Kenichi walked toward the exit of Vautnatica with a strange mix of excitement and dread twisting inside his stomach. The night breeze chilled his arms as he moved farther from the lights of the capital. Soon the stone buildings faded behind him, replaced by tall trees that lined both sides of a long dirt path.
The sky darkened fully. Crickets chirped. Kenichi kept walking. And walking. And walking.
After what felt like hours, he dragged his feet and muttered under his breath.
“Ugh. I swear, I have been walking forever.”
The path seemed endless, even though he knew that could not be true. His legs ached. His eyelids felt heavy. He rubbed his face and sighed.
“I should have just stayed in that stupid gas station. This is worse.”
He pushed on until a faint light flickered between the trees. Kenichi blinked and squinted.
“Is that a campfire…? Please be a campfire…”
He moved toward the glow and stepped into a small clearing. A fire crackled gently in the center with three wooden logs arranged around it. Without a thought, he dragged himself to the nearest log and collapsed onto his back. The warmth felt heavenly. He stared up at the night sky, letting out a long sigh.
It stayed quiet for several seconds until a soft voice finally spoke from across the fire.
“U-Um… are you alright over there, traveller…?”
Kenichi’s half-lidded eyes lifted slowly. He turned toward the voice with a groggy blink. A half-elf male stood near a carriage wheel, holding a small pouch to his chest like he was afraid of dropping it. His short silver hair framed a timid face, and his green eyes shined softly in the firelight. His outfit looked like a tuxedo mixed with travel gear. Spring green and white, with a bright red necktie that wobbled as he moved.
Behind him stood three carriages. Two of them were filled with glowing crystals that shimmered gently. Kenichi stared for a moment. He had never seen anything like that.
The half-elf slowly approached, shoulders slightly tense. He sat beside Kenichi, leaving just a bit more space than normal.
“O-Oh my… you really are hurt… your eye is swollen… and your cheek looks painful…” His voice trembled. “N-No wonder you collapsed like that…!”
Kenichi tried to speak. “I… I got jumped earlier…”
But his voice faded, his head dropping as sleep tried to pull him under again.
The half-elf leaned closer in panic.
“P-Please do not move…! Wait, wait, please stay still…! I can heal you… j-just let me help…”
He lifted his hand. A soft green light bloomed from his palm and flowed over Kenichi’s face in a gentle wave. The pain eased. The swelling slipped away. Kenichi blinked quickly and pushed himself up to sit straighter.
“Whoa…! I feel… normal again! Seriously!”
The half-elf let out a very small sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing.
“O-Oh thank goodness… I am glad… I-I was scared I would make it worse…”
Kenichi rubbed the side of his head. “No, you’re amazing. Thanks. Really.”
They both stared at the fire for a moment, listening to the snap and crackle of burning wood.
Kenichi broke the silence first. “So, um… what is this place? I mean… the countries… the regions… you know, like Japan has states or prefectures…”
The half-elf blinked. “J-Japan…? I do not know that name…” He tilted his head. “A-Anyway, w-we do not have states. We have six nations… Vautnatica, Eristalune, Korvesa, Thalecrest, Brunwald, and Orinthal.”
Kenichi nodded slowly. “Six nations… got it. Never heard of them, though.”
The half-elf continued, trying his best not to fumble his words.
“V-Vautnatica and Eristalune work together. Eristalune grows most crops and provides food. Vautnatica has a large population, so they handle defense. Their Royal Guards are famous… very famous. People say they are born with great skill with mana… and… um… their personal techniques.”
He paused, swallowed, then lowered his voice.
“K-Korvesa and Thalecrest are… difficult. People say strange things happen there… w-witchcraft and odd magic. Some people think they are connected to the disappearance of the old churches five hundred years ago. Those events were caused by the Duskhand Occult…”
Kenichi leaned in. “Duskhand Occult…?”
The half-elf nodded nervously.
“They worship the Seven Archbeasts of Sin. I-I only know stories but… people say the Archbeast of Wrath is the worst of the seven. He is said to be… incredibly manipulative. He always finds ways to get people to do whatever he wants.”
Kenichi shivered slightly. “Yikes…”
He looked back at the timid half-elf.
“Actually, I never asked. What’s your name?”
The half-elf almost jumped. “M-My name…? Oh! Um… it is Mathenns… but… I prefer May… i-if that is alright…”
Kenichi gave a small smile. “Cool. I’m Kenichi Utako. Just call me Ken.”
May smiled faintly, even nervously.
“T-That is a unique name… I do not hear names like that often. Names here are usually short… or long and old-fashioned… Vautnatica especially…”
Kenichi shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I stand out.”
He leaned forward a little.
“So, May… what kind of business do you run?”
May perked up, almost like a nervous cat being offered food.
“O-Oh…! I run a crystal exchange. The glowing ones in my carriage are Aurelite Stones. They help power staffs and improve mana control. Mages buy them a lot… especially beginners…!”
Kenichi blinked. “I understood none of that.”
May gave a tiny nervous laugh. “M-Most travellers say the same…”
Kenichi rubbed his neck awkwardly.
“So uh… I kinda have a favor… to ask… I know we just met but… could you give me a ride? Somewhere close to the entrance of Eristalune. I saw some flyers back in Vautnatica. There was this really pretty woman on them… and she needs help with something…”
May’s face turned pink.
“O-Oh… pretty woman…? I-I understand…! I mean, not that I think you are only chasing pretty people but… um… I can take you. Yes. It is on my route anyway… so it is fine…!”
Awkward silence fell again.
Kenichi pushed himself up and stepped toward the carriage.“Alright! We should get moving…”
May quickly hurried after him with a tiny, nervous nod, almost tripping over his own foot.
“O-Of course…! I mean… y-you asked so politely… so… um… yes… I can take you…”He fidgeted with his sleeves. “T-Travellers ask for rides all the time, so it is not strange. N-Not strange at all…”
He paused, swallowing lightly before continuing.
“B-But… are you easily motion sick…? The dirtroads can get… very bumpy… and the horses, um… they run fast. Very fast… sometimes too fast…”
Kenichi waved both hands casually.
“No worries! I can handle a little shaking around. I’ve been on rough roads before. Especially back in Japan!”
May blinked. Then blinked again. His head tilted slowly to the side like a confused puppy.
“J-Japan…? I… I am sorry but… I do not know that place…”He leaned forward a bit. “Is it a hidden village…? Or… or maybe one of the small islands near Brunwald…?”
Kenichi shook his head. “Nope. It’s far outside this world.”
May’s eyes widened slightly, his ears giving a tiny twitch of alarm.
“O-Outside… this world…? W-Wait… really…? I-Is that even… possible…?”He pressed a hand to his chest. “Oh dear…! Um… I-I hope I did not offend you…! I am just… very confused…”
A long silence followed. The fire crackled awkwardly between them.
Kenichi stood up suddenly.
“Alright. We should get moving.”
May nodded and walked to the front carriage. Kenichi climbed aboard. May took hold of the horse’s reins and the two left the small camp behind.
The road became rough quickly. The wheels bounced. The trees blurred past. Kenichi held the edge of the carriage.
Then strange growls echoed through the forest.
May’s entire body went stiff as his eyes widened.
“N-No… no, no… not tonight… please not tonight…”
Kenichi quickly twisted around, his chest tightening.
“What… what is that…?”
A pack of twenty dark hounds tore down the dirt path toward them, claws scraping the ground, their eyes glowing with an eerie, unnatural light. Their snarls echoed like something out of a nightmare.
Kenichi felt his pulse spike. “May… what are those things…?!”
May’s voice trembled.
“I-I… I do not know exactly… b-but hounds like that… t-they only show up near cursed places… or when something terrible is happening…!”
His hands shook as he tried to steady the reins. “K-Ken… they look hungry…!”
May whipped the reins. The horse sped up. The carriage shook violently.
Four hounds leaped ahead of the pack and lunged for the wheels. Their teeth sank into the wood. One wheel cracked. Then the entire carriage flipped.
Kenichi hit the ground hard. His vision spun. The horse screamed and was dragged down by ten hounds that tore into it.
May crawled to his feet, shaking.
“I… I can stop them. Kenichi was your name, right? Please run. Run and live.”
Kenichi’s eyes went wide with panic. “May, no. You.. You'll die!”
“Go.. now!"
Kenichi forced himself to run. Tears blurred his vision. Behind him he heard May pull out a wooden staff with an orange Aurelite Crystal embedded in the curled top.
Wind surged around him as he shouted.
“Gale Strike!”
But it was not enough.
The hounds pounced on him. His cry cut off almost instantly.
Kenichi kept running until his ankle twisted. He crashed to the ground, screaming in pain. He tried to crawl but his arms shook violently. The world darkened.
The hounds closed in.
He felt teeth pierce his side.
Then a blast shook the ground.
Huge chunks of stone flew through the air and smashed into the hounds, breaking bones and throwing their bodies across the dirt. The snarls stopped. The forest fell silent.
Kenichi’s vision spun. His head throbbed. Through the hazy blur, he noticed a figure stepping out from between the trees. Slim. Graceful. Moving quickly. He could barely make out anything else besides a faint shimmer of long hair and the outline of pointed ears.
A soft but urgent voice reached him. It was clearly a woman’s voice.
“Hey! Traveller! Stay with me! Please, stay awake! Can you hear me?!”
Kenichi lifted a shaking hand toward her. His fingers barely left the ground.
His vision flickered… grew dim… then faded completely as everything turned white.
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