The Elestar: Zero

They kicked me out of the village.

It didn't matter how much Hans tried to help me stay… it didn't matter. In the end, I had to leave. Quickly.

I'd witnessed the real face of demons—how savage, how cruel they were. But I'd also seen something else, equally terrifying: Humans can be just as cruel.

I realized something that day. However friendly, softly spoken, and polite everyone may seem— Adversity reveals their true selves. And those true faces… well, sometimes, they're so ugly only a demon could be a friend to them.

When I left the village, I seared those faces into my memory—and their ironic, twisted grins as they watched me pass.

I promised myself, took an oath, deep down in my heart:

[No, I would never just stand helplessly by and watch someone I love die. I won't make anyone I care about, like my mother did, be in despair. And what I will never do, I will never wear the same awful looks the villagers did when they cursed me.]

It was the lesson life etched upon my soul. One I would never forget.

Suffering that pain, with my chest constricted by grief and my body aching, I took the road into the city — straightforward, the one that led to the city. Hans's sword, slung across my back.

I didn't stop. I couldn't afford to. The demon could assail us once more at any time. So I kept walking.

The forest around me became darker after a while. I knew I wouldn't make the city before dark. I'd be dead if I lost the road in the dark.

I had to get shelter — some kind of house or hut where I could remain until night was past. But I quickly remembered… That was impossible.

No one lived in this region. It was too near the demon lands. Nobody in their right mind would want to live here.

Strange, I thought. If it wasn't safe here, why didn't my folks head out? Why did they stay?

I should've asked my mother. But now… She's gone.

Yet some of me continued to hold out hope that maybe she was alive. As if this were all a terrible dream I would one day wake up from. Perhaps if I pinched myself… I would be in my bed with my eyes open, And she'd walk into the room like she always did, to wake me up.

But no. This wasn't a nightmare. This was reality.

You can wake up from dreams. But you can't outrun the truth. You can only accept it.

Midnight came. The moon had broken the trees and stars shone, and the forest path was palely lit. The leaves glistened silver, and the forest looked ghostly, almost surreal. I sat in the center of the trail, refusing to move. I take one misstep, and I might never make it out.

That's when I heard it— The bushes rustled nearby.

[What now? A wild animal?] I unsheathed my sword and aimed it at the sound.

The sound grew louder. Closer. Fear tightened in my chest. I clutched the hilt with both hands as my hands shook.

[If it's some kind of wild beast, it'll unexpectedly charge the moment it sees me. I have to strike first. And if it's only a harmless animal… well, it could be dinner.]

The sound came to the bushes, to the— I braced myself, and struck.

A small dog leapt out. I went dead in the middle of a swing, and the sword almost dropped out of my hand onto the ground, but it didn't hit me.

And the pup was tiny and injured and trembling. It looked at me with very wide, scared eyes.

"Hey, little guy," I whispered, "Come here."

I could see it better as it limped on towards me. Its body was beaten up — most likely attacked by larger dogs. I felt a twinge of pity. I opened my bag and plucked a piece of bread, offering it to her.

"Seems like you have it worse than me. Here—take this."

It approached slowly. There was, however, another idea that occurred to me all of a sudden.

Why is a dog here? In the middle of the forest. At midnight. My gut twisted.

[The demon's hound, perhaps? Was the demon that had put them on me sending them to follow me?] For a moment, I faltered, and held the bread— The dog snapped, and my hand was bitten.

I howled, my hand flying to the hilt of my blade on the floor at my feet. I swung. I missed—but barely. The blade whizzed past the dog's eye.

It staggered back, then raised its head and howled long and loud in a high voice. A signal. I looked at my bleeding hand.

[I need to run. Now. If the demon isn't on the same plane as the dogs, then it isn't far. I can't get away by keeping on the road. It is I who must vanish into the woods. No matter, even if I end up lost… it's better than dying in his arms.]

And with that, I turned and ran for the trees.

There were branches scrabbling at my skin, the ground wasn't even — but I kept going. I heard the barking soon after. Dozens of dogs. Dozens and dozens of feet stomping the ground.

Seconds later— Silence.

Everything went still. No barking. No growling. Just an eerie, unnatural quiet. Why…? I wondered. Why did they stop?

I took a deep breath and listened.

And then I heard them again— A light tread, a quick run through the leaves.

They were circling me. From the left. They were surrounding me.

I had only two options: Forward… or right.

But there wasn't time to think. My mind was blank. I just ran forward.

As soon as I started running, they chased me once more. So I took off running as fast as I could— My lungs burned. My legs ached. If I didn't stop soon, they would overtake me.

I saw a big tree, and I ducked behind it, trying to get my breath. It wasn't ideal; but at least it was cover. I knelt down low and attempted to regulate my breathing.

Moments later, they arrived.

With them… came Baskervill. The demon towered over them, snuffling the air, its eyes darting in the dark. His dogs' smell stalked the grounds, snout to the earth, in search of mine.

They were close.

They were getting closer, I could hear. Then Baskervill spoke.

"Hey, boy… Where are you hiding?"