The world around her was an indistinct blur, a haze of shadows and muted echoes. Yet, she felt its cold harshness, a bleak and unforgiving reality pressing in from all sides. But for a brief, fragile moment, none of it mattered. Standing before her were a man and a woman, their faces breathtakingly beautiful yet etched with sorrow so deep it seemed to stain their very souls.
The air trembled with the clash of metal and the angry cries of unseen forces drawing closer, an impending chaos that engulfed everything in its path. The man and woman turned toward the oncoming storm, their forms tense with resignation. Then, like fragile leaves in a gale, they were swept away.
The warmth of their presence disappeared, leaving her suddenly cold and hollow. Panic surged through her small body as her trembling hand reached out desperately into the void, her fingers stretching toward what was slipping away. But no matter how she reached or how much she willed it, they were pulled further from her grasp—lost to the darkness, consumed by the void, and gone forever.
The crimson-eyed girl jolted awake from her nightmare, her arm still outstretched. Her chest heaved with shallow breaths, the echoes of sorrow still clinging to her like a heavy shroud. Beside her, the fawn slept soundly, its small body rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. Both were nestled against the mother deer's silken fur that staved off the night's bitter cold.
...It's that same dream again, she thought dejectedly, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared up at the luminous moon.
She wondered when she had last felt a warm touch, or heard gentle words spoken by another. At the bitter thought, a fleeting memory surfaced—a glimpse of the man and woman's radiant smiles. For a moment, it filled her heart with warmth, but as she tentatively raised her hand toward the starry sky, reaching for the fragile memory, it slipped away like mist.
Warm tears silently slid down her cheeks, but as the image of the moon blurred through her watery gaze, another familiar memory began to take shape in her mind, its presence stirring something deep within.
Crimson-red eyes trembled as they fixed on the barn's wooden floor that was partially obscured by a thin layer of scattered hay. The past several days had been a nauseating blur, a series of events so disjointed they left her reeling. One moment, she was free, clinging to the fragile hope of survival; the next, she was shackled and sold to ruthless traders.
Now, she stood as a mere laborer that was owned by Reginald Alden Percival, her fate sealed and her body bound to the whims of his cruelty. She braced herself for what was to come, knowing that she was nothing more than a tool to be abused in ways too dark to comprehend.
"Rawrwu," her canine companion whined softly, a look of concern etched on his face as he looked up at her from within her cloak.
Despite the biting cold, the gnawing hunger, and the crippling fear that sent shivers through her body, the girl forced a soft, reassuring smile. She fought to keep her expression even, clinging to a semblance of composure as if the very act of maintaining control could shield her from the overwhelming darkness closing in, threatening to break her.
Suddenly, a mysterious boy appeared. In that instant, time seemed to slow, and everything within her stilled. Every ounce, every atom of her being was drawn to him, as if the very air between them hummed with an undeniable pull. In that fleeting moment, the hunger, the fear, and the biting cold faded into nothingness, leaving behind a warmth she had almost forgotten existed. The world, once cruel and unyielding, felt soft, tender, and inexplicably beautiful.
The static intensified as he extended his hands toward her, kindly offering a loaf of bread, crisped bacon, and a cup of water. The simple gesture was a bridge between two worlds, and yet the energy that rolled off his body felt so similar—grief, confusion, loneliness, and deep yearning for something more.
Though he had been in her presence for but a fraction of a second, every fiber of her being screamed to throw herself into his arms and never let go. The intense longing surged through her with unrelenting force, overwhelming her senses, but she forced herself to suppress it. With a quiet breath, she kept her head low and averted her gaze, determined to shield herself from the weight of his lingering stare.
Her body flinched, and an inaudible gasp escaped her lips as he gently wound the thick length of a scarf around the hood of her cloak. "Even the longest night must yield to the dawn, for no darkness can hold back the rising sun," the boy whispered in a velvety tone, butterscotch eyes gleaming with sympathy. "If it's the last thing I do, I promise I'll get you out of here. So try to keep up your strength; it will also help to keep you warm."
The girl's eyes fluttered at his words. Simple, unremarkable even—yet they ignited something deep inside her, like a spark in the coldest of nights. For a brief, fleeting moment, her heart stirred with hope, the weight of fear and loneliness lifting as if the morning sun had burned away the night's shadows. How could such simple words possess such warmth, such power, to make her feel seen, if only for an instant?
At the sound of the stranger's retreating footsteps, the girl finally tilted her head and regarded him from beneath her thick lashes. Her eyes gleamed as she studied his silver hair, butterscotch eyes, and warm smile.
"Haxks," she muttered beneath her breath as if testing the sweetness of his name upon her tongue.
Cradling the precious memory of Zephyr and Daisuke, the girl allowed a soft, wistful smile to bloom on her lips. Then she curled closer to the fawn, drawing warmth from its gentle presence, and slowly allowed the comforting embrace of sleep to pull her back into its depths.
***
What could have easily been a treacherous and solitary journey across the sprawling landscapes of the Arcanium Kingdom was transformed into a delightful adventure, filled with joy and companionship. The crimson-eyed girl and the fawn embraced every moment of joy they could find. Whenever the Mithrilcrest Deer grazed or rested, they indulged in playful games of tag and hide-and-seek, their laughter ringing through the air like a melody.
They splashed through the crystal-clear stream, droplets shimmering like tiny crystals in the sunlight. The fawn pranced about, its legs springing with youthful energy, while the girl skipped alongside it, her radiant smile and gleaming eyes reflecting pure happiness.
The fawn frolicked beside the girl as she knelt to forage for mushrooms and fiddleheads, her delicate fingers brushing the cool, mossy earth. Soft giggles bubbled from her lips as she held up her discoveries for the fawn who leaned in with wide, curious eyes and a gentle twitch of its nose. From a short distance, the Mithrilcrest Deer watched with quiet vigilance, its silvery coat shimmering faintly even in the dappled forest shade.
Suddenly, her ears twitched, and her muscles tensed. The air shifted, carrying with it a faint but unmistakable danger. The sharp crack of a twig underfoot followed, and the Mithrilcrest Deer let out a shrill cry—a sound so primal and urgent that it jolted the girl to her feet and sent the fawn bounding toward its mother.
The girl barely had time to process the warning before a group of poachers emerged from the shadows. Their laughter was coarse and filled with malicious glee as they tightened their grip on their weapons. The glint of drawn bows and the hungry gaze of their horses left no doubt about their intent.
Wh-Who are they?! thought the girl in a panic as she scrambled onto the Mithrilcrest Deer's back. The fawn darted close to its mother, its tiny frame trembling in fear.
Wasting no time, the deer sprang forward, her powerful legs cutting through the forest like the wind. Trees blurred into streaks of green and brown as they fled, her hooves pounding the earth in a desperate rhythm.
"Neigh~!"
But the poachers were relentless. Mounted on sturdy horses bred for endurance, they tore through the undergrowth, their malicious shouts growing louder as they closed the distance. The men were armed with bows and arrows, so although the deer held the advantage in speed—
FEWP-FEWP-FEWP!
The poachers could easily compensate for their disadvantage with their long-ranged weapons. Arrows hissed through the air, glinting in the patches of sunlight breaking through the canopy, their sharp points biting into the ground just inches from the fleeing deer.
"Wh-Why are they chasing us?!" the girl cried, clinging to the creature's neck, her heart pounding with dread.
Ignoring the child's distress to prioritize their escape, the Mithrilcrest Deer surged forward, its muscles straining as it pushed itself harder. Its silver coat glimmered faintly, almost as if trying to vanish into the light itself, but the poachers were tenacious. Another volley of arrows sliced through the air like a war cry.
THUNK!
A pained cry tore from the deer's throat as one of the projectiles buried itself in her hind leg.