I didn’t expect it. I didn’t want to believe it. But here I was, walking side by side with a man I had known as nothing more than a fellow survivor, only to learn that he was something far more—something I couldn’t comprehend.


    Subba, royalty?


    I glanced over at him, the man who had led me through this forsaken place with silent determination, his pace unchanging despite the fatigue in our bones. Subba wasn’t just a survivor. He wasn’t just a man with a plan. He was royalty, someone whose bloodline should have made him above the struggles we were facing.


    When he said it, his voice almost casual, like he was speaking about something mundane, it rattled me to my core. "We were from the royal family," he had said, his tone emotionless, like it meant nothing.


    I stopped walking, staring at him for a long moment.


    "Wait, what?" I asked, my voice hoarse with disbelief. "Royalty? You? No way."


    But Subba didn’t even look at me. His gaze remained ahead, steady, almost distant. The faint glow from the crimson moon reflected in his eyes, making him look otherworldly, as if the very heavens were aligning with his presence. His eyes weren’t tired like mine, weren’t filled with uncertainty. There was a cold certainty in them, something that made me question everything I thought I knew.


    "I am not like the others," he said quietly. "I’m built for something greater than this... than us."


    The words sank into me, swirling like poison. I couldn’t help it—the jealousy, the feelings of inferiority hit hard. He knew his purpose. He knew his worth. And I was just... me. A man who couldn’t even make it through a simple journey without questioning my own strength.


    But there was something else. Something deeper in Subba’s words, something that made my stomach churn.


    At that moment I thought I could trust this man told lead me completely.


    ---


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    We kept walking, though now there was a strange weight in the air, an unsettling stillness between us. We walked for what felt like another day, though I wasn’t sure if it had been hours or weeks. The world around us remained unchanged: silent, dark, and oppressive.


    And finally, the only signs of life—three distant houses, their lights faint in the dark. Were they real? Or were they just another trick of this cursed world?


    Subba didn’t hesitate. He stopped, glancing at the horizon, his eyes scanning the houses in the distance. He seemed to think long and hard, and it wasn’t until a few moments had passed that he finally spoke.


    “We move to the closest one,” he said, his voice firm, decisive.


    I watched as he pointed toward the house closest to us. The red hut.


    I nodded, though something gnawed at me. The other houses stood farther off, their distance making them seem unreachable. One was small and gray, tucked away in the dark; another looked ancient, wooden, and completely out of place in this century.


    But the red hut—it was right there. Subba had made the decision, and for some reason, I felt like I could trust him in that moment. He knew where to go. He had a plan, and it felt like the right choice.


    We started moving toward the red hut, the ground beneath us hard and unforgiving. As we walked, though, something strange happened. The hut seemed to remain just out of reach. The closer we got, the farther it felt, as if mocking our attempts to get closer.


    But Subba didn’t slow down. He moved forward without hesitation, as if nothing in the world could stand in his way. I, on the other hand, could feel the weight of exhaustion pulling at me. My legs felt like they would give way at any moment, my hunger gnawing at my insides.


    I tried to keep up, but with every step, the distance seemed to stretch further and further. My body was giving out, and I couldn’t keep moving.


    “Subba...” I whispered, my voice barely more than a rasp. "Subba, we need to stop. I can’t... I can’t go on like this."


    But Subba didn’t respond. He didn’t turn back. He kept walking forward, his gaze unwavering.


    The moment hit me then.


    I collapsed on the ground, unable to move any longer. My stomach twisted in hunger, my body too weak to function. I watched as Subba’s figure continued forward, growing smaller with every passing moment. His pace never slowed. His determination didn’t falter.


    And in that moment, it became clear to me. Subba wasn’t like me. He wasn’t just another survivor. He was royalty.


    He didn’t need me.


    ---


    I lay there, alone, abandoned. The cold air gripped me, and the world seemed to fade away. Subba was leaving me behind, and there was nothing I could do about it.


    In that moment, I knew—he was always going to move forward, with or without me. And I? I was just a burden.


    The darkness closed in.


    ---


    I died.


    Alone. Abandoned. Left behind like a useless piece of debris in a forgotten world.


    ---


    And then... everything twisted.


    Sussssssssss!


    ...


    ..


    .


    Time


    ...


    rewound.


    Once again, I found myself standing in the same place, my breath shallow, my heart pounding. I was back at the beginning.


    The road stretched ahead, the same oppressive silence surrounding me. The crimson moon hung above us, unchanged. And Subba—he was beside me, walking ahead, completely unaware.


    I had been given another chance. But for what? To follow him again? To fail again?


    This time... this time I wouldn’t be left behind. I wouldn’t make the same mistake. I would see through him. I would uncover the truth of his world, of this world, and I would survive.


    And if that meant sacrificing him to do so... then so be it. ( Author: we will see about that ??)