In a small village on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Bale surrounded by forest on all sides except for a narrow path leading out.
In the village, under a tree near the local orphanage, three figures could be spotted, talking in the shade.
"C'mon, be serious Felix. What are you going to do next year?"
A tall, toned boy, around sixteen years old, with blonde hair and hazel eyes, was talking with a shorter, black-haired boy, probably the same age. While seemingly annoyed, Felixx didn't actually mind their conversations.
"I already told you Andres, didn't I. I'm going to register as an adventurer and help the people here get the recognition they deserve!"
Near them, a girl the same age as the two boys with brown hair and striking green eyes was preparing food for the three of them. When she heard what Felix said, she chuckled.
"You really think someone as cowardly and feeble as you can be an adventurer?" She stood up with a plate of sandwiches and went to the other two.
"You think I can't do it? While you stay here helping at the orphanage Aysha, I'll become a world-renowned adventurer and make this village into a thriving city!"
The sound of laughter from Andres and Aysha could probably be heard by the caretakers in the orphanage Felix and Aysha lived in. Both of them had been there for as long as they remembered, yet only became acquainted by chance two years ago at the summer festivities. For that brief period of time however they had created a bond between them that put even the strongest chains to shame.
"Then, when you become one, I will make you a blade fit for a hero!" Andres raised his fist in the air, smiling.
He had been a member of this small gang for just over half a year, and both of them enjoyed his company. He was the son of the local blacksmith, hanging out with them when he wasn't helping in the forge.
***
The next morning, Felix and Aysha were eating their breakfast in the dining room, discussing their plans for today.
"I heard there was a river with the clearest water anyone has seen in the forest nearby, want to check it out?" Aysha had a habit of sneaking around during nighttime, and had stumbled onto this piece of information last night, when she was eavesdropping on the director of the orphanage and a local hunter.
Felix nodded, a loaf of bread in his mouth. Today was going to be just the two of them, as Andres had to help his father with an urgent order they had received. Recently, he found himself strangely looking forward to when it was just them. It wasn't as if he disliked having Andres with them, he just felt happier when he was alone with Aysha.
After they finished their breakfast, they made a few sandwiches like yesterday and sneakily left their rooms. It wasn't like leaving the premises was forbidden, especially for older orphans, but they would most likely be in trouble if someone found out they were going in the forest.
Felix and Aysha were both aware of this, but they had snuck out there plenty of times before and nothing had happened then, so why would this time be different.....right?
After walking between the trees for a couple of hours, they finally reached the river Aysha was talking about. It seemed as if everything around the river was thriving, the grass was greener than anywhere else Felix had been, the trees were bigger and even the fruits around them looked juicier than the ones around the village. Mesmerised by the view, neither of them managed to see a trail of broken tree twigs and crumbled leaves.
"It really is as beautiful as I imagined!" Aysha excitedly put down the blanket they brought to lay down on.
Felix meanwhile approached the water. He didn't want to bother Aysha, and it was probably nothing, but something inside bugged him. It was as if a bell inside him had been rung, warning him about a danger.
He had never felt like this, so he chose not to pay it any attention, instead filling two flasks with the river water, drinking from his and bringing the other one to Aysha.
"And the water is the best I've drunk in my life" taking a sip from her flask, Aysha seemed in a state of bliss. Felix just agreed and sat beside her.
"Are you really going to stay at the orphanage?" It seemed this question had bothered him for a while, so he decided now was a good time to ask it.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I want to help the other kids and to repay the place that took care of me all my life."
'But I want you to come with me...' Surprised at that thought, Felix looked at Aysha. Looking at his hands, one with a sandwich, and the other with water, he silently vowed to protect her for as long as he breathes and to protect this peaceful atmosphere she exuded.
He would pretty soon fulfill one of these promises.
When Felix got up to fill his flask again, he noticed something peculiar on a bush on the other side of the river.
There, a berry bush stood, but what caught his attention was not the bush itself, but the missing berries and branches.
The only person other than them to come here should have been the hunter that visited the orphanage, and Felix assumed he didn't hang around long enough to cross the river.
This meant that something else ate the berries, and it didn't took a genius to figure out what else it could be.
"Run!" Felix ran back to Aysha, who hearing him call out, was startled for a moment and didn't move.
But a moment was too late.
"Why do we-" A shadow flew above them, easily crossing the distance and landing in front of them, blocking their escape route.
Felix grabbed Aysha, who was closer to the beast. His speed wasn't a match to the beast's though, and one of its claws cut across her arm, painting the grass red in her blood.
Thankfully, his action was enough to save her life.
"I will distract it, you run back to the village and get someone to help." With these words Felix ran to one side and screamed.
"Hey, you big dog, come have a taste!" A cruel smile appeared on the beast's face, as if mocking him, and jumped towards him.
'Good, I just need to take his attention away long enough for Aysha to get far enough.'
Focusing on his task, Felix strained all his muscles to run as fast as he could, yet the beast was faster. With each second the distance between them shortened more and more. In the end, he had to make a choice.
And so he gathered his strength and jump to the side into the river, the beast's claws shallowly cutting into his skin.
The beast howled and jumped to the other side, waiting for Felix to inevitably come out of the water for air.
And that time was drawing closer and closer, with each second Felix could feel his lungs burning more, calling out for air. Yet he stubbornly refused to come out of the water. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe he decided that drowning was better than being mauled by the beast, yet Felix stayed in the water, slowly but surely losing consciousness.
Yet he didn't feel sad.
'At least she got away.'
With this final thought, he accepted his demise and left himself to the hands of fate.
Yet the inevitable didn't come. Instead, when Felix opened his mouth, unable to keep it closed anymore, a stream of the river water rushed inside him. Transforming into an unknown for him energy, it reached the furthest parts of his body, and a clear voice echoed in his ear, as tranquil as the river.
"Do not worry. I will take care of this, a gift to express my gratitude."
Felix didn't know what he had done for the voice to warrant a gift. However, he couldn't think about it, as he felt his consciousness slipping, feeling like it made room for something else to reside in his soul.
With that final feeling, he left himself to the flow and allowed this strange energy to take over him, making him finally go to sleep.
A peaceful sleep without dreams.