[2] The Lost Boy's Quest

The biting chill subsides as I enter the forest, a strange warmth wrapping around me despite the lingering specks of winter air. There's something unusual about this forest. No matter the temperature outside, it remains the same warmth on the inside. It never fluctuates.

The forest is located on the northernmost side of the village. The trail leading inside is faint because the only people who came to the forest were the Adventures and me. The former is a rare find around these parts, so it's mostly just me running around doing whatever.

The quest I'm looking for is close to the entrance, taking up to eighteen minutes of walking.

Until recently, the forest wasn't tainted by humanoid interaction. The predators and monsters kill most of the prey, leading to a shortage in their food supply. With no one to maintain their population and the prey close to extinction, they started attacking the nearby village

When I first arrived here, the village was close to being wiped off the map. I did my best to help, but it wasn't enough. One of the village elders had to step in, saving the village and my life.

That reminds me that I haven't visited his grave in a while. I should pay my respects later, when I'm done with this quest.

I finally arrive at the spot where the quest is usually located.

The smell of blood hits my nose; that's one of the signs that the quest should be fairly close.

Another sign is the atmosphere. This part of the forest changes every time the quest becomes available. The silence of nature turns into a buzzing under my skin in anticipation of the unknown that can come out of the surrounding bushes. My unease deepens as a cold embrace replaces the warm blanket that typically envelops this forest.

Death feels like a possibility if I breathe the wrong way. My throat closed up every time a branch would snap in the distance. Nonetheless, I stride forward.

The worse the signs, the closer I am. Sure enough, a voice speaks to me:

"Help me..."

My ears twitch upon hearing the quiet call from the nearby bushes. I stalk closer, softly padding my footsteps on the dead leaves littering the area.

Behind the bushes was a small child, crying and bleeding from the large wounds all over his body. His face was unrecognizable with the huge claw marks that obstruct them, yet the tears continued to fall, and his whispering sobs are the only things I hear when I come near.

His eyes find mine, a sense of relief washing over them before it morphs into fear so thick I can smell it. The blood in his mouth made it hard to speak, but he continued to 

I can't understand a single word he's saying, to be honest. It isn't just because his mouth is so damaged that the muscles in his jaw don't try to hold it together, nor is it the blood that drools from his tongue. He speaks a language I don't recognize, hinting that he was from another country before finding himself in this situation.

Still, I understand what he wants me to know. If I were in his situation, I would probably turn out like him.

I gently laid him on his back. His chest would expand more heavily from the movement, trying and failing to bring oxygen to his lungs that were bleeding to the side, but he didn't protest.

His eyes never leave me, showing the same emotion since I found him here. He can't speak, not anymore; his body is now focused on keeping it alive for just a few more seconds. It hurt him, though. The way his muscles would twitch naturally made him moan and whine in pain. The tears in his eyes never stop falling.

A gold glow covers my hand as I hover it over his small frame, casting a spell I mastered because of him. He started breathing more softly, and his eyes began drooping.

I caress his hair, feeling each lock that was stained with his blood. I trace his face from his chin to his eyes until it closes. For a moment, it remained that way.

The buzzing of the forest stops just as he takes his last breath. The boy is still in my arms. I don't stop tracing his face until the blood in my hands disappears. I won't stop until he disappears.

A warm blanket covers me. The silence of nature comes back. The smell of blood disappears, along with the rest of the evidence that points to his existence. I am reminded that he doesn't exist. He was simply a catalyst.

And I am all alone once again.

———

[Revenge for the Lost Boy XXII]

Objectives: Kill those who harmed him.

Wolves: 0/19

Elite Wolf: 0/1

Rewards: [1 Uncommon Knife] [3 Common Short Sword] [5 Gold]

———

The holographic screen in front of me has me flinching at how bright it is. I didn't bother reading its contents; I take this quest too often. It makes me wonder if I'm the reason he keeps living his death again and again.

The thought was just as toxic as the deadliest poisons, and yet I still came back. 

I start walking toward the wolves' location, my steps as heavy as the dream I had moments before.

There's always this guilt that accompanies me when I do this godforsaken quest without my furry companion. Is it justifiable to watch a child die for the sole purpose of taking this quest? Do my reasons make this morally correct?

I wish there were another way, but I need the resources from these beasts if I'm to keep living in this town and secure my future. With the entrance exams for Dark Angels University looming, it feels like I'm being pushed into a corner. Survival leaves no room for mercy.

A thick smell of a wolf's manure hits my nose as I cross over to their marked territory. At first glance, there isn't anything that would differentiate it from any other part of the forest. The same plants would greet you, and the soil felt no different from the land outside the territory.

The average person would only smell the poop but wouldn't think much of it. If they can't differentiate the difference, how would a kid that's still wet behind the ear compare?

I shake the thoughts away; now isn't the time to be getting distracted. There's no doubt that the wolves noticed my presence the moment I crossed that line; Who's to say they aren't already surrounding me right now?

The leaves surrounding me remain unmoving as I pull out the knives hidden from my person. Its polished steel is the only thing reflected from the little moonlight that the trees allow.

It's a different kind of agony while I wait for the predators to attack me. The hyperfocus has me feeling every single thing that's happening to my body.

The beads of sweat formed on the palms of my hands, loosening my grip on my weapons. My heart feels calm and jumpy at the same time. The silence wasn't helping, deafening me in a way that had me distracted by my breath.

Then I hear rustling behind me. All my thoughts except for the words of the elder melt away.

Eyes sharp, heart steady

The knife flies from my hand when I spot the first foreign thing. The beast's loud cry in pain was the only thing confirming that I hit it. Like a switch, the others reveal themselves with a low growl. Harmonious as it is chilling.