Titus woke up the next morning to the screech of cats outside his window, they seemed to be in a rather gory scrap. He sat up stretched out wide as soon as he did Alfred walked through the door alongside a maid that he hadn’t seen before but it mattered little.

“Titus, you’re up early, do you have any plans for today?”

“I was thinking about asking you a question Alfred”

“Asking me? Well what is the question young master?”

“What are eldritch creatures?”

Silence

The tension in the air was palpable Alfred didn’t dare speak and the maid seemed to be in a state of shock.

“Where have you heard of such things Titus!” Alfred demanded

The maid still didn’t move an inch, and Titus was unsure of what to say as he had ent ever heard Alfred speak to him like this he his voice usually calm and soothing was now authoritative and raspy.

Titus blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in Alfred’s dementor “I heard some knights talking about them outside last night”

Alfred’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, “the knights! Blasphemous they shouldn’t be talking about such subjects when the young master could hear!”

“Alfred” Titus said meekly trying to garner his attention

“Titus the subject of monsters is forbidden to know before going to a knight academy and your father could get in deep deep trouble if people find out you know”

“I won’t speak a word Alfred, I swear it” pledged the young Titus

“It’s best that you don’t, life is more blissful the less you know”

1 year later

“Titus, come here my sweet boy” a woman called, she had very long and dark hair just like everyone from the Ainsworth family.

“Yes, mother I’ll be there soon” Titus was now 10 years old he hadn’t changed much but he seems to be growing at an alarming rate that was unusual, he was now about the height of 60 books stacked atop each other.

Ophelia Ainsworth couldn’t help but grin showing large dimples when she looked at her little boy her white teeth in stark contrast to her black hair and dress.

“My little boy is so grown up now! Look at you”

“Why thank you mother, it seems I’ve also inherited your looks” Titus responded with a subtle amount of cheekiness.

“And you’ve certainly got your fathers tongue got your fathers tongue aswell” she laughed

“When will I be able to meet father? I want to know what he’s like mother”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“When the time is right sweetie”

“But when is that mother”, “I want to know”

“Enough Titus”, “I don’t know”

I wonder what father is like, every time I ask, I keep getting shut down like it’s a sensitive topic, but shouldn’t father be here for his child, no? I heard father is a very strong knight one of the strongest in the kingdom, but doesn’t that mean that father has also been through that terrible ritual. I can’t imagine having to eat a monster's heart then killing myself but if that’s what it takes to become strong like my dad and strong like Jason then will I have to do it?

“Mother I think I will take a walk around the forest, is that fine?”

“Okay Titus, As long as you bring Jason with you, okay”

“Okay mother”

Titus ran outside the mansion towards the training ground where he assumed Jason would be to go ask him to accompany him in the forest. There he was training all alone, Titus decided to sit there quietly and watch Jason practice in hopes that he would gain something for his own swordplay. After awhile of trying to understand Jason’s movements Titus decided to let out a small cough to garner his attention.

“Oh is the young lord looking for something?” Jason questioned

“Yes, are you free Jason, mother asked if you would guard me through the woods?”

“The woods is it? I suppose I don’t have anything urgent, how come you want to go there?”

“I feel like I should, it’s strange but I need to go”

“Well okay then haha if that’s all I understand if you want to keep some secrets young master”

“No you’ve got me wrong Jason I speak the truth there isn’t a reason”

After some more idle chatter, they both left the front gates of the mansion and ventured towards the surrounding forest, each tree had a weird, twisted structure that gave the forest a whole creepy vibe, they were also of ginormous size that pierced the clouds and all the forest floor was full of mosses and other peculiar plants. They both walked along a sort of pat that was created by footsteps of others who have wandered into the woods although it was hard to make out the whole path it was a useful guide to not got lost.

“Young master Titus, have you been practicing with your sword often these days?”

“Yes I have! Everyday I practice the sword as-well as train my body I can even do 50 pushups now”

“50? That is quite impressive indeed young master”

“Well how many can you do Jason?”

“Pushups? Hmmm I guess as many as I want haha”

“Huh as many as you want?”

“Yes that’s right, you’ll understand once you become a knight, things like pushups are rather trivial”

“Wow that sounds amazing Jason I can’t wait,” then with a quiet mutter “although I don’t want to do the ritual”

Jason picked up on the small whisper and froze for a second, he was in shock at what he just heard, how did Titus know about the ritual? This is too exaggerated. However, Jason didn’t let Titus see his reaction and carried in walking as if nothing happened. As they both walked deeper into the forest the path became more obscure swallowed by winding thick roots covered by the forest flora.

“Titus, I believe we’re lost” said a puzzled Jason

“Yes I don’t know where we are Jason”

“Let’s just keep walking and try to find the path”

As they kept walking through the forest the environment became more and more unfamiliar the trees changed to the darker shade and the light no longer penetrated the canopy of leaves both Titus and Jason kept silent often checking their shoulder and over reacting to all the little sounds the forest made.

Me and Jason have been walking for ages now but I think we’re even more lost in the forest now and I know Jason is trying to keep a straight face but is secretly worried aswell I wonder what mother will say if we don’t get back soon.

“Jason I think I’ve seen that tree before”

“What are you saying? They all look the same?” Jason sounded quite annoyed at Titus’ comment

“But that one has a marking on it”

“What are you talking about child have you finally gone crazy?”

“The mark on the tree it looks like a twisting yellow loop”

“Yellow loop? Yeah you’ve gone crazy Titus”

But then time froze every single animal every tree even the breeze all stood still something unknown in the distance stirred, something so ineffable you would have a better chance of describing colour to a blind man. This thing has complete control, complete authority. And then all went back into motion Jason and Titus both out of the woods and In front of the mansion the only difference was; only one of them was alive.