While Kaan was in his thoughts the group was finally out of the city and reached the forest. The forest was crowded with reddish pine trees and greenery all over its solid ground. Though the wind was not strong, it still carried a fresh smell with the fluttering of the leaves.

As they moved further into the forest, one of the ravens who followed them for a while from the distance flew towards the Dean. Dean quickly draw his sword and turned around in a defensive stance.

Seeing Dean and others were wary of its existence the bird flew a few away from them and floated in the air, locking its dark and slightly big eyes with Dean. It slowly gawked and bowed, yes, it bowed its head as if it was trying to tell them it was harmless and tried to get permission to get closer.

“What is it doing?”

Emily asked as she looked at the interesting display of actions of this bird, it was bowing to Dean or at least it was trying to do it.

After a while, Dean let out his sword and dropped his guard. He didn’t know why but he felt like he could understand the thoughts and feelings of this bird flying in front of him and there was no malice in them, he felt it was scared and looked for a refugee. Dean extended his right hand towards the bird with a smile on his face, if he could help it why not?

“Be careful Dean.”

Kaan warned him but he just said to say it. He already checked if the bird contained any threat or not and didn’t find something out of the ordinary. The bird, of course, had something to it but other than feeling a little strange about its action, he didn’t feel anything hostile about it so if Dean wanted to play with it for a while there was no problem.

The bird checked if it was really okay for him to come close but seeing the Dean extended its head with a smile on his face, he quickly flew towards him like a bug dragged to the light. It landed on its hand without wasting time quickly and made happy noises on Dean’s hand.

“Well, aren’t you a good fellow? Isn’t it strange for you to leave your friends and safety to come to our side? Were you scared of them, or were looking for something? Or maybe you are just lost like us little bird? ”

Dean smiled as he pet the bird in his hand and the raven made excited noises as it approved his touches. Dean could also feel its content with his touches. Every time he pet the raven, he felt its happiness and calmness which made him strangely content with himself.

Dean looked kind of happy and interested as he lightly scratch the feathers of the raven on his hand which happily stretched its head over his skin. Dean didn’t know why but the fear was washed off the raven as he clearly felt that it was calmed and relaxed on his hand, trusted him.

“It’s so strange but also feels so right.”

Dean told the group with a smile on his face as he looked at the raven right in the eye, a strange connection was there between them.

“Yeah, it is a little strange it suddenly came and find us and now trying to act like it’s cute. Want me to take care of it?”

Thar patted the bat on his hand looking and the raven flinched slightly at his intimidating presence and tried to hide in Dean’s hand.

“What? No! it’s I think it just wanted to be somewhere safe like us, right little raven? It is no threat to us Thar, it just wants to feel safe.”

Raven stretched its head and shook it in a cute manner approving and Dean petted him lightly.

“Look how harmless it is, I think it just wanted to, come on how could it be a monster.”

Dean said with a smile and strictly refused Thar’s offer.

“Don’t worry, I’m just joking.”

Thar’s serious face quickly disappeared as a grin took its place. He stepped back, lowering the bat to the ground but Kaan and Emily knew he was serious with his words. His judgement was not off though, it was very suspicious to have a bird leaving its kin and following them behind but this time it was really a coincidence or fate’s work.

Though Kaan thought the words Dean said about its being cute and harmless indicated that it wasn’t a monster was ust outrightly foolish, Kaan knew Dean didn’t give his words too much thought before he said them while he played with the raven on his hand joyfully. He really got used to that bird in his hand maybe even faster than he got used to the team.

“It’s not a threat Thar, ease down a little bit. While everything is going well, we need it.”

Emily said in a quiet voice coming right next to Thar. She sensed how tense he was and wanted to ease it a bit. From the beginning of this madness he actually never lowered his guards, eyeing every corner for threat and labelling everything based on how much danger they possessed.

It was a good trait but he was wearing himself off by doing this constantly. She reached to his back and firmly groped his shoulder, reminding him they were together, alive. On top of that, while it was hard to believe, everything was going well.

“So, what are you going to do with Dean are you going to keep it?”

She asked Dean looking at the bird which lightly fluttered its wing. It was really just a normal raven which looked kind of cute and maybe a little bit more intelligent.

“I don’t know, does it even want to come with me? Do you want to come with me?”

Dean raised the bird to his eye level and looked it in the eye. The bird didn’t do anything and just continue to cling to Dean but he took it as an answer. Dean could also feel its comfort so there shouldn’t be a problem right?

“I think it does, don’t you think?”

He inquired others and he didn’t get an answer but he felt like it did want to be with him.

“Dean it’s just some bird, god knows what it thinks just do whatever you want to do. But don’t get connected to it If you’re going to keep it because it could come morning it could just fly away. Let’s move already.”

Emily said while chuckling at seeing Dean talk with Raven in his hand in a childish manner. As if only now realising how he was acting Dean was embarrassed and couldn’t look them in the eye for a few seconds.

He quickly dropped his childish acting with a few coughs but still continued to pet the raven on his hand as they once again returned to their journey into the forest.

Halfway into their destination, they encountered a group of three men. All of them were wearing similar clothes, a plain T-shirt and a jean. They were tall and built, you could see their tanned skin from working under the sun. One had a rake in his hands, one had a pike and the other was bare-handed. Considering the stains on their weapons and clothes which looked damaged, they must have seen some encountered problems just like them.

Two of them were looking at the group with strict faces, distrust and insecurity were very visible. It was not something new for the group, it was a common thing they saw in the people which they encountered after the start of the madness. In contrast to them, the bare-handed guy looked at the group in a carefree manner with a welcoming face.

Thar made the talk for the group, it was a simple exchange of information. They were heading to the city for after the apocalypse had started so they wanted to know how it was in there. Thar told them the things happening in the city and in return, they learned about how things were in the outer parts of the city.

People came here before them, some even sheltered at the farm Mark, the bare-handed guy, and the two other guys were working and others continued their way deeper into the forest. Other than that they said there was not much monster around here but some animals had been acting weird, sometimes more ferocious or sometimes changing completely but it hadn’t been much of a problem to deal with them as of now as they got the number advantage.

At the end of their talk, Mark offered them to come to their farm as they would be safe with many people but Emily politely refused their offer. Still, Mark told them how they could reach a farm if they needed any help and then wished them good luck and continued their way to the city.

Kaan wondered what was the reason why she refused their offer. If she did, wouldn’t be a base to return and replenish resources? Has she sensed something off with them, or maybe she thought a base was just a burden with lots of people or... Curious, curious.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Before they marched deeper into the forest to reach the cabinet in Emily’s lead, Dean come next to Kaan who was following the group from rather behind and eyeing around.

“Kaan, do you know why Fresia come to me? It looks like content with being here, and don’t tell me I am mad but I think I feel its emotions. I would like to be sure I am not just assuming things in my mind.”

Was he really just judging this right now?

“You gave it a name already?”

“Yeah, It feels much better to call it with a name rather than the bird or the raven, isn’t it?”

“Maybe,” Kaan just shrugged as he didn’t mind it either way, “why do you ask me for help about this though?”

“I don’t know, you just seemed to know how things, so I thought you might do something.”

He said playing with his hair lightly as he was a little bit embarrassed by saying these things.

Kaan waited a little bit before answering him.

“Okay, give it to me. Let me see if I can but don’t expect much.”

“Alright, thank you!”

He excitedly extended his hand which was holding a confused raven in front of Kaan.

Kaan looked at the bird which reluctantly landed on his hand thanks to Dean’s encouragement. Kaan wasn’t able to see anything different, it just looked like a normal bird but with more… expression and thought which was kind of interesting.

Kaan looked if his class was going to help with this. He tried to focus on the bird's mind and tried to recreate the feeling when he guided fragments to safety and when they moved into his mind out of his control, but as he expected nothing happened. So he decided to use The Mind.

He wasn’t sure how exactly he could use it though as he never really used The Mind in reality. He felt the power in his mind but this power was contained in there and it could be out. More importantly, his power let him know but his power was not to affect others' minds like this, it was not the path he chose to walk on.

So the Mind listens to the will of his owner and his. For the first time, though it was early, began to open up its past, finally showing its true colours and its beginning. It showed Kaan what its power was capable of this, it showed him other paths. Kaan was remembering a power, the same power, he felt the similarities quickly, but, oh, it was also so different. Even though it was for a few seconds he had a glimpse into what The Mind turned into in others' hands…

Kaan saw a woman in a green dress standing in the darkness. She raised her hand with a banner and white light shined through her mind, her power expanded and the others gathered around her, her power was connected to all and draw the darkness away.

Then he saw a man with a black cloak and daggers. His power reached out like chains and hunted the when their mind was in control. Kaan saw thousands of dreams and thousands of deaths caused by this man. And he lost in one of these dreams to never wake up again.

Then he saw a woman who convert the power to reality. Kaan saw her destructive and chaotic power reaching out and breaking the minds of others until one day she lost control and destroyed herself.

Kaan saw a man with a white cloak and basic clothes. He was helping others to get rid of the things in their mind with his power. His power was like a warm breeze which relaxed you. First helped the others to get rid of the unwanted part of their minds but then Kaan saw lots of empty minds connected him with string delving into his flash.

He just stood there as he couldn’t fathom what he caused. He was crying and laughing at the same time looking at a woman. But even facing what he became, even though he looked like he was losing it. He never lost his sharp eyes which were filled with determination.

When Kaan opened his eyes nothing was changed. He took a deep breath to digest the information he gained. There were symbolic representations of their power and there were many other things he could understand if only he had more time.

The Mind was not one, it was not a power with a description. It had a vast variety of usages but none of them was like his, he chose a different path for this power to grow like every other owner of this power. The power knows your soul, your will as it was the thing that shaped it.

If his power was like thought it was. If it was shaped by his soul… Kaan raised the bird into the air and slowly got it closer to his head. When their head lightly touched at first nothing happened.

Kaan felt the wall strictly defending his mind, standing between him and the birds, Kaan could feel the other side. He lightly touched the wall and project his will into it. First, a crack appeared on the wall and it began to crumble from there until a gate appeared right before him.

The gate was made of pinewood, it looked very similar to the trees on the forest they were walking. The gate had an ivy which sprout a flower with black petals and a symbol carved right in the middle of it which Kaan couldn’t read. Light layers of shadows were floating over the gate and when his hand got closer to the gate, the shadows gathered closer to him. They bent with the movements of his fingers.

Kaan took a deep breath and got himself ready to face what was on the other side. He touched the wooden wall and pushed the gate. Depthless darkness welcomed him on the other side. He began to walk into the dark, it was the same feeling he felt in the dark plane in his mind. He encountered resistance coming from the raven’s mind, trying to understand this intruder and pushing it away but it quickly melt away.

Kaan felt his power simply overpowering the resistance and there was no way this little bird would be able to resist him. It felt very wrong, this process was wrong outright and he was doing the thing he hated most.

He wasn’t expecting it to be like this and if he wanted he could leave now. He could see the open gate shining bright not far from him, but as he had already done what he had done, he decided to continue.

He continued to walk further in the darkness. One simple difference even though his power was affecting this place, he was not able to use the powers coming from The Mind. He was a quest in here and was playing according to the owner of this mind.

After a while, he saw a white light on the horizon but this time it came to him. He waited for it as he get ready and then he was engulfed by it. He opened his eyes from the raven’s perspective to a bright day.

The vision was blurred and colours sometimes go crazy but he was able to understand most of it it. The raven was in a park, on a tree branch. It was watching the people. While everything was going normally, it suddenly felt a chilling feeling filling him, a primordial fear which warned him of incoming darkness surrounding its little mind.

Its body felt confined by these feelings, which dismayed and troubled him. Looking at the people in the park, he saw the death and everyone one of them was tainted by it.

The raven began to fly and gawked over the people but no one listened to its warning. The raven wanted to get rid of this feeling but it couldn’t, it couldn’t stop anything. Not long after it was screams of agony and dead bodies filling the park.

Death claimed all of their life as zombies continued their slaughter. Everywhere he looked there was death and screams. It flew away to get rid of this madness but it was a futile attempt.

Wherever it went the death continued, it was never at ease with the feeling and visions filling its mind. It was when he saw a man holding a sword in his hand. It was warm and reminded him of the forest and nature, it was pure and not tainted.

Without even thinking he began to follow this man, it was its only hope. When it couldn’t bare the darkness inside its mind, it got close to this man and the three others next to him. When he was finally in the embrace of this man, the feeling didn’t just disappear as it hoped. It felt as if the death still lingered, it sat it but it was when it finally found some kind of refugee and relief in the arms of that man.

When Kaan opened his eyes, the bird quickly fluttered his wings on his face and gawked in a disturbance before returning to Dean’s shoulder for a refugee from the bad experience.

“Ey! Don’t do it Fresia, he is trying to help you. Are you alright Kaan?”

“It’s alright, Dean, what I’ve done could be annoying.”

Kaan looked at the bird with a new light after everything he saw in its mind. He could even say he felt a little bit of connection between their situation. He wondered if it was some kind of ability this raven possessed, seeing the death. Maybe Dean could discover it in the future.

“Yeah, it doesn’t want anything from you, it wants to be close to you Dean and happy with just that. I can assure you that it won’t leave you in the morning. There was nothing else I could see so don’t worry about it.”

Kaan answered as he wiped his face with his hand. He was actually happy that Dean came to him with this. Thanks to this he got to experience another side of his power, though he was not very keen on using it in future, it gave him a few ideas.

He also saw other users of The Mind, a good addition he would say. Experiencing the feeling of the past owner’s version of The Mind… It was a very symbolic representation of their powers but he felt it and understood how different they were to some degree. He needed to know more about them and he knew that the answer was in The Mind itself.

“I was also feeling like it but it’s nice to hear the same thing from you. Thank you for this Kaan.”

He said happily and pet the Fresia with contentment.

“Don’t mind it and Dean, I don’t have all the answers you might need, I just had enough. Still, you might ask and I’ll answer if I have it for you.”

Kaan wasn’t sure why he explained this to him but looking at Dean’s gullible and happy face he just felt like it. He knew Dean was a trusting and respectful fellow who thought of good things rather than their bad side. He was not so serious and thoughtful about his words but Kaan was, he cared about them, maybe even more than necessary.

He was wary of every word and their implications, trying to see what they actually meant… They were still very in the beginning and they hadn’t seen any real ‘madness’ until now. He knew the future would bring many questions to them, some you might never want to even know the answer but the ones you would still ask out of desperation.

Dean felt strange as he felt strange by the sudden serious words but when he faced Kaan to see an emotion on his face, he just met with the same expression on his face. Though he was not able to understand he strangely felt that Kaan meant good for him, he meant good for them from the beginning.

He was just doing it on his way which Dean didn’t really understand fully but respected dearly, how could he not respect after he saved his life nearly two times? So he sincerely thanked him once again and then moved a little bit forwards petting their new companion, Fresia.

‘There he is going without a worry, probably didn’t get what I meant but it’s not something bad.’

Kaan smiled lightly seeing but then it vanished as he raised his head to the sky once more. The night sky was beautiful with the stars shining brightly yet in this beautiful night he felt somewhat bothered as he thought about the dragon’s words and the entity he met in the dark plane in his mind.

Things were slowly unfolding and that’s what he desired. With every second he was getting closer to his goal. Though was he ready for them to unfold, it was another question.

‘I shall never yield to corrupted and twisted, you false gods! We are not toys for you to play!’ A broken smile appeared on his face as he remembered the little kid standing in front of the gods. Yes, he was never to yield until he found them, until he found the secrets and until he saw the beyond.