With each step filled with caution, Astolfo made his way towards the spot his sister had marked this morning. The numerous moons and the stars that outnumbered them made the night just bright enough for the young boy to traverse in. Before long, the warm and light colors of Frucht disappeared and the wild trees and grasses filled Astolfo’s sight.

He recalled the path they had taken this morning and moved with much consideration. Young as he was, Astolfo was not without sense. He was vividly aware of the dangers any wilderness held and was not going to underestimate them.

As Astolfo entered deeper into the forest, the light of the moons drowned in the sea of leaves. Darkness filled the forest.

“This is getting scary…” Astolfo said to himself. “I won’t be able to find it in this darkness…”

Astolfo’s steps got more delayed as the darkness started swallowing all around him. He wanted to turn around and go back, but he had already come this far. Letting fear guide his actions now would be rather tasteless of him.

Tweet~♪

Soon, the soft sound of whistling resounded in the outskirts of Dalwich forest. Astolfo’s walk became more confident as he put all his focus into whistling the fear away. As his whistle got louder, a giggle reached his ears. Startled, Astolfo frantically turned his head all around him. Small blobs of light flounced all over the forest. Their giggles, filled with mischievousness, sounded like harmonious singing to Astolfo’s ears.

“P-pixie...s?” Astolfo stuttered.

The shining little creatures with pointed ears and butterfly-like wings smiled and laughed when Astolfo took their name. They all came closer to the unsuspecting boy and circled him, dancing up and down.

“Why did you stop? Hihi… We liked your song~” a pixie said. Sounds of agreement rang out at her words.

Astolfo was at a loss for words. He couldn’t understand what they meant and could only awkwardly ‘ah’ or ‘um.’

The pixies seemed to have inferred something of their own from his silence as a mischievous smile spread across their tiny faces.

“Hey, hey, are you searching for something? Maybe we can help? Yes, yes?” asked the pixie at the forefront.

Astolfo’s ears perked when he heard ‘help’, making him nod. “Yes! I am looking for the metallic rose.”

“Hmm! The metallic rose?”

Astolfo’s eyes widened. “Have you seen it?”

“Hihihi, yes, yes! We have!” The pixies shouted and circled him again. “Do you want us to show you?”

“You have seen that perfect flower?! Then, can you please show me?”

“Yes, yes!” The pixies all giggled. “We’ll show you and you can continue your song till we reach?”

“Yup!” Astolfo said and started whistling again. The pixies danced around for a short while before leading him deeper into the forest. The unsuspecting child followed them with excitement.

He was led deeper and deeper into the forest in all directions till all signs of the path he had taken disappeared from his mind. As his song neared an end, the pixies grew more excited, and he found himself ever deeper inside the forest.

Eventually, Astolfo’s song came to an end. He heaved a few deep breaths, and the pixies broke into a gleeful fit of laughter. The one that had conversed with him before flew up to his nose and smiled at the boy.

“Thank you for whistling for us! Hihihi, as promised. We brought you to the flower.”

“Huh? Where is it?”

The pixie pointed ahead. “Right there! Straight ahead. Count twenty steps, okay, okay?”

Astolfo looked ahead and then looked back at the pixie. The little creature’s wide smile did not move an inch. With a strange doubt bubbling in his chest, Astolfo hardened his resolve and walked ahead.

“One”

He thought it would anyway be impossible for those sweet little things to harm him and relaxed his anxious heart.

“Five.”

As the boy moved ahead, the light of the pixies dimmed away, and their giggles drowned in the air.

“Twelve.”

He couldn’t see in the dark but kept his eyes on the ground.

“Sixteen.”

Careful, cautious, alert, Astolfo’s eyes were hunting for the flower.

“Eighteen.”

Just a bit further.

“Nineteen.”

One more.

“Twen—Ah!”

As if the ground had moved away, Astolfo’s feet slid away. He was slipping! A loud rumble rang throughout the forest as the ground below broke apart and fell. Astolfo had walked to the edge of a cliff in the dark forest. Before he could gasp or shout, a light feeling hit his body. The cliff had collapsed and his fall had begun.

A cold, metallic feeling brushed past his hand. For the short second that the light of the moons pierced into the forest, a bluish tint entered his eyes.

**

Ophelia Kirsche wasn’t a doting mother. She wasn’t a particularly present one either. With a life partner as ambitious and scheming as Vincent, whose goals one supported whole-heartedly, being such a mother would be difficult for anyone. Ophelia had to earn money like a normal person, and that kept her occupied the whole day.

But, just because she wasn’t with her family during the day, they didn’t love her less, and neither did she love them any less. In fact, not getting to spend time with them made her overprotective. Overprotective enough to check on her family multiple times in the night, especially with her youngest son, who was born weaker than weak.

Tonight, too, she extended her senses to feel the mana all around the house. Vincent was right next to her. Charlotte was sleeping soundly. Luka had fallen off his bed just like usual, and Astolfo was…

Ophelia shot up from her bed. Sitting on top of it, she tilted her head before trying it again. Still the same. Her youngest son wasn’t in his room. She carefully checked the other places, kitchen, bathroom, living room, nowhere. He was nowhere.

Worry spread over Ophelia’s face as she stepped out of the bed. She dashed up the stairs and barged into Astolfo’s empty room. A faint purple glow leaked out of her jewel-like eyes as she scanned the entire room. Her sight stopped at the table next to his bed. Opening the drawer, Ophelia saw a thick book inside.

“Where did this come from?” She murmured and flipped through the pages before abruptly stopping at one. The page that mentioned the metallic rose was dirtier than the rest. As she read through the page, a dark feeling overcame her.

“No way!” She shouted. “He couldn’t have gone to the damn forest!” The book fell and the window in Astolfo’s room slid open. Without a single second of hesitation, Ophelia jumped out.

**

“Ah…” A pained groan leaked out of Astolfo. His vision was red, and he had lost all the strength in his body. He felt like his head was made of stone, but at the same time, it was lighter than ever. What was most noticeable, though, was his breathing. It was so shallow that even in that despite being so confused, he could tell it was not a good thing for him.

He felt like he should move, no, it was as if he had no choice but to move. He didn’t know where the strength came from, but his bloodied hands pulled up to his shoulders and tried to push him off the ground.

Just as he lifted off the ground, a wave of dust and pebbles hit him. He turned his head towards his side.

“GRAHHH!!!”

Fear overtook the little boy. A chill ran down his spine, clearing away his hazy head on its way. He momentarily forgot all the pain he was in as he laid back down on the floor.

It was a wyvern.

Not the bug kind, a real wyvern.

The ferocious face of the predator. The glaring scales on its body. The eyes that struck fear into all that it fell upon. Astolfo had fallen right into a wyvern’s lair.

The wyvern looked irritated. It roared and hissed in the air. Astolfo knew that if he made even the smallest sound, he would be killed. So, without moving, without speaking, Astolfo stayed on the ground with his shallow breaths.

As the minutes rolled over, breathing became difficult. Dust and dirt clogged his mouth, but he refused to let even a squeak out of it.

More time passed.

The haze in his head got denser. His body was lighter than ever and he could feel his self fleeting away. When Astolfo moved his hand towards his stomach, a sticky liquid seeped into his palm. He wanted to check what it was but was too scared to do so.

What was he here for again? It was almost time to wake up. He would like to try making tea again. He had to wake up soon or his mother would leave for work already.

“Kahk!” He coughed.

His head cleared up again as realization dawned once more. He messed up.

The wyvern’s head raised, and roar left its bellows.

“Ah… ah…” He was scared. He was going to die.

“GRAH!” the wyvern’s scream shook the very ground as the shaking Astolfo entered its sight. Its wings spread wide and with a furious glare, the wyvern charged towards Astolfo!

“Ahhh!” the broken soul screamed. A golden hue spread over his eyes, and a shade of brown touched his red hair.

The wyvern stopped.