Kyren's uneasy feeling returned as they wandered deeper into the unfamiliar woods, He leaned in closer to Hiro and whispered softly, "Hiro, something doesn't feel right about this place."

Kyren start looking around, and he saw Carlos looking at them suspiciously. "Oops, It's like we've taken a wrong turn or stumbled upon a different part of the forest altogether."

Hiro understood what Kyren was trying to say, that this must be some sort of trap.

...

As Hiro and Kyren entered Arramaya's City, the initial sense of relief and excitement was quickly overshadowed by a sudden realization, Carlos, whom they had considered a guide, had betrayed them.

As the caravan stopped, one of the strangers coming off the trees was taunted with a sneer. "Looks like you fell for it, kids. Carlos promised us a handsome reward."

..

"What's happening, Kyren? Why would Carlos betray us?" Hiro whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"Looks like another dumb kids got tricked,"

One after another, strangers approached the caravan. "Carlos told us you guys have plenty of coins and decent equipment." Their hearts pounded as the realization set in—they had been lured into a trap.

...

The forest's eeriness and their sense of being distracted and lost had all been orchestrated to lead them into this dire situation.

Hiro's grip on his staff tightened his expression his anger. "We won't be easy targets."

The bastards chuckled menacingly, their swords gleaming in the sunlight. "You're brave, I'll give you that. But bravery won't save you now."

The situation seemed dire, and Kyren knew that this escalated scenario was a life-and-death battle.

A whisper to his mind recalling his nightmare. "What are you........ going..... to do......"

"What are you trying to say?"

In that moment one bastard attack towards them, Hiro defend clashing his sword but he got overpowered and send his sword to the ground.

Kyren shouted at Hiro and said. "Let me handle this." his heart still pounding as they faced Carlos and the group of individuals who had held them at sword point, he knew that he had to think quickly and find a way to save both their lives, swallowing his fear "Carlos, we'll give you anything you want. Just spare our lives, we don't want any trouble." Kyren threw his weapon to the ground.

"OHHHH! So you're the smarter one, that's right. That's what I'm talking about. We won't make this big," Carlos said with a smile on his face.

...

..

.

As Hiro and Kyren breathed a sigh of relief at the prospect of their lives being spared, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow and helplessness as Carlos and the others took everything they had.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Their hard-earned money, valuable equipment, and cherished belongings were stripped away, leaving them with only the clothes on their backs.

"We agreed to your terms," Kyren said, his voice filled with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You have what you wanted. Now, please, let us go."

Carlos grinned triumphantly, showing no remorse for his actions. "Consider it a lesson, 'Aspiring Warriors.' This is the real world, and sometimes you have to fight to survive."

Hiro clenched his fists, struggling to control his emotions. "We thought you were a good guy, Carlos. How could you betray us like this?"

Carlos' expression remained callous. "GOOD GUY? HAHAHAHA—those are just fairy tales. In this world, you have to look out for yourself. We did what we had to do."

Hiro's frustration grew stronger, but before he could do anything, Kyren stopped him.

"Stop it, Hiro," Kyren tried to calm him down.

With heavy hearts, they left the encounter, stripped of their possessions.

After Carlos and his group left the area, Hiro smashed the ground out of frustration.

Kyren saw Hiro's angry expression for the first time.

"I'm sorry, Hiro," Kyren said.

"It's not about you. I know you are trying to save our lives, but why did all of this happen to us? We haven't even stepped into the academy." Hiro looked at the ground, feeling so defeated. "What are we going to do now, Kyren? We lost everything we had."

"That's right... what are we going to do?"

"If we go home again, everyone will ask what happened. We will tell them, and we will be embarrassed, and they will pity us," Hiro mumbled, letting his frustration out.

"Relax, Hiro. Forget about that for a moment. First, we need to find our way to the city, and let's talk about it there." Kyren extended his hand to help Hiro stand up.

"We don't have a single coin. How can we eat? We'll get hungry. Are we going to beg for food?" Hiro said.

Kyren sat down and faced Hiro. "Hiro, if we have to do that, we will. As long as we live, we can come back."

"But Kyren..." Hiro was interrupted as Kyren stopped him. "No 'but.' This is the first challenge in becoming a warrior, and to achieve our dream, we will get tested every time. Get used to it."

Kyren's words started to sink into Hiro's mind, and he began to calm down.

"Let's focus on finding our way back to the city, and let's plan there what we are going to do. But let's not go back to Vermint Town. Let's find work, someone who has openings in their shop there."

...

..

.

As the night grew deeper, they stumbled upon a small clearing where they decided to rest, they gathered twigs and leaves to make a makeshift shelter against the cold, and they huddled together for warmth and comfort, in the dim light, they spoke about the memories they had shared, the dreams they had for their future, and the challenges they had overcome together.

Their shared experiences brought solace, reminding them of the strength they had always found in each other.

Kyren asked, "Hiro, what do you think am I? Where do I belong? Do you think I'm a good person before I lost all my memories from the past? What if I'm like Carlos, and this is my punishment?"

Hiro spoke, "What do you think? If you were to recall your past and blend it with your present memories, do you believe you might become a bad person once more?"

In Kyren's mind, they contemplated "Certainly, I wouldn't revert if I were to become a bad person again."

Yet, simultaneously, he pondered the possibility that it might be inherent in his nature to turn malevolent, and this haunting nightmare is, in fact, their present reality from the past, as Hiro and Kyren emerged from the dense forest, their sense of hopelessness had reached its peak.

As they rested in the unfamiliar forest, they had been wandering for what felt like an eternity. Nagging thoughts crossed their minds about what had happened to them.

"Kyren, I don't think it's a good idea to rest here. I think we should go and find our way back to Arramaya City," Hiro said.

Kyren understood what Hiro was saying because he felt the same way; it didn't seem like the right place to stay.

...

Desperation drove them to call out for help, their voices echoing through the trees.

In the distance, the sound of approaching horses grew louder, and a glimmer of hope surged within them.

"Hiro, do you hear that? Someone's coming!"

Kyren looked around and exclaimed

A newfound energy, they both waved their arms and called out in unison "HELP! Can you please help us?"

As they continued to emerge from the forest, the approaching riders finally came into view, Hiro's eyes widened with surprise and joy when he recognized one of them.

"Alaine? Is that really you?" Hiro called out.