The chirping sound of crickets could be heard throughout the woods. However, it was interrupted by footsteps crumbling the leaves on the soft and muddy soil. 

"Damn it! Where is that brat?" One of the soldiers cursed.

"Split up and find him! I want him dead." The captain of the soldiers commanded.

A young boy was hiding in the woods with a haggard face and his legs was like noodles. His appearance gave an impression of a beggar on the verge of death. The moment he heard the footsteps and voices are coming towards his direction, he trembles furiously.

"I have to run away." A single thought sent him into action.

He had no choice if he wanted to survive in this terrible situation. He forced himself to stand from his leaning position against the tree and started running. He sprinted with all his might as the energy drains from his body. He desperately gasps for air like he was drowning in a bottomless pit of water. Blood and sweat could be seen trickling down from his head. luckily, he did not encounter any wild beasts as he was running or else he would be dead.

As he was running, he felt heavy like he was being squashed into the ground and his sight started to turn blurry. He spotted a blurry hut through the corner of his eyes. It took him a split second to decide that he was going to hide there. When he reached the hut, rain starts pouring down from the sky. He entered and saw no signs of people living in the hut. He sighs in relief as he collapsed on the ground.

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

He recalled the events that occur to him today, his family members were killed before his eyes. Blood was spilled on the ground and the head of his family members rolled on the ground with their eyes wide open containing the unwillingness to perish. He saw mages wearing their cloaks and waving their wands to cast spells on the house. The flames spread throughout the house like wildfire. It illuminated the dark sky like it was burning as smoke arise from wild flames.

Loud screams were heard repeatedly in the house. He was trembling in fear with his mouth gaping upon witnessing this sight. It was chaotic and only one sentence could accurately describe this scene from his mind. It was hell. He was just a naive ten- year- old kid, living a comfortable life with his family. Soldiers charged through the doors, slaughtering everyone including the children with their longsword.

"Run! Live!" His father shouted at him.

His mother embraced him and whispered.

"Don't die, Ray. Run and live. You must continue living."

Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled that scene. He drowned in a sea of grief as he cried his lungs out. Fate was cruel to him, bringing despair that one rarely experience in their life. The despair that brings you to the extreme depth of the darkness where no light could be seen. Thunder was rampaging, and droplets of water pitter-pattered on the roof. Howling from the wolves resounded throughout the woods.

"I want to die, I cannot live anymore. I have nothing left." Ray told himself.

He was suffocating as the world around him turns dark and dull.However, he heard a creek sound from the entrance and he was flabbergasted upon seeing the man. The man was drenched from head to toe and his red hair was eye-catching. He wore a jacket with a symbol which represent that he came from his family. Ray wiped the tears away from his eyes.

"Who is he? I have never seen him in my family before. Is he really from my family?" Doubts began popping up from his mind.