Chapter 3: Among the Shadows of the Trees
The morning sun cast its first rays through the window of Demad's room.
In the distance, the crowing of a rooster signaled a new beginning. Demad rubbed his eyes, still heavy with sleep, and groggily pushed the blanket aside.
Demad: "Last night was terrible... I have to tell Kira about that dream."
He stood up, his joints popping with a series of sharp cracks. He opened the door, which let out a faint creak, and headed downstairs. The savory aroma of breakfast was already
wafting through the air, caressing his senses.
Emiliana: "Good morning, dear. Did you
sleep well?"
Demad: "Not really, Mom. I had a nightmare."
Emiliana: "It's alright. Even adults have nightmares sometimes. Don't let it trouble you too much."
Demad nodded, feeling a bit relieved, and sat down to eat. Soon, Fira joined them, looking exhausted.
Fira: "Morning, everyone."
Midway through his meal, Demad turned to his mother. "Is Aunt Nila home today?"
Emiliana: "What do you want with her? Hmm?"
Demad: "I think she was supposed to arrive yesterday, right?"
Fira: "What kind of trouble are you stirring up this time? Always up to something."
Demad's face flushed red, a spark of his rebellious nature flickering in his eyes.
Demad: "I just want to help her! Kira and I want to collect medicinal herbs for her."
Emiliana: "She arrived from Molonia late last night. Just make sure you don't stay out in the forest until dark."
Demad finished his breakfast in a hurry, eager to leave. While he was tying his laces, Emiliana called out: "Don't come home at midnight like last time! Be back earlier."
Demad smiled. "Okay, Mom." He turned to Fira. "Aren't you coming?"
Fira: "No, I have to help Mom with the chores, and after that, I need to practice my fire magic."
Feeling a slight pang of disappointment, Demad headed out alone.
As he walked through the village alleys, the hushed voices of a few teenagers caught his attention. He stopped behind a wall to listen.
Teenager 1: "My dad said we shouldn't go near the forest today. They say a Jinn has appeared... it's terrifying people."
Teenager 2: "Yeah, my mom said the same. I'm not even going to glance in that direction."
Suddenly, the memory of his nightmare flooded Demad's mind, making his legs tremble. He shook it off, steeled his resolve, and continued toward the village waterfall where Kira was waiting.
Demad: "Hey Kira! Ready?"
Kira: "Hey... man, I couldn't sleep at all. I kept thinking, what if 'Al' comes and eats me?"
Demad: "I had a nightmare too. Al was chasing me the whole night."
They talked for a bit until Demad mentioned: "Aunt Nila is back. Let's go collect some herbs for her."
Kira: "The forest? I'm scared... but if we're together, alright. Let's go."
Laughing, the two boys made their way to Nila's house. The sun, like a protective mother, warmed their skin. Kira knocked on the door, which opened with a heavy groan. A young girl with long purple hair and hazel eyes stood there.
Demad: "Hi, little Hina. Where's your mom?"
Hina: "Mom's out. It's just me and Dad, and he's still asleep. Mom went toward the Eastern Forest."
Demad: "I see. Give us some sacks, we're going to go help her."
Hina happily brought two sacks from the storage room, the sound of clattering objects echoing from inside. The boys took the sacks and headed into the trees.
After walking for a while, they sat by a river, captivated by the forest's beauty.
Woodpeckers drilled into trunks, squirrels leaped between branches, and the melody of the flowing water felt like a lullaby.
Suddenly, the snap of a twig shattered the peace. Demad and Kira sprang to their feet, sensing danger.
A wild boar, looking like a dark phantom, charged out of the bushes toward them.
They tried to scramble up a tree, but the beast was too fast. It was closing in on Demad when—thwack!—an arrow infused with brilliant light struck the boar's head.
Glimmers of light scattered in the air as the beast fell.
Nila: "What on earth are you two doing here?"
Demad smiled, his heart finally slowing down. "Aunt Nila! We came to help you."
Kira: "Yeah! Hina said you were in the east."
Nila frowned, a faint aura of light shimmering around her as she approached. "If something had happened to you... do you know what Emiliana would have done to me? And to you?"
The boys lowered their heads in apology. Nila's expression softened. She leaned down and kissed their foreheads. "It's alright. Don't look so miserable. No harm done."
She walked over to the boar, pulled her arrow from its skull—blood pooling on the grass—and turned back to them.
"Go to the Western Forest. There are no wild animals there. Collect what you can and be back before lunch. I'm going to make something delicious from this boar."
Excited, the boys headed west, the sound of dry branches snapping under their feet.
Demad: "This spot looks good. Let's start."
Kira: "Whoa, look! There are tons of them here!"
They worked for hours, sweat dripping down their faces as they carefully pulled the herbs, making sure not to damage the roots. By midday, their sacks were half-full and heavy.
Demad: "Let's head back to Aunt Nila. I bet lunch is ready."
They arrived back east to find the smell of roasting meat filling the air.
Nila: "It's alright that you didn't fill both
sacks. The effort is what counts."
Kira: "So... where's the food?"
After a hearty meal, Nila gathered her bow and gear. "I'm heading further east. You two finish up in the west and meet me here before sunset, okay?"
The boys agreed and headed back. Along the way, the hoot of an owl startled them.
Kira: "Look at that owl. Do they usually come out during the day?"
Demad: "I don't know. Some say they're bad omens."
Kira: "But it's so cute! How can it be bad?"
Demad: "Never mind. Let's just keep going."
They reached a vast meadow, where the song of nightingales blended with the gentle breeze. They spent the afternoon filling their sacks until the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and blood.
Tired and carrying the heavy load, they re-entered the dense forest, heading toward the lake.
Kira: "What a day... we really worked hard."
Demad: "Yeah. Aunt Nila's going to be shocked."
They were laughing, but suddenly, the forest went dead silent. A dark, suffocating aura crept between the shadows. Demad froze. This feeling... he knew it. It wasn't a boar.
It was exactly like his nightmare.
In the distance, between the gnarled trees, a figure appeared. A woman in a tattered white dress. Her long, matted black hair swayed in the pale moonlight, revealing silver, needle-like teeth. Her eyes were hollow—dead pits fixed directly on them. Steel-like claws extended from her fingertips.
Demad's body went numb. His mind screamed at him to run, but his muscles refused to move.
Finally, he snapped. He dropped the sack and grabbed Kira's hand. "RUN!"
Kira, paralyzed by shock, only moved when Demad's scream jolted her. "Demad, what is it? Why are you so scared?"
Demad: "She's here... it's... AL!"
Kira began to shake, her teeth chattering at the mention of the name. They dove behind a massive tree, gasping for air.
Kira whispered: "Did you see her? What did she look like?"
Demad pressed his hand over Kira's mouth, signaling for silence. He peered around the trunk to see if they were being followed.
Seeing nothing, he let out a shaky sigh of relief and turned back to Kira.
Al was standing right next to her.
She was closer than she had ever been in his dreams. Before Demad could even scream, the creature's claws lashed out, tearing through the air and slashing across Kira's chest.
Blood erupted, splattering against the dark bark of the tree. Al's hollow eyes locked onto Demad's. In that moment, the world narrowed down to the sound of tearing flesh and the sight of his friend falling. Demad stood there, hollow-eyed and trembling, on the verge of losing himself to the absolute horror.