fateful encounter

Erie watched as Rose smiled, stepping away from the door. "Let's get ready for bed, Erie! Tomorrow, you need to be a big boy and hunt for some FF beasts, okay? We need to store food for the winter."

Ever since the Simian race appeared, adults had been needed for war. Humanity had to use every advantage they had to stay in the fight. The more men that left, the fewer remained in the city. This meant that younger kids had to take up responsibilities—hunting for food and crystals.

Beachside City had an area called the Hunting Grounds, where beasts ranged from Triple-F to SS rank. The lower-ranked beasts were practically useless, their crests barely containing any energy. They were mostly used as bait. The strongest creatures, the SS-ranked beasts, were at the top of the hierarchy.

Rose had instructed Erie to hunt Double-F and F-ranked beasts, which meant he would be in the front section of the Hunting Grounds, where most of the teenagers trained.

Erie lowered his head. "Yes, ma'am."

He got himself ready for bed, and as he lay down, the soft glow of his pendant faded. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it, sleep pulled him under.

Erie found himself standing in a vast, white void. Six suns and six moons floated serenely above him. Then, without warning, one sun and one moon vanished.

The space around him felt velvety, the air cool and misty against his skin. He glanced down—his pendant pulsed softly, then suddenly, as if responding to something unseen, it shone brighter and merged into a floating stone.

A transparent screen materialized in front of him, covered in strange symbols and shifting images. Erie barely had time to process it before four more suns and moons disappeared.

The space around him twisted and warped. A vortex of white and black swirled together, planets slowly drifting around its core.

"Can white fuse with black?" Erie murmured, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness.

Drawn to the swirling mass, he stepped forward, reaching out—

"Erie."

A voice. Soft, distant.

Erie turned sharply. "Rose?"

He called out again, but the space around him shifted, closing in on him. The voice grew louder, urgent.

"Erie!"

"I can hear you!" he shouted back, his heart pounding.

The voice boomed, his name shaking the very air around him.

"ERIE!"

Erie jolted awake, his body tense and heart racing.

Rose's gentle voice broke through the haze. "Are you alright, honey?"

His breathing steadied. Slowly, he reached for his pendant—it was still there, resting against his chest. Its familiar weight reassured him.

Rose sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're okay, Erie." She smiled warmly. "Breakfast is ready. Eat up before heading out. I have to make a quick run, but you should go into the beast fields and hunt some FF hares and F-class birds called chicrains."

Erie sat up, still shaken by his dream. "Chicwains?"

"Chicrains," Rose corrected gently. "They can fly and have a basic attack called 'Peck.' That's why they're ranked slightly higher than FF beasts. But don't worry, they can't really hurt you. Just be careful, okay?"

Erie nodded, though nerves twisted in his stomach. Hunting alone? He knew kids his age were expected to hunt for training and survival, but actually doing it himself felt different. "How do they look?"

"Well!" Rose said excitedly. "They look like chickens!"

Erie scrunched his face and scratched his head. "What's a chicken?"

Rose giggled, her cheeks flushing pink. She turned and walked away, leaving Erie puzzled.

He watched her go. What's a chicken? He glanced down at his pendant, then whispered, "And what was that? A dweam?"

The memory of it still clung to him—too vivid, too real.

Suddenly, a warmth spread across his chest. His pendant began to glow violently, trembling against his skin. Erie's breath hitched as it pulled against him, as if trying to break free—

And then, just as suddenly, it stopped.

Erie stared at it, gripping it tightly.

"Erie!" Rose called from the kitchen. "Come eat, honey! You need to start your day!"

Erie forced himself to shake off the unease. He made his way to the kitchen, eating quickly.

After finishing his meal, he grabbed his bag of equipment, said his goodbyes, and stepped outside.

Rose waved him off. "Remember, Erie, stay on the dirt trail, okay? And if you see anyone on the road—just ignore them."

"Yes, ma'am," Erie replied.

The morning air was crisp, and the path ahead stretched far into the distance. He followed it, his small footsteps soft against the dirt.

As he walked, three kids emerged from the opposite direction. Each one wore a green bandana—one around their head, another around their wrist, and the third tucked into a pocket.

"Hey, Charles," one of them called, pointing straight at Erie. "Looks like we've got a fresh one."

Erie's heart skipped a beat. "Are they pointing at me?"

He forced himself to keep walking. "Miss Wose told me to ignore them…"

Charles, hands in his pockets, glanced at Erie. His smirk widened. "He looks about five," he muttered, sizing him up.

"Let's talk to him."

The three boys stepped closer, their eyes locked onto Erie.

What do they want? Erie gripped his pendant tightly as they surrounded him. The sun's warmth beat down on his skin, but the chill in the air made his stomach twist.

"What's a kid like you doing out here without a master?" one of them asked, his tone low and mocking.

Erie stayed silent, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, kid, did you hear me?" Charles snapped, irritation creeping into his voice. His narrowed eyes glinted with something dark—something dangerous.

"Maybe he doesn't know where he is," another boy pointed out. His voice wasn't as sharp as the others, but there was still amusement in it. "Look, his clothes look brand new. And I've never seen a kid with orange hair before."

Charles shot the boy a glare. "Lenox, shut up." Then, turning back to Erie, he took a step forward. "Are you part of the Sun Warriors, kid?" His voice hardened, laced with resentment. "'Cause I don't like them, mate. They ruined our town."

Erie hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "My parents are… were part of the Sun Warriors." His fingers curled tightly around the pendant, his small hands trembling.

Charles' gaze flickered downward. "What's that?" His expression shifted into something sly. "Might as well hand it over, and we'll let you pass."

He reached for it.

The moment his fingers got too close, the pendant pulsed. An intense heat radiated outward, scorching the air between them.

Charles yelped, recoiling as if he'd touched fire. His face twisted with anger, and before Erie could react—Smack!

A sharp slap sent him stumbling.

"That hurt, you runt!" Charles barked.

Pain throbbed through Erie's cheek, a hot sting spreading beneath his skin. His vision blurred.

This was the first time someone had ever hit him. He stood frozen, mind spinning—his parents, Duncan, Rose, and his personal knight, Leviathan, all flashing through his thoughts. His heart pounded, and a faint, velvety hue shimmered around his pendant.

Charles narrowed his eyes. "Hey… do you have an ability?" he muttered, noticing the glow around Erie's body. His tone wasn't mocking anymore—it was intrigued.

The other two were still laughing, oblivious.

Erie didn't wait to hear more. His feet moved before his mind caught up, and in an instant, he turned and bolted.

"Let's get him!" Lenox shouted.

Charles lifted a hand, stopping them. A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "No need. He'll be back."