Cain’s POV

"L-let's get this over with."

Standing before the first trees of the forest, I took out Father's sword and held it tight before stepping in. From the distance, it looked so thick and scary, like the tree branches were about to come to life and grab me, but now that I was inside, it was a lot more welcoming. There was a clear path that led deeper into the woods, and despite the lowering sun, it was actually very bright, the orange sunlight passing through the interwoven branches.

And then there were the flowers. There were so many of them of all different colors, and there were those that changed color with the sunlight. They changed! How cool was that? No wonder Lyon came here every day.

'Lyon...'

He must have thought he was really smart leaving early like I wouldn't know where he would go. He jumped in here right in front of me, did he really think I wouldn't know where I would find him? If Father allowed us to come here to the forest, I wouldn't have just waited there like a fool.

'Always bringing problems.'

He's been a problem ever since he arrived. Once Father was my Papa. He would spend time with me, and me alone. When I needed something, he was always there to get it for me. A treat? Ten treats. A story? An entire book. And then he came and everything changed.

One day, I woke up with Papa holding a baby in his hands. I was so happy! I always wanted a smaller brother. To be the big brother that teaches his sibling what Papa had taught me, and then he would try to mimic me and then we would all laugh together. But. When he came…

Papa wasn't Papa anymore. He didn't have time for me anymore. It all happened so suddenly. He spent less and less time with me, always busy with the baby. When he finally did have a moment for me, he was always too tired to do anything.

As time passed, the more distant he seemed, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse and could get used to it, Theodore arrived. With his arrival, whatever little time I had left with Father was taken away, but it wasn't the same with Theodore. Theodore wasn't the one who started it. He just took what little was left of it.

Swaying the leaves away, the path narrowed a bit, but that wasn't a big deal. Even if Quint Beasts came, it wouldn't be a big deal either. I was an Elemancer, and besides that I had Father's—my Father's sword with me.’

My fingers tingled to its touch, and my hands couldn't stop from shaking, not from the sword being heavy, but from excitement. Father had always given us gifts, but nothing like this!

Unsheathing it, I slashed with two hands at the leaf next to me, cutting it in half.

"Let's find Lyon and go back."

While I didn't like him, Father was right. Lyon still needed me.

Soon, I found a set of footsteps. Upon closer inspection, they were very small and appeared to have been made by someone who had walked this path many times, leading behind a tree deeper into the forest. Looking left and right to ensure no beast was following me, especially now that it was getting dark, I followed them. The footsteps seemed to jump from place to place, and I noticed that each one was oddly positioned atop the now dark beams of light passing through the tree branches.

In the end, I was led to a big leaf that was half cut to the side. Taking hold of the sword, I cut the rest of the leaf, my eyebrows shutting up in shock. In front of me was a giant hole-like area, where half-bent and broken-down trees were scattered everywhere. There were no beautiful flowers, and the grass was filled with mud. A little further away from me was a tree that had a darker body than the rest and below it was a dark trail of… of…

'Blood!'

What had happened here?

I gasped and took a step back, remembering what Father said about Lyon and the Silverfang.

'D-did Lyon do that?'

"..."

Before I could gather my thoughts, my ears twitched at a distant sound. Then came a rustle, and the nearby leaves wiggled. Tightening my grip of the sword, I took backward steps the way I came from.

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The rustling drew nearer and from the corner of my eye, a bush moved. Just as I was about to run, a loud howl came, and the next moment, a silvery blur revealed through the trees. Then another, and a little to the left, another silvery beast appeared, and before I realized it, Silverfangs were emerging from every surrounding tree, trapping me in place.

They moved slowly and steadily, some letting low growls while others tried moving quietly outside my vision. If it wasn't for their silver fur that was opposite to the night, I wouldn't be able to notice them. My heart's thumping increased, but I couldn't shake off this question.

'Why is it so dark?'

The place didn't have any trees that blocked the light, and by now, the moon should have been up. Before I could think of it any further, a Silverfang attacked.

Quickly, I raised the sword to block it, its fangs clinging to the metal. I pushed and pulled the sword, but the Silverfang didn't let go, holding it between its big scary teeth. Snorting aggressively, it swiped with its claws, and I fell back to avoid it, letting go of the sword.

Just as another Silverfang was about to jump on top of me, a sudden earthquake made every single one of them drop to the ground. In front of me, the Silverfang let go of my sword and pierced the ground with its claws, trying to hold still.

There was a silent moment, and the earthquake stopped. Closing my eyes, I took the sword and put it back into the ring.

'I'm sorry Lyon.'

I run and run, refusing to look back. I tried swallowing, but it felt as if something was stuck at my throat, refusing to go down.

Father trusted in me to bring Lyon back, but I… I…

I stopped and glanced back. The Silverfangs weren't after me. Instead, they held their heads low and covered them with their paws, shaking in fear.

'What is—'

In the sky, a sudden white light appeared and was reaching closer. My hair stood on end, and I instinctively lowered my head, not to watch directly the reason for this sudden light. For a split second, everything in the surrounding area lit up in blinding light. Then, the second passed and the light went with it.

Looking up, I saw the light pass over and disappear behind the trees. When I turned back to the Silverfangs were running away to the opposite direction.

My eyes widened in realization as I glanced back at the light, which had now stopped.

'That's the village!'

Just as panic calmed down, it rose back up, and I started running again, my only thoughts being Father's safety. When the footsteps stopped, the distant outline of the forest shined not in white, but orange and red. With a gulp, I stopped running and tried catching my breath.

The closer I reached, the less I wanted to continue. Popping and sizzling sounds became clear, and the colors of orange and red fused into a rippling fire. Exiting the forest, I couldn't believe my eyes.

The heat was reaching where I was, yet I had never felt so cold before. The… the village was engulfed in flames, every roof ablaze, consuming the buildings like candles, and… a little higher than the inferno and destruction, it floated.

The reason for the bright night, the mythical creature Father mentioned earlier, was hovering above it all.

Kraa-aww!

It cried and descended, coming close to the ground, hiding itself among the streets. The white shine that came with it was as clear as the white flames that extended far beyond a building's length, giving its location.

Re-summoning the sword, I held it with all my strength, rushing towards the village with a roar of my own.

"Why!? Why did you do this to us!? Why!? why!? why!?"

Suddenly, a powerful grab yanked me off my feet, causing me to drop my sword.

I wiggled, trying to free myself, only to be let down a moment later. When I turned to look up, a beautiful black-haired woman dressed in all black was looking down at me. Despite the violent wind, her hair was waving calmly.

"Why did you stop me!? Where have you been!? Why did it take you so long!? Father said you are stronger than him, why aren't you fighting!?" I rained all my questions and frustrations on her as if it would change anything.

She remained calm, simply staring back at me in silence.

"Why… why aren't you saying anything!?" My voice cracked into sombers and my body started quivering.

She kept silent, her emerald eyes feeling louder than my words. Before her gaze, my frustration seemed so meaningless, so insignificant, it quickly faded and my true emotions were fully out. Tears poured down and uncontrollable whimpers were let out. I clang to her boots with all the strength my quivering body could allow, unable to cling higher.

"P-please! Save them! Save Papa! Save Theodore! Please do something!" I cried out, begging for her to save them.

From her boots, I felt her bending down. I gasped as I was taken off my feet in a hug, her hand gently patting my hair. My tears paused for half a breath before intensifying.

Warmth… Care… they were different from Papa's. They didn't feel shared. They felt belonged to me, and me alone.

I cried and cried and cried, and she kept caressing my hair. "It's okay Cain. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." Her voice cut through my emotional breakdown, resonating crystal clear as if she had used a spell, dispelling my cries.

"I know how you feel. I want to jump in there and save them, too." Her soft hand tightened to the back of my head before relaxing again. "But I can't. Not today, and not tomorrow. I am not strong enough. But there will be one day, where we'll be meeting the phoenix again, and when that day comes, we'll be ready."

I shook my head, tears still etched but not running. She continued hushing me down and patting my hair as she whispered something, and suddenly I felt extremely relaxed. The fire and the yells coming from the village felt all too distant until eventually, vanishing from my ears. My breathing relaxed and my eyes felt heavy. Other than my breath, the only sound reaching my ears was her sweet voice singing a low lullaby.

Winds in the night,

Softly they blow,

Whispering tales,

Of journeys, we know.

Sleep, little boy,

Sleep and forget it all

Let the wind guide you

On the night's stroll…