The perverted voice of the noble echoed throughout the forest , screeching Frei’s ear as he lay on the tall, thick brown tree. The blueish light from the moon casted a shadow of the noble and it stretched all over the dirt pathway that separates the forest into two parts. Frei glanced at the stretched bat-like shadow approaching as the tapping sounds of leather shoes got closer and closer.

The noble got in front of the beaten-up Frei, blocking him from escaping. The noble gazed passionately at Frei and leaned right into Frei’s face, enveloping Frei’s vision with his face. He smiled deviantly, ear to ear, showing his crooked teeth with a thick blush on both his cheeks, he uttered soft right beside Frei’s ear. “What a cute littleeeee thing.” He 

He gripped both of Frei’s wrists tightly, not allowing him to move or budge. The noble wasn’t strong nor physically fit and had Frei been not beaten up this badly, maybe he could have shaken the noble off and ran. With little energy in his voice, he said quietly “s…s..stop.” It wasn’t loud but it was loud enough for the noble right beside him to hear. Frei continued, threatening him “I...I will b-beat you.” Attempting to intimidate the noble.

But the noble heard it and shrugs it off. “Nuh…uh boy” He said while wagging his index finger. “It’s just going to take a while. That’s all.” He continued, smiling wider. He leaned it even closer, he then pressed his lips onto Frei’s neck, kissing him.

Frei tried to fight back, swinging his legs frantically at the noble as an attempt to break free from the noble’s grasp and run. But his legs weren’t flexible nor did it have any strength left to do a dent to the noble. Frei tried to swing his hands but all it did was worsen the wounds Frei had from the beating, it didn’t budge at all.

The noble sat on top of Frei’s hips , and brought up both of Frei’s hands, bringing them right beside one another so he could hold them together with just one hand. Then he forcefully held Frei’s two arms against the tree. Making a thud sound.

*Thud*

“Hehehe” The noble chuckled, creepily. “No more fighting back now.“ He continued, as wags his index finger again. He leaned it right into Frei’s face while one of his hands bounded Frei’s arm tightly together, like a bundle. He widened his mouth and brought out his long, slimy tongue and licked Frei’s jaws.

Frei shuddered in fear, showing it on his face. He attempted to move his legs and arms, trying anything he could to kick back the noble on top of him. But legs were numbed and his arms unable to move, and he started to feel the aftermath of the beating. As pain flowed throughout his entire body, he shaked in response. 

“I liked your face, kid.” the noble said. “It’s one of the expressions I liked the most.” He continued, smiling even wider. He slid his hands slowly across Frei’s chest and abdomen then slowly to his hips. “Why don’t we make thingsss.” He hissed. “More.” He paused for a short moment before saying, “e-x-p-l-i-c-i-t” he said slowly, spelling every single letter in the word. As his hands got closer to Frei’s crotch.

Frei glared at the noble in pure contempt, his muscles tensed in an effort to get rid of the repulsive pervert sexually assaulting him. While doing so, he recalled the teachings of “Gloria ” , the childish pictures and explanations of magic imprinted in him, and began to stream rapidly within his mind. Though the mana was weak and inconsistent, it was all that Frei had in his disposal to push away the pervert in front of him.

In an attempt of retaliation, Frei focused, tensing every single fiber in his body. He closed his eyes as he recalled each and every single one of the pictures in the book:  ‘The little kid holds up his hands, eyes focused, muscle tensing.’ 

‘His imagined the warmth of the fire in a cold morning, the smoldering heat of a fire heating the pan’

 ‘The orangish and reddish, warm stream of mana within the little kid flows, like a river stream towards the center of his palms. Materializing the mana into magic’ 

‘The little kid saw the reddish and orangish glow surrounding his palms, casting a shadow of his hands over his twig arms, then he felt the cozy warmth of the fire.’

Frei snapped open his eyes when he recalled the essence of mana and to his surprise, his hands were loosened from the noble’s grip and the noble frantically stumbled backward, away from Frei as heat emitted from Frei’s body. A radiant orangish glow enveloped Frei’s body, outlining his frame, like a firefly.

“Playing hard to get, eyyyyyy.” The noble said, amused at Frei’s attempt at retaliation. “I like it.” He licked the sides of his lips then showed a sinister grin. “Y’know. I can do that too.” He said as he envelopes himself in mana showing off a bluish glow. “Soooooooo…. N-i-c-e try.” He continued.

Despite finding the perfect opportunity, to escape from the pervert’s grasp. Frei’s body won’t move like how his mind is screaming it to. “F…Fuck off.” He exclaimed, as he tried his darn best to move his legs, his arms but it remained completely numbed and unresponsive. Seemingly, bound by an invisible force, preventing him from moving. His lack of focus caused his previously casted magic to dissipate and soon the heat from bordering his body, disappeared along with the glow.

The noble wagged his index finger again at Frei, subtly making fun of him. “HEHEHE.” He giggled at the sight of Frei’s futile efforts. He crouched and leaned in closer into Frei, and he continued his previous act, only much more aggressive. He grabbed Frei by the cheek, squeezing his lips out and pulled Frei in closer to his parted mouth for a kiss. Frei shuddered at the disgusting freak in front of him and he began to shiver in fear, tears began forming in his eyes and just as Frei was just an inch away from being French kissed by a homosexual rapist.

A big, hunky shadow casted and stretched all over him and Frei. The noble turned around and saw a tall, imposing , muscular black man wearing a brown ragged torn-up attire. The man had a smooth bald head and a bloodied face, marred by wounds and injuries. His intense glare fixated on the noble and before the noble knew it, he was punched in the jaw, making him fall onto the ground and bled.

He covered his fall with his arm only, in frustration he turned his head in order to see the man who punched him, It was Berg. Only to be met with another rageful punch, hitting him hard in the face. His perfectly long nose deformed by only one extremely hard punch. Then another one. Then another one. Then again. 

Even if Frei wasn’t the one getting punched, he could feel them, each punch was heavy, as if they were rocks smashing against a hard surface, making a loud thud sound each time, only to be buried by the loud agonizing yell of the noble as he groaned in excruciating pain. Frei could only watch the beating going down right in front of him, reminding him of the beating he endured. He rested his hand on the ground, the other rested over his hips, he curled his bloodied eyes and his lips parted itselves subconsciously as he watched.

Berg was not in his usual self, his eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the noble almost like he was looking at a ghost. His stare confused yet intense, it wasn't something that Frei could put into words nor explain to himself, he just… Felt it. Berg’s fist continuously striked the beaten down noble, each one hitting a different part of the body. He began to slow down as he regained his consciousness.

When he did, he twitched his eyes at the half-dead noble paralyzed in fear below him and then he noticed his bloodied fists clenched so tightly together that it felt like they were chained and nailed down at the joints. His fists opened up with a stiff deliberate motion and his fingers twitched, unfurling themselves, revealing the blood, splattered like crimson paint all over the canvas of his palms, marking the violent and gruesome that Berg had endured.

After realizing the horrors he had committed, Berg curled up into a ball as he brought up his unshackled hands, placing them both on his head in disbelief of what he had done. He then cried. “I…I.. I promised m-myself.” Tears streamed down from his eyes, flowing along his cheeks and down to his chin. “That I’d wouldn’t h-hurt another person,” He continued, crying to himself.

“B-Berg.” Frei interrupted abruptly and in confusion as the man whom he thought was the strongest amongst them was crying and showing vulnerability. “Why are you crying?” He asked the shaken Berg.

Berg, surprised to hear Frei’s voice, turned his head towards the voice coming from behind him. “F-Frei?” He exclaimed in surprise. His tensed-up muscles began to relax at the sight of the boy, easing him for reasons that he couldn’t explain. “I...I killed another one.” He said, crying, his voice shaking.

“Who? The man you just beat?” Frei asked as he pointed to the noble lying barely unconscious beside Berg.

“No…” Berg said. “Another slave. Like us.” He said in discomfort.

Frei patted the flat, slightly burned grass beside him beckoning Berg to sit beside him. “Come.” The muscles in his face untense itselves and he began to show a subtle grin towards Berg.  His eyelid pulled inwards, towards his eyeball showing a genuine smile which comforted the agonized Berg.

Berg got up from his curled up position and sat beside Frei, lying against the tree. “I don’t want to kill. I don’t want to do any violence, anymore.” Berg said. “H-have i told you this before? The fact that I used to b…” he hesitated to finish his sentence. Before he continued, he hid his face in shame. “That I used to beat my wife.” He finished.

…

Frei didn't answer, only laying there, staring at the stars in the night sky. The air turned silent for a short period, neither of them talking, one too shameful to say anything the other simply didn't know how to respond. Then Frei pointed at one of the radiant glowing stars in the sky and said, “ that one looks beautiful.” Breaking the short silence.

“Y-yeah, it does look pretty.” Berg responded in a husky tone, slightly bewildered by Frei’s reaction. “Do you not have anything to say? About me?”

“No. Not at all. I listen.”