Elder stood on the platform, his weathered hands gripping the edges as he gazed out at the gathered villagers. The morning light painted his figure in soft hues, each line of his face etched with years of wisdom and sacrifice. When he spoke, his voice was calm, steady, and carried the weight of countless winters.

“I have watched over this village for many years—protected it, guided it. Even in my youth, I was a hunter, participating in more Grand Hunts than I care to count.” He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, lingering on familiar faces. “But time has taken its toll. I am no longer the man I once was. My body can no longer endure, and the burden of leadership must pass to another.”

The villagers stirred, their murmurs a low hum in the frosty air. Elder raised a hand, and silence returned as swiftly as it had broken.

“You have all heard of the strangers,” he continued, his tone darkening. “They are unlike anything we have faced since the days of our ancestors—those who led us to this land. They are a threat that cannot be ignored, and their presence marks a turning point. Someone must take my place, someone who will lead us through the great changes that are coming.”

He took a slow breath, his sharp eyes scanning the square. “Perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but someday, we will leave this place. The world beyond our borders, the one that has long forgotten us, will become ours to reclaim. We will walk in it again.”

The villagers exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of awe and apprehension. A few whispered among themselves, the weight of his words settling heavily upon them.

“Our path forward,” Elder said, his voice firm, “will be paved by the four who have comprehended the Doctrine of Will. But do not mistake their importance as greater than your own. Each of you will have a role to play, a burden to carry, and together we will endure.”

His voice softened, but the conviction in it remained unshaken. “The road ahead will not be easy, and the one to lead you must be strong in more ways than one. They must guide you, protect you, and carry the future of this village on their shoulders.” He paused, his next words hanging in the air like frost. “That person is my descendant… Keen.”

A sharp silence followed, the crowd holding its collective breath. All eyes turned toward Keen, who stood tall and resolute among them, though a flicker of uncertainty crossed his features. The villagers waited, expecting someone—perhaps Brawl, whose towering frame loomed at the edge of the square—to challenge the decision. But no such challenge came.

Elder nodded, his expression unreadable as he continued. “Before I pass, I will give Keen the knowledge and responsibilities carried by those who have borne my name. The mantle will pass to him, and with it, the weight of this village’s survival.”

For a moment, Elder’s gaze drifted to the distant horizon, his eyes clouded as if seeing something far away—something none of them could. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost wistful. “Spend time with your families. Be with your friends. The future will be hard, and in such a short time… so much can change. So much can be lost.”

His words lingered, heavy and somber, before he raised a hand, dismissing the assembly. Without another word, he stepped down from the platform, Keen following close behind.

The crowd began to disperse, their murmurs filled with a mixture of relief, curiosity, and unease. Grey’s silver eyes remained fixed on Elder and Keen as they disappeared into the throng.

“I need to talk to them. Now,” Grey said abruptly, his gaze unwavering. The golden thread from before still shimmered faintly in the corner of his vision, stretching toward the distant forest. It hadn’t dimmed or wavered, its pull steady and insistent.

Serene tilted her head slightly, narrowing her emerald eyes as she studied him. “You’re serious,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “Tear and I need to train anyway, right?” Her elbow nudged Tear, who stood nearby, groggy and rubbing her eyes.

Tear let out a long yawn, pulling her cloak tightly around her small frame. “Let’s just sleep first,” she grumbled. “There’s no training at the smokehouse today. We can practice hunting later today”

Serene chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re not wrong, Tear. No training at Elder’s either—not until tomorrow.” She glanced back at Grey, who seemed ready to march off without another word. “You’ve got that look again. Be careful, alright?”

Tear waved a sleepy hand at Grey as she started walking away with Serene. “Don’t do anything crazy,” she mumbled before adding under her breath, “but you always do.”

For a brief moment, Grey’s silver eyes softened as he watched them go, but the pull of the thread snapped him back to the moment. Turning on his heel, he jogged after Elder and Keen, his breath misting in the crisp morning air.

Keen was the first to notice him. “Grey?” he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice as he glanced over his shoulder.

“I need to ask you something,” Grey said, his tone firm and direct.

Keen raised a brow, already wary. “If it’s about delaying the use of Central Organs—”

“No,” Grey cut him off, shaking his head. “It’s not that. It’s something else. Something… more important.”

Elder halted, turning slowly to face Grey, his pale gaze sharp and piercing. “Speak,” he commanded, his voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable authority.

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Grey hesitated, carefully choosing his words. “I—I’m not certain yet,” he began, his tone deliberate. “I need to confirm it first. But I think… I think I can find beasts. Not just track them—find them. Directly.”

The silence that followed was heavy, the air itself seeming to hold its breath as Elder considered Grey’s words.

“Let’s go to my home first to talk,” Elder said at last. “It’s too cold for a long discussion out here. Keen,” Elder turned, his voice steady, “get Brawl. I want him to hear this as well.”

Keen gave a short nod and took off at a brisk pace, leaving Grey and Elder to walk in silence toward the warmth of Elder’s home. The faint crunch of frost underfoot was the only sound between them, Grey’s mind turning over his thoughts while Elder remained unreadable beside him.

By the time they reached Elder’s home, Keen and Brawl had caught up, the latter’s heavy boots thudding against the ground as he arrived. They all stepped inside, the room dimly lit by the embers of a fire smoldering in the hearth. Elder gestured for them to take seats.

“Alright, kid,” Brawl said gruffly, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Keen said this was important. What’s the big deal?”

Grey cleared his throat and sat down in one of the simple wooden chairs near the hearth. “You remember how I thought the intensity of an aura might indicate whether a beast has a Central Organ or even a Heart of Radiance?” His voice was steady, but his silver eyes scanned their faces for signs of doubt.

Keen and Brawl exchanged glances before nodding, recalling Grey’s earlier observations. Elder remained quiet, his sharp gaze fixed on Grey.

“I think…” Grey paused, then pressed on, “I think I can find them. Not just sense them nearby, but find them, directly. As I told Elder and Keen, I’m not certain yet. But if I’m right… we could gather more resources than we’ve ever had before.”

Keen exhaled sharply, breaking the brief silence. “So how do we confirm it?” he asked, his tone measured.

Grey sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t like what he was about to say any more than they would. “We have to go back out. Into the outer woods. Again.”

A weighted pause followed his words, the crackle of the hearth filling the space. Elder was the first to respond, shaking his head firmly. “We’ve already lost so much, Grey. We have enough resources to sustain us for a while. We’ve gained enough.”

“No, Elder, I’m sorry, but it is not enough,” Grey said, his voice steady but insistent. “Even another Heart may not be enough to allow Shot to reach the talent she needs to break through—and then she’ll still need the ability to control it. I think your strength increases as you grow older. She’s only a bit older than me and Serene, so she will still need to use more resources to evolve after that.”

He paused, his silver eyes locking onto Elder’s. “Maybe the Central Organs we have left, though I’ve never experienced their effects, will be enough for her. But what about after? Can we really survive with just a few of us growing stronger? During the fight, Keen was strong enough to force the old man back, but only with all of our help did he force a retreat.”

Grey took a breath, his voice firm despite the weight of his words. “What… what if more like him come? Three, four, or even more? Even then, we might not be enough.”

“I agree with Grey,” Brawl said, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence. “We should go out. But it should just be us. We’re faster than the rest, and we’re stronger. Grey can keep a lookout for us, and we can confirm his ideas.”

Keen folded his arms, his brow furrowed deeply as he mulled over their words. Elder leaned back slightly, the flickering fire casting long shadows across his face. The room grew quiet, the weight of the decision settling over them like a thick frost.

Finally, Keen spoke. “Elder, if you’re going to leave me with the responsibility of this village—of our people—then please, let me make this decision.”

Elder looked as if he might object, his lips parting briefly, but after a moment, he nodded, his expression heavy with resignation.

Keen straightened, his gaze steady as he addressed the others. “Grey, Brawl—we’ll go out. Grey, you’ll be our tracker, but stay alert for other beasts. We’ll be relying on you for guidance. Brawl, you’ll take the front, and I’ll support you in a fight if there’s one. Hopefully, we can set an ambush and take down our target quickly… if there is one.”

Grey spoke up, his tone urgent. “I don’t know how long the thread I see will last. It’s still clear now, but we should leave as soon as possible.”

“Then we’ll leave now,” Keen decided without hesitation. “Go to your homes, grab your weapons, and meet me at the gate.”

They all scattered, Grey moving swiftly to retrieve his equipment from Elder’s home. As he secured his bow and quiver, Elder sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of years.

“Long ago,” Elder began, his voice soft, “I stopped the Grand Hunt from occurring every year. I made it every ten cycles, and then after that, only when it was necessary. The losses were just too much.” He paused, his pale eyes fixed on the flickering fire. “When I was a boy, there were only thirty of us, Grey. Thirty.”

Grey paused, marveling once again at the possible age of Elder. The Grand Hunt happening every ten cycles was already a legend among the villagers, a story passed down like myth. But every year? That wasn’t even something whispered about.

Elder’s voice grew quieter, tinged with pain. “I’m sure my ancestors—the Elders who came before me—would hate me for breaking our way of life. Living on the edge of life and death… but,” his voice cracked, “I couldn’t take the deaths anymore. Every year, our numbers dwindling more and more… We were doomed to extinction. Now we’ll start going out again, who knows how often.”

“Elder, it’s—” Grey began, his voice faltering.

“It’s fine, Grey,” Elder interrupted, shaking his head. “I’m just being overly sensitive. We’re stronger now than we’ve ever been in our history… and we have you.”

Elder turned to him, his gaze sharp and filled with conviction. “Go. But take every caution you can. If for even a moment it seems too dangerous—leave Brawl and Keen. They’ll protect you. They know, as I do, how important you are.”

“Elder, I can’t do something like that,” Grey protested, his voice heavy with emotion.

“Grey!” Elder’s shout was sharp, his voice echoing with an authority that demanded silence. “You, and only you, can transform our people and break this curse. No one is more important.”

The words hung in the air, striking Grey like a blow. For a moment, he was too stunned to speak. Elder, who had always seemed measured and composed, had spoken with an intensity that shook him to his core.

Unable to respond, Grey simply nodded, hoping to ease Elder’s heart. He turned and opened the door, stepping out into the cold air. The words still weighed heavily on his mind as he ran toward the gate to meet Keen and Brawl, his thoughts churning as he tried to make sense of what Elder had said.