Fear washed over Sebastian at the thought of the possibility of his life being cut short. He could feel butterflies in his stomach, as sweat rolled down his body.

The wolf stood still for a moment with its back facing towards Sebastian. It shook its head violently and grunted several times as if in displeasure of something- before turning its head right, and eyeing down its prey.

When it is foolish to stay, the courage for running away must be summoned for your survival. That's why Sebastian's mind stayed focused, telling him one word which was to-

Run.

Sebastian bolted away into the distance, his leather shoes pounded heavily across the ground causing mud to splash up his legs. The wind whipped his hair back from his face as he jetted past the bushes, trees, and the various figures that blurred in his speed- leaving broken sticks and crushed leaves in his path.

Sebastian's breathing was unsteady, but he pushed harder and went faster- paying no attention to the wolf that may be behind him. Gut-wrenching, heart pumping— after several thrusts forward his legs became tired.

The boy continued running but finally looked behind himself. There it was. The wolf was casually stalking behind Sebastian, waiting for him to get tired.

"Shi-"

Sebastian not realising where he was going, tripped over the root of a tree and then tumbled to the ground.

"Ahh-"

Ugh... my face hurts and I'm struggling to breathe. My legs are dead and I can hardly move properly. The wolf... where is it?

Sebastian spun his head around to see the wolf taking its time and approaching slowly. It was as if the wolf saw Sebastian as a toy to play with rather than a being that could bring harm.

Something... I need to do something. Think. Think. Think. Think as hard as you can. What can I do in this situation? Is there something... anything I could use!?

...

Sebastian had made up his mind after a few seconds and then waited patiently. He slowed down his breathing and tried his best to relax. The boy turned his head to look behind himself once more and then saw the wolf only a few metres away from him.

That's when Sebastian began to place one hand forward- then another one and another one. He was trying to crawl away as he dragged his legs forward. In the eyes of the wolf or... the predator, Sebastian was but mere prey trying to flee away for its dear life.

[But was that the truth? The truth is always hidden and lies are always in plain sight. To deceive or be deceived. What answer will Sebastian give? Is it the truth... or is it a lie?]

- The Librarian

The wolf had finally arrived at its meal and then placed one paw on the boy's leg. The wolf, the 'predator', pounced on its helpless prey- opening its mouth wide and revealing its large, sharp canines... But what happened next was unexpected.

Suddenly, Sebastian turned his body around to face the wolf and then swiftly brought out his hidden dagger- he clenched it tightly and then struck the wolf near the area between its neck and belly with all the power he could muster in his small arms.

The wolf cried in pain and leapt backwards, then crumbled miserably to the ground. Sebastian held tightly to his bloodied dagger for a while longer but eventually he relaxed his guard, then got up and started trudging away.

But it wasn't over yet.

To Sebastian's dismay, the wolf wasn't injured badly enough for it to stay down or die. And so instead, as it watched Sebastian leave, it slowly got back up and then awkwardly followed behind him. Both tried to quicken their pace but the distance between the two stayed the same. It was now unclear...

[Which was the predator and which was the prey?]

Sebastian had not liked the situation at all, everything about it was too much for him- physically and mentally. He wanted such experience, he knew that he would grow and become strong because of it- but he disliked it.

The pain and the fatigue, the sweat and the blood... Everything was just unbearable for him right now. He wanted to get away from it as fast as possible and return to his place of comfort where he could rest. Back to his home, back to his mother.

But fate had other plans for him today. There were a few unexpected turns today and there would still be more twists and turns to come.

Sebastian looked behind himself to see the wolf still persistently following him, anger started to creep from inside and frustration was written all over his face. Yet it wasn't exactly the right time to be emotional because right now, unbeknownst to Sebastian- he was walking off the edge of a cliff.

----------------------------------------------------------

I don't know what happened exactly. All I was doing was trying to get away from that stubborn wolf and the next thing I knew- I was falling off a cliff. I tumbled down and I could've sworn my head hit a rock or two because I don't remember anything after that.

Luckily, it wasn't very steep so I didn't die... but I could feel a bit of soreness on my arms and upper body, plus there was either sweat or blood dripping underneath my clothes. I was hurt very badly. At least, that's what I thought... but I don't feel any pain. I actually feel very fine- to the point where it's abnormal and almost creepy.

Is such a thing possible? Could my 'other self' block out the sensation of pain? If so, then right now I'm thankful more than anything. But focusing on the problem that has appeared now, I should get up.

*Huff*

I must've been knocked out and unconscious for a long while because now... darkness has begun to overtake the sky. The sun is setting and it's almost night time. I need to hurry back home.

As I stand and look around, the wolf is nowhere to be seen... I assume it left after seeing me fall off from up there? It was a small cliff and not too steep at all but the wolf wouldn't have been able to jump down with its injuries. It most likely gave up and went away to recover somehow.

Now... where should I go?

Behind a few, slightly moss covered trees, a turquoise blue stream caught Sebastian's eyes.

A river? Is that a river? Oh and look what we have here! Berries! And guess what? I'm fucking hungry! Perfect!!

I plucked a few berries and they were lush and fruity to the tongue. I suppose they could be poisonous but I'm not dead yet so I guess I could say I'm fine, right? Well... left or right? That's the question.

A black butterfly fluttered in front of Sebastian's eyes as he tracked it from left to right.

"'Right' it is then."

...

I started trampling on and brushing past shrubs, mushrooms, fungi and all sorts of plants like wild ginger plants, pitchers of the nepenthes species and many orchids. These plants all seem natural and all but...

Hmm, doesn't this place feel a bit 'off' for some reason? The trees have short trunks but long and twisted branches that give off an unsettling vibe...

There seems to be no other animals here, at least I haven't seen any- and the butterfly... or butterflies. 2... 5... 8... 12. There doesn't seem to be any others but I wouldn't be surprised if there were.

To me, I think the most unusual thing right now are... the butterflies.

[There's so many of them, yet... Why are they all black?]

"My... my... What do we have here? Are you a visitor?" An enchanting voice filled Sebastian's ears eerily as he looked around in bewilderment.

"Huh, wha- What was that?"

"State your purpose, human."

"Uhh..."

Let's start with introductions, right? That's the most logical thing here, of course. I don't know who's speaking to me and where they are, they have all the power in this situation.

"My name is Sebastian, and I have no real reason for why I'm here. I just stumbled upon this place by accident."

I'll just listen to this mysterious person, see how things go, and react accordingly to what's best.

"By accident? No human has stepped into my domain 'by accident' as a result they have all 'died'.

"..."

"Furthermore, it seems like you're a child... that's a first I guess."

"Umm... I can't exactly see where you are so may I at least ask you for your name?"

If my suspicions are correct then surely she should be a-

"My name? Hahaha~ A 'human' asking for 'my' name... That's a new one."

"..."

"Ehum... I do not give my name to those who I am not close with but very well, I shall at least tell you what people call me."

["I am the Exiled Witch."]

A witch... I can't fully believe it but this situation itself all points towards that answer. 2 days have only passed so far and I've already met a witch on the third day, huh.

"And what was your name again, child?"

"Sebastian. My name is Sebastian Quent."

"Oh- right... I see."

"Well then, I'll be off-"

["Child, why are you trying to hide that you're hurt?"]

"...Huh?"

"Your clothes are not enough for me to be unable to detect your body's condition. My eyes can see through many things, and your facial expressions and body movements give it away anyway. I must commend you though, your act may have fooled a fellow human but unfortunately for you- I am not one of them."

"I..."

"You are injured, without a doubt."

"Actually, I-"

"You also ate some poisonous berries so you'll die if you don't get yourself cured."

"Oh..."

"Take off your clothes and step into the river, young one."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Wait- what."

"I can cast a healing spell which can also remove toxins in the body as long as my target is in water. Don't worry, there's no one looking or anything."

"Uhuh. I see..."

I was a bit suspicious of this 'witch' but something inside my head told me to follow what she was saying. To my suprise, I wasn't scared of her either but I did know that if I displeased her in any way then I'd probably end up dead.

Sebastian slowly removed the clothes on his body, put them on the ground neatly, and then walked into the river as instructed.

"Wasn't the river deeper before?"

"Of course it was, I just altered its properties so that it's shallow enough for you to walk in and not too strong for you to be swept away. Though, I do think it would be quite amusing seeing that happen."

"Oh- haha. I see, I never knew witches were capable of such a thing."

"Hmm... not all witches are as capable as I am. I am able to alter this area to whatever I desire as I have made it my domain. Other witches would have trouble doing such a thing unless they worked together."

"I see, so are you like- super powerful or like the strongest ever witch."

"That's right, I am."

"Oh..."

"But, I have been exiled and therefore am no longer needed by anyone. Now, I walk alone in this world like I have done for hundreds of years and all I do is travel to many different places."

Damn, she's practically a granny at this point.

"Ah... I see. On your travels, what other races have you seen?"

"Many. Elves, fairies, dwarfs, demons, dragons- pretty much every type of race there is. I've seen humans the most, of course."

"Oh... this is very interesting."

"I bet you thought that I was an old hag just before, am I right?"

"Uhh..."

"It is true that I have lived long but for witches in general, our bodies stay young and we remain unaware of the world around us while we stay hidden away from contact with other beings."

"At first, time passes by at an unbearably slow speed... but then soon we get swept up by time itself and find time passing by so quickly that many years have passed in almost ten minutes."

"That must be... frightening?"

"Sometimes it is, but witches get used to it. That's why the concept of time and age is very unusual to us... so most of us who have retained our beauty have decided that we are exactly that. Still young and not old."

"I see... then how does it feel when talking to me?"

"...I don't know what to say exactly. I guess, I haven't had a conversation with a human for a long while now. Although, it was only just a few years ago that I did... I think. I didn't pay much attention to the time when I slaughtered humans after they appeared one after another but right now... time seems to be relatively normal, I guess."

"Oh that's... nice."

"It certainly is different... The humans who have entered my domain... What did they call it again?"

"The witch's river, maybe?"

"Mhm, well the truth is that this whole forest is part of my domain but I let humans pass by if they want. But the ones who passed by this river- all those humans were adults and they all ended up dying after trying to kill me."

"Oh-"

"The funny thing is, that their children would not come after me until they too had become adults. They wanted revenge but they were 'afraid', and so the endless cycle of death continued."

"Oh, that is very... interesting."

"Pft- HAHAHA!!" The witch mightily laughed at Sebastian's reaction, in the background.

"Uhm, can I get out now? It's getting a bit too cold out here..."

"Hmm... your body is nice. Seems like you'll grow well in the future."

"...Hey!"

Sebastian covered his body at the thought of someone else seeing his body, for once... he felt slightly embarrassed.

"You said no one was looking..."

"I didn't say 'I' wasn't looking though."

"...Right."

"Well I was busy making new potions and other sorts so I didn't look too much."

"Wait, so does that mean you're not even around here?"

"Well, that's right. I'm not in my domain, right now. I don't think I have ever been except maybe a few times in the past. I have a small humble abode elsewhere which I've confined myself to."

"So does that mean you're able to do things inside your domain from afar?"

"Oh~ you're a clever one, aren't you? Well... although that's true, I am more limited if I do things from afar. For example, that one stubborn wolf managed to break free of my spell somehow..."

"..."

So a witch was controlling the wolves from before. It just so happened that one of them broke free from her control and went after me... Great.

"A resilient wolf, maybe it's special in some way. I guess that's something I have to write down and research more into. It would've been better if I dissected it, but whilst I was busy with making charms... it had already left my domain so too bad I guess."

"Ah, I see." That's good for me, I hope it doesn't ever return for revenge or anything...

"Now... What the fuck are you doing, you exhibitionist!"

"Huh, wha-"

"Put your fucking clothes on already!!"

Sebastian hurriedly ran out of the river and was about to put on his clothes, when...

"Oh wait, 'Wind Spell'."

A gust of warm wind blew past and within a few seconds, Sebastian's body had not a single drop of water on his body. Sebastian also noticed that his injuries were all gone when he looked down at his body and that he had felt much better now- physically and mentally.

"There, now your clothes won't get wet."

...

"Now, I'll have to give you a warning. Do not enter my domain ever again otherwise I won't be able to guarantee that you'll stay alive. You're lucky that you're the first child to have ever set foot in my domain so I spared you."

"Yes, I am very thankful for your kindness as well. Thank you for healing me and treating me well."

"...Heh- you sure know how to make someone feel good about themselves."

"I try my best not to do the opposite at least."

...

"Child... What do you think of 'witches'? Are they good or are they bad?"

"Well... I can't say for sure what they are."

"Then, what do you think about yourself? Do you consider yourself to be a good person or someone who's bad?"

"I... don't think I'm either. I'm not kind enough to think that I'm doing good and I'm not sinful enough to think that what I'm doing is evil."

"I see..."

"...I am merely myself. I am human.

"Hmm..."

"Good or bad, I don't think people should use such terms without full knowledge of someone else. I think it's best to refer to an individual by their name rather than a label someone else gave. That's why I wanted your name."

"Very interesting. This conversation has turned out to be very enjo...I mean-useful."

"Right, umm."

"You wish to know the exit, don't you?"

"Yes, that'll be very helpful."

"Go right, and follow my river. You'll see the light from your village eventually."

"Thank you, it has been a pleasure speaking with you."

"You really are lucky that I happened to be in a good mood today, even more so because you're a special being..."

"Hmm, what was that?"

"Nothing, I've gotten tired of seeing your face so please leave."

"You've gotten tired of me? My... and I thought you were enjoying my company by the way you were laughing and making jokes with me. I guess I was wrong, right?"

"...Shut it, little one. Hurry on and go back to your mother."

"Yes- Wait. How did you know I had a mother?"

"Of course, I'd know. I'm able to 'look over the village' through just my eyes."

"What the..."

"When I put my mind to it, I can tell who is who and what is what. I just have a hard time remembering humans and names in general as my brain is more occupied with incantations, spells, making charms and enchantments or studying magic- basically whatever is more important to me."

"Then can you-"

"But I won't interfere with the village. I won't interfere with humans. I have no reason to, and this decision will remain the same as it has done for many years."

"I see. Well, I think I've stayed here for too long. I'll be off then."

"Wait, where are you going? That way leads to somewhere deeper in the forest."

"But you said-"

"Ahah, my bad. The exits in this part of my domain change frequently so you'll have to go left instead of right."

"Couldn't you just change it back?"

"I'm tired."

"Oh... I see, okay."

"Goodbye then, little one."

Sebastian waved his hand around himself to say his farewell to the witch. She chuckled a little and then smiled.

...

Sebastian... I'm sure we'll meet again very soon and we may even see each other more frequently, but things may change. Just like how this book has. Fully written and complete, yet recently some words have been erased and there have been new words to replace.

Whether we see each other again soon or not, the less frequent our meetings, the more meaningful they'll become. I will be looking forward to our next meeting just like how I have done for our first.

I wonder... how exactly will this book change and what ending will you choose? Whatever it is, I shall accept it. After all, that is part of my fate. Something I cannot change. I'll leave everything else up to the one who can change 'fate'.

----------------------------------------------------------

I brushed past many leaves and bushes, before finally seeing torch lights from the village. Almost there... Now that I'm out of the forest, I'll just walk right around and go onto the main path.

...

An hour later, I finally reached the entrance of the village. There everyone was, banded together and ready to search for me- but I'm not gonna lie, they were kind of late...

"Sebastian?"

The first to realise and call out to me was of course, my mother. The others also turned to see me all in one piece and not a single scratch on my body. Everyone sighed in relief and many returned to their homes after seeing me all fine.

Although, I think they just didn't want to bother me and my mother because right now, she was hugging me tighter than ever before and crying her eyes out.

"I'm... so glad you're alright. You- You didn't get hurt did, you? Look, here's a blanket for you- it's cold out here."

"I'm perfectly fine, Mother. You can check when we get back home. I'm sorry that it took me so long to come back, I... ended up getting lost and had trouble exiting the forest and finding the path back to the village."

Cynebal and the other group of men emerged from the distance with downcast eyes. They must've searched for me for a long time... and Cynebal especially looked as if he could cry at any moment.

But before he could, I shouted to him to relieve him of his worries.

"Mr Cynebal, I'm all right!!"

Cynebal and the group of men all looked up and went wide eyed at the sight of the boy. They quickly rushed towards the village and each gave Sebastian a hug and praised him for making it back by himself. A minute or two had passed and then Cynebal and his family were the only ones left.

"Mrs Quent, I..."

"Cynebal, now is not the time. My child is tired and I'm sure you are too."

"..."

"I won't blame you for this incident since you protected Sebastian... But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have blamed you if he didn't come back. Right now, I'm thankful that he's back- that's all you need to hear from me."

"All right..."

Cynebal then left with his wife and Scarlet, who were waiting for him. Scarlet looked back at Sebastian with worry on her face but she shook head and continued onward, walking back home with her mother and father holding her hands.

"Sebastian... promise me you won't leave me ever again. Promise me you'll stay in this village, please."

"...I promise. I won't ever leave you again, Mother."

The mother and the child embraced each other once more and both continued to let their tears out before finally standing up and going back home.

"Sebastian."

The mother looked downwards to her son and put out her palm.

"Yes."

The two then happily walked back to their home with their hands clasped firmly together. The mother and the son huddled together and went fast asleep just as the moon had reached its peak.

On this day, the howls of the wolf within the forest could not be heard and from this day onwards, they were never to be seen again.

----------------------------------------------------------

Three days of idleness had passed by relatively quickly. I spent my days playing with Sebastian and the other girls who wanted to play with me. Luckily they had become much more enjoyable to be around and liked the books I recommended to them.

I took care of Sebastian like his mother and my own mother told me to, I made sure that he was feeling fine and was having fun. Although... he would still find everyone when we played 'Hide and Find' so maybe he found that game boring sometimes.

"Hmph." Scarlet let out a small pout as she finished recalling the events of the past few days.

"Now that I think about it, wasn't it yesterday when Father had lost Sebastian's dagger?"

Father said that when Sebastian had returned the dagger along with his hunting outfit, he put it back where it usually went. But now, he couldn't find the dagger which was the only thing that was missing.

Father spoke with me and said that he trusted Sebastian and believed that he wasn't the type of person to do such a thing and I agreed. When Father spoke with the other girls that visited our home, Sebastian defended them saying that they were only playing in my room and we all went out for most of the day anyway.

I can still remember the look on his face... Father was disappointed in himself for not keeping Sebastian's dagger safe and ultimately had decided to give up searching for a while.

But, the truth was actually unexpected.

"Thank you, Scarlet. I know that keeping your Father in the dark is bad but I need this... for at least 8 days."

"I think it's... fine? But what are you going to do with it in 8 days?"

"Not much, I'll just find a place to train with it and prepare for the future."

"Prepare for the future?"

...

"I have a feeling that 8 days later something bad will happen."

Scarlet eyed Sebastian suspiciously and inquired further.

"What is 'something bad'?"

"It could be many things but what I believe will come are... 'Monsters'."

"..."

"Monsters will come to this village and trick everyone. They will try to hurt my mother and me, they will then go after you and your family- and everyone else."

"But... what if that doesn't happen?"

"Of course, it's most likely not gonna happen so you don't need to worry too much. But what if it does? Then I need to be prepared. I'm doing this so that I can protect Mother and me, but also you and your family."

"I see..."

"You don't have to believe me, but as crazy as I may sound- I'm telling you this because I trust you."

"Oh..."

Scarlet could feel the joy inside her rushing to her face. She couldn't help but smile and grin. The person she loved revealed that he could trust her. It was something that she wanted to hear for a while now, something that made her feel happy.

"I see... so that's how it is~"

Scarlet hid away her cheerful expression from Sebastian, then looked down at her hands and arms, and shook them up and down slightly in elation.

"Alright, now I think you should probably go and look for the others. They're still out there, hiding."

"Ah- yes, of course! How could I forget!"

Scarlet then turned around and hastily ran away to search for the other girls who were still hiding.

I'm sorry to say this Scarlet but... I don't have time to play games. If I'm including today then I've got 7 days left. Nothing matters more to me at this moment than Mother. I'll still play along because that's what everyone would like but when the time comes, I hope you don't think bad of me for leaving you.

Sebastian checked his surroundings and then sighed. There was no one in sight and no one who could possibly be able to watch him from where he was.

The boy looked above, to the blue sky that was dotted with fluffy white clouds which drifted lazily in the gentle, refreshing breeze. It was a beautifully calm and pleasant day.

[Just how many more days would he be able to enjoy such a scenery?]

He didn't know what the future was and what exactly it could hold. He didn't know whether he could keep his mother alive or not, and he didn't know if he would be able to survive either.

What he did know was that he had the chance to change things. He experienced merely a small snippet of the future, yet it was all he needed to help him 'change'.

[In this world, you must do everything you can to ensure your survival- and the survival of those most dearest to you. Even if you have to lie to others, even if you have to betray yourself. That is the reality of the world we're living in.]

The boy calmly dug into the ground near the large tree and surely enough, it was right there like he had placed it.

"Now that I have this..."

Sebastian held the dagger out in front of him, he inspected it and casually sliced at the air. He then brought it in front of him and began to imagine what exactly he could do with it.

"...I'll have even more 'power'."

----------------------------------------------------------

'Power' can be held in many different forms. 'People' can be a source of power, those who band together hold more power as a group... or one person may even have the power to rule over everyone.

Lies can also be powerful.

Power comes in many different forms- one of them is by holding a tool feared by many. A tool meant for killing- A weapon.

- Sebastian Quent, the boy who sought power.