The sequestered forest, albeit treacherous, provides a quintessential shelter for Vastayans and other magical creatures, for humans are too frightened to be exploring the mysterious area even with the aid of weapons like guns. JR and Ren can feel their magic enhanced in the forest, the fog seeming to bathe them with spiritual powers.

“I feel like this is a good habitat for Vastayans”, said JR, scanning the environment.

“Yep, this is the biggest forest in this region, and that’s why the Void creatures are loving this place too.”

“So what happened to your family?”, JR carefully asked Ren, Ren looked down silently, drooped eyelashes indicating this is the part of memory he doesn’t like tapping into. “I’m sorry, it’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it.”

Ren shook his head, and gave JR a saddened smile, “it’s okay, it’s just been a long time since I last thought about it.” A weird feeling bugs JR as he sees Ren’s smile. He doesn’t like seeing Ren like this, but he’s not sure about the reason why.

“I was 15, and that was midnight.” Ren spaced out as the flashback starts, the most terrifying memory playing crystal clear before his eyes as if it only happened yesterday. He slowly started describing what he remembers.

It still hurts.

His home village was situated at the fringe of the forest, in fact, just on the other side of the forest as supposed to where he and JR met. When the shepherd who lost his flock of sheep first brought back rumours that there are signs of dark magical powers starting to raise underneath the grounds where his people were living, no one believed it. The Void creatures were only documented on the oldest parchment to be dated. It was said that the soldiers of light fought and tamed the dark creatures underground for eternity. Ren once learnt about the story in history lesson at school but that was far ancient history and did not seem relevant to anyone for the slightest bit.

But everyone was wrong.

It was midnight where everyone was deep asleep just like usual, the ground began shaking. Born extra sensitive to movements and sounds, Ren was the first to be waken up and he went out of his house to have a look what’s going on, yelling and waking up his parents as he dashed downstairs. And once he was outside, he stood there in shock and horror for a good few seconds, not believing his own eyes.

There are gigantic creatures that he had never seen stomping across the village, the grounds ripped apart, symbolising that the monsters do not belong to the normal world. Despite being bulky, the creatures seem to have dark powers, silencing those who were awake and struggling to fight. Being silenced, the ones trying to fight seem to be drained of power and became unable to fight. Ren looked into his friend’s house direction, only to see his friend’s mum trying to combat the creature but the creature silenced her. The next moment Ren saw what he would never believe. The creature bawled at the struggling Vastayan, and that seemed to have pulled out a glowing orb leaving from the Vastayan’s mouth. The orb is no other thing than their soul – the core of any living creature. The creature then swallowed the said soul, chucking the now soulless Vastayan into the ground fissure which seem to be lightless within, like a giant chucking a toy into a hole with no end.

Seeing his mum gone, his friend angrily tried to punish the creature, shooting out his feathers at the creature. He is the best fighter at school and that is widely acknowledged, Ren thought to himself. But to their surprise, the creature dodges his attack easily, seeming to know his move beforehand. Ren suddenly understood, as the creature consumed a soul, it takes away also that person’s memory and knowledge, as that is the only reason why the monster could predict their moves so effortlessly. Being analysed thoroughly, his friend lost the trade quickly and was then tossed into the crack after his mum. Ren scowled, he can’t let this go on. But before he knows it, another enormous dark creature, which he later found out to be a Cho’gath, grabs his dad and easily defeated him. Desperate to protect his mum, Ren dashed towards the creature and knocked it up. Ren was astonished that Cho’gath didn’t seem to be able to predict his movements. His attack bought his mum ample time to jump off their house and down onto the ground. However, seeming to be able to read his mum’s movement, Cho’gath effortlessly intercepted his mum and silenced her too.

And before Ren knows it, his mum was gone too.

Ren didn’t understand, what has he done to deserve a fate of losing both his parents in front of his very own eyes, at the same night? Why did the creature take his parents but not him as well?

No, you mustn’t think like that. A tiny angelic voice said in Ren’s head, his inner voice pulled him back to reality. Choi Min Ki, your parents died for you, make their sacrifice count.

Snapped back to reality, Ren focused on the scene of disaster. The monsters were still roaming all over the village, looking for Vastayans to feed on upon. Ren tried to keep calm and thought, why was he the only one who managed to attack the monsters? Why weren’t the better fighters like his friend, his dad able to do that? He had never been a good fighter, in fact, he was always scolded at school for not fighting rationally, not fighting according to how they were taught, he was said to be too random.

And suddenly it clicked. That must be it, he thought. He is too random for Cho’gath to understand what he was doing. Although it gained visions and knowledge about the fighting style of his fellow peacock Vastayans, it couldn’t predict him because no one really knew how Ren fights. Looking at the rest of the village struggling to survive, Ren knew it was time for him to step up. He fought in the most random style possible, no Vastayan could have known what his plan or even next step was. He hopped gracefully or dashed energetically, fighting in the most flamboyant style possible, as if he was dancing. Although not strong enough to fight the creatures off, he distracted them for long enough that the first ray of sunshine came into the sky to bless the village with help. Being photophobic, the creatures withdrew and hid back into the deep grounds, healing up the fissure as if nothing had ever happened. However, what’s done was done. Looking around, most of his tribe were taken away from him, but there were few survivors who managed to hide here and there and came to thank Ren.

“We would have been dead if it wasn’t you.”, his friend walked up to Ren with his family and thanked him sincerely. Ren smiled at him, “it’s just luck.” Seeing his friend’s parents, Ren was saddened by the realization of the fact that his parents were really gone. His friend’s dad, which was also the tribe’s leader, came up and pat on Ren’s shoulder, “Ren, thank you for being so brave. I’m sorry for your loss but this place is no longer safe and we must move along and start seeking our new home, let’s go together.”

Ren shook his head, “Being equipped with the ability to fight off those creatures, I feel the need to help fellow Vastayans, there are still a lot that live around this area and in deeper forest and I must go warn them, otherwise my parents and others would have sacrificed for nothing and our kind would soon be gone.”

The leader nodded, “Okay Ren I understand, it is of the highest echelon of bravery to do that, I’m sure your parents would be proud of you. As your leader, there is only one thing that I can help, here, take this”, the leader took off a necklace with a small piece of blue and green orb, and hung it gently onto Ren’s neck, “this is the orb that has been passed down all along from our ancestors, it concentrates the magical energy from the spiritual world, letting you be blessed by our ancestors. With this, you acquire healing ability and the flip of your tail train can heal either yourself or your ally.”

Amazed, Ren caressed the orb carefully, feeling the pool of energy enclosed, “Thank you, make sure you guys head far away from the forest, but be aware of the bounty hunters’ threat once you lose the protection of the forest.” The leader nodded and they later bid farewell.

And so that’s how Ren started his adventure alone, helping other Vastayans in the area fight off Void creatures. But being playful, he still wants to earn money and he thought hey a little bit of trick here and there doesn’t hurt.

Listening to his story, JR now feels slightly sorry for Ren. Maybe this fella is not as playful as he thought, maybe deep inside they are the same, but they are only wearing different kinds of armour to protect their inner self. JR fixed his gaze on the now-calmer-than-usual Ren and sighed. He isn’t sure why he did that too but he stepped up and pulled Ren into his embrace. There is just something about Ren that makes JR’s heart ache to see him sad and he honestly couldn’t decipher what that is.

“It’s okay, we are fighting together from now on.”

Ren smiled and hugged JR back, “thank you.”

As they stayed still in each other’s arms, their feathers formed a colourful contrast in the calm woods of forest, resembling flowers blooming. The crossing of their paths has sure entailed a unique chapter in their lives, but what they didn’t notice was something else that has started to blossom.

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Longer chapter than usual:) Sorry for the late update!

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