture him to prove his death. No matter. I gained something far more interesting… a boy worth watching. I look forward to meeting him someday."
When news of Albert's death reached the kingdom, they sent heroes to see if anyone had survived. They found fourteen children, Charles, and Andria.
But Albert and Olit… were dead.