As Draven stepped out of his house, the morning breeze gently swept through the small village at the edge of the forest. Sunlight touched the wooden rooftops, bringing a comforting warmth—completely opposite to the dark forest in the distance, which stood silently as if watching the village from the shadows.
Draven walked casually along the dirt road of the village. Yet for some reason, his chest felt slightly different that day. As if something… was slowly stirring within him. He stopped for a moment and turned his gaze toward the forest.
"Must be my imagination…" he muttered softly, then continued walking.
In the middle of the road, Draven saw a boy his age waving cheerfully. The boy had blue hair and bright blue eyes full of energy.
"Draven!"
It was Albert Windton—his childhood friend since before they could even walk properly. Draven smiled widely.
"Albert!"
Nothing felt strange between the two of them.
At least… not yet.
Draven and Albert walked together through the village, greeting the villagers they passed. Small laughter and warm exchanges echoed along the way. Before long, they arrived at the center of the village, where children usually gathered to play.
There, Draven met several new faces.
A boy with orange hair and striking green eyes jumped forward with a mischievous grin. His name was Kevin Drawning—known for being annoying and naughty, yet kind-hearted at his core.
Not far from him stood a quiet girl with jet-black hair and soft purple eyes. Her name was Seren Snowgrave. She looked nervous, keeping her head lowered and saying little.
Moments later, another girl arrived. She had golden hair, clear blue eyes, and a beautiful, radiant face. Her name was Lylia Grandarthur.
When Draven's eyes met Lylia's, his steps seemed to freeze. At the same time, Lylia found herself staring at him, captivated. For a few seconds, neither of them moved—until Kevin's voice broke the silence.
"Hey! Why are you two spacing out?" he laughed.
Albert lightly nudged Draven with his elbow.
They began introducing themselves.
Kevin grinned widely.
"Yo! My name's Kevin. Nice to meet yaaa!"
Seren spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly.
"M-my name is Seren… n-nice to meet you too…"
Lylia stepped forward energetically.
"My name is Lylia. Nice to meet you!"
Albert raised his hand casually.
"Albert."
Draven smiled faintly.
"My name is Draven. Nice to meet you all."
Soon, they gathered in a small circle. But then a problem arose—they couldn't decide what to play.
Kevin scratched his head.
"So… what should we play?"
Lylia tilted her head.
"Yeah… what should we do?"
Suddenly, Albert smiled brightly.
"Aha! I know. How about we play hide and seek?"
Draven nodded.
"Good idea."
They agreed to play hide and seek. And the one chosen to be the seeker was—
Kevin.
His face immediately twisted in protest.
"Huh?! Why me?!"
Still, he eventually stood in the center and covered his eyes.
"Fine… I'll count to twenty!"
"Okayyy!" the others replied in unison.
"1… 2… 3…"
The children scattered, searching for hiding places.
Without realizing it, Draven went too far—crossing the safe boundary of the village and heading into the dark forest where monsters were known to roam.
Lylia noticed him and, without thinking, followed.
"What is he doing going there…?" she whispered, then quietly chased after him.
The deeper they went, the darker and quieter the forest became. Tall trees blocked the sunlight, and every step echoed loudly. Soon, they entered the territory of giant ant monsters, their black bodies gleaming and red eyes glowing from the shadows.
Draven and Lylia became separated within the dark tunnels of the ant nest, lost among countless paths. Eventually, they collided at a narrow intersection.
"Ow! Why are you here?" Draven asked.
"Ouch… that hurt… hehe. I followed you," Lylia replied awkwardly.
Suddenly, disturbing sounds echoed from the darkness. Draven looked around in panic.
"What kind of monster is that?! Aaaaaa!" he shouted.
"I don't know! Just focus on running!" Lylia replied urgently.
A swarm of giant ants began chasing them. Draven ran in front, shielding Lylia behind him. Their footsteps echoed through the tunnels, drawing even more monsters toward them.
At last, they burst into a chamber—only to realize it was a dead end.
They were surrounded.
Draven stood in front of Lylia, his body trembling but unmoving. They didn't know what to do.
Then—
From the darkness, a tall and mysterious figure emerged.
A Black Knight stood silently before them. A chilling aura filled the chamber, and time itself seemed to slow.
Draven felt his heart race.
The destiny that had long remained dormant had finally begun to move.
To be continued…