Atonement's Path

Chapter_6: Turning Point

Mr. Smith was paralyzed with shock and disbelief, staring into Ragnar's dark, emotionless eyes. His words had shaken him, leaving him speechless and questioning the sanity of the man sitting across from him. "Is he crazy?" he wondered. "What's with the sheer confidence?" He was unsure what to do next, the confusion and uncertainty palpable in the air. Everyone was speechless, with shock and disbelief on their faces.

"Ragnar, what happened to you?" Ana pleaded as she shook Ragnar's shoulders, tears in her eyes. But Ragnar did not speak in response. Instead, he remained quiet and still, as if he could not hear her pleas."Ragnar!" Ana cried, tears streaming down her face. "Please respond to me!" She was shocked and in disbelief; her eyes filled with tears.

Ana tightly gripped her hands. “Please, just please.” Ana’s voice was like a whisper. SLAP! Ana slapped Ragnar just to snap him out, but he was still emotionless. Another slap and another, yet he’s still not responding. Ana let go of him, and he fell to the ground.

“Ragnar, you're a complete failure. You’ve hurt my daughter again.” Mr. Smith aimed for another kick.

The crowd saw the three people there argue. “Ragnar!” Bane rushed through the crowd as he blocked the incoming kick from Mr. Smith. “Don’t hurt him! He is my one and only friend. And I am his one and only friend. Just leave.” Bane stood there blocking the incoming kick, tears rolling down his eyes.

Ana was stunned and speechless, holding Ragnar in her arms as she took in the aftermath of the situation. "A friend?" Mr. Smith asked, disbelief evident in his tone. "Ready?" Without waiting for an answer, he swung his arm, aiming for Bane's chin. The impact echoed throughout the crowd, but Bane remained standing. Mr. Smith continued, swinging and landing punch after punch. Bane bore the blows stoically, his face now covered with blood as he stood there. Mr. Smith stopped his actions and said, “Tell him once he’s awake that I will take Ana away from him once Ana gives birth to his son.” Zach entered the crowd and was shocked to see the man standing with his face full of blood. “Zach, let's go,” Mr. Smith said as he entered the carriage. Zach rushed to the carriage, looking at the mess his father had left.

As the chaos unfolded before their eyes, the crowd was left with a sense of disbelief and horror. They watched as the two men were injured, the girl started shedding tears, and the crowd began to disperse and leave. The bandits quickly intervened, offering medical assistance and providing a room for the two injured men to rest. The remaining people were stunned, their eyes wide as they took in the events that had just transpired. They looked around, their jaws dropping in unison as they realized that they were the only ones left. The sudden silence was deafening, and the tension in the air was palpable.

Inside the carriage, Zach said, “You didn’t need to do that, Father; you were harsh to them.” Mr. Smith grabbed a handkerchief and started to wipe it on his eyes as the tears began to shed. “I don’t know what to do there; I was speechless by what that coward said. I have no choice but to start the violence. And I need to leave there as fast as possible.” He began crying as he wiped the handkerchief on his eyes. “You were afraid of crying in front of them, right?” Zach asked with a worried face. “I couldn’t possibly cry in front of the crowd; they thought I was some villain. How can a villain cry in front of the crowd?” He proceeded to wipe it. “I was a foolish father; I was foolish!” “I wanted to be a great father; I was, but it looked like I was a harsh father.” The carriage was quiet as Mr. Smith confessed himself. Zach was worried after seeing his father cry for years, as he thought he was a brave father who would never cry.

As the men lie in bed after a hell of an event. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do.” Ragnar still has an empty black eye. “It’s okay; all of us didn’t know what to do in that situation. We were moving on what our instincts told us to do; we weren’t our usual selves.” Ana smiled as he sat next to Ragnar. “Thanks for doing that, Bane,” Ragnar said. “I did it for you, Ragnar.” Bane teared up a little bit. "Ana, I didn't know your father can punch that hard." Bane said jokingly. Ragnar giggled a little bit, "Ragnar, you laughed" Bane laughed, as well as Ana. While the three of them laughed, the door opened as a man entered. “Drake? Why are you here?” The people in the room were shocked; their jaws were wide open. “I saw the carriage; it intrigued me to go back. Since I am a Doctor, why don’t I help you?” Drake said, still with a mysterious voice. “All of you get out, for I will perform an operation for both of these men.” Drake removed his coat and placed his bag on a table.

“Why did you say that, Ragnar? As both of you will have a newborn infant, you told him to take your wife away from you. Why did you say that?” The mysterious tone of Drake dissipated as they turned to a worried tone. “I didn’t know what to do. In months, my wife will be taken away from me.” Ragnar grieved and grieved, wiping his tears away. For whom the end of the world for him is near.

“I know that this is a difficult situation for a man like you. But remember that we will still be here.” Drake’s eyes met Ragnar’s eyes, and his tone turned sympathetic. He reached for the grieving man and comforted him. Bane laughed, saying, “You shouldn’t cry, big man.” The men laughed. “Just stay positive.” Drake comforted him again.