Run, run, run!

  Despite the darkness that blinded his sight, a young man kept running. He crashed into trees, but he always stood up immediately, ignoring his injuries. He couldn't afford to dey; they were coming for him.

  "Don't stop moving, my legs, please!" he pleaded.

  His body shook with exhaustion, and his heart pounded in his chest. The moon was hidden behind dark, pin clouds, and everything seemed to work against him. But he didn't care. He ran on despite the wounds on his knees, torn clothes, and bleeding mouth.

  From the darkest shadow emerged a woman's voice,

  "There is no way to hide Theo, there is no way to run"

  She said, her words echoing in his ears and heightening his fear.

  "S-shut up! You LIAR!!"

  Theo grew tired of running and decided to confront the woman hiding in the pit of darkness. He summoned his skills and cast a spell called [Fireball], aiming it in her direction. However, the spell dissipated into nothingness as it was engulfed by the darkness.

  Theo was a member of the famous hero's party, but now they were hunting him down. He realized there was nowhere left to run, for the forest was filled with exotic creatures and monsters beyond human imagination. And among these monsters were the vilest of all: human beings.

  "Hahahaha"

  The woman ughed hysterically at Theo's feeble attempt. She knew he was weak, and even if his fme had hit her, it would have felt like the sting of an ant. In response, she cast the same spell, but this time the ball of fme was rger and more intense, its heat scorching everything in its path.

  "[Fireball]"

  The fireball hurtled towards Theo, but it exploded just before impact, sending him flying backwards. He collided with a tree and felt his ribs crack under the impact. Blood rose in his throat, and he coughed it up as he tried to get up, but his legs were dislocated and bent in an unnatural position. He knew it was over; he couldn't run anymore. It was a miracle his spine hadn't been broken, but the pain was excruciating, and he knew he wouldn't survive.

  "...Since when did you guys start to betray me? Why are you trying to kill me?! "

  He asked in a low, pained voice, struggling to speak properly. Suddenly, a girl with a rge, witchy hat emerged from the shadows, illuminated by the faint moonlight. She wore a smirk on her face as if amused by Theo's pitiful appearance.

  "Theo... You're such an idiot. We are not betraying you, you are not even one of us. "

  She moved closer and closer until her nose was touching Theo's.

  "I thought you were my friend, master...but..."

  He trailed off, tears streaming down his face.

  Niel Sylvia, Theo's former teacher and mentor, stood before him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance on her face. It was unsightly to see a man crying from her perspective, and she was tempted to mock him for it.

  Niel Sylvia had long, purplish-dark hair and sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through Theo's soul. Her skin was pale white, and she radiated a sense of power and confidence that made Theo feel small and insignificant.

  "You are such a pathetic loser, look at you! Crying like a baby. You can't do anything, you don't have talent, and you don't have potential. You are nothing but a sacrifice. That's your purpose. "

  She whispered intimately into his ear, her hands holding his face as if it were a mere doll. Theo wanted to pull away, but he knew that she could snap his neck in an instant if he tried. She continued to gaze intently at him, studying his features with a mixture of amusement and disdain.

  "Sacrifice?"

  "That's right, your death will empower the hero. And once we killed the dark lord, we will have fame, money, power... We could have everything even the world itself."

  The world was in a state of constant fear ever since the dark lord emerged, attacking human settlements and vilges with terrifying power. No warrior could match the beast's strength and the only hope for defeating it was the hero. But to empower the hero, they needed Theo to die as a sacrifice.

  Niel had a way of wording things that made it sound as though there was more to her motives than just saving the world. Theo had always believed her to be trustworthy and kind, never guessing at her true personality. The revetion twisted his mind, causing him to question everything he thought he knew about his master. Despite his doubts, he still found himself thinking that Niel was always right, as she had taught him every secret he knew about the world.

  'Maybe... they are right. This is my role. If my death means salvation for everyone, then I will accept it'

  He finally said in a resigned tone, before closing his eyes and accepting his fate without further protest. He tried to rex, but he could sense Niel's growing irritation with his acceptance of the situation as she bite her own lips.

  "Oy, what's wrong? "

  Confused, she asked him what he meant. Only to be replied with a smile from Theo. However, before Niel could react, she began firing consecutive fireballs at him.

  "Struggle! Scream! Beg us to spare your life! You fucking-- useless-- idiot--."

  Niel's internal desires were not satisfied, and she kept firing balls of fire at Theo. His body was thrown around like a ragdoll, his bones breaking with each impact, but he didn't scream. His limbs twisted and his skull cracked, but he remained silent. In fact, he couldn't feel anything anymore. His brain had given up receiving these painful stimuli."

  "That's enough, Niel. "

  The hero arrives," but for Theo, it is not the face of salvation. In fact, he is the monster who will make it worse. Other members of the hero's party surround Theo's broken body. His consciousness is slowly dissipating, but he manages to speak.

  "Al...bert..."

  He also recognized the others. All members were there: March the Assassin, Basylik the Warrior, Misty the Archer, Agatha the Healer, Niel the Wizard, and Albert the Hero.

  The hero's name is Albert Wingston, the Prince of Georlia and the test in his long line of hero ancestors. He possesses many talents and has a handsome appearance with silver hair and blue eyes. Though he has a muscur frame, it's not as bulky as a regur bodybuilder. Despite his charm and popurity with women, he's targeted with envy by some men due to his social status. Theo thought of him as a kind person who always wears a smile despite hardships, but he couldn't have been more wrong in his opinion.

  "Theo. Having a nice time with Niel, aren't you? She's pretty hot, right? Her fire I mean. Your fiancé will be sad about this."

  Hearing this, Theo raised an eyebrow in confusion and dismissed it as a joke.

  "nice... joke..."

  Theo has a fiancée named Agatha. He has known her since she was little and they have been together ever since. They live under the same roof with his little sister, and they have promised each other that they will marry once the war with the dark lord is over.

  "And thank you for letting me have Agatha, she's a bliss. She's pretty wild that night, she even broke my bed."

  "..."

  In shock, Theo didn't respond. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Agatha was also trying to kill him. She was one of the members of the party, and at that moment, she was staring at him with a disgusted look on her face.

  "Oh! You didn't know? She said... Agatha? What's the meaning of this?"

  Albert pretended to be surprised and asked Agatha for the response. Flustered, she responded immediately.

  "O-of course, it was just a joke! There is no way I am going to marry that piece of crap so we could have fun regardless. Besides, we are already doing it whenever he's not looking!!"

  "Oh... Right. So yeah. Sorry about that"

  Albert smiled at Theo, mocking him for his situation, but Theo remained silent. Eventually, Albert grew tired of the silence and drew his sword from its sheath, pointing it at Theo's neck.

  "I'm very sad to do this, but it must be done. I'm sorry, really."

  Despite the impending threat, Theo remained silent, preparing himself for what was about to happen.

  "Don't worry, I am going to take care of your little sister... I don't know if she will be happy if we bring her your head but, I promise that we will have a good time... in my bed."

  This time, Theo's temper finally boiled over. Despite his broken bones and bleeding body, he tackled Albert with all his might.

  "WAAAHHHH!!! SCUMMM... DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!!!!"

  They both fall to the ground, Albert thrust his sword to Theo's chest in defence, it missed his heart but with the amount of blood lost from Theo, he is bound to die.

  "Oops! My hand slipped"

  Said Albert as he slid his sword deeper into Theo's chest. Theo pushed through the pain and managed to grab Albert's body tightly, preventing him from moving any further.

  "What are you trying to do? Ah..."

  Too te before he realized.

  "Di-"

  *BOOM*

  The heart of the forest was engulfed in a bright spherical light, which exploded and turned the trees into ashes. Soldiers from afar were astonished by this spectacle, it was the st straw for Theo who used his most powerful skill, the [Self Destruction] Skill, to turn himself into a human bomb.