MLIV C4, P2- "Hurt"

"Hurt" is the second Part of "Miracula Luxia IV" 's fourth Chapter.
It was released on 22.06.2022.
== Plot ==
Even though a possible mutiny was prevented with the defeat of Liam Campbell, it is clear that there is still a great deal of tension in the air. A feeling of unease that makes everyone uncertain.
Darkthrop's influence has soared to new heights. Even the people who used to live peacefully at the edges of the world could feel the beginning of the end. The destruction of a number of his most valued servants has only managed to hinder the inevitable, not prevent it from happening whatsoever.
With their enemies in hot pursuit, our heroes must find a way to reach World's End and defeat Darkthrop before the chaos in this world makes this arduous task completely impossible. 
The solution is close, but it is still out of reach. Will they find it before it is too late?
== Story ==
As a group of guards takes Liam's corpse away, James approaches Adam and Jared, bowing his head as he stands in front of them.
"My boys, forgive me for dragging you into this mess."- He says- "Had I been more understanding, everything would have gone well."
Jared shakes his head.
"You do not need to blame yourself, Mr. Braveheart."- He replies- "Some people cannot take the pressure of standing in the middle of chaos. Give them enough time and they will break down. Such faulty elements are a danger to modern society, so me and my son had to take care of Liam."
James sighs.
"I guess that you're right. Liam was beyond saving and, no matter what I said to him, he still would have remained this way. Once inside a person's body, evil runs to the bone. The only thing I could hope for is that his demise will serve as a lesson who would dare to rebel against the Order someday."- He says- "Still, I wish things were different. I wish we lived in a normal world, where rebellions like those would just be distant nightmares. Mirages in the paradise that we call our world. But that is not to be. As long as Darkthrop still stands, we must be wary of those that we work with."
Jared nods.
"And that is why we shall take Darkthrop down from his throne."- He says- "He might be standing tall now. He might be yelling at the top of his lungs, thinking that the world could hear how much of a tyrant he truly is, how he will destroy everything they hold dear. But that does not come without a cost. Every mountain could face an avalanche, somewhere and someday. And when that happens, few are able to survive and face the aftermath of their own consequences."
James nods.
"Perhaps there's a grain of truth in what you're saying."- He says- "Even so, how could we possibly oppose against this monster?"
Jared looks back at his son, knowing that he has the response for this.
"As a matter of fact, it is quite simple. We fight his people. We discover his hideout. We go in and use our newfound powers to stop him for good."- He says- "Sure. It might sound like he is undefeatable. But every villain, no matter how powerful, has his weakness. His ego is like a domino. If you push a single piece toward the right direction, everything will crumble sooner or later."
Jared nods.
"I have fought many villains during my time as a hero."- He says- "And, as you just said earlier Mr. Braveheart, there is a grain of truth in his ways."
James smiles.
"Then I wish you good luck in bringing down this no-good man to his knees."- He says- "Should you tell the truth, then the entire world should be eternally grateful for what you're about to do."
Two guards approach James and whisper something to him. He nods.
"And now, it's time to take care of this ugly bit of business."- He says- "The burial process is about to begin and, despite Liam's treachery, many people still mourn him."
He takes a step back.
"I must be going."- He says- "Please, excuse me."
Then, he turns around and joins the rest of the townsfolk. Looks like this session is over.
Jared looks at the funeral and sighs.
"The people of this world respect us, but they'll never understand how hard it is to make such reckless decisions."- He says- "In order to save a life, you must take another away. It has always gone this way and I suspect that we are going to have to do it again."
Adam nods.
"Maybe this is how it is meant to be. We heroes do our job and the citizens of the world just... stand there and watch as chaos unfolds in front of them."- He says- "But what about those who dare to join Darkthrop? Do they still count as our allies, or should we consider themas nothing more than faulty elements."
Jared sighs again.
"That is up to you, Adam."- He says- "But I must be honest. Judging from the way you have dealt with traitors in the past, I can see that you're finally learning. A few more years and you can take my spot on the throne."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"But I do not want to be king!"- He exclaims- "I just want to explore! To help people and be myself! I am not fit to lead an entire nation!"
Jared shrugs.
"You know, I thought the same way when I was given the crown in the past. Insecurities had their way with my sanity and I did not know how to proceed."- He says- "However, there were people who stood up for me, just like your friends are standing up for you now. They showed me that, through trial and error, everything could be achieved with ease. Even the enemies of this world are no match for our prowess, if we stand up together. So, that is why I decided to stand up and make a difference that would lead to the creation of a new world, free from the chains of darkness that have been holding it still for so long."
Adam nods.
"So."- He says- "Will you make it happen?"
Jared nods.
"With you by my side, I know that I will make it happen."- He says- :"I just want you to stay calm. Now that we're together, there is nothing that will break us apart."
He looks back and sighs.
"And the first step is to make sure that everything goes well in Duskwood."- He says- "Come on. Let us join them."
As the two of them join the funeral, Jared stands in a corner, unable to bring himself to join James on the stage.
"Why are we doing this, dad?"- Adam asks.
Jared sighs.
"Remember what I said earlier? How people will never understand what we did back there?"- He says- "Well, it is for the best if we leave them to their mourning. Barging into the funeral uninvited could be... dangerous."
Adam looks down.
"I do not like being seen as the troublemaker."- He says- "What have I done to deserve this?"
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"You think that you are the one who is to blame? No. There is no need to worry about that."- He says- "People misunderstand our intentions. They think that we're going to treat them the same way we treated that traitor."
He glares at the gates behind them.
"I can see the tension rising in their eyes. The demise of Liam was a breaking point that weakened the link between heroes and commoners. And this means that the defenses of this town have been weakened as well."- He says- "Expect danger at any moment. And don't look away from it. It is our destiny to stop it."
Adam nods and listens to James's eulogy as the guard prepare to bury Liam in Duskwood's graveyard.
"But don't let this stop us from saving the world."- He says- "Liam was just a piece of dirt in the gears of the Order. Once cleaned, they became perfect again. And now, it is the time when we could fight in his honor. To stop Darkthrop's people before more innocent civilians get hurt."
He smiles sadly.
"So, let's make a better world."- He adds- "For Liam. For Lisa. For the people who have been wronged for so long. For the heroes of our-- "
Suddenly, the rest of the citizens hear angry footsteps heading toward them.
"Stop yourselves right now!"
They look around, alarmed, and see that a new person has joined them.
"Bobby, you're here."- James says- "Why do you look so... angry?"
Bobby draws two knives and looks around furiously.
"Where is he?!"- He yells- "Where's the man who killed Liam?!"
James shakes his head.
"Bobby, please calm down. There's no need to act like a fool."- He says to him- "Liam was a traitor. He turned against our people. Disregarded our safety. Put his family first. Trying to avenge a man like him will only ruin your reputation. It doesn't make you a hero. In fact, you'll be no better than him."
Bobby, just like Liam, is already beyond helping. He shakes his head and points his knives at everyone.
"If you don't tell me, I'll make sure that you pay as well."- He says- "You all had a part in his demise, too. So, don't try to defend those criminals! They're just ruining our peace!"
Suddenly, Akira steps away from the crowd and glares at him.
"Have you ever considered the errors of your ways? The pain that you're trying to cause, just because you feel ashamed?"- She says- "Face it, friend. You think that the people who killed Liam are the criminals, yet you can't see that you're trying to be a criminal yourself."
Bobby clenches his fists.
"You! I saw you back there! You were with them!"- He yells and takes a step forward- "Maybe crushing you like an insect will draw 'em all out!"
Having said that, he lunges at Akira, scaring the residents away and trying to strike her down.
However, Akira nimbly leaps back and fires two bolts of magic at him, burning his chest and forcing him to stand back.
"I told you, you fool!"- She yells- "Now, you're the one who is the criminal!"
James takes a step forward and aims his gun at Bobby.
"Don't make me do this, boy!"- He yells- "I've already had to face one fool! Don't try to end up like him!"
Bobby sees this as an opportunity to strike back and leaps forward. 
Before James could react, he lands on top of him, wrestles the gun out of his hand and points it at Akira.
"You aren't so brave now, are ya?!"
Akira sighs.
"What a madman... "
He fires a few shots at her, but she protects herself with a magical shield just in time, deflecting the bullets and forcing them to strike the wall behind Bobby.
"Gah!"- He exclaims- "You're such a persistent brat!"
Akira sighs.
"Says the one who's been acting like a full-blooded brat this whole time."
Bobby smirks.
"We'll see who's the biggest brat, then."
He pulls out his knives again and lunges forward.
"You will pay for killing Liam!"- He yells- "I won't forgive you!"
As he closes in for the kill, Akira patiently steps back, casts a spell and spawns a pair of tentacles.
While Bobby gets closer, the tentacles grab him and throw him back, making him hit his head hard against the wall.
And yet, this is not enough to finish him off. As Akira stares at him, he stands up again, hatred and vengeance still burning in his veins.
"Not yet."- He mutters- "I'll take you down first."
Then, he lunges forward one last time, with the sole intention to avenge the one whom he considered his friend.
James gasps.
"This boy is disregarding his own safety, just to kill someone who didn't even take part in the slaughter of Liam."- He says to himself- "Why is he condemning himself like this?"
Jared stares at them, seemingly worried.
"Adam, I think that we have a problem."- He says to his son- "I suspect that those knives are coated with a deadly toxin, set to infect the human body and subject it to further complications. If we do not do something, Akira might suffer because of it."
Adam nods.
"Not on my watch."
He dashes forward as Bobby wildly swings his blades at Akira.
"Nice... try... villain."- Akira gasps- "But it's... not... enough."
Bobby smirks.
"It will be, once I get close!"
Just as he is about to puncture her arm, Adam finally reaches him. He pulls him away from his sister, slamming him into a wall and casting a spell that hits him straight in the chest.
"Get away from me!"- He yells- "I'll kill her! You can't stop me!"
Adam glares at him.
"I will never allow you to harm my sister!"- He yells- "If you are going to act like that fool, then I shall treat you the same way!"
Then, without thinking twice, he grabs him by the neck and angrily chokes him in front of the people that remained behind. And yet, nobody dares to betray any stray emotions. They just stare at Bobby as the life is slowly drained out of him.
As he is close to finishing the job, James leans close and whispers something to him.
Adam sighs.
"Maybe it is for the best."
He looks back at Bobby.
"Alright, you fool."- He says- "You may live for another day, as long as you do not cause any trouble."
Then, true to his word, he lets him go and steps back as he gasps for air.
Bobby looks up at glares at them.
"You know that you made a big mistake, didn't you?"
James shakes his head.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Bob."- He says- "Come on. Listen to your heart."
Bobby smirks.
"I am listening to my heart, Mr. Braveheart."- He says- "And it's telling me to end it all. For them."
Then, in front of everyone else, he angrily lunges at James and manages to plunge both of his knives into his shoulder.
James stumbles back, shocked.
"Bob... "
Bobby smirks.
"I told you that I won't forgive you!"- He yells- "Now, you're all going to-- "
Suddenly, he feels a sharp pain in his chest. He looks down and sees blood.
He looks back and sees a familiar face.
"Linus."- He gasps- "Why? Why are you doing this?"
Linus shakes his head.
"You're not the Bobby that I've always seen as my idol."- He says- "For many years, I revered you for your altruism and compassion. But now, I can see that it's all gone. People are bound to change in a world like this, but it feels like you became a completely different person."
He sighs.
"You brought this upon yourself, monster. You dragged the real Bobby into oblivion and replaced him, thinking that you're the better one. And that... was your biggest mistake."- He says, regretfully- "I'm sorry, my friend. I hope that you have a good life in Heaven, wherever you are right now."
Before Bobby could say anything else, Linus pulls out his sword. Then, with tears in his eyes, he stabs Bobby in the head, his mind made up and his goal clear.
Everyone watches as Bobby falls into Linus's arms. However, the young do-gooder pushes him away and shakes his head.
"So, this is how it ends."- He mutters- "Friendships. Love. Freedom. They all crumble in the end. Only hope and faith remain intact, at least for us."
He looks up.
"But this is not our fault!"- He exclaims- "Adam and Mr. Kaos only wanted to protect us from the villains. The traitors who are out to hunt us down. We stand here like a bunch of hunted animals and wait patiently for the end to consume us."
He glares at the citizens.
"Is this what you want?!"- He yells- "Do you really intend to give our city to the forces of evil without a fight?!"
Everyone looks down, guilt-ridden and ashamed that they let traitors like Liam and Bobby reside in their holy city.
"In the name of our people, I give you my word that we shall root out this menace from now on."- James says- "Even if I... I must do it myself."
Linus nods.
"Maybe our fellow humans should listen to their elders."- He says- "I trust you, Mr. Braveheart. And I know that you're the right man for the job."
The guards prepare to bury both Liam and Bobby, but Linus shakes his head.
"We don't bury traitors inside our walls."- He says to them- "I hate to say this, but the only way to take care of them is by purging."
He looks up and sighs.
"With fire."
Half an hour later, the ceremonial pyre is ready for use. The citizens gather around to watch the burning.
Linus motions for Adam to join him. Then, he looks at James and sighs.
"So."- He says- "Do you have anything to say to the fallen? Any last words?"
James shakes his head.
"No. I can see that I made a mistake by thinking that they're still our allies. I should have shunned them long ago and never looked back."- He says- "Do what must be done. Burn those non-believers and let a new age begin. An age of light."
Linus nods.
"As you wish, sir."
Then, without any hesitation, he grabs Linus's corpse and throws it into the raging flames. Soon, there is nothing left of the traitor, but ashes that are soon blown away by the wind.
He nods at Adam.
"I think that I should give you the honors to burn Bobby since you battled him last."- He says- "To the victor go the spoils, right?"
Adam nods.
"Then, I will do as I am told."- He replies- "Burn the traitor in the holy flames of justice. Start a new future. Cleanse my soul as the road becomes even darker."
He grabs Bobby's lifeless body.
"Alright."- He says- "Let us do this."
As he prepares to perform the holy rites himself, Akira joins him. Noticing that she is here, he looks back and sighs.
"It is as if something was meant to happen. History is repeating itself and we are forced to face it with our own eyes."- He says to her- "And to think that I actually thought about doing the same to you back in Underfall. The guilt of losing you has been haunting me ever since."
Akira shakes her head and pats him on the back.
"You're worrying too much. Just because I'm a little, spoiled princess, it does not mean that I can't fight by myself. Time and time again, I've tried to prove this to everyone. But they always keep worrying about me."- She says- "But that is of no concern right now. You've got a traitor to burn. Get on with it.. Don't let me stop you."
Adam sighs.
"Indeed."- He says- "Let us get this over with."
With a single glance at the remains of Liam in front of him, Adam sighs again and throws Bobby into the pyre without hesitation.
"And may his soul find peace in the skies above."- He mutters a small prayer- "Amen."
Everyone bows down.
"Amen."- They say in unison.
As the crowd disperses, Jared approaches James and looks at the wound that Bobby caused before his demise.
"Yikes. It looks quite bad."- He says- "Are you sure that you can get over it?"
James nods and coughs into the palm of his hand.
"I'll be fine, my boy."- He says- "Compared to what I've faced before, that's just a simple scratch. And I ain't afraid of those scratches."
Jared shakes his head, unconvinced.
"I can't just leave you like this."- He says- "Infection is a terrible thing. It can leave you helpless, or maybe even worse."
He looks at his children.
"If you truly want to survive, then you should allow some of us to assist you."
Akira steps forward.
"I'll do it."
Jared looks at her, surprised.
"Akira? But why?"- He asks- "Don't you have a family to take care of?"
Akira smiles.
"Actually, the entire world is my family"- She admits- "And Mr. Braveheart's a part of this family, no matter how hard some fools try to convince me."
She stands by James' side.
"My son's still here, so I'll take advantage of this."- She says- "We'll keep Duskwood safe in your absence."
Linus approaches Adam and hands him something.
"I thought that you might want to see this."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"Wait."- He says- "What... is this?"
Linus shrugs.
"It looks like a map to me, but you never know."- He says- "I can't make sense of those location, but maybe you can."
Adam nods.
"I will do my best."
As our heroes stare at the map, they notice a region covered in shadows in the far north corner.
"Very suspicious."- Linus says- "Maybe it could be a clue?"
Adam shrugs.
"There is only one way to find that out."
Using his deciphering abilities, he manages to form a line of text around the shadows.
"Impressive."- Linus says- "I didn't know that such a thing was possible until now."
Jared stares at the text and shakes his head.
"I may have known a few things about ancient text like this before, but I am afraid that I cannot help anymore."- He says- "Do you have any clues about its meaning?"
Adam nods.
"Mr. Selmae taught me how to read ye olde texts."- He says- "Acting as the translating unit is no problem to me."
Then, he stares at the text intently for a while, nodding every second to prove his point.
"Ah, yes. This is a piece of ancient history, a text that is a part of the dark lore that villains of old used to communicate with each other."- He says- "This is truly intriguing, to be honest. Maybe it is a sign of Darkthrop's knowledge of past scripts. It is clear that he wants to use them to fool our sages, but such tomfoolery is simple parlor tricks to yours truly."
Linus nods.
"And what is it supposed to say?"
Adam looks at the text again and prepares to read it.
"To those who see this, you have seen the world's end. The demise of humankind is at hand and our power is infinite. Hide while you still can, for the flames of vengeance will soon spread and consume you if you fight back."
He rolls the map back and shrugs.
"Hmm."- He says- "This is some peculiar information."
Linus nods.
"Amusing, but not very informative."- He says- "Are you sure that it's hiding any clues."
Adam raises his eyebrow.
"You are telling me that you did not see the truth behind the lies?"- He asks- "Darkthrop was trying to hide it from us. But it is clear that he is very inept at doing this."
He unrolls the map and points at the road leading to the shadows.
"The road to darkness is the first sign."- He says- "So, tell me. What does the darkness signify?"
Linus raises his eyebrow.
"The... end?"
Adam nods.
"Exactly."- He replies- "In this context, to whom is Darkthrop the biggest menace?"
Linus raises his eyebrow again.
"The world, maybe?"
Adam nods and smiles.
"With those two pieces of information, you can discover the truth."
Linus thinks about this for a while. Then, realizing what Adam means, he gasps.
"World's End! Darkthrop's final stronghold is at World's End!"- He exclaims- "But how can we ever reach that? If the place is covered by shadows, then there's no way it will be revealed to us!"
Adam smiles.
"The shadows may be good at hiding something from plain sight, but there is nothing that can hide from the light within."- He says- "Once we get close enough, the path toward the end shall be revealed."
Linus raises his eyebrow.
"Simple as that?"
Adam nods.
"Fortunately, yes."- He says- "It is."
Linus smiles.
"Then, to World's End we go!"- He exclaims- "Grab your things and get ready, because we're going to rock and roll!"
Adam smiles.
"That is the spirit."
He turns to his father.
"Did you bid farewell to Aki?"
Jared nods.
"I did."- He replies- "Now, it is your turn."
Adam approaches his sister and sees that she is smiling. 
As he gets close to her, she leans forward and takes his hands in hers. Then, she hugs him.
"So, this truly is goodbye."- Adam says- "I thought that we would be together forever. But I guess that we were never meant to be."
Akira shakes her head.
"I'm not going anywhere."- She says- "Just because I'll be staying here, this doesn't mean that you have to cry for me. Not when the whole world is in your grasp."
Akira looks at her brother and smiles.
"Little brother, this is what you have always wanted. Adventuring and heroism have always been your favorites. And you never stopped dreaming of how you could become one of the heroes that this world respects."- She says- "Remember the time when you told me that you want to be a superhero when we were children? Well, this is the time to make that dream come true. It is not me whom you should worry about, it's the whole world."
Adam sighs.
"I guess that you are right."- He mutters- "I made a vow, after all."
Akira smiles again.
"So, tell me."- She says- "Who are you?"
Adam looks up.
"Adam Kaos, protector of The World."
Akira nods.
"What is your goal?"
Adam nods.
"To protect the good and defeat the evil."
Akira smiles.
"And what do you say when the darkness tries to break us down?"
Adam raises his fist in the air.
"Viva la resistance!"
Akira smiles from ear to ear and hugs him.
"And that's why I will always love you."- She says- "You never forgot who you are. You were just confused. And what you just said proves that you're not afraid anymore."
She pats him on the back.
"Good journey, my little brother."- She says and wipes a tear from her left eye- "I will never, ever forget you."
Adam smiles.
"And neither will I."- He says- "Farewell, Aki. I will return. I promise."
As Jared and Linus watch, the Kaos siblings hug again, strengthening their bond even further.
Akira watches as her brother joins his allies and smiles.
"Never change, Adam."- She says to herself- "Never change."
As the three of them prepare to leave, James approaches them and smiles sadly.
"As a token of appreciation for your help, I'd like to offer you a better way to reach that capital."- He says- "A caravan has recently arrived in town. Loaded up some stock and is ready to go. Do you want to join it on its way to enemy territory? They could change their route, if needed."
Adam has a flashback of how they joined the merchant caravan in Canonia. How he and his allies were forced to watch as the merchants and their leader were slaughtered, one by one. And, worst of all, he sees the burning caravan, still serving as a sign of doom.
"Adam?"- Linus asks- "Hello, Earth to Adam! Are you there?"
Adam looks up and shakes his head.
"It is best if we travel alone."- He says- "Sure, it will take a while to reach our destination. But nobody else will be endangered in the process."
He looks at James.
"And that is what matters."- He says- "You need every single person left in this town, so I would never dare to strip them away from you."
James smiles.
"Very noble of you, child."- He says- "Okay then. As you wish."
He motions at the gates ahead.
"The world is your canvas."- He says- "Feel free to draw your paintings of hope."
He smiles again.
"I hope that they're colorful, like you've always been."
Adam nods.
"We shall return with good news very soon."- He says- "Farewell, sir."
James nods.
"Farewell, children."- He says- "Stay safe out there."
Jared smiles.
"You too, Mr. Braveheart."
With that, the three of them leave while they still have some time left.
Half an hour passes. The road seems to get longer and longer. Each step toward their destination seems to be a pain for them.
"Ugh. The road to victory is tough."- He says- "Are you sure that we're on the right track.
Adam nods.
"We are."- He says- "I am sure of it."
Then, they see a group of Darklings in the distance.
"There they are."- He says- "Get ready."
The three of them enthusiastically draw their weapons.
"It is time to save the world."- Adam says- "Once again."