Bab 7: Aftermath of the Incident
In the hideout.
After the mayor made a headcount, they were missing a total of sixteen people.
Some people were making a ruckus for going into the town, as their family members were still there, but others stopped them because there will be only death waiting for them.
Bolt was also making a huge ruckus, he also wanted to go to save, Leo and Bolt, but his dad firmly held onto him. Bolt felt helpless and weak, he cursed his dad for not letting him go. His dad just silently listened to his curses without saying anything, he knew the cruelty of the pirates, everyone who remained in the town was doomed, there was no one who could help them, at least not among them.
A person, who kept an eye out on the sea from the cliff, came running to the hideout and yelled, "Marines are here! Marines are here!!" Hearing Marine's arrival everyone heaved a huge sigh of relief.
"I hope they could keep themselves safe until Marines gets to them," Mayor murmured to himself. "Everyone, let's go." With that, they hurriedly rushed to the town.
When Marines arrived, most of the houses were already ablaze. They searched the town, found fourteen dead and two alive, Nejioko, who was fine but unconscious, and another one was Bolt, who was seriously injured, his right arm was cleanly cut from the shoulder, there were many deep cuts on his body.
Commander Dean wore a heavy expression, it was the first time since he joined the Marines he saw so many senseless deaths, for the first time he felt the true weight of his uniform, how important his duty was. If only he had arrived here earlier this whole tragedy wouldn't have happened.
When he saw Leo's tortured body his face became grim. "How could they do this to the little kid?" He couldn't believe how a human could do this to another, and what's more, this was a little kid. He felt an urgency to catch these pirates if he want to stop from happening such tragedy again.
When Nejiko woke up Marines told her that her son was dead, but she didn't believe them, so she tried to enter the house which was on fire, to see for herself. Marine stopped her, but she continued struggling. Seeing her struggle commander ordered his subordinates to put out the fire on her house to let her see for herself.
When Marines couldn't find any other person in the town, they hurriedly left the island to catch those pirates. As Liam's condition was serious, commander Dean decided to take him with them, he wanted to admit him into the Marine Base's hospital.
By the time town's people arrived, Marines had already left the island. People started putting out fires, some of them searched for their loved ones. When they found their dead bodies they cried loudly.
Liam's mother and sister searched for him and his father, but they only found his father's dead body, Liam was nowhere to be seen. She asked everyone if they had seen Liam somewhere, but nobody saw him.
When the fire was put out, everyone searched for Liam but nobody could find him. Finally, someone hesitantly suggested to ask about Liam to Nejiko, everyone became silent at this. They didn't know what happened to Leo and her, nobody had seen Leo, they only saw Nejiko, when people wanted to talk to her about the incident, she refused everyone and sent them away. Whenever people came near her house she was getting angry at them. Nobody knew what's going on with her.
Finally, the mayor took on himself to talk to her. After some time everyone gathered in front of her house. Mayor took the lead and knocked on the door. "Nejiko, can you give us some time, we want to ask something."
"Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone." Nejiko's angry voice came from the inside.
Mayor looked at the town's people helplessly. Just then Liam's mother came forward, whose face was a crying mess. "Sister Nejiko, please, can you talk to me?" Her voice was grief-stricken. "My husband is dead, and now my son is missing, if I don't find him soon, I might go crazy. I beg you, please help me out."
When Nejiko heard her, she couldn't help but compare her to herself. She looked at Leo, who was lying on the bed, seeing his condition she also felt she might go crazy with the heart-rending pain she was feeling.
Nejiko came out and closed the door behind her. She looked at Liam's mother and hugged her. "I know what you are going through," Nejiko said, and then she started crying, Liam's mother also started crying.
Many town's people also started crying, today was a nightmare for them.
After some time both of them stopped. Nejiko looked at her with a pained heart and said, "I'm sorry for your husband, but don't worry about your son, Marines took him with them, he will be fine after he spent some time in the hospital."
Hearing her son was alive she felt relieved. Even though she didn't know how much he was hurt, it was okay as long as he was alive.
Liam's mother asked, "How is your son?"
"He is okay, he is just sleeping inside." She lied.
Bolt also felt relieved when he heard, Liam and Leo, both were alive. "Can I see him?" He asked Nejiko.
"No." Nejiko suddenly snapped at him. "You will see him when the time is right."
Bolt was taken aback by her stern face. Bolt's mother held onto him and said, "Bolt, don't trouble her."
Everyone was puzzled at her strange behavior, nobody could guess what's going on with her.
After some time crowd dispersed.
At sunset, town's people gathered outside the town to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.
Many were crying, Bolt was the same. Among the dead nobody was a stranger to him, the little Rose, who called him Good Brother, and liked to ride on his back, and her grandfather, who always looked ready to beat anyone who made his lovely granddaughter cry. "Only if I was stronger I could have saved everyone." He was angry at himself. While crying he promised himself that he would become strong enough to protect his loved ones.
His mother hugged him and slowly patted on his back, her eyes were also full of tears.
While people were saying their final goodbyes, Nejiko was still sitting beside Leo, who was lying on the bed inside their house. His charred body which could scare anyone was breathing weakly. Yes, he was breathing, he was alive. After she woke up, when she saw Leo, she knew he was dead, there was no heartbeat, no breathing, and nothing that could say he was alive. After the Marines left, she decided to end her own life, there was no meaning in living without her son, for whom she would live, but just then she saw something impossible, Leo started breathing weakly. She didn't know how, but he came back alive, it was God's miracle, she thanked God for giving her son life again.
And now she could see that from many places charred skin was falling off, underneath was the pink freshly regenerated skin, he was being healed rapidly, it was simply a God's miracle, she thanked God's again for healing him. After seeing Leo's charred body it was impossible for anyone to believe that he was alive, and even if someone saw him breathing, nobody would believe that he would recover from such terrible condition, that's why she did not let anyone see her son, she didn't want people to label him as a freak.
Even though many people died, living had to continue living. As time moved forward houses were being repaired, people resumed their work. After a few days, the Marine ship came back and took Liam's sister and mother with them to the Marine base's hospital.
In just five days after the incident, Leo was completely recovered, but he was still unconscious. He wasn't just recovered, but he was even better than before, instead of a scrawny and weak body, now his body was that of a normal healthy five years old boy. After he was recovered, Nejiko let town's people see him, and after that, she also resumed her work.
Three months after the incident, Leo woke up. When he opened his eyes he found himself in his own room lying on the bed. Instead of feeling weak, he felt his body brimming with energy. After waking up the first thought that came to his mind was about Nejiko. "Is my mom okay?" He did not know what happened after he lost consciousness. He hurriedly got out of the bed and looked for her, she wasn't in her room, so he climbed down the stairs. He heard a sound coming from the kitchen, he stopped himself and took a deep breath, his heart was beating faster from the expectation of what he might see inside. He took the slow steps and walked inside, and then he saw the back of Nejiko who was cooking, tears rolled down his cheeks. "Thank God she is okay." He felt relieved and felt so much joy that even he being alive was insignificant compared to it.
Hearing someone coming inside, Nejiko looked back. "Leo!!" She ran to him and hugged him very tightly as if he might vanish if she loosened even a little bit. She started crying. "God's mercy you are awake. How are you feeling?"
"I am feeling okay. How are you?" Leo asked her back.
"You don't have to worry about me, I am fine as long as you are fine." She answered.
Hearing this Leo again confirmed, how truly scummy he was, he wasn't worthy of her love. When he was freed from the hug he knelt in front of her. "Mother please punish this unfilially and ungrateful son for his transgression." He was asking for punishment for the offensive words he said to her.
"Stand up Leo. What are you talking about?" She knew exactly what he was talking about, but she pretended as if she had forgotten about the things he said to her. In these three months, for a long time, she thought about the nonsensical things he said to her in front of those pirates, and then she understood, everything he had done was to save her.
"No. You must punish me."
Seeing her son's firm resolve, with fake anger she said, "Indeed, I must punish you. Your punishment is - " She stopped for a moment. Leo gulped down his saliva in nervousness. "- to eat the dinner I am making until you are full."
Leo looked at her. "Mom - " he wanted to say something about this punishment but she stopped him.
Now she was truly angry. "What? You want to say something?"
Seeing her angry face, Leo stammered. "No. No. I accept this punishment."
"That's my good boy." She smiled and ruffled his hair.
After some time dinner was prepared. While eating his tears continued to stream down, he felt blessed to have such a loving mother. Nejiko sat in front of him with her face cupped inside her hands, she kept looking at him lovingly.
After dinner, she sat beside Leo's bed until he was asleep. When she left he opened his eyes, today it was impossible for him to sleep. There was so much on his mind, he didn't know what happened to others during the incident, were his friends safe? And how come he was still alive. He pretended to be asleep to just make her leave, or else she would have sat with him for the whole night.
Even though until now he didn't give much thought to being alive, he was truly shocked seeing himself alive. "How did I survive? There was no way I was going to live. Was it the system?" The only thing that could keep him alive was the system. He opened the system frame, there were many unread messages.
[Host's life is in a critical situation.]
[Activating one-time emergency protocol.]
[Host's half lifespan would be used.]
[Healing in progress...]
[Host recovered.]
[One-time emergency protocol stopped.]
[Host you have used your one-time emergency protocol.]
[Cherish your last chance at your life.]
So it was the system that saved me.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone