He continued along the path. The trees were thickening, and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly somber. His horse slowed down, moving with a halting, limping gait. Its tail flicked incessantly, a clear sign of its growing agitation. Khaia gripped the saddle tighter, trying to calm the beast.
As he struggled to maintain control, he hadn't realized he had already drifted deep into the heart of the forest. He noticed the light was fading. Looking up, he saw the canopy closing in, the massive branches weaving together to shut out the sky. He felt a presence in the surrounding bushes—strange sounds, low hums, and eerie whispers. He finally began to understand why this forest bore its ominous name.
Suddenly, the horse stopped dead. It wouldn't budge. No matter how hard Khaia tried, the animal remained frozen. He was forced to dismount. When he looked into the horse's eyes, he realized it was staring fixedly at a single point. Following its gaze, he saw another pair of eyes. By the time their stares locked, it was already too late. Just like his horse, he froze in place.
He saw his mother. He wanted to walk toward her, to reach out.
"Mother? Is it you?"
"Yes. Come to me, my son. Come. Let me hold you."
"But... I thought you were dead. How can this be? Am I dreaming?"
His eyes grew watery, and his breath became ragged. His pupils darted erratically. He took a few steps forward. His mother kept beckoning him.
He still hadn't fully processed her sudden death and her abrupt disappearance from his life. Deep down, he felt he hadn't grieved enough. Everything had happened so fast—the arrival of those masked people, the frantic escape... He hadn't had the time to mourn. Now, a dam of suppressed emotions was bursting inside him. He collapsed to the ground, motionless. A cacophony of voices echoed in his mind—his mother's voice mingled with unrecognizable, distorted whispers.
"She died because of you."
"If you hadn't been born, she would still be alive."
"Everything is your fault. Your father... your mother..."
He clutched his head between his hands, trembling. He wanted to scream. Looking up toward the sky, he let out a harrowing cry. His mother's image continued to call him. But as he opened his eyes, he noticed something strange: the sky was clear. Then it hit him—just moments ago, giant trees had blocked the view. Where had they gone? He realized it was a hallucination. He slapped his own face repeatedly, but he felt no pain. He knew it was a dream, but he couldn't wake up, no matter how hard he tried.
While Khaia was trapped in this vision, four grotesque creatures crept toward him. Suddenly, a brilliant light and a faint shockwave erupted from his necklace. The amulet was protecting him, releasing a pulse of Essence. The creatures hissed and retreated, waiting. They thought Khaia had awakened, but he was still lost in the trance. As they moved to attack again, two bandits emerged from the shadows. They were hunters of this forest, masters who controlled these monsters to prey on travelers.
The pulse of Essence had been felt by more than just the hunters and their beasts.
The creatures closed in. One of them looked different—its eyes were blood-red with spiral-shaped pupils. This was the one responsible for the hypnosis.
Just as they reached Khaia, the ground beneath them began to sink. It was as if the solid earth had instantly turned into a swamp. The creatures shrieked in confusion. From behind Khaia, a masked man raised his hand from the ground and approached. He touched Khaia's shoulder, and the boy snapped awake instantly.
Disoriented, Khaia saw three strange monsters sinking into the earth, letting out hollow moans of fear. Sensing a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see a hulking man wearing a strange mask that covered his eyes and nose but left his mouth exposed.
The masked man looked at Khaia. "Don't be afraid, kid. These things are no different from insects. Just don't look into the eyes of the big one. And as for these two 'hunters'... Tell me, is this how low you've sunk? Attacking a child?"
One of the hunters aimed a strange weapon at the newcomer.
"Who do you think you are to call us names? Let's kill him. He thinks he's some kind of hero."
The masked man let out a booming laugh.
"Kill me? Please, don't. Hahaha! You two are even more useless than these bugs. Come then, I'm waiting."
The monsters were pinned in the mud, unable to move. The hypnotic creature had already fled. The larger of the two hunters was visibly fuming. He activated his weapon using Essence. It fired specialized bullets reinforced by the energy.
He fired at the masked man. The bullet, coated in Essence, tore through the air at incredible speed. However, the masked man simply caught the bullet between his fingers.
Khaia hadn't even seen the shot. He stood there, paralyzed.
In the blink of an eye, the masked man appeared in front of the hunter. He crushed the man's weapon with his bare hand. Before the hunter could react, the man grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. An explosion of energy erupted from his palm, sending the hunter flying into a tree where he slumped, unconscious. The area where the man had grabbed him was scorched. The second hunter was terrified. He tried to run, only to slam right into the masked man, who had appeared in his path instantly. With a kick that was almost too fast for the eye to follow, the man sent the second hunter soaring in another direction.
The masked man approached Khaia. The boy was stunned; he had barely been able to track the man's movements, seeing only faint afterimages.
"Hey, kid. What are you doing out here?"
Khaia felt an instinctive sense of trust toward him. "I... I need to get to a town. I have to pass through this forest."
The man knelt to match Khaia's height.
"You've strayed from the path. That's not good. This forest isn't safe. Tell me where you're going, and I'll accompany you."
Khaia hesitated for a moment but decided to follow his lead. He couldn't oppose a man this powerful anyway.
"I don't remember the exact name of the town, but I need to find a man named Khural."
The masked man stood up abruptly, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Khural, eh? You're lucky, kid. I know him. Khural is an old friend of mine. Come with me. I'll take you there. It looks like your horse has bolted, so you don't have much of a choice anyway."
Though still slightly intimidated, Khaia followed him. They reached a carriage parked near the main path. It seemed the man had left it there to come to his rescue. They boarded the carriage and set off.
The masked man remained silent throughout the journey. Khaia lay in the back, reflecting on everything that had transpired.
My mother, my father, the necklace, the deaths... All of it happened because I was born.
The world felt overwhelmingly vast. There was so much he didn't know. And what about the beginning? he wondered. Does this world have a beginning? Is there a creator, or did everything simply come into existence on its own? Where did the Tree and the Essence come from? The world was indeed shrouded in mysteries. What happens when I die? Will I see my mother and father again, or will I simply cease to exist? He wanted to believe in a creator and an afterlife; it felt better, more hopeful. Some said that several planets had collided and merged to form the world they lived in now. How did that happen? And how did the Tree join them? Who was the first to discover how to wield Essence?
The masked man seemed to master it effortlessly; his strength was undeniable. I hope I can learn to use it like that, Khaia thought. He still didn't know the man's name. But then again, if the man wanted him to know, he would have said it. He clearly preferred his air of mystery.
How powerful are those masked men who came to my home? He had heard of a group called the Emperor's Eyes. They must be formidable. I must grow stronger too. For my mother and my father, I must use this necklace to gain power. Strong enough to kill the Emperor...
Overwhelmed by the trauma of the forest and the weight of his thoughts, Khaia finally drifted into a deep sleep.