Youngjae always knew while growing up with his father that this day would come sooner than he would like it to come. The day his father’s eyes would show that it was time for him. Time for him to pass, to go on.

On that day, that especially nice and sunny day, his father had gotten up even slower than usual. His body showing more aching and pain than the days before. The day his father would join the other big trees around their little home. It was time for the forest-keeper or how the old folk had called it the forest-spirit.

For as long as Youngjae could remember his father would always show him how to work in the forest, to look after the forest, each tree and plant in it as well as each creature living in it.

“The forest is where our lives begin and end.” his father had explained to him a few months back, when the first sign of the energy and thus the power his father had held up till now starting to leave his body. Up till then energy had surrounded him, energy that his father had tried to explain to him when he was younger and had used the word magic and he only later came to realisation wasn’t quiet the right word. It wasn’t that his father could use magic more like the energy that flew through everything that surrounded them and was even in themselves. He was able to make the energy flow in certain directions, lead it to sick plants or even trees.

“When my father was the forest-keeper which was longer ago than you could imagine, even the people living in the nearest town and even further away could feel the energy that is surrounding them but with the time changing and the people stopping caring about nature, they lost the sense of it. So now it’s just us left and one day when I will be gone it will be up to you to look after this forest, to keep it safe.” he could remember this as if it has only been yesterday. Something about the way his father had spoken, gazed around the forest and in the end had looked at him had stuck to his memories especially. And now Youngjae could see the changes in his father that he had ignored up till this day. Not only that he looked tired and sore but also how the skin of his father was looking a lot paler and wrinkly than before and he could almost see with each passing minute yes even second that his father changed. A change he wasn’t prepared for even though he knew it had to come one day. Youngjae knew that after today he will be the lone forest-keeper that he won’t have his father, his best friend by his side anymore.

“My dearest son would you help me walk to to the big oak tree, the biggest one right outside?” his father spoke softly, it seemed that even talking drained energy out of him. With a small nod Youngjae drew one arm under his father’s shoulder supporting most of his weight on himself, which wasn’t much anymore what he realised with shock. Like this Youngjae supported his father on his last path to the oak tree, neither of them spoke while walking, both were lost in their own thoughts.

“Dad what if I can’t do this without you? What if I’ll fail the forest and what we stand for?” this single thought, this fear had been on his mind for a couple of weeks ever since his father had given over tasks he had done for years now and now Youngjae had to do on mostly a daily basis. The way his father looked at him after hearing his words felt warm.

“You will do just fine. You’ve grown up here, know every corner and most importantly the forest knows you.” his father spoke softly, his voice nothing more than a whisper by now. A smile on his lips and Youngjae knew that these words weren’t just empty words. His father truly believed in him.

“Even if you have well prepared me for this moment, I don’t feel ready to take the full responsibility already. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do the things the way you did, dad.” His answer whispered as softly as his father did before. The fear of not knowing how to keep going once he would be alone had started to appear the first time his father had told him that there would be a time when he would have to be strong, when he would have to let him go. Besides being afraid of what would co