text: Looking back I should have realized their true intentions. I was but a naive fool then. As I walked through the desert, the past months played like a broken record in my mind. I had everything in my life. A good family, a good home, fantastic friends, a loyal girlfriend, and a promising future. Only if I wasn't born with this curse. Maybe it was a gift but I doubt that. As I walk I came across a desert village. The sun was high up and the fatigue was building for some time. I wandered towards it. A small town with only 10 or so houses. Built with sandstone and bricks. It didn't look that far. After walking for three hours I had a realization. I highly underestimated my distance from the village. By the time I reached the village it was already nighttime. Small lanterns illuminated the streets and candles did that for the houses. People on the streets with candles were gathering in the middle of the town. I wanted to know what was happening but I guess I was too tired that I collapsed at the entrance of the town. I lost consciousness immediately. When I woke up I was surrounded by 7~8 children. The moment I looked at them they screamed and ran away. My face shouldn't be that ugly to scare them away. I felt my throat burning. I looked for something to drink. Alas, I didn't find any. At that moment an old man came into my room. He looked me up and down when two more people entered. One of them was a middle-aged man and the other was a young girl. All three of them talked with each other. I didn't have comprehensive knowledge of any language other than my own so I was a bit lost. But from their body language and talking style, I could deduce that the Old man and the young girl were arguing. The middle-aged man tried to calm them down. After a while, the girl stormed off. The middle-aged man shook his head while the old man sighed. At that moment something suddenly hit me. I quickly looked at my watch and did quick math. I was out for ten hours. I need to go asap. Just as I was about to leave I fumbled and the middle-aged man supported me. He told me something but I was unable to understand. I was exhausted, hungry, and a bit depressed. I couldn't stay in one place any longer than 24 hours. Somehow they always find me. As I tried to struggle I once again fell unconscious due to hunger. I felt something slide down my throat. My eyelids were too heavy but it felt delicious. So I kept eating. It however stopped soon. I wasn't full yet so my disappointment was immeasurable. I felt my night was ruined. I opened my eyes slightly only to see the young girl from before. I wanted to ask something but once again for the third time, I was out cold. The next time I woke up it was nighttime. Small candles illuminated the room I was in. I felt a bit better and a little cold. I wrapped a quilt around me and walked outside. I saw the same scene when I first reached the village. People gathered at the center of the town with candles. Nearly all of them were weeping silently. I made my way through the crowd. When I looked at my watch more than 24 hours have gone by. I knew if I stayed any longer I'll be just endangering them. Even then my curiosity got the better of me. In the middle of the town was a bed. And on the bed was a boy he looked around 20~24. His body was greatly injured. It looked like that disease. They called it the Erosion. It had no cure. Well it had one but only handful of the people knew about it. When I looked closely I could see a crown made out of bones, feathers, and willow beside him. I can see the old man looking at the boy with a sad face. The young girl holding his hand crying, while the middle-aged man consoled her. I can also see a middle-aged woman wiping the sweat off the boy and an old woman making some form of herbal medicine. From the looks of it, the boy was someone important while the rest are family members. I looked around alternating my gaze between the boy and the crowd. I may be not a genius but I can read the mood and atmosphere. I more or less understood the story. I slowly walked towards the boy. Some people tried to stop me but the old man shouted something and the people let me go. When I reached the bed I can see the boy. He was in pain but held it in. His eyes were burning with fighting spirit. His will to live was burning brighter. I remembered a similar gaze. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. It was suffocating. The condition was different but their gaze and temperament were the same. I had the power to save the person but I didn't. Yet here I am faced with a similar choice. I hesitatingly brought my hand to my mouth and bite at my hand to draw some blood. Their method of drawing blood from me was volatile so something like this felt like nothing more than a pinch. Red blood started to spew from the wound. The old man said something and all of them looked at me. I held my hand and let my blood fall into his mouth. The young girl screamed and tackled me to the ground and started hitting me. Compared to the torture I went through this was nothing. It was still painful though. Then screaming could be heard. Some in surprise others in shock. The Middle-aged man pulled the girl off me. I knew what was happening still I stood up to see it. No matter how many times I watched it still amazed me. But waves of pain soon filled my senses. I however was accustomed to it. It is the price I must pay. The boy was healing at an astonishing rate. All the wounds were closing like a magic trick. His wrinkled skin soon became smooth and without any injuries or flaws. He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. The Middle-aged woman hugged him so did the girl. I'm assuming one was the mother and the other one was the sister(?). The old man shouting and crying. The middle-aged man looked at me shocked. As I was about to leave the old man blocked my way and kneeled soon everyone followed. I was familiar with this scene. When it was discovered that my blood could heal anything as long as a single breath was present, the Vatican City declared me as the Holy Child of God. I remember seeing Millions of people kneeling in front of me. I remember seeing two groups fighting one to protect me while the other to kill me. In the end, I became nothing more than a guinea pig in a science research station while the war on my name was waged by various groups. I looked at my watch 29 hours have passed since I have come here. No one coming for me yet. I wanted to leave but the people kept kneeling and crying. I can guess what it looked like from their perspective. But even then if I stayed all I would do is bring the evil in their heart out. I always did. I realized that when my parents sold me out to the Government. It solidified when I was tricked by my friends to be kidnapped by terrorists. And I accepted it when my girlfriend tried to kill me for not being able to save her little brother. I ignored the gaze of them all and walked away. I walked away from them. I could hear their cries. I needed to get out. Maybe my ability was a blessing but to me, it was nothing more than a curse. Where ever I went I killed more people than I saved. My blood can heal and cure everything except for one thing. The evil in the human heart. It's a disease I spread wherever I go. So I walked and walked and walked. I don't know-how for how many hours I have walked. When I was hungry I ate. When I was exhausted I slept. Soon my food ran out so did my water. I was in a near-death state. And soon fade away in the darkness. Only to wake up to find myself buried in the sand. Soon I crawled out to see the night sky. My body felt light and fresh. Then I realized my blood heals everything as long as a single breath remains. So there's no reason for it to not work on me too. I didn't know it could do that. I didn't mind it. That just means I won't have to worry about food and water anymore. Then I once again kept walking. Yesterday suddenly my flesh started to burn and my watch stopped working so did my calendar. It stopped on May 5th, 2053. It was weird cause the last time I checked it was April 3rd, 2022. The people in the village may have tinkered with my watch. No wonder time felt wrong. I'm losing consciousness more frequently. The sun feels hotter for some reason. Day and night passed by but I kept walking. I looked at the sky. It was an aurora borealis in the middle of the desert. Odd. The stars felt less than it was a few nights ago. I didn't think much and kept walking. ... I have been walking for some time now. I don't know where I am. The map crumbled like sand yesterday. I tried to remember where I was going. Weird. Why am I walking? I stop to look around me it is a vast desert. I don't know why but I feel like walking again. I look at the sun. It is redder than before. But not my problem. All I know is that I have to keep walking.