The dawn broke weakly over the smoldering ruins of Elderleaf, its pale light filtering through a sky thick with smoke. The fires had finally begun to die down, leaving behind blackened skeletons of houses and the acrid stench of death. Crows circled above, their harsh cries cutting through the silence like cruel laughter.
Alex stumbled forward on bare feet, the ash warm beneath his soles. His small body swayed with every step, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. He was only seven years old, yet in one night he had been forced to see and feel more than many endured in a lifetime. His clothes were torn, smeared with soot and blood some his own, most not. His hair, once shining dark like his mother's, hung in clumps, stiff with ash and sweat.
He paused in the middle of what had once been the village square. The fountain where children used to splash in summer lay shattered, its stone basin cracked, water mixing with blood to form a stagnant puddle. Alex stared into it, catching his reflection. His face was almost unrecognizable dirt-streaked, eyes swollen and red, mouth twisted in grief.
"Keal… Lyanna… Mom… Dad…" The names tumbled from his lips in a broken whisper. Each word was a blade, carving deeper into the hollow ache in his chest.
The world was silent now. No voices, no footsteps, no songs of birds in the morning. Only the faint crackle of dying embers and the distant calls of carrion birds. Elderleaf had fallen. Everyone he loved was gone.
The weight of it crushed him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the cold earth. For a moment he just sat there, staring blankly at the ruins around him. Then the dam inside him broke.
He screamed. A raw, piercing cry that tore from his lungs and echoed through the hollow village. His small fists pounded the ground, scattering soot and blood. "Why?! Why did you take them?! Why didn't anyone save us?!" His voice cracked with each word, until it dissolved into sobs.
He buried his face in his hands, tears spilling freely. He wept for his father's sacrifice, for his mother's last words, for his sister's tiny hand slipping away, for Keal's blood staining the dirt. He wept until his throat was raw and his chest ached with the effort.
The System chimed softly in his mind.
[Emotional Surge Detected.]
[Passive Skill Growth: Survivor's Resolve → Level 2.]
[New Status Effect: Grief Overload.]
Effect: Mental stability weakened. All stats temporarily reduced by 15%.]
The glowing text appeared before his eyes, but he barely noticed it. The System's words meant nothing compared to the agony inside him. He pressed his forehead to the ground and cried harder, his small body shaking uncontrollably.
Memories assaulted him his mother's warm embrace, Lyanna's giggles as she tugged at his sleeves, Keal's determined grin when he swung his wooden practice sword. His father's strong hands guiding his own as they planted a sapling by their home. Each memory was a shard of glass, cutting into him until he thought he would bleed out from the inside.
"I'm all alone…" His whisper was barely audible. "Why did I survive… when they didn't?"
The question repeated itself in his mind, twisting like a knife. Survivor's guilt, though he was too young to name it, gnawed at his heart. He felt like a thief, stealing life that should have been his brother's, his sister's, his parents'. If only he had been stronger, faster, braver… maybe he could have saved them. Maybe he wouldn't be the only one left standing among the ruins.
The sun rose higher, its light piercing through the smoke. It revealed more of the devastation burnt bodies, toppled homes, weapons scattered across the ground. Alex's tears slowed, but not from relief. His body simply had no more to give. His voice had gone hoarse, his eyes swollen, his chest heavy.
He sat there, staring blankly at the destruction, feeling like a hollow shell. A child who had lost everything.
The System chimed again.
[Critical Emotional State Detected.]
[Initiating Sub-Quest: Tears of a Child.]
Objective: Endure grief without giving in to despair.]
Reward: Mental Fortitude (Lv.1).]
The glowing text lingered, almost as if urging him not to collapse entirely. Alex sniffled, rubbing at his face with dirty hands. He hated it. He hated the System for appearing at such a cruel time, for turning his pain into numbers and quests. And yet, part of him clung to it. If the System gave him tasks, then maybe he still had a purpose. Maybe he wasn't completely lost.
He looked up at the sky, tears still blurring his vision. "Mom… Dad… Keal… Lyanna… I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can live on like you asked me to." His voice trembled, weak and uncertain. "But if I don't… then your sacrifice means nothing. And I don't want that."
The words felt heavy leaving his lips, but they steadied him a little.
He forced himself to stand, swaying unsteadily. His legs felt like lead, his body bruised and burned, but he stood anyway. He turned his back on the village square and began to walk, not knowing where he was going, only that he had to move. Staying here would kill him.
As he passed the ruins of his home, he stopped for a moment. The ashes still glowed faintly. He crouched and pressed his small palm into the dirt, closing his eyes. "I'll never forget you," he whispered. "I'll carry you all with me… somehow."
The System chimed softly in response.
[Quest Progress: 25%]
[Sub-Quest Active: Tears of a Child.]
Alex wiped his face one last time and stumbled onward. Every step was heavy with grief, but somewhere beneath the sorrow, a fragile thread of resolve had begun to form. He didn't know how long it would last. He didn't know if he would ever stop crying inside. But he had survived. He was still moving.
And as long as he kept moving, there was still a chance to honor his family's final wishes.