Kael crouched on a thick tree branch, fingers curling around the rough surface. His dark hair was neatly combed to the back where his mother had tucked stray strands earlier that morning. Below him, the dirt road stretched toward the village gate — the same gate adults had warned them never to cross.
Torin moved beside Kael, his bobbed hair brushing his glasses as he adjusted them nervously. "Quiet," he whispered, eyes scanning the road. "If they hear us, this fails."
Eren grinned, his short hair bouncing with every movement as he clutched the branch like a predator ready to pounce. "Relax. Real demon hunters don't get scared."
Kael let a small smile tug at his lips. "You're the one who screamed last time."
"That was strategy," Eren said, puffing out his chest. "Demons fear confidence."
Torin muttered, lowering his glasses slightly. "Demons don't even exist. They are just stories adults tell to keep us from leaving the village."
"Yeah," Eren scoffed. "The oldies just don't want us going past the boundaries."
Kael glanced toward the distant fields. Beyond the wooden fence and faded warning posts, the land stretched in a quiet, almost inviting stillness, with the late morning sun painting it gold.
"Still," Kael said lightly, shifting on the branch, "Mom says we should never cross it."
"Your mom worries too much," Eren replied, his grin widening. "If monsters were real, we'd have seen one already."
Footsteps approached, crunching softly on the dry dirt. Kael, Eren, and Torin froze, their small chests rising with silent breaths. Two women appeared around a bend, chatting and carrying baskets — one of the women was tall, thin, with her hair pulled into a messy bun, the other woman was shorter with loose braids swinging as she walked.
Eren raised a finger. "Target acquired."
The boys nodded, their eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Three," Kael whispered, crouching low.
"Two…"
"One."
Then they leaped.
"MONSTER!" Eren shouted, arms spread wide.
The taller woman screamed and stumbled back, dropping her basket. The shorter one covered her mouth but couldn't stop laughing, shaking her head at the boys' antics. "Oh my—! You boys again?"
Kael's heart pounded, a mix of exhilaration and fear. He looked up at the laughing woman, then at the taller one who seemed more flustered than frightened. Before his small frame could scramble away, a hand caught his sleeve.
"Kael," the taller woman said, her tone teasing but firm, "should I tell your mother what you've been doing?"
Kael froze, eyes wide. "P-Please don't."
Torin bowed quickly, muttering, "Sorry, ma'am." His bobbed hair fell into his face, and he brushed it back nervously.
Eren forced a grin. "False alarm. Demon neutralized."
The woman laughed again, shaking her head. "Go home before you get into real trouble."
The boys didn't wait. They sprinted back toward the oak tree's trunk, laughter bubbling out of them as they ran, kicking up dust and dodging low branches.
Across from the center of the village, from one of the cottages, the front door opened with a soft creak and Lyanna stepped outside, the sunlight catching the braid tucked neatly along her back. She took a few steps from the doorway and lifted her voice.
"Kael."
Across the yard, Kael had just reached the lower branches of the oak tree. His hands tightened around the surface as he froze mid-climb.
Eren, who was already perched higher up, whispered, "You're dead."
Torin glanced down from the branch he was on and saw Kael's mother. "Told you she'd find us."
"Kael," Lyanna called again, but firmer this time. "Come here."
Kael sighed, dropped back to the ground, and dusted off his hands. Then he jogged toward her, slowing only to glance back at his friends.
"I'll catch up later," he whispered.
Eren smirked. "Okayyyy."
Torin nodded as Kael turned and continued toward his mother.
As he walked past her, she reached out and rubbed his neatly combed hair, smiling faintly.
"You really love playing hunter, don't you?" she remarked. "You should stop climbing trees so much. So you don't hurt yourself."
Kael pulled back with a small frown. "I won't get hurt," he replied. "Besides… it's the only fun thing to do here."
Lyanna raised a brow. "Fun isn't worth breaking your bones."
Kael shrugged and walked into the house. "Well, it's boring staying in the village all the time. We can't even leave past the gates."
Lyanna followed him inside, shaking her head lightly. "The rules exist for a reason."
He muttered under his breath, "Yeah… and no one ever explains that reason."
She gave him a quiet look. "You'll understand when you're older."
Kael just sighed, clearly unconvinced. Inside the small cottage, the air felt calm and familiar.
Lyanna rubbed her forehead as if easing a quiet burden, then walked toward the counter. Kael took his seat at the dining table, swinging his legs lightly beneath the chair.
She scooped food onto a plate and carried it over, setting it down in front of him. After a soft sigh, she sat across from him.
"You know," she said gently, "the reason everyone in this village is still alive… is because of the rules."
Kael rolled his eyes. "This again?"
"Kael, I didn't want you to know this… but your father was a demon hunter."
That caught his attention and he looked up at his mother with bright eyes. "Dad… was a hunter?"
She smiled faintly, relieved to see his interest. "He was strong. Brave. And loved by everyone in this village."
Kael's lips curved upward. "Really? Dad was that awesome?"
Then he frowned slightly. "How come you're only telling me this now?"
"You're older now," she replied softly. She reached out and rubbed his head, the way she always did.
Kael hesitated. "Then… What happened to him?"
The warmth in her eyes dimmed just a little as her expression changed.
Even before she spoke, Kael already guessed.
"He died?" he whispered.
Lyanna nodded.
After a short pause, she added quietly, "His death is the reason this village still exists. His sacrifice created the rules… and those rules are what have kept us safe until now."
Silence settled over the table.
Kael stared at the plate in front of him, but the food no longer looked appealing.
"I never got to meet him," he muttered.
Lyanna looked away for a moment. "…"
Kael's fingers tightened around the edge of the table. "Was he… a good father?"
Lyanna's expression softened. "He would've been. He talked about you all the time. Even before you were born."
Kael swallowed, blinking rapidly. "That's not fair," he whispered. "Everyone else gets their dad."
Lyanna reached across the table and rested her hand over his. "You still have me."
He nodded, forcing a small smile—but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I know."
Just when she was about to pull him into a warm hug—
BOOM!
A deafening impact bored straight into the ground, sending a violent tremor through the entire village. The floor beneath them split apart, cracks racing across the cottage like spiderwebs.
Lyanna reacted instantly grabbing Kael and pulling him close, turning her body to shield him as the house lurched sideways.
A crushing wall of force blasted outward from the center of Oakhaven.
Roofs were ripped open like paper, the wooden walls shattered, planks tearing free and flying through the air. Windows exploded into glass, furniture flipped, and support beams snapped with sharp cracks.
The oak tree at the heart of the village burst apart, its massive trunk torn into splintered wreckage as a deep crater formed beneath it.
The entire cottage was torn open, its walls carved apart, exposing the dusty, collapsing landscape outside.
Lyanna and Kael were ripped off their feet.
The force hurled them through the air, spinning them as debris, broken wood, and shattered stone stormed past them. Dust surged in thick clouds, swallowing the sky and choking the air.
Kael felt his mother's grip tighten around him as they slammed into the ground, rolling across broken earth and rubble.
Homes collapsed, carts overturned, fires sparked where lanterns shattered and villagers screamed in panic as everything turned into ruin.
In seconds, Oakhaven was now smoke, dust, and destruction.
For a moment, the world went mute, like the sound itself had been torn apart.
Lyanna groaned as she (stirred), pushing herself up from the shattered ground. Pain flashed across her face, but she ignored it and immediately turned to Kael.
"Kael—!"
She crawled toward him and grabbed his shoulders.
Kael groaned, his head was spinning. "M… Mom…"
Before he could say more, Lyanna was already checking him for injuries, brushing dirt from his clothes with trembling fingers.
Her breath caught when she saw blood streaking down the left side of his head.
"Ah—" she hissed under her breath, pained not by the wound itself, but by the fact that he was hurt at all. "You're bleeding…"
Kael was dazed and he just stared at her, confused for a while.
"What was that…?" he asked weakly.
Lyanna tightened her grip and pulled him upright, lifting him to his feet. "I don't know," she said quickly. "But something… I think something just crashed into the village."
Together, they looked toward the center of the village.
Smoke and dust rose into the air, drifting like storm clouds. What had once been the heart of Oakhaven was now a ruined crater, broken wood and shattered stone scattered everywhere.
Around them, the village was in chaos.
People cried out in pain. Some screamed for help, others rushed to lift fallen beams, carry the wounded, and throw water onto small fires burning between collapsed homes.
Two men, shaking but appearing brave, stepped cautiously toward the center, covering their noses from the dust coming from the impact area.
Then a piercing scream tore through the air.
The two men froze instantly.
Lyanna's eyes widened, her face draining of color as she pulled back a little, trembling as her hand tightened around Kael's.
"…A monster," she whispered in horror. "A monster just entered Oakhaven."