The Hybrid Fateful Sorrow

The Devil and Boris

Gray stands at the cloudberries snow cliff overlooking the cottage from afar, seeing the man he wishes he was. He saw the man holding a baby that he wanted to be the one embracing. Eventually, the man enters the cottage which he wishes to live in with the kindness of their heart.

Envious is what’s embracing his freezing body and heart; after all, he was left with a dead one while the other could start a new one and be happy.

Gray just buried the two people he loves and cares about the most. A fresh beginning where once again he is left desolate. You have always been alone! But, he thought, I have the desires that will keep me going.

‘So here I am, standing in their grave, about to preserve their body with this nightingale potion,’ he thought.

He poured the colorless vial of concoction to the ground just above the body of Amelia and Elise.

The pleasant flowery fragrance flows to the land, intruding into the depths where the sisters were buried as the nightingale mixture caress their resting bodies as well as the night-blooming flower that Elise’s hands are clutching.

‘I guess the cloudberries have always been abundant here, maybe that is why you like this place. Still, I am glad to see these familiar berries, it reminds me of you,’ Gray thought.

“Are you coming!” Amelia said.

To Gray’s surprise, he turned around to gaze at his back, and there was no one. He chuckled a little as he realized he was just reminiscing the time Amelia brought him to this spot.

“Where are we going?” Gray said.

“You will love it, it’s my secret place,”

“I do love it, especially the delicious jam you could make with these berries,” Gray let out in the wind as he gazed above the warming sky.

The sun has lowered and greeted him with a warm touch, telling Gray that it is time for him to move on. But, knowing somewhere, some other realities of him live in the coziest place filled with the warmth of their kindness.

“I guess I better find a place to live in, although I don’t think I should be close to anyone. I will only ruin their lives,” Gray uttered.

Gray watches the snowfall as it gradually fills the land where he recently digs and is covered. Then, he finally crouches and pats the ground with a sorrowful look as if he was saying goodbye.

It’s time for him to go; Gray turns away as he hikes below, strolling aimlessly on the hearts of the forest. Until he realizes a place where he could stay or a place that he knows someone will accept him.

“The cave,” he let out.

Deciding where to go, Gray bursts a black smoke at his back as it morphs into bat-like wings. He soared above the pleasant sky. With his vermilion eyes, he could glance at the Village of Masse, the Howling Mountain or better known as the Mountain of Sorrow, and the nearby Fang Forest where the cave of the destined cult is located.

“Carmelia might help me once again,” Gray uttered.

He hovered above as he crossed the wind, gliding towards the Fang Forest where it all began, where he should have died. It’s amusing to Gray how fate set his courses back to his fateful nights as he smirks above the sky.

Upon seeing the cave, he hurries to flutter his bat-like wings towards the ground. However, he could not sense anyone, any living soul nearby. Gray sighed, enervated from all that had happened; even though his body is as strong as ever, he was drained in his mind and heart.

Gray steps inside the cave. It was spacious enough for him, especially that there was not a single piece of furniture inside.

“I guess I have all the space for myself, “ he uttered.

He walked towards the edge where it was warmer. He sat on the dirt while inside the cave, and protected from the cold of snow, he thought of taking a rest.

Alone with his thoughts as his body tries to sleep only for his mind to constantly remind him of the death of Amelia and the death of her child. He restlessly moves around, grunting with every flash of memories. Somehow his mind gave up and granted him the sleep he needed.

After a while, upon him finally taking a rest.

Still drowsy, he wakes up, upon looking to his side, learning he was not alone anymore as he could hear the sound of it grumbling while it blew air from its nose. It was a large brown bear dozing off. However, the bear realizes that the man who owns the cave wasn’t dead and was just sleeping. It hastily gets up, irritated and growling.

“Oh well hello there, and don’t be mad at me you’re the one intruding,” Gray said.

The bear, as if challenged, stands up on its two feet, making itself look bigger as it stretches its hump shoulder and long claws around while growling with its teeth out, ready to take a bite.

“Oh, look at you, one furry angry beast. But you’re no beast, are you? You are just cold right?” Gray said.

While Gray is still lying on his back on the ground, the bear drops its arms and pounces the dirt in front of him.

“Alright, alright, the place is certainly big for me, you can take any spot and sleep your furry ass off,” Gray said.

The only reply he could get was the continuous growl of the brown bear.

“I’m going back to sleep, you can stay quiet in there or I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Gray let out.

The brown bear paces back and forth as it lets out a low growl. Then, finally, it chose a spot and curled up to rest. But, it would still constantly glance at Gray while he sleeps, till the bear’s vision turns dull and falls to slumber.

Gray casually turns around to check the brown bear; he sits up and leans on the cave wall. The brown bear notices his movement; it lifts its head and glances at Gray before curling back to rest, ignoring him.

“Glad we came into understanding, so what should I call you. You certainly look fierce, how about, Baron?” Gray said.

The bear grunted in annoyance.

“Alright! Alright, how about Doran? Doris? Barry? Bernie? Help me out here,” Gray said.

The bear grunted in annoyance and sighed in its nose.

“Damn I’m not good at names, am I?” Gray said.

The bear grunted in agreement.

“How about Boris? You certainly look like Boris, yeah I agree with Boris how about you?” Gray said as he nodded.

The bear did not make a sound and continued to sleep.

“I guess Boris it is. Well met, Boris. I’m — the Devil,” Gray said.

Seeing the brown bear has taken its rest, impelling Gray to get some rest as well. A long-lasting rest, to wake up only to sleep again. As if they were sleeping forever, waiting for the cold to disperse, just like the brown bear who is hibernating in the cave.

Gray was just taking his time wandering the dream world, not knowing what he must do or change. Why am I here again? Somehow, I want to forget everything and just live my whole life in this secluded cave, he thought.

Waking up, he found himself alone, and the brown bear had left the cave. A touch of disappointment came to him, seeing the empty, spacious, quiet, sad cave.

“Boris left huh. Another thing for me to forget,” Gray let out.

He was tired of doing anything with it, tired of everything, as he once again decided to sleep it off.

To his surprise, the growling mumble is back; Gray hastily gets up. Boris, the brown bear, growled at him as if it was greeting him. Boris was out collecting branches and leaves while Gray just sat and observed.

The smart bear piled the leaves and hardened the sides with the branches making a somewhat comfortable bed.

“Oh! Was that for me, Boris?” Gray said.

Boris growled madly at him as he prevented Gray from getting closer to the makeshift bed.

“Alright, okay! I’ll stay here on my spot, I won’t disturbed you so stay as long as you want in my humble cave,” Gray said.

Boris growled in annoyance.

“Of course, It’s mine. I was the first one here. But think of this cave as your own place from now on,” Gray said.

The brown bear calmed when it moved towards the bed of leaves as it curled inside and let out a pleasant grumbling. Boris glances at its only company, a man who is lost, forgotten, alone and deserted to his own troubles.

Days, weeks, and months run while they enjoy sleeping inside the warming cave; the coldest month has finally come.

Gray wakes up in the coldest night; his eyes widened as he gazes at the bear Boris. He slapped his face and covered his eyes and forehead, ashamed of what he did. But the bear Boris only wanders as it glances at him.

“Boris… I made a mistake!” Gray said.

You cannot choose what time life will spurt out. It will come anytime it wants, and it is the same to the large brown bear who has given birth to two new healthy cubs that playfully growls while their mother bear quickly tends to their needs and cleans them.

“Oh, well, are they female? I could name them if you want? Of course, you do!” Gray let out.

Gray steps closer to the lying mother bear to make a clear look at her lovely cubs. Then, in an instance, the bear Boris lifts her head and growls at him.

“This is good enough; I won’t go any closer!” Gray uttered.

Confident that they are female, he proceeded to name them.

“Those pretty cubs look female enough to me, how about Lily and Hope?” Gray said.

The cubs let out a happy growl while their mother fed them.

“I think they agree, Boris,” Gray said.

Gray sits closer to Boris; she took a good glance at him before ignoring his presence and continued to rest while her cubs ate. She has grown accustomed to his presence, a powerful and careless presence.

They stayed inside the cave away from the vicious cold of January, waiting for the beautiful spring to come.