The Light
Two months had passed since the great escape of a particular mischievous little creature. Since then, he had noticed several changes around the nursery. First, the beds had been rearranged, and a fence had been added to keep the children from trying to go outside. This was due to an incident caused by a certain someone who can't seem to hold his rampaging curiosity.
Now that the kids were able to walk on their own, the caregivers took extra precautions to ensure their safety. The children were gradually being introduced to the village by going on group excursions, always accompanied by caregivers. These outings were a way for the children to familiarize themselves with their surroundings and the community they were a part of.
However, the caregivers remained particularly vigilant of a certain someone. Whenever this kid wandered near a window, they quickly slid it shut, worried that too much seeing to the outside world would fuel his curiosity even further.
The kid, in response to this increased surveillance, thought to himself, "So now they're closing the windows, huh? Well, there goes my TV." He sighed, accepting his restricted view of the world beyond the nursery. But, unexpectedly, something extraordinary happened—the ever-present sheet of light suddenly disappeared. He was stunned.
"What? It's gone?" he wondered aloud. He waved his hand in front of him, everything was clear, nothing obstructed his vision anymore.
Bewildered, his curiosity piqued, he began chanting random phrases, hoping to bring back the mysterious light, "Turn on! Lights on! Flip the switch! Unfold the sheet!" But nothing happened. Weeks went by, and the sheet of light never shown. Life continued as usual, with the children becoming more active and talkative. He decided it was time to put the new language he has been practicing to the test, he then said to himself, "While I'm at it, let's make some new friends."
He had already bonded with a little boy who always played catch with him. The boy's skill had improved significantly; he could now throw accurately as long as the target was close enough and has wide enough area to hit. Encouraged by this friendship, the friendly one-year-old tried to engage with the other kids. However, he often found himself pushed aside, hit by flailing arms, or knocked over by running children. One boy even tried to pick a fight with him.
After enduring several days of these hardships, he noticed a little girl playing hero. She helped a younger boy stand up after being pushed over by a chubby kid—the largest and strongest child in the group. The little girl scolded the chubby kid in her limited vocabulary, telling him off for his behavior. The chubby kid retorted, "If he was strong, he wouldn't fall so easily."
Intrigued, our friendly one-year-old walked closer and approached the chubby boy. "We can't be as strong as you. You got big and strong by taking everyone else's share of food. You even steal our food whenever we're not done yet. Do you think I didn't notice?," he taunted with a cunning smile.
Angered, the chubby boy tried to assert his dominance, "I never did!," preparing to push the offender. But, having a more mature mind, the friendly and wise one-year-old did something unexpected—he cried.
He wasn't hurt, but his wailing confused all the other children, including the chubby boy abruptly stopping his steps. The crying kid muttered to himself, 'I bet you've never experienced this before, muhehehe,' hiding a laugh behind his tears.
A caregiver, hearing the commotion, rushed over. The crying kid pointed his finger at the chubby boy, prompting the caregiver to calm him down and instruct the chubby boy to apologize. Bewildered and having never faced such a situation, the chubby boy reluctantly apologized. The other children, equally stunned, just stared in confusion.
The situation had been resolved. The chubby boy stood there, dazed in confusion, trying to comprehend the bizarre event that had just unfolded. Meanwhile, our friendly one-year-old turned his attention to the little girl.
"What's your name?"
The little girl, taken aback, responded, "Why are you asking my name? I don't even have a name yet. The caregivers said we'll make names for ourselves once we've completed our first hunt."
The young boy had anticipated this strange cultural norm. 'What a troublesome self-proving culture.'
His finger pointing towards the little boy who always played ball with him.
"I call him 'Ball'. What should I call you?"
The little girl pondered for a moment. Shifting her gaze out the window.
She looked at the boy and said, "You can call me
'Day-see... So, it's Daisy, huh.'
She then asked the boy, "And what should I call you?"
He smiled and replied, "Earthen, you can call me Earthen."
- - - - -
Somewhere in the village, the shaman sits in her hut, seemingly meditating in front of a smoky substances made of dried herbs. She is deep in a trance, her senses tuned to the ethereal. Within her realm of thought, her vision sharpens, and she begins to perceive the village not with her physical eyes, but with a spiritual sight that encompasses the very essence of her home.
In the spiritual realm, she sees energy swirling around every being in the entire tribe. Never before in her long years as a shaman has she experienced such clarity and range of observation. The shaman marvels at this expansion of her senses. Previously, she could only sense energies within a small radius: a village per 'seeing' session. Now, she perceives the entire tribe's area, including three surrounding villages.
To the northwest, she observes a village brimming with vigorous, glowing energy, befitting the tribe's strong warriors that reside there. The village to the south and northeast, in contrast, displays a more subdued glow, with individual energies showing like flickering stars, particularly in the nursery area which filled with children who are still developing their potential.
As she ponders this extraordinary advancement in her abilities, she recalls the recent practice ceremony for the incoming First Hunt. It was an event where she had expended her soul's energy more intensely than usual trying to lure a certain creature. Could this be the catalyst for her expanded vision? Her thoughts drift to a specific child in the nursery, the one whose energy she could not see. Was there a connection?
Delving further into her vision, she directs her focus to the nursery. The scene unfolds before her: a child crying amidst a group of peers. She observes a chubby boy with dense, rock-like energy, small yet powerful. Nearby is a little girl with energy radiating throughout her body, though her energy's presence remains faint, reminiscent of the shaman's own energy in her youth. "She has the potential. I'll keep an eye on her?" she thought to herself, adding another candidate to someday replace her role as the tribe's nane'. A young boy stands with energy akin to a
When she turns her attention to the enigmatic child whose energy she cannot perceive, she is suddenly distracted by a brilliant glow in the distance like an aurora. It emanates from the north, moving steadily and sinuously, like a snake, slithering towards the village. "Judging from the speed, it will soon reach the village during the night, perhaps past midnight." the shaman estimated. She then remembered a folk tale that speaks of harbingers of great change, be it opportunity or threat.
She rose from her meditative state. Her mind heavy with the weight of her discovery. The thought of this luminous entity approaching their village fills her with both wonder and concern. The shaman's heart pounds with a mix of surprise and disbelief, her eyes widened as she muttered to herself, "Unbelievable... does it really exist?"