Chapter 29 – Into the Illusion
The hyenas rushed toward the forest, their laughter echoing in the air. One fat hyena, with messy hair and a dagger in hand, grinned with a creepy smile it was reflection of his desire, his weakness, his thoughts.
"It's time for the show," he said, his eyes gleaming waiting for what next in his mind.
The others cackled, enjoying every moment in there Way with a creepy laugh full of madness and evil. One skinny hyena began tearing at his own clothes while was laughing .
"Let's look more miserable for our act. Use whatever you can—sympathy is a tool too! Hahaha!"
A disturbing laugh filled the air more than what they was laughing.
Suddenly, one of them stepped forward deeper into the forest into more miserable into the perfect stage that how he spoke and a smile on his face.
Another one shoted,
"Let's go deeper into the forest," he said. "Into the illusion section."
They ran into the depths of the forest, where the trees grew darker and twisted, the land scattered with broken wood and the ruins of an old house. Vipers, scorpions, and countless insects slithered and crawled through the underbrush. Predators watched silently, waiting for their feast. Even the wind screamed like a warning.
A hyena growled,
"Let's catch the kid and kill him right in front of his father. Let him see we're not weak. No—" his eyes glowed red, then darker. "We're not weak. We're not scared anymore!" We will show them are truth
After he said that his eyes turned red for a few seconds
Their rage boiled over their angers against the world their reality and their destiny, driven by fear and pain that had taken control of them.
Elsewhere, Halfy was already in pursuit, following their trail through the forest.
"Just wait until I catch up to you," he muttered. "You'll pay for this. We're not weak!"
His anger surged as he went deeper into the shadows. But a voice echoed in his mind—calm and familiar:
"Forgiveness isn't weakness. It takes strength to forgive."
A memory returned. Halfy was under a tree with the other children. Master Arif approached them, speaking gently, his eyes wise.
"Today, we talk about forgiveness," he said.
Redly scoffed,
"Forgive others? That's not wise. They'll just hurt you again better deal with them once you never see them again."
Halfy agreed quietly,
"I never thought I'd agree with Redly."
Arif paused, thoughtful.
They must have heard this from someone... They don't understand how heavy those words are.
He sighed.
"You need to be strong to fight—but stronger to forgive. That's how you escape the circle of hate that try to control you."
Back in the present, Halfy stood frozen in the middle of the forest.
"Why did I remember that...?"
Then another voice—darker, colder—echoed deep within him:
"Make them pay. Twice as much. Let them buy what they did to you."
That voice drowned out all others. Halfy clenched his fists and walked forward, deeper into the illusion zone.
The hyenas were there, waiting, still tearing at their clothes.
"You bastards!" Halfy shouted. "You'll pay for what you did!"
They lunged at him.
Halfy used his skill—Moon Walk—dodging them all with swift movements.
"It's my turn now," he said.
He struck back. One by one, the hyenas fell to the ground.
The skinny one cried,
"We're just weak... crawling in the dirt. How can we hunt, how can we survive?"
The fat one moaned,
"Look at us... even our clothes are rags. We don't have another set."
Halfy froze, shocked.
"But... but you attacked us..."
His words came from his heart, tears swelling in his eyes.
"We're no match for you," another hyena said. "You destroy us with just your skills..."
Halfy stepped closer, his heart aching, tears falling down his small face.
Then a smile spread across the fat hyena's face—followed by a sudden slash of his dagger.
Halfy gasped, stunned, as his legs gave out beneath him.
"W-What did you do...?" he whispered. "I... I can't move..."
The hyena sneered,
"Fear. That's what we do. We break the strongest like this. You don't know how many strong ones have fallen in our hands..."
They closed in.
Meanwhile, not far away, Halfad pushed forward, his breath quickening.
"I need to be faster... Halfy, be safe please for your father sake."
Tears formed in his eyes.
"I still haven't told you everything about this world about his other side..."
He thought of Arif.
"You were right. I was a fool to try hiding the world truth from my son just showing him the birth side Murad we was wrong."