As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the scorched landscape, Felix arrived at the mouth of a cave that served as his temporary shelter.

The rough stone walls loomed above him, their surfaces pockmarked and weathered by time. In his arms, he cradled an unconscious boy. Behind him stood the family of three he had rescued from the Kaals, their clothes tattered and faces smudged with soot.

The cave's entrance yawned before them—a dark maw promising refuge from the devastation they had left behind. Felix stepped carefully over the uneven ground, his worn boots scuffing against loose pebbles. The air inside was cool and damp, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat outside. Near the entrance lay a knapsack, a thin blanket, and fire sticks—remnants of Felix's previous night’s stay.

Gently, he laid the unconscious boy onto the thin, threadbare blanket spread on the cave floor. The rough fabric was a patchwork of faded colors, each stitch telling a story of years of use and mending. Nearby, the family settled into a corner, their bodies pressed closely together for warmth and comfort.

The man was tall and muscular, his calloused hands testament to years of hard labor. His blonde hair clung to his forehead, matted with sweat and ash. Striking green eyes darted warily around the cave, absorbing every detail of their new surroundings.

Beside him sat his wife, her slim build accentuated by her protective hunch over their child. Tangled brown hair framed her face, highlighting eyes of an unusual yellow hue. Their son, with blonde curly hair and matching yellow eyes—a perfect blend of his parents—slept fitfully on his mother’s shoulder, small hands clutching at her tattered shirt.

Felix knelt beside the unconscious boy, who had black hair and a round nose. He gently shook him awake. After a few moments, the child's eyes fluttered open, revealing light brown irises that widened in confusion as they took in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The boy's gaze settled on Felix—a man with long black hair that hadn't been cut in years—and fell around his face in unkempt waves. Felix’s red eyes glowed softly in the dim light, contrasting sharply with his long and narrow nose. He wore a white shirt—half-tucked and rolled at the sleeves—stained with dirt and sweat; his navy blue pants bore similar marks of survival.

"You're safe now," Felix said in a low, reassuring voice that echoed softly off the cave walls.

The boy blinked, struggling to focus.

"Are you the man from the tent?" he asked weakly.

Felix nodded. "Yes, I am. My name is Felix.

"Suddenly, alarm flickered in the boy’s eyes as energy returned to his tired frame.

"The family! Did they escape?"

Felix gestured toward the huddled group in the corner, their forms barely visible in the growing darkness of the cave.

"They're right there. Everyone's safe."

Relief washed over the boy’s face as tension visibly eased from his small body.

"Thank you for saving them," he said earnestly.

Felix shook his head; lines deepened around his eyes as he replied seriously,

"There's no need to thank me; you're the one who helped all of us."

"Me?" The boy questioned.

"Yes," Felix replied firmly."

"If you hadn't thrown that fork when you did, we wouldn't be here right now." He paused for emphasis.

"And I'm surprised you're more concerned about them than yourself."

"But you are the one who fought the Kaals," said the boy.

Just then, both their stomachs growled loudly—the sound reverberating through the cave and breaking the tension. The boy flushed with embarrassment while Felix cleared his throat awkwardly; this moment of vulnerability passed quickly.

"You must be hungry," Felix said, steadying his voice to mask his own discomfort.

"What's your name?"

"It's Kai," the boy replied with renewed strength.

Felix nodded and rose to his feet with purpose, careful in the confined space of the cave.

"Well, Kai, I’m going to find some food." He gestured for Kai to stay put.

"You stay here and try to relax."

Kai nodded and laid down as Felix moved toward the cave entrance. The dim light from outside cast long shadows across the rocky floor when suddenly the man stood up—muscles tense and eyes alert.

"Where are you going?" the man asked; his voice echoed slightly in the cave.

"To find food," Felix replied; hunger cracked his voice slightly.

"I'll come with you," the man said firmly, determination etched on his face.

"You stay with your family," Felix insisted weakly.

"Please, I can help," the man pressed.

Felix considered for a moment before nodding in assent. Together they ventured out into the charred landscape under a cool night sky—a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere of the cave.

"My name is Ryota Aihara," Ryota introduced as they walked.

"I am Felix," Felix replied.

As they moved forward away from where the fire had started—smoke still heavy in the air—Ryota's worried gaze kept returning to Felix.

"I think you should have stayed in the cave," he said with concern evident in his voice.

"Nah," Felix muttered under his breath as they crunched through grass.

"I owe you my life," Ryota continued softly.

"You saved my world—my treasure."

"His treasure?" Felix thought but couldn’t fully contemplate it; all that occupied his mind was finding food. After what felt like an eternity—an hour spent walking—they suddenly spotted a lone fig tree standing defiantly against a small green landscape separated from where the forest burned. Its broad leaves stood out vibrantly amidst desolation.

Ryota's eyes widened in surprise.

"Look at that!" he exclaimed.

"It's a fig tree."

"Fig trees are remarkably resilient," Ryota mused aloud as they approached it.

"Their roots can penetrate deep into the earth, finding moisture where other plants would wither." He spoke with amusement to lighten Felix’s mood.

"Felix?" Ryota called out as he noticed Felix's rapt attention on the tree.

Without hesitation, Felix sprinted toward it—drawing on every ounce of energy left in his body—and leaped to snatch a fig from its branches.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"You’re just like my son; he snatches food just like you do," Ryota chuckled with a smile.

"You’re like a grown-up kid," he added playfully.

But Felix didn’t hear him; all focus remained on consuming the fruit. Suddenly, while biting into it, he realized it was rotten from within. Ryota stepped closer and said,

"Never pick up the first thing you see to eat when you're hungry; you might grab the wrong thing."

Ryota plucked another fig and began inspecting it for discoloration or blemishes before sniffing it cautiously.

"This one is fine," Ryota declared and tossed it to Felix.

Felix caught it eagerly and took a bite; to his surprise, it was sweet and delicious. Ryota then began plucking figs from other branches until there were just enough to feed all of them; he didn’t want to gather an unequal amount—it felt like a small miracle amidst despair.

After eating three figs and regaining some energy, Felix turned to Ryota.

"What did you mean when you said that I saved your treasure earlier?" he asked curiously.

"I was talking about my family; they are my greatest treasure," Ryota replied earnestly.

"Family, huh?" said Felix in an introspective tone as they began walking back toward the cave; silence enveloped them briefly while crickets chirped rhythmically around them. Ryota broke it gently:

"Why did you save us? Did you know Leonardo?"

"I didn't save you; Leonardo did—and I didn't know him," said Felix matter-of-factly.

"But I saw you fighting those men!" Ryota asserted incredulously.

"To tell you the truth," Felix admitted reluctantly, "I was going to escape alone if it weren't for Leonardo."

"But you didn't!" Ryota shouted incredulously.

"You brought us to your shelter; if you wanted to leave us there in that burning forest, you could have done it."

"But you didn’t do it," Ryota continued passionately.

"And you treat us like normal people even though we have negative Zor energy."

"What do you mean 'treat like normal people'?" said Felix sharply.

"And what is a negative Zor user?" he questioned further.

"So you don't know?" Ryota responded thoughtfully but was puzzled by Felix's ignorance about negative Zor users.

As Felix saw Ryota's puzzled expression deepen into concern, a thought struck him:

"Oh no! If Ryota is wondering why I don't know about negative Zor users... I'd be in trouble."

"I err..." said Felix hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter," Ryota interrupted gently.

"I won't ask why you don't know about negative Zor users or what you are doing in this forest, all by yourself; for me, you're just someone who extended a helping hand to my family—and that's all I need to know."

Felix felt amazed by Ryota's kindness; he made a soft smile on his face but struggled to smile properly. Ryota noticed this struggle and thought,

"He has been through a lot."

Suddenly, Felix spoke up with a serious tone. “It was me; I started the fire.”

"So fate brought us together," said Ryota thoughtfully.

“What?” Felix replied in surprise, his eyes widening as he processed Ryota’s words.

“You’re not mad or anything?” Felix asked, concern etching his features.

“Why would I be mad? It’s true that nature had to suffer,” Ryota said, his voice steady.

“But I think it was a gift in disguise.”

“My father used to say, ‘Be truly glad; there is always wonderful joy in the hardships you face and the mistakes you make.’ Ryota reassured him, his tone soothing like a gentle breeze.

“So don’t worry about it,” he added, a warm smile spreading across his face.

Felix felt the depth of Ryota’s words wash over him, bringing a sense of relief that momentarily eased the weight on his heart.

"But let me ask you this," said Ryota. "Are you a Zor User?"

Felix felt troubled by the question. He didn’t know whether to tell him or not. But looking into Ryota's kind face, he took a deep breath, struggling to trust another person, and said,

"Yes, I am a Zor User."

"I knew it!" said Ryota.

"I knew it when I saw your mended shirt and the bit of blood on the sole of your boots."

"You have a keen eye," Felix replied, surprised.

"I must have missed a spot."

"But if you're not aware of negative Zor users, you might not know about the rest of the story," said Ryota.

"What story?" Felix questioned.

"So you know how there are five countries? In the east is Higashihara, to the south we have Bestia, where the beastmen, elves, and dwarfs live; to the west is Pandora."

Felix's eyes widened at the mention of Pandora, memories resurfacing.

"Felix? Something wrong?" Ryota asked.

"No, no, I'm fine," Felix replied.

"Please continue."

"Okay," said Ryota.

"In the middle is the most powerful Draconis Empire; lastly, to the north is Chronothia, but nowadays it’s known as Rebelle."

"Rebelle?" Felix asked.

"Yes, it’s called that because the Kaals have taken over it."

"Now you might be asking where these humans, who have negative Zor energy and call themselves Kaals, came from. The negative Zor users started appearing roughly eleven years ago. Initially, the five countries declared it a disease because anyone who came close to a negative Zor user would also become one. In Chronothia, they started killing all the negatives, as they called them."

"It wasn't long before a rebellion against the king of Chronothia began because more than half of the country was Negans. The one behind this so-called disease was the will of Darkness, the leader of the Kaals, and the queen of the Nox realm, Silkaya. She seeks to destroy this realm, which is why she needs negative Zor energy to open a portal to this realm."

"So did the Kaals accomplish it? Bringing Silkaya into this realm?" Felix asked.

"No, not yet, at least, because there was a man with great Zor energy who sacrificed himself five years ago to create a special artifact known as the Zor Energy Purifier, or ZEP. His name was Chiro; he was raised in this country but later scouted and recruited by the Empire."

"The ZEP halted the spread of negative Zor energy, but it came at a cost. Now, Zor users can only access their power for precisely 29 minutes and 17 seconds, once every 24 hours."

Felix thought to himself, "So that's why I couldn't use my Zor energy."

"I was a retired samurai of the Kenshin clan; after retiring, I became a blacksmith and married my wife, Suzu. But shortly after my son was born, my Zor energy got infected by a rogue Kaal, along with my family, before Chiro created ZEP. Now the goal of the Kaals is to steal and break ZEP so they can gather enough negative Zor energy to open the portal to the Nox realm."

"A month ago, the village I lived in found out about my negative Zor energy; they kicked me and my family out because nobody likes negative Zor users. We were lucky they didn’t kill us. After getting kicked out, me and my family got kidnapped by the Kaals."

"The Kaals kidnap other negative Zor users to make them join their ranks and contribute their negative energy."

By now, they approached the cave, anticipation tingling in the air. The entrance loomed before them, glistening faintly in the moonlight. Inside—a sight that filled both Felix and Ryota with warmth—Kai and Ryota’s son slept peacefully, their heads resting on the lap of Ryota’s wife. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, and her serene expression radiated tranquility.

“They look adorable; it’s like I have a second son,” Ryota said fondly, his voice softening as he gazed at the boys.

“Look, Suzu! We got some figs!” He shouted excitedly, his eyes sparkling with joy.

Suzu looked up at him with a radiant smile that illuminated the dark cave like sunlight breaking through clouds. The flickering shadows danced around them as she gently awakened the two boys. She began distributing figs among them—each piece glistening with dew, their sweet aroma filling the air. Ryota’s son beamed with joy while Kai smiled shyly yet genuinely as he munched on the fruit, their laughter echoing softly within the cave walls.

Felix observed their interaction with a wistful heart.

"They look like a perfect family," Felix thought.

He felt glad to help them in some way but was haunted by the nagging thought that he could never forge such bonds with anyone. Turning toward the cave's entrance, he barely held back tears as he gazed at the starry night sky—a vast canvas dotted with shimmering lights.

“I wish you were here, Father,” he whispered softly into the stillness.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder—it was Ryota’s hand, warm and reassuring.

“What are you looking at?” Ryota asked gently, concern lacing his voice.

“Nothing,” Felix replied calmly, though his heart still ached beneath the surface.

“Then come inside; let me introduce you to my wife and son,” Ryota said warmly, gesturing for him to enter.

Felix nodded and stepped into the cave alongside Ryota. As they crossed the threshold together, a shooting star streaked across the night sky. Its brilliance momentarily illuminated their path, casting fleeting shadows that danced along the cave walls—an ephemeral reminder of dreams yet to be realized.