"In the darkest corners of the forest, eyes do more than watch they judge, they wait... and when the time is right, they strike."
{ CHAPTER - 2 RECAP :
Royal Capital – The Council of Seven far unknown :
A crescent-shaped chamber bathed in pale moonlight Underground.
Seven thrones. Seven shadows. Behind each, a crest glimmered — Fire, Steel, Blood, Wind, Crystal, Gold… and Shadow.
In the center, a silver orb pulsed like a heart.
High Priest (calm, cold):
> "An energy spike was recorded near the eastern ruins… deep beneath the old Veil."
The room stiffened. Silence grew heavy.
Steel Lord (sharply):
> "You mean that clan still exists?"
Wind Sage (whispers):
> "The Veil Clan… the ones who followed him."
Blood Empress (icily):
> "They vanished with the Phantom fifty years ago after that shadow's death. Buried and forgotten."
Crystal Seer (gazing into the orb):
> "Not forgotten. Hidden. Waiting. And now… stirring."
The orb flickered violently — a crack formed along its surface.
Shadow Duke (growling):
> "If the Veil Clan returns… so will the old blood pacts."
Gold King (firmly):
> "Then erase them. Every last one. Burn their roots, salt their ashes."
Fire Sentinel (for the first time):
> "And if they're protecting something… or someone?"
The orb pulsed once more. A whisper echoed from its crack.
Unknown Voice (barely audible):
> "Not all ghosts fade…"
The chamber fell silent. Hearts tightened. Minds raced.
Crystal Seer (voice trembling):
> "The ghost in this world… was never alone. They have Allies."
Unknown Voice (Order tone):
> "Now... the hunt for them shall begin. Vanish everything... in the name of justice. We will rise — and the world shall witness true peace."
All council members:
> Allhail!!! }
Now...
Back in the Present – After 7 Council the meeting :
Three members of the council met in a secret chamber, beneath even the capital's dungeons. A place where no names were used. Only whispers. A table lay before them — a map of ancient ruins scattered across the east. One ruin circled in red.
Shadowed Noble 1 (nervous):
> "I'm telling you. The readings from the ruin outside Solhara are rising. Again."
Shadowed Noble 2 (with disgust):
> "The Council is slow. Careful. But what if the Veil blood still lingers? What if we can extract it? Experiment with it?"
Shadowed Noble 3 (calculating):
> "No bodies were ever recovered. Not one Veil corpse. Not even the Phantom's."
Shadowed Noble 2 :
> "That's what makes them valuable. Dangerous. If we could obtain even a drop… of the true blood… it could change everything."
Shadowed Noble 1 (whispers):
> "Or destroy everything."
Shadowed Noble 3 :
> "Either way… we find them first. Before the Council begins their righteous purge."
Shadowed Noble 2 :
> "So then, let me send my deadly secret elites... Enter!!!"
A two persons covered in a black cloak enters the room. The other both nobles felt happy by this.
Shadowed Noble 2 :
> "You people know what to do right? Find them alive or dead."
Black cloak persons :
> "Hai!!!"
They vanishes in a blink of eye.
Then —
They all looked at a locked black box in the center of the table.
Shadowed Noble 1 (swallowing hard):
> "You really think this is what lead us to them?"
Shadowed Noble 3 (smiling faintly):
> "The old blood leaves marks. Even if they don't know what they are."
Shadowed Noble 2 :
> "Master will soon Awaken."
They all laughs...
[ InPreviousChapter...
A voice echoed in the shadows:
"He's finally here..."
No name. No face. Just the forest holding its breath. ]
Elsewhere – In VermillionEstate :
The sunlight of early noon trickled through high velvet curtains, painting the marble floor in warm hues. The scent of incense and fresh herbs flowed in the air. Portraits of noble lineage hung on the wall — all proud, regal, untouchable.
At the heart of this grandeur, Lucien Vermillion stirred under a blanket of silks and pain. His chest rose with effort. Bandages wrapped tight across his body, his breathing uneven.
Suddenly—
> "P-Please don't hurt me…!"
"You'll regret this—!"
"You… slave-born scum—!"
Whispers. Not real. Just haunting.The memories clawed at him. That boy's glare. His own blood staining the academy floor. His eyes snapped open. Scarlet. Burning. Unforgiving. He winced, struggling upright, teeth clenched. A servant nearby gasped and darted away down the corridor to the Lord Vermillion's room, A knock. A whisper.
> "My lord… the young master is awake."
Lord Vermillion, clad in a thick crimson robe, turned from the balcony, brows narrowing. His fingers tightened on a gold-rimmed goblet. He said nothing. Just walked. The door opened. Heavy. Controlled. Lucien looked up, his jaw still clenched, eyes burning. His father stood tall, unreadable, the flame-shaped sigil of the Vermillion crest shining on his robe.
> "Are you alright, son?"
The words held concern—but also weight.
Lucien's voice came cracked, brittle from rage.
> "Where is he?"
His father didn't answer immediately. He crossed to the window, gazing out as if the world outside deserved more attention.
> "Gone..." he finally said.
> "Out of the district. After disgracing this house and embarrassing you before the nobles, I had him released from the underground jail... after he was taught a lesson."
> "He is no longer under our banner. His name was removed. Officially. Permanently."
Lucien's eyes widened, chest rising and falling like a storm gathering.
> "You… let him go?"
Lucien voice cracked – Not just from anger, but disbelief.
> "That brat... that gutter-born dog... he made me bleed, Father. In front of them. Do you understand what that means?"
> "I screamed. The eyes of other nobles... They pitied me!"
Lucien kicked the nightstand. It cracked loudly, a priceless vase smashing against the marble floor.
> "How dare he... How dare he put his hands on me...!"
His voice cracked—then lowered.
> "He humiliated me. Before the heirs. The mentors. Before… her."
Lord Vermillion turned slowly.
His tone—cold.
> "Then remember that shame. Etch it in your soul."
He stepped closer, his presence heavy.
> "You...my son... were brought to your knees. By someone not even worthy of a surname. You wear the Vermillion name… yet he made you crawl."
> "Next time, do not shame this family again. It's a disgrace. I will not have my name mocked in people eyes."
Lucien froze.
> "Father..."
Lucien's voice was quieter this time, uncertain. But Lord Vermillion didn't stop. His robe swept behind him like a final judgment. Walking toward the door, his voice distant and cutting.
> "Do better... Don't ruin my family name."
The door clicked shut. Silence.
Lucien sat still for a moment, then let out a trembling breath. A storm boiled inside him — not just from the beating... but from his father's words.
Disgrace. Shame. He felt the fire rising.
He stared at the shards of the broken vase on the floor. The reflection in them wasn't the Lucien of old. It was something colder. Something born from shame.
He reached for the silver bell at his bedside and rang it hard.
A young maid stepped in, terrified.
> "S-Sir…?"
> "Bring Marley."
She bowed quickly and vanished.
Moments Later...
A cold breeze seemed to enter with the next man. Dressed in black, with silver hair tied back and a cane by his side, Marley walked like silence in human form.
He bowed slowly.
> "Young master. It brings me peace to see your eyes open again."
Lucien didn't respond. His fingers trembled slightly, but not from weakness — from fury.
He locked eyes with Marley.
> "Tell me. Did you hear?"
Marley tilted his head.
> "About the boy?"
Lucien sneered.
> "That rat!! The slave-born who bled me in front of the nobles. My father let him go. Stripped him of title and cast him out like trash."
He stood, pain obvious in his body — but the hatred numbed it.
> "And yet... it's not enough."
> "I want him found. I want every whisper of his peace silenced. I want to kill him... But not instantly, by making him suffer."
Marley's eyes gleamed.
> "And what would you have me do, young master?"
Lucien leaned in.
> "I want his freedom broken. Slowly. Let him taste hope... and then snatch it from him."
> "If he tries to build a life — destroy it."
He paused... then grinned, wicked and calm.
> "Let's begin the hunt. I have a crazy idea what to do..."
Marley bowed low, voice smooth as silk.
> "As you wish, Master Lucien."
Now...
BackintheForest–Rai'sMomentofPeace and Chaos
The forest whispered. Cool breeze rustled the leaves above, brushing against Rai's cheeks like a gently. He laid on a smooth, sun-warmed stone by the stream, arms behind his head, eyes half-closed, lips curled into the smallest smile. The sky peeked through the thick trees — a soft blue, dotted with drifting clouds. Shafts of sunlight painted golden shapes across his face.
> "What a peaceful day of my life..."
he whispered.
> "I wish... my life could just stay like this forever."
For a moment, he forgot the world. No nobles. No blood. No running. Just the sound of water flowing beside him and birds chirping above. His eyes gently shut.
Then…
Sniff.
> "...Hmm?"
He wrinkled his nose.
> "Wait... what is that smell?"
He sniffed the air again, squinting toward the trees, expecting maybe a dead animal nearby.
But no… the smell was right here. He paused. Looked down. Sniffed his armpit.
> "...Oh no. No no no—"
He stood up like he'd been stung.
> "WHAT THE HECK?! IT'S ME?!"
He stared at his filthy, torn, sweat-stained shirt — barely hanging on his body. Smelled like something had died, come back, and died again.
> "It's been too long... I haven't bathed for many days."
> "Ughhhh!! I stink worse than that fish I burned!"
Frustrated, he removed the shirt off, dropping it like it had betrayed him. His trousers weren't any better — caked in mud, clinging wet, one side ripped halfway up.
> "This outfit is a stinky."
He grabbed a few broad leaves from a nearby tree and threw them down beside the rock, muttering curses. With a tired groan, he stepped into the stream, waist-deep in freezing water.
> "AAAHHHHH! COLD! Coldcoldcoldcold.."
> "...Okay. Actually... not bad."
He took a deep breath. The water wrapped around him like a cure. The dirt, the pain, the stink — it all washed away.
> "Damn... This is better than that slavery life."
He dunked his head under, held it there a moment, then came up gasping — water dripping down his face, eyes closed.
> "I feel so good and free..."
He turned and grabbed his clothes, dipping in water and slapping them against a flat rock like he vaguely remembered someone doing in a documentary once.
> "Ahhh... What a pain... I'm not going back to town like a forest goblin."
After squeezing the water out, he laid the clothes on the warm rock to dry. Meanwhile, he bent down and picked up the leaves that he picked up earlier and he tied them together with thin roots. Then he covered his lower body by leaves. Then he grabs a sharp stick that he used before for fishing hunt.
> "Alright. Time for some lunch. Nature, be kind to me."
A few minutes of silent fishing passed — quiet, focused. And then—success. He caught three fish. He quickly lit a small fire, roasting two of the fish while humming to himself, chest puffed with mock pride. After eating one and storing the rest in big leaves, he tied them carefully into his torn bag and he rounded it with some roots. He leaned back again, still wearing his leaf-wrapped towel around the waist, arms resting behind his head. His clothes were almost dry.
> "Alright… maybe this place isn't so bad."
He sighed.
> "Now what...? I don't have any plan. If I even do find a way out, where would I even go? I have… no one."
His voice trailed off. That brief warmth on his face returned — not sunlight, but a memory. One he quickly pushed away.
> "Tch... Enough sulking. Just get moving. I am alive that's enough. I will build my own self by surviving."
He stood up and began putting on the dried clothes, still rough, still itchy — but at least not soggy. The leaf-wrap was discarded with a laugh.
> "Goodbye, forest fashion."
He slung his ragged bag over his shoulder and took one last look at the stream.
> "Alright, let's find out which direction sucks the least."
But then—
Rustle.
> "Hmm?"
He paused. A chill crawled up his back. From the bushes behind him…
SNORT.
> "...Please be a bunny. Please be a bunny."
Suddenly, a giant wild boar crashed through the underbrush, eyes wide and tusks like daggers.
(Scene Shift – Solhara District) :
The tavern doors creaked open. Cold wind slipped in. No one cared. The place was alive with whispers.
> "You heard about the bounty?"
> "Yeah. A kid. Twenty gold coins."
That last part turned heads. Twenty gold. Not silver. A few mugs paused mid-sip. Someone at a nearby table muttered,
> "Gold for a kid? What'd he do, kill a noble?"
No answer. Just silence — the kind that sticks to the walls.
Outside of every bounty board and some public places, a few adventurers gathered. Rough-looking folks. Dirty boots. Swords too clean. One poster caught their attention. A young boy. Blurry sketch. Nothing else.
In tavern the posters are attaching. Then leaning on a wooden pillar, a red-haired man watched. Quiet. Alone. The kind of man you notice after you feel someone staring. He looked up at the poster and gets shocked. whispers :
> "That's the boy I saw in the tavern…"
He stared a second longer.
Then scoffed.
> "Tch. Twenty gold... for a soaked, half-dead kid."
He muttered again. This time, darker.
> "Didn't think the nobles would get this desperate… How far will they go, you scums."
The crowd kept talking.
But he'd already turned away.
In the Adventurers Guild:
The adventurers' guild was loud — but not cheerful. It never was. Wooden floors groaned under heavy boots. Swords clanged. Laughter came sharp, like blades. Someone yelled about a job. Another cursed over a failed one. But in the far corner, someone stood still. Alone. A cloaked figure, face hidden deep beneath a hood.They didn't move. Didn't speak. Just stared at the bounty wall. Eyes scanned bounty after bounty — bandits, monsters, deserters.
Until one caught their gaze. A half-torn poster. Not well-made. Not official. Looked like someone ripped it down and put it back up again. A girl's face. Only her eyes were visible — drawn with rough lines but fierce emotion. Eyes filled with something unshakable.
Sorrow. Fury. The figure didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Just… breathed.
Slowly, their hand dropped by their side — and clenched into a fist. The paper fluttered gently in the torchlight.
Someone passed by and glanced.
> "You know her?"
No reply. The passerby shrugged and walked off. The cloaked figure didn't move.
But something had changed.
Not on the outside — but in the air around them. Like the quiet before a storm starts to remember its name.
(Back to Rai Scene):
As Rai saw a wild boar is running towards him. He shouted...
> "HUHHH—WHAT THE—?!"
> "WHY?! I JUST BATHEEDDD!!"
He turned and ran like hell, bare feet slapping against the earth, every root tripping him, every branch slapping his face.
> "WHO SENT YOU?! WHAT DID I EVEN DO?!"
His bag flapped behind him like a terrified bird.
> "IS THE FOREST CURSED?! OR JUST ME?!"
He tripped and rolled into a bush, leaves in his mouth.
> "PTTHH! Gross! WHY is this happening?!"
> "If I survive this... I'm will become a monk!!"
The boar roared behind him, crashing through shrubs like a small earthquake.
> "This thing's built like a tank!!"
Then… his mind clicked.
> "Wait. Survival class. If you can't outrun — hide or climb."
He darted toward a massive tree and slid behind it, heart pounding, trying to control his breath. The boar slowed, sniffing the air, confused. It pawed the ground.
> "Please... Please go eat some grass or bark or something..."
Suddenly—
THUNK!
An arrow struck the boar clean in the side.
Rai froze, wide-eyed. The beast groaned, stumbled, then collapsed to the ground in a heavy thud. Rai stayed still, clutching the tree like it was his mother.
> "What... just saved me?"
His breath caught in his throat as he looked toward the forest, where five armed figures stepped in.
> "See that... I told you. My Aim doesn't miss..."
> "Finally we got our lunch."
They all laughed and dragged the beast away. Rai stayed hidden, eyes narrowed. He felt saved and also little happy to see they looked like adventurers even though how didn't know how they look. But just a glimpse. He got a idea.
> "Maybe I can ask them or they can know how to go out of this forest."
So He followed them. Quiet. Careful.
They Finally stopped at a spot. Where there is a wagon. He felt little as he can ask them for help.
But Then—
His breath hitched.
A cage. Inside: two small children and a teenage girl, all ragged, chained, with magical curse neckbands on their necks.
Rai's eyes widened. He gets feared and terrified. A horrific past get him. Some visions popped up in his mind.
> "Neckbands... like back then..."
> "No… no… I can't handle this."
Rai was terrified. He tried to back off from there. He don't want to get involved. Then Rai Heard.
The kids sobbed.
> "Sis, I'm scared. Will they kill us... Where is mom?"
The girl whispered,
> "No. I'll protect you. I promise. Your mom is already waiting for you with lots of food."
After hearing this, Rai felt something deep depth. He whispers in his mind.
> "I don't want to be a coward anymore. I don't want to run away from my life."
> "It's my life. I will save them. No matter what."
Rai stepped forward. He hide near the bushes and went behind the cage without getting noticed by the armed people. He tries to find something to open the cage lock.
Then the teenage girl–
> "Oyy! Get out of here. Who are you?"
> "They will catch you if they see you. What are you doing."
Rai says :
> "Just lower your voice. I am trying to help."
Teenage girl whispers:
> "Are out of your mind. Run before they see you."
Then Rai accidentally keeps a leg on a dry stick.
> "Tukk."
Then the teenage girl shouts:
> "Watch out!! Run!!"
The armed people notice Rai. They ran towards him.
> "Hey! Catch him."
As Rai turned to run. A big man behind him just came from the forest. He grabbed him. Slammed him to the ground.
> "A spy? From another district?"
They all stopped. They whispers :
> "Haa Tony!! You are back did you bring the herbs. Nice timing. You caught him. Let's see who is this thief that tried to stole our slaves."
> "You're wrong! Let them go!"
Rai struggled.
A kick to the ribs.
> "Just shut up... Brat!"
> "You are a escaped slave right. I can say by your torn clothes."
Rai whispers in little fear and anger:
> "No, i didn't escaped."
> "Who are you people? Why are you kidnapping them. You will get punished by this?"
A man kicks him hard.
> "Watch your tongue brat... We're adventurers. No one dares question us."
Rai's mind shattered. So this is what heroes really are...
They whispers:
> "Let's sell this brat also to the slave market. Today we got lucky. We will become rich by selling them."
They threw Rai in the same cage with others. Then Rai shocked seeing them. The two kids, they have ears like cats. And the teenage girl has a ears long.
Rai asks—
> "Who are you people? Why do you look different?"
Marie's hands were trembling — but her voice stayed strong for the kids.
Teenage girl replies:
> " I am marie, a half elf. And this boy name is rock, this is his little sister Lily – they are people of one beast clan."
Rai shocks and remembers. He had read the books about elfs and beast clans.
Marie says:
> "Thank you for trying to save us... And also sorry that you get caught because of us."
Rai replies:
> "Don't be sorry. This is the path. No regrets. It's my mistake to get caught in first place."
The adventurers cooks the boar. As they eat the meat of boar. Rai shares the fish he stored in his tied torn bag. The fish was became soft and clumsy because of the all running and falling during chasing of the wild boar. They also ate the fish silently without noticing. As Rai doesn't know there are more struggles are gonna come to him.
(Can he able to overcome everything? Will be gets to know who he truly is?)
As he was getting watched by something in the dark. But in Rai's body something is raising slowly.
A whisper drifted—
"...Finally I found you..."
...To Be Continued...