The sun had barely risen when chaos began again.
Villager (shouting): "It's them! The cursed children! BURN THEM!"
Torches lit up the night. Angry footsteps echoed through the village of Furry.
Nell burst through the tunnel entrance, eyes wide.
Nell: "Everyone—wake up! They're coming for us! We have to run—now!"
Without hesitation, Zyroth got up.
The eight of them—his makeshift family—gathered what little they had and sprinted through the tunnel they'd been digging secretly for months.
Mud. Darkness. Scraped knees. But freedom.
They emerged outside the village and into the forest, the flames of betrayal flickering behind them.
Zyroth (panting): "We're not going back."
A New Journey Begins
Night fell. Hunger crept in. All they had was river water.
Zyroth knelt by the river, eyes focused.
Zyroth: "Hold still…"
With a rock, he slammed down.
Zyroth (grinning): "Got one!"
It was slow work, but one fish turned into thirteen over the next four hours.
Nell struck rocks together until a spark caught.
One collected sticks, disappearing into the night for hours to keep the fire alive.
Their shadows danced in the firelight, the air quiet but heavy with tension. Only Zyroth, Nell, and One seemed calm. The others clung to one another, scared but trusting.
When the fish finally sizzled on the fire, the smell alone made everyone smile.
Under the Night Sky
Bellies full, they lay under the stars.
It was the first peaceful moment in days.
Shooting stars streaked across the sky.
One by one, they whispered their dreams.
Hena: "I wanna be a storyteller… someone who makes the world remember us."
Nell: "I'll be a ninja. Silent, unseen, deadly."
One: "Knight, obviously. Someone strong… that people respect."
Zyroth (quietly): "…I just want to sleep in peace. No more nightmares."
Hena: "What kind of dream is that, idiot?"
Zyroth: "Shut up."
Laughter filled the air.
Selma: "I'll make the best restaurant in the world."
Teana: "I want money. So much that I'll never need to steal again."
Kenny (nervously): "I… wanna be brave."
Buma (smiling): "I want to taste food from every corner of the continent."
They all raised their arms to the sky, five fingers outstretched.
A shooting star crossed above them.
Together (shouting):
"This is our wish!"
The fire crackled softly behind them.
They were poor. Hunted. Homeless.
But right now—they were alive.
And they were still dreaming.