Chapter 37: A Tough Decision
His eyes shook as he looked down at his trembling hands. The harrowing memories from twenty years ago flashed in his mind.
A puff of black smoke billowed from a charred village and rose to the sky. Nestled in a valley and once a serene and peaceful rural area occupied mainly by farmers, it was now engulfed in terrible destruction.
The houses, small shops and other buildings erected in the small village were now left only in skeletal black frames and ashes, ruined to the ground.
Not far from the village centre, a mass grave was dug, awaiting burial. The bodies of the villagers were scattered inside the big hole, most of which had terrifying death faces. Black spots blotched their pale skins as their lifeless, open eyes had turned opaque from the end.
They were not appropriately shrouded, as no one was allowed to touch them directly. The stench of the decaying bodies permeated the air and was very pungent.
The assisting soldiers and healers sent by the government had no option but to use lime to reduce putrefactive odours and deter animal scavenging of the corpses.
A melancholy atmosphere enveloped the entire area. Once full of lush greenery and fertile farms, the scenic village had been destroyed by a dreadful disease—the Laradie Plague.
It took less than a month to turn the beautiful village into a hazy, desolate place. Now, all that was left was the despair and sorrow of the survivors.
He was only seven years old and was among those spared from the plague.
Being the most brilliant child in the family, he was selected to study at a temple in the nearest city with a scholarship. He was the pride of his family and village, as only a few commoners would have such an opportunity.
When the outbreak happened, no students were allowed to leave their dormitory. The disease was said to be so terrible that people claimed it was like a devil swallowing up thousands of lives in days.