At first, the partygoers didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about the fire, they just believed that the flames were growing wild because it was burning through some extra kindling. However, the sounds of music, laughter, and conversations were joined by a mysterious cracking noise. Most just ignored the strange noise, but one villager who was near enough to the Bonfire noticed that a glowing crack had formed and kept growing steadily. The drunken villager couldn't believe his eyes and remained frozen where he sat. The cracks became noticeable to more people as they traveled over the dragon's body, then the party went silent and everyone stood still as if time were frozen. Then a thunderous boom rang out to break the silence, fiery shards of the statue scattered around, crashing into man, woman, child, and building alike.Thanks to the hidden contents in the fire, pressure built up inside the statue and the flames burned hotter than anticipated and now the entire festival was either consumed by the initial blast or being set aflame by the remains of the statue. The people closest to the statue were either immediately killed or severely injured and those who were fortunate enough to be further away got to work to desperately fight the fire. Although not everyone had the instinct to fight the fire, many people broke out in a panic and were stampeding around and as a result, some were trampled on. As the fire raged on, the small group of people who were trying to put out the fire were being overwhelmed and they couldn't keep up with the spread of the flames. They tried their hardest, staying until their skin was blistering from the heat and some even collapsed, but they knew that all they did was slow it down a little and that the fire would soon consume the areas they had drenched in water. The only thing left for them to do was to gather their unconscious friends and try to leave as quickly as they could.
As the panic continued, the administrators and guards of Shinalin did their best to evacuate the citizens into the town's namesake, the Shining Forest, where there lied an old path to the town of Bashaat. The guards began searching for stragglers that wanted to try and save their burning homes, rushing into flaming doorways to rescue stubborn or unconscious occupants. A handful of guards went ahead to help direct the evacuated masses through the unkempt road through the forest.
Meanwhile in a part of Shinalin that has yet to experience the full force of the fire, a woman named Sagaki, who had been a server at the festival, was stumbling and coughing her way back to her home. On her way, her mind was a mess of rushing thoughts such as "how could this happen?", "I've got to hurry", and "This has to be some sort of dream, right?" as she saw the once gentle light of the paper lanterns replaced by the painful inferno that was now consuming Shinalin. As she passed a group of people holding the hands of their children and clutching their possessions, she spotted the familiar sight of her house, untouched by the fire yet; however, the ominous glow of the hellish flames stained the face of the house as it approached closer and closer. She quickly headed for the door, but when she tried the handle, she found that it was locked. It seemed like no one was home, she wondered what had happened to her husband and son; it was possible that they had already evacuated, but it was also possible that the smoke had crept into the house and rendered both of them unconscious. In desperation, Sagaki began pounding on the door and shouted as loud as she could, "Goichi! Jin! We've got to leave, a fi-fire is on i-its way! Please open the door!" After shouting, she slid to the ground as a coughing fit hit her and her palm was stinging from pounding on the door. Between her coughs, she heard the door open and saw her husband Goichi, busy filling several bags with their possessions and valuables.
"Oh Goichi, we've got to leave, the town's on fire, it all happened so fast, the fire-"
"I know, I heard the explosion and I saw the hellish glow of the flames and the clouds of smoke as the fire spread, that's why I'm packing up the valuables before we go."
"Forget about those useless things, we've got to hurry and get away while we can, the fire's almost here."
"WHAT!?!? There's no way we can leave them behind, there's the clothes, the trade goods, the-"
"Goichi, we've no time left, the fire's already spread too close, look for yourself." Sagaki held an unsteady hand to gesture through the front door.
Goichi quickly walked to the door and saw the fiery scene that was enveloping the neighbors' houses; smoke billowed from the doors and windows while fire danced on the roofs. As reality began to dawn on Goichi, he reluctantly dropped the bags. The anger in him built up as he said, "If that useless boy wasn't sick all the time, he could've helped carry the bags, but instead I'm going to have to carry him and leave all of the valuables behind. Just great, we lose our home and our belongings, and for what? A son too sick to even move."
While Goichi complained, Sagaki rushed into their son Jin's room, where he laid in bed pale and thin from his sickness. Jin's breathing was ragged, his temperature reaching dangerous levels, and the panic from the outside only served to confuse and frighten the delirious boy. The slightest movements made his body ache terribly as if a rusty hinge had replaced his joints, but it was due to this pain that he managed to keep himself from passing out from his fever. Sagaki slowly approached him and stroked his hair to help soothe him from the panic.
"Jin, it's going to be alright, but we've got to leave first. I know it's hard to move right now, but I'll help you, here hold on to me, we'll move together."
"What's happening?" He croaked.
"Open your eyes boy, the village is burning," Goichi yelled. "Useless brat, I could've made a fortune and gotten a couple of drinks afterwards if i didn't have to look after you all damn day, and now we're going to lose all of our possessions because your pathetic self can't even help carry our bags, now hurry up and get up, you weak waste of space!!!"
"He can't on his own." Sagaki helped Jin up and out of bed and had him lean on her to keep him supported as they shuffled their way to the door and onto the road. As they made their way towards the evacuation path, they were showered with embers that fell from the black sky, and enveloped by clouds of smoke, which made Jin begin to cough violently.
Goichi hesitated as he looked at all the packed bags and crates, finally making a decision and taking one with him. The bag he took was full of his tools and materials to make his wares, "Wherever we go, at least we won't be poor. Damned brat, if he could've lifted even one bag, I wouldn't have had to sacrifice the things I've already made." He continued to think of how he had to miss making money at the festival because he was stuck taking care of his pathetic son and instead of lugging a bag of his profits, he watched as the fire began consuming their house and everything that was left behind.
Eventually, Goichi caught up with his wife and son, but his hatred for his son burned as hot as the flames that took their home. Goichi's mind was only filled with frustration towards his son; why was he so weak, why does he never help his family in times of crisis, and why does he eat well and still get sick constantly.
After Jin's coughing fit, everything seemed like a blur to him, all he remembers are glimpses of houses burning, the groups of frightened villagers, and the faint sound of his mother's voice trying to encourage him to keep moving and that it'll be safe soon. One thing he remembers clearly is the excruciating pain he felt, his head ached horribly and felt like it was going to burst open, his muscles throbbing and refusing to move, his throat burning from how dry it was and the hot air, and the heat heat piercing his eyes trying to keep them from opening. He only heard about the events of that fateful day from the other villagers that escaped with them, how the festival was interrupted with an explosion and the start of the fire, how the attendees were terrified and didn't know what to do, and how the guards were scattered around trying to help as many people as they could before the fire got too bad. He also heard how the guards went back to check houses that might have had people who couldn't get out on their own, as a result some lost their lives. Jin heard some of the stories from the people those guards saved, some filled with regret as they always carried the thought of if they hadn't been drunk and passed out for so long, some of the guards that lost their lives could've left with their lives.
The remaining guards formed a perimeter around the survivors and led them through the emergency pathway that led to a crossroads to the neighboring settlements. Jin's last memory of that day was of his father loading their belongings and Jin in a passing farmer's cart that slowly made its way through the night to their new home as he saw the glow of their town against the night sky. It didn't take long for Jin to finally succumb to his exhaustion and slowly faded into unconsciousness.