**Chapter Four: I Am Monster**

"Who are you? And what have you done?"

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Guilt.
Guilt was a dangerous feeling; it makes one do crazy things. It drives people to insanity. Tamin Weriope was many things. One thing for sure, he was a fool.

He didn't know all this would happen. He didn't know what he created. He didn't know that every action has consequences, and his actions were far more disastrous than he could bear.

He opened his eyes and was faced with light. He squinted, trying to adjust his view. Sitting up from where he was, he glanced around and grimaced. He was sitting on an old chair. The chair was torn and patched up with fabric of different shades. Glancing at the fireplace, all his memories came rushing back. This was where he made the biggest mistake.

"I see you're awake," a voice said. Tamin turned around to face a man with blue eyes and chestnut brown hair, with some grey hairs spread across his head and chin. He looked young, but his eyes looked old, as though they had seen too much in this world.

"Who are you?" Tamin asked, with a croaked voice. The man laughed and sat down near the fireplace.

"I am Rusev, Rusev Atlas. Who are you?"

Tamin glanced at Rusev, analyzing him before speaking. His voice was rough and croaked. "I am Tamin Weriope."

"Why did you bring me here?" Tamin asked.

"I brought you here because you saved me," Rusev replied. "I brought you here because I needed answers from you."

Tamin shook his head and sat by Rusev near the fireplace. "I'll tell you the truth, the whole truth on the condition that you let me leave before 4 pm," Tamin said.

Rusev glanced at the clock situated directly above the fireplace, one of the few things still intact in that wretched place. The time was 3:12 pm. He nodded for Tamin to talk, and he did just that.

"However, please don't hate me when I finish," Tamin said, then started his story.

"A long, long time ago, I came to this village. This village was known as Everflow. The villagers practiced all sorts of crafts and spells; they believed in magic. I came here before this place was cursed. I met someone, the love of my life.

Her name was Estelle Solace. She was everything I had ever wanted. She was smart, funny, gifted, and immensely beautiful. But we couldn't be together—"

"Why?" Rusev interrupted. Tamin gave him a look meaning 'shut your mouth and let me continue.'

Rusev snorted and muttered something like 'maybe you weren't attractive enough.'

"As I was saying, we couldn't be together because I wasn't from that village. The villagers had a strict rule that only people among them could get married. No outsider was allowed to marry anyone in the village and vice versa. For those who compromised, there would be serious consequences. I, on the other hand, didn't care about this. I loved Estelle so much that I was willing to do anything to be with her.

Love can make one do crazy things. Take my advice: please don't fall in love.

I was willing to go against the law of the village. We secretly got married in the village, most specifically at this very cabin we are in. Unfortunately, I didn't think of the consequences of my actions.

Three days later, the villagers found out about what we had done. Her father was absolutely disgusted with her and with me for convincing her to do this.

Unfortunately, she paid the biggest price. As tradition, anyone who was caught breaking this law would have to be drowned in the river. I tried, I really did. I begged the villagers, I begged her father for there to be another way, but he couldn't do anything. They just wouldn't help me. So when the day came, I watched her. I watched her get lowered into the water. I watched as they bound her hands and legs together. I watched her struggle for breath, and I watched her get drowned. I watched her cry and scream for help, and I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't protect her like I promised to."

At this point, Rusev could see the tears that started to form in Tamin's eyes. He understood the pain; he too had lost a loved one.

"Unfortunately, this was when I made my biggest mistake. Guilt was eating me up, and I felt like it was my fault, so I stumbled into this cabin one night and stole a book. An old book filled with different spells and curses, and I found one spell that was believed to be able to resurrect.

Foolishly, I thought that maybe I could resurrect her and then we would run away together. So I said the spell, not knowing that it was not sweet. She was resurrected all right, but she was different. She was resurrected as a creature or a beast. A Hebroid, as I later found out. She is the one who sits there playing a piano on the water."

Rusev's face became pale hearing this. He wanted answers, yes, but this wasn't what he was expecting.

"She always loved music. When I visited her, she always played on that particular piano. Now, she is angry and wants revenge on the villagers. She lured everyone into the water. As usual, I watched. It was an awful moment. When those words for the spell left my lips, I saw it all. I saw this mysterious barrier being formed around the village. I saw it when I couldn't leave.

That's when I saw you, when I saw you being pulled into the lake. I always wished that she would pull me, but it seemed as though when she came back, she didn't remember anything. She didn't remember me or us. I thought that maybe if I saved you, maybe if I did one good thing, then everything would be reversed. But nothing was reversed, and I don't know what happened. Then I was unconscious, and I woke up here."

Tamin looked up and realized both he and Rusev had tears in their eyes. Tamin's bottom lip was shaking as tears streamed down his face.

Rusev shook his head. That wasn't what he expected. That wasn't what he thought he would hear. But as the clock struck 4 and Tamin's eyes started to glow and his face started becoming pale, Rusev knew something was up.

"What are you?!" Rusev asked.

"I am... monster."