The Price of Truth

The voice!

That voice that Hiroshi hears after so long, the same sweating and nightmare that make his bones tremble.

Hiroshi woke up abruptly, seeing his body covered in sweat, the bed soaked and slowly drying.

That voice again! What does it want from me? What should I do? Who should I help? And how? Give me some guidance! I'm a stranger here and tomorrow I'll leave this place, please help me.

It seemed as if Hiroshi was desperate for answers.

He couldn't understand anything about how and what he should do. He only knew that as soon as the sun rose, he would have to leave. But if he did this, he would never be able to sleep again because of those voices that would spin in his head.

The night passed like this, with thoughts about what and how to do, but one thing was certain: he couldn't leave that city.

* * *

The day rose very early for Hiroshi. The lack of sleep showed in his eyes.

The cart was already ready for them outside. Rania was also already awake and ready. Everything was ready except Hiroshi, who knew that if he left the walls of that city, he would die mentally because of those voices.

* * *

Rania called Hiroshi to come out, but no response came from him. She called again but nothing, no answer.

So she decided to go see for herself. She knocked on the door and discovered it was open. As soon as she opened the door, she was speechless: her eyes widened, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, her head started spinning, she couldn't understand anything, she couldn't move from the spot. She tried but nothing.

Then, after various efforts, she screamed:

"HEEEELP!!!!"

Hearing her voice so loud, all the people came out to see what it was about.

As soon as they saw, they quickly called the doctors, because inside that room was Hiroshi on the ground, in a pool of his blood, motionless.

What had happened, only he and GOD knew.

Quickly the doctors intervened, did their best, and took him to the nearest possible hospital.

The news also reached General Wilhelm, who remained confused and decided to take a trip to the hospital.

* * *

Hiroshi was lying on the bed unconscious, next to him were Rania and others. The general entered, in silence, said nothing, just looked.

He asked Hukuro if he knew anything about why this had happened, but he was also unaware. And then, from Rania's words, it didn't seem at all that Hiroshi was the type of person who would do such a thing.

This created a question, or perhaps a suspicion, in the general's mind, so he asked:

"Guys, please, can you leave the room? I want to be alone here for a few minutes."

"But sir, he's not conscious. What are you doing here alone?"

The general didn't answer. Hukuro understood and took everyone out.

Now in the room there were only the general staring at Hiroshi lying on the bed and silence.

Heavy silence. Very heavy, almost as if there was a very heavy boulder on your back slowly crushing you.

The general was staring at the man in front of him as if he knew he was pretending, but didn't know why.

"HEY! OPEN YOUR EYES! I KNOW YOU'RE PRETENDING!" the general ordered.

But nothing, no response, only total silence. Pure silence, suffering silence, and then at a certain point:

"You found me out," said Hiroshi, opening his eyes.

"WHY DID YOU DO THIS?" the general asked.

"Why didn't you execute me?" Hiroshi asked.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION FIRST!"

"There's no answer to the question that was asked."

"Fine, now, since you're well, you can return to the village. Come on, get up."

"I'll leave, but what will happen to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll die soon, right?"

These words were like making the ground disappear under the general's feet.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?"

"Don't lie, Wilhelm Von Falkenhorst."

"Hey, boy, are you feeling alright?"

"I'll be fine, but you won't be alive, right?"

Before the general could say anything, Hiroshi continued:

"And you can't deny this. Don't ask me how I know, I just know that you'll die. Why would a soldier who swore loyalty to the kingdom have left me alive? He would have executed us the moment I revealed the truth to him, and you, being a general, did this. So there's only one answer: you're about to die and don't want to have regrets about someone in these last moments.

I also know well that it must be a secret. For your respect, they'll execute you in secret, right?"

For a few minutes, silence appeared again.

Then the general, in a low voice, said:

"How do you know this?"

"I told you not to ask me that. I just know, that's all."

"And why do you know?"

"I don't know, I just know, that's all."

"Then why did you put on this whole act?"

"To talk to you. It was the fastest way."

"And if I hadn't come?"

"You would have come, I know. You would have come."

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything."

"So what? Even if you know this, nothing will happen."

"I know, but at least can you tell me what happened?"

"And why should I tell you? Who are you? Are you an aristocrat? Are you a noble? What are you?"

"I'm nobody, but I can become somebody. Don't judge by my appearance, I'm more than what I seem."

"Even if I tell you, it won't change anything. What's written in destiny will happen anyway."

"Fools believe that only what's in destiny happens and blame their creator, but the wise know that GOD has left freedom. Our actions decide our destiny. As long as the heart doesn't stop, there's always the possibility to change."

The general, after various thoughts, decided to lighten his heart and said:

"Then listen to this. Since I enlisted in this magnificent army as a soldier until becoming a general today, I had sworn that never, ever would I betray my homeland, and so I did for all this time.

I gave my time to my homeland, I didn't worry about myself, I didn't even get married. I was everything for my homeland.

But last month, some people from my homeland abandon me and want me dead, because I had seen something I shouldn't have."

"What did you see?"

"Illegal transport of all possible things: drugs, weapons, high magic books, objects, and even living beings.

It was my day off and I was at home. It was about 2 at night, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a little walk outside to get some fresh air.

I decided to go to the exit gate and then return home. The trip was supposed to last about 20 minutes. Everything was going well until I arrived at the gate, where I saw they were transporting something out.

It made me wonder what it could be at this hour, so, as a general, I decided to verify. I go there and start asking questions.

The soldiers who were there were talking in a very suspicious way, as if they had been discovered. So I decided to do further verification and asked for their documents.

I realized that there were no soldiers with those names. I quickly saw the merchandise they were transporting, and there I saw there was everything, as I told you.

I quickly sounded the emergency alarm, so the soldiers, the real ones, arrived and we arrested everyone on the spot, taking all the merchandise.

I thought I had done the right thing, but this wasn't the case for some people.

In fact, the next day I received a letter from the royal palace. I go there thinking they would reward me, but as soon as I arrive, a soldier takes me to a room where the royal merchant and some guards were seated.

I couldn't think what all this was and why a merchant was calling me, what he wanted from me.

First of all, they make me sit, after which the merchant, with a smirk on his face, says:

(Mr. Wilhelm Von Falkenhorst, you did great work last night, and for this I presume you should have a reward.)

Hearing this, I felt pride in myself, but also suspicion, and I was right. The following words pierced my heart.

The merchant sat a little more comfortably, adjusting his posture, and said maliciously:

(Your reward will be worthy of the work you did...)

Hearing this, I became confused. He paused:

*(You see, Mr. Wilhelm, in this world there are many types of people: beautiful, ugly, blonde, black, brown, etc... but true and honest people like you are few and often don't live a long life.

And what will happen to you... Now you see, you made a great gesture from a human point of view but not an economic one.

That merchandise you seized brought us a lot of loss in business and this is not good. And we want our compensation and this will happen with your death.

I know, I know, you'll be confused, but I give you my word that you'll die like a true general, with respect. In fact, we're leaving you a little time to say goodbye to everyone, and rest assured that we won't tell anyone about this thing.

You'll die peacefully without being seen by anyone.)*

I was left speechless, so I said:

'But how can you do this! You have no right to threaten the general of the royal kingdom's army! You know that with this I can execute you on the spot!'

(Ha ha ha ha, Mr. Wilhelm, you're underestimating us. This isn't my decision but His Majesty's. Look at this paper: there are all the answers to your questions.)

I took the paper and saw that there was the king's own order. But how was this possible? Our sovereign is such a humble, honest, and good person, how can he do this? I couldn't understand.

The merchant continued, pulling the paper from my hands:

(So you've seen? And then I tell you: if you're going to bring this thing to the public, I remind you that you won't die with respect but LIKE A DOG! Because we have all the power! So enjoy your last moments! Ahahaha!)

And from there until today I've been wandering like this."

Hiroshi had heard the entire story and knew well that this thing wasn't normal, but that long hands were behind this.

"When will they kill you?"

"End of this week."

"So in 4 days."

"Yes."

"Why don't you escape?"

"It makes no sense, they'll find me anyway and I can't do anything, so I've given up."

At that moment, something was awakening inside Hiroshi. He had understood that there was a lot of filth there, and a normal person couldn't do anything. A normal, educated, just, and honest person.

But the real Hiroshi Nakamura could do many things. He had understood that the demon he had buried was the moment to awaken. He could never become human by staying only in a mediocre life and doing good things. For some things, by force, one had to take things into their own hands.

The malicious brain full of schemes from once upon a time was restructuring itself, and he knew well what to do from now on.