Kitanna
Chapter 203: DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS

Chapter 203: DEAD MAN’S FOOTSTEPS

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: TEDDY BEAR ~ MELANIE MARTINEZ]

A figure walked in the dark alley, its steps a bit crooked and their back bent abnormally. Man-uel was a shadow of his former self, his condition dignified death; this is because death would have been a more favorable option for him than the life of misery and pains that faced him daily.

On the day of his execution, he was cut down with a deep slash of the sword that cut his back open. It was a deep wound, so he lost consciousness due to excessive loss of blood; his body was packed with other executed bodies to be burnt, that was when he woke up. At first, he thought he was in the underworld, surrounded by decayed corpses. Finally, he crawled out of the place and was rescued by a villager who saw a helpless man lying lifeless on the road.

Unaware of Man-uel’s identity, the commoner tried to treat Manuel’s wound, which was decaying as the days went by, causing his skin to rot from the inside. The excruciating pains Man-uel passed through almost drove him mad, as he lost consciousness over and over again, screaming in pains and agony. It took him many full moons to finally regain himself and walk around little by little.

The first time he tried to reach out to Almaria, he found out that she was arrested for treason. Man-uel stayed away from the palace because if words should reach Kitanna that he was alive, it was a no-brainer that he would be killed properly.

Manuel’s main aim was to get to the silver-haired guard who put him in such a precarious condition. The first instinct of Man-uel was to kill the whole family of the man who rescued him, by poisoning them, then he buried them under their house so that he wouldn’t be asked any questions about his identity. He lived there for many more moons, waiting for the right time to make his presence known and assume his position as Almaria’s aide.

The former aide didn’t care about his deteriorating condition, as his body weakened and decayed with time. He didn’t bother to dress his wounds or change his clothes; he fed from the leftover foods thrown out for strays, as he awaited the day he would kill Nix.

His plan started crashing in his eyes when he heard the news of Almaria’s death and Kitanna’s coronation. Even the man who he had always regarded as a lowly guard was now King. Manuel’s misery deepened ten folds; he gritted his teeth in agony, thinking of a way to get back at Nix.

It was not until one night when Man-uel was scavenging for food in the trash cans when he heard a conversation that changed his life. It was a discussion between two men who were enjoying themselves in the ginseng inn.

"The women in this place are very beautiful," one of the men said loudly, taking a large gulp from his beer.

The other man, also drinking, nodded in agreement. "They are but not as pretty as my wife."

The first man laughed at his friend mockingly. "Are you trying to play saint, Julius? After enjoying these women and then you remember your wife. We all have wives at home."

The one named Julius exhaled gently, his face becoming sad. "She died, my pretty wife. She died, and I miss her every day. Do you not remember Nicholas, or is the alcohol now talking?"

Nicholas nodded, "Yes yes, that’s true. So sad... sorry once again for your loss, my friend."

The two friends continued drinking in silence after hitting a sensitive topic when the one named Nicholas clapped his hands excitedly.

"You can bring her back, your wife." He relayed the information to his friend.

"Are you trying to deepen my wound? We both know it’s all a myth," the man called Julius remarked sadly.

"My friend, it is not a myth. Remember the art of resurrection that was banned long ago because of the excess bloodshed; my daughter who works in the royal shrine told me during one of her breaks that she came across the book. If it’s in the shrine, then there’s every possibility that it works."

Man-uel’s ears perked up at the interesting topic; he inched closer to hear what the men were saying and how the book of resurrection worked. While moving closer, he forgot he was dressed in rags and no longer appeared as the nobleman he used to be.

"Get away from here, you beggar!" the men threw empty cans at Man-uel, forcing him to leave the place.

Man-uel didn’t sleep that night; his mind dwelled on how to get the book of resurrection without being noticed. He got the chance when the commoners were allowed to gather in the royal shrine for prayers; he hid among the crowd, pretending to be praying with others while burning incense for prayers.

What dear Man-uel didn’t know was that nobody would remember him with the way he was looking shabby and unkempt. His hair fully grown unkempt and dirty covering his face, and his beards not overgrown; his clothes in rags and his body carrying a bad stench.

During the prayers, Man-uel, who knew how the shrine was, waited for a good time before he sneaked inside and collected the book. As it was written, the book chose its sacrifice, and it was people who stepped close to the well at the village once the moon was at its peak. And that was how Man-uel chose his targets, lurking in the dark, waiting for his victims.

Gathering their parts, he used it to perform rituals at Almaria’s grave, but nothing was working out. Not even a spark showed his rituals were working; it was when he read in the book that a forbidden blood would yield more results for his ritual than normal blood.

Man-uel felt it was heaven’s blessing him when he found Kitanna and Nix close to the well when he snuck up on Kitanna and held her hostage. He felt the difference in Kitanna’s pulse; she was carrying a child. He was finally going to resurrect Almaria and fulfill his destiny.

What Man-uel didn’t expect was the cut Kitanna gave to him; he had to run away and hide, feeling his skin bleed from where the cut had been made.

This was how Man-uel lived his life until now, waiting for the right time to get to Nix and complete what he started, but now it seems like everything was going south, when he heard a small girl say to Nix that she recognized him.

Man-uel dragged his leg; his body was already breaking apart. But that didn’t deter him; he moved towards the lonely part of the village where the little girl lived. Man-uel reached for the small crooked knife he had been using for his killing as he made his way in the dark, gathering dirt with his worn-out garment.

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