A warm and shiny yet cloudy view, a sight to behold as him walking towards the light, together with together with the people whom he know who loved him. Everyone walk with joy as your brother said something that made everyone laughed. As him watching the light while slowly being engulfed by it. To the cold and rainy storm as him and his brother was lying down the cliff watching many strangers removing someone from the car as his head aches while his face was full of rain water and his blood.

He saw his brother being with his lover as they thought nobody new they were together as they spend time in the world like they own, while him was just at the other side of the wall, all ears and eyes.

And as he watched, all the people gathered for his presence, some were crying, others rejoiced, but everyone was celebrates his presence.

Yes what a great feeling, for a mother to cover you with blanket while you're asleep.

The horror of silence, from the outside, that only worsen by the blinding darkness of the late night, before the morning comes. A howling chord of the singing birds lessen the fright from the darkness coming from the forest, or is it? Is that really a bird or just a beast with false voice that predate to those who listen, or is it? Maybe it was a monster all along, singing a melody to anyone who hears it. Yes, it is!

An orchestra of hypnotic ballad that too low to hear, yet so loud once heard. And anyone who will be captured through it, conscious or not, will approach to the source and become the victim for the night, before the sun come rising. A treat of melody that threat to anyone who hears it regardless, a nightmare to everyone wither they're awake or asleep. A song from the singing monster that was unknown from the distance.

The plain empty ground, drawn with a mark that was in between the monsters to anyone, middling the music made by creatures of the night, it blocks the echoing sound making them retreat hide to the shades and shadows. A hope until the morning comes, the sunshine is the sign of comfort.

Bell from the orphanage rang, everybody have to go up, now that the sun rises, as everyone have chores for them to do until the sunset comes. Mother Lilith, the head of the orphanage, has come to assist the children, and before they will be given what the chores for today, they must eat a breakfast first.

Now, a soup from and vegetable, with a little slice of bread, is a feast for later's heavy labor. They just have take the time, and slowly enjoy the meal, as it's not everyday their will be a bread in the table.

Hanabi a 5 year old kid, left the orphanage right after he finished his meal, among everyone in the orphanage he has peculiar chore he himself do. constantly being at the market, which is the closest neighborhood from the orphanage, even though the path needs two hours of walking for Hanabi's pace to reach the destination. Today was a bountiful day from the market, as its was crowded compared to usual, and many people was around even though it still a morning. Hope for something to bring back was only Hanabi is looking for and sometimes he beg for a small buck to also bring home along.

Looking to the left and to the right, the market was not having scarcity, looking close and far there were many shops to go into. Watching to his way as he might get stumbled by someone and tripped, until he reach the other side of the market. There's no need to rush for Hanabi, the job will be achieved later, he's just walking everywhere to not miss anything.

Even at the end of the market, shops still didn't end, some shop who's more established, while having its own shelter unlike the vendors from the market whom only have mostly tables and roof. Smiths, jewelry, potion shops and other else was on there own store covered by the doors. Hanabi was just passing by, as he has other destination to reach. On the other regions of establishments along the distant path, the road was like a puzzle only and experience will make people not lost and be indanger. Even so, It was not simple to remember and get used to the place passing through around.

There were a bigger places, along the way which was considered to be the top among everything around and people mostly in business sometimes depend on them for many reasons. an establishment mint for guilds, various from adventurers, merchants treasure hunter, hunters and many more, as even the nobles and the royalties themselves rely on on them.

Despite the magic being a common knowledge, not so many people posses such gift. That's why Hanabi, while at the distance, admire the people in the adventurer's guild as inside that place people with such ability and combat knowledge and prowess gather around. His admiration towards them made him ignores how those people labeled them from having barbaric nature, and he desire to himself that one day, he will become an adventurer.

To the other side of the merchant guild at a distance middle by the wide road, has an abandoned building that was used to be inhabited by people, he often shelter to it everytime he pays visit and begin looking from a far observing the play for an hour. While lost in thought as his sight was everywhere, Hanabi sometimes reminisce about a tale and stories, Mother Lilith and other nuns often tells them on bed time. Hanabi always to listen to them and hear the story about a merchant, that he got admired on so much that he also wanna become something like that merchant someday too. Having to dream in each of the logical side, is the only thing someone like him could do, the world he's leaving in is not so different place.

the other side of the merchant guild, opposite to where Hanabi is, was a crowded place of houses in buildings where common people lived. Apparently the dire economic status of the kingdom can be mirror every residential area around. The house's roofs are made of bricks which made common for people walk above it with no problem.

From a far where not within Hanabi's range of sight, a group of thieves consisted of 7 members run like run no tomorrow, as they are being chased by the hard of soldiers, knights and few magicians. The destination of the chase is towards the rooftop of the merchant guild, close to Hanabi, as every side where the thieves are running was already blocked by the chasers doing their best to ensure there capture no Matter what.

Hanabi was baffled and confused about what's going on, as a considerable number of knights and soldiers arrived and went inside the building of merchant guild, as some already at the rooftop as it was plain structured. He had a speculation about what's happening yet kept on watching as he's enjoying the show since it was the first time he witnessed something like it, which made him unable to hold the excitement and nervousness for some reason.

Upon the quiet and unified formation they doing, the intensity of the event couldn't be more clearer, for Hanabi to see from a far. Yet Beyond his awareness, an exhausting chase is viewed by people everywhere they passed by. Through the path from the roof, they run with all of their might, even though without any hope to escape at all, their paces looks already like a dying beast and pity won't even begin to describe the thieves entire situation. until they arrived from at the top of the merchant guild from being lured which got them cornered, circled around by their pursuers.

Hanabi was puzzled from what's happening, the thieves only have in their possessions was a beat up weapons and a pouch that Hanabi suspects was a magic item. The thieves has only seven of them while the soldiers and knights has more than 50, the odd is out of the question, yet for some reason, not of both sides have yet made a move.

A magic knight, stood front and confront them, saying something Hanabi can't hear, but the thieves was so consciously dead to even be able to understand what the magic knight was saying.

situation got ease, yet the pressure became heavier than it supposed to be, so much so that even he can feel the tension. Even so, the soldiers and knights became so confident from getting them cornered to even noticed or speculate what's about to happen. All the thieves calm down like they're secretly going something, even though the soldier have their eyes on them and constantly on guard. Now given the circumstances of the situation, the thieves looking like they finally accepted their fate, they now don't look dead, but a dead who's about to include others from their fate to the afterlife. Without the soldier's awareness thieves has already made a decision, waiting for the right time to execute the plan they made in case they will about to be captured.

While Hanabi kept watching at the distance, the soldiers and knights was being seemingly victorious given the circumstances. On guard yet not aware of what the thieves is about to do. Within a split of a second, as the thieves braced their resolved and saw the perfect time, out of the blue, the four of them mindlessly charged towards everyone nearby that surrounds them. Not surprised from their attempt, Knights and soldiers counter them yet while at it, the four of them release a harmless gas that act as a fog yet thick enough to blind everyone temporarily and cover the three who's chanting a magic spell. Despite being outnumbered, the four thieves was capable of buying time despite it cost their their lives in exchange, even so, the sacrifice was worth it as it made their companion finish the spell before their chasers took them down.

However, as the fog slowly vanish, one of them hasn't yet met his fate. A man in a mask saw Hanabi at the distance watching, which made him decides to do one last thing while everyone was unaware of him. Without a second thought the man throw the small pouch he holds to Hanabi with his remaining strength. But before he could let go of the item, the magic they cast finally took effect and spark so bright making everyone who look at the direction of the magic got blinded further. The man didn't run, instead since he was not affected by the magic he proceeds to attack anyone who's close to him, which only put his life to its end. Thus the pursuit finally reached it's conclusion.

Hanabi noticed the glow from the spark while he was watching, after the thief who throw the item to him, he ignore the man's doing and close his eyes making him not know what happened further. The item miraculously reached to Hanabi, hitting the floor and bounces to his foot. He opened his eyes as the spark only last for merely 2 seconds after being noticed something hit to his foreleg, he look back at the distance where the event happened looking for the thief as it puzzled him, while thinking why he did such thing, yet fail to see him again as he's already hidden from the fog.

To say the least, the devil in his mind win over his desire as he run away with it, and even before the man lost his life Hanabi already gone, running away while bringing the item with him.

Many children gathered at the well to fetch buckets of water, while some bathed. Daily chores and activities at the orphanage were routine. Hanabi, however, was still serving a punishment for not bringing anything the previous day. The head nun had ordered him to wash dishes after breakfast for three consecutive days before he could go back to the market again. Hanabi wasn't too bothered by the task, despite it being something he disliked. He went about washing the dishes with a sense of annoyance yet didn't mind much as there's more something in his thoughts, the task was tedious, but Hanabi completed it without complaint. As he finished washing the dishes, Hanabi felt a sense of relief wash over him, while he thinking about the previous day's incident, which he had kept to himself. He had buried the pouch he brought along in the ground somewhere in the grassland, as he realized he didn't have time to check its contents.

The day of his punishment's end finally arrived. After finishing his meal, Hanabi deliberately left and headed to the grassland. As he traveled along the road, the morning sunshine warmed him up, and he welcomed it like an omen of good fortune. The silence of the place was almost melodic, with nature's sounds being the loudest, as he felt like, his feet is dancing in every step as he walk.

It's uncommon for people to visit the wide plain of the grassland except for specific reasons, such as hunting uninvited creatures that managed to pass through the nearby barrier. Despite this, Hanabi's strong ability to sense danger allowed him to perceive potential threats around him, in which gave him confidence about his own safety.

Upon reaching the destination, somewhere unknown from most people, and after confirming no one was around, Hanabi began to retrieve the pouch. It was small enough for an adult to grip with one hand and surprisingly light despite appearing packed, he wondered why it hadn't felt heavier or flown away from the wind as he's running at that time he took it. The pouch was made from a rather simple leather, folded and tied with a knot. He tried to undo the string the previous day, but found it too tight for his strength, reason why he brought a shard of a broken knife to cut the string. As he undid the pouch, it opened rather easily, as if expecting him. Hanabi speculated that it might be a magic item, especially since he can't see anything inside, since its covered by something dark like a shadow. Feeling fortunate, and not sensing any particular danger or anything similar, he inserted his hand without hesitation, hoping to find money or something valuable. However, his arm went deeper than expected, yet not touching inside the pouches leather while he's hand explore inside despite him already put his whole forearm and half of his arm. remembering his intention, he decided to pick up something the first thing his hand touched. He grab the very first thing he holds into and proceeded to pull his hand back, it was something he needed the each end of his fingers just to take a grip, yet he noticed that despite the thing seemingly large, it felt weightless which did not gave him hard time to take it out. As he's saw he realized, the item he's holding into is a book, and the part of the book he hold through his hand is where all the page were held. After the realization, disappointment washed over him, but he remained composed, thinking that the book might still be a magic item. The book was enormous, as its height reached through his neck from the ground, with a cover that seemed old and faded red, despite its size and thickness, it felt weightless, further supporting Hanabi's assumption that it was magical.

Without much thought, while hoping that his speculation was right, Hanabi flipped the cover, which made the first page glowed with a golden light, illuminating the surroundings without being blinding. As the glow vanished, it left a single phrase on the page: "Ask and shall be answered." Unsure what it meant, Hanabi turned to the next page, which was empty. Frustrated, he flipped through more pages, finding them all blank. Hanabi unconsciously vocalized amidst his confusion, asking, "What does this book do anyway?" The book responded as it flip to the next page and the sheet glow like the first one. The book imprinted a lot of words giving him the answers the book might thought he needs and filling the paper completely, which Hanabi find exhausting to read and mostly don't make sense to him. Mother Lilith sometimes read them stories, before bed time, and occasionally teach them how to read and write. Despite all he still struggle to understand most words imprinted to the paper even though the book use the language he know and could understand. he grasped that the book could answer his questions, which he don't deny finding it useful and convenient. Yet wither he believes to it being magic or not he still decided to put it to test as he asked he asked, "Magic,". The book flipped to the next page which were provided him options base on his request, along the list he found the word "learn," which sparked his curiosity that made him not think twice and immediately choose it.

The book opens to the next page, which also glows like the previous pages did, shortly after, within the middle of the page is a circle seems to be a symbol of something, which gave him a strong sense of familiarity, yet could never put his fingers on it. The book guided him through a process, instructing him to place his palm inside a circle. As he did so, the book glowed, right after while being in a process, Hanabi felt something inexplicable happening, he suddenly felt somewhat weak, as his inside was being suck by something really strange and unpleasant. Despite all, above the circle, something written which told him not to remove his hand while in process, which he followed, despite the foreign discomfort. As the process completed, right after he removed his hand, the book again flip the page to next, in which where Hanabi supposed stats was written, in rather specific description. From their he saw his present status which made him wonder about the average stats human have, as he view further he noticed the description shown that the best one he got among everything was magic. Yet since he chooses to learn magic the book change the page again, to provide him the information he asked.

As Hanabi read his stats, a strong gust of wind snapped him back to reality. He realized the value of the book and the danger it posed. He's aware about the chaos might begin if the item will discovered by anyone else. Speaking of which, a wild idea comes to his mind while thinking what to do, since the book process magic, he asked the book to create a barrier that would coat the place with barrier that would shield and hide him at the same time. The book responded, releasing magical particles that coated the area like a bubble, He watched in great amazement as the barrier was forming while realising a dust of particles made of magic that glows in rainbow as it fall to his face.

As Hanabi ran back home as fast as he could, he almost lost track of time after being overly entertained from the book. The place grew darker, and he realized with great anxiety that he had forgotten his task again. Thinking about it filled him with dread, knowing Mother Lilith wouldn't be easy to deceive. He noticed the sun dipping below the horizon and feared facing not one but two reprimands.

In a flash of inspiration, given by the dire situation he realized he was having, before he left He, remembered, the pouch. He rummaged to it dileberatly while removing anything he thought was not neccesary, while gathering leaves he thought might be edible vegetables as he might not know the name but he recognized it as safe since he constantly sees it being in display at the market. As he stumbled upon another pouch, hoping it contained money, he opened it and was relieved to find some. With time running out, he grabbed the money and vegetables and hurried back, leaving everything else behind.

Right at the moment, Hanabi wonder his thoughts away from reality, as he's considerably anxious while barely moving from his seat in front of Mother Lilith's desk. Due to her having few paperworks to take care with, Hanabi manage to not get scolded from being home very late yesterday, as he arrived right after the sun fully set to the horizon. Back to the present, Hanabi was supposed to be leaving after meal, yet he was ordered to go to Mother Lilith's office immediately for something he was not told for the reason why, which did not sound like a good news in his opinion.

Mother Lilith always the one who first to talk specially from the present circumstances, however, she have few paperworks she currently doing, which made him unable to afford talking, fearing to disrespect her.

"how's the market this days." Mother Lilith suddenly speak, which almost suprised Hanabi.

Due to being anxious for quite some time, Hanabi find it hard to respond. "we..ll...... most days, the crowd seems to increased."

Mother Lilith looks at him for few seconds, worried for some reason, which baffled Hanabi as she's been always serious and rarely show an emotion, not to mention, it's something even him could easily tell.

Mother Lilith stopped what she's doing temporarily, as she sigh, fully giving to Hanabi her attention. "at the southwest of the kingdom, crime began to get worse." a very serious expression as she talks. "crimes about people getting kidnapped increased lately, specially the children."

He knows poverty got worse as the days roles by as some minor event is also happening in almost at the daily basis at the market, yet his innocence about the worse that happening at the other place, made Hanabi worried for himself. "I never heard of such thing."

"You're not supposed to." Mother Lilith brushes off what he said. "Understand if I ever, hear a news about the situation spread, that already reached close to the market, you will not leaving here, until the situation stops." a rather sharp tone, like a threatening voice, yet behind it was just a mother showing her love to a mischievous child. Needless to say, Hanabi did not object.

While showing some great anxiety and nervousness he answered "understand Mother Lilith." Mother Lilith shift back to her usual serious and unreasonable face while she reach something under her desk. In her hand is a few envelope, knotted together. "I supposed you know the mail office was?" Mother Lilith ask, while putting the envelope to the desk close to him.

"Yes. It was just closed to the adventurers guild." Hanabi answered without putting much thought.

"I supposed you know that place well." mother Lilith respond like she knew he would answer that way. From there Hanabi realize as he remembers that he was not supposed to go further to the market, Which made him panic internally. Because of that, he fail to noticed, mother Lilith placed a bucket of flowers to the desk along side the envelope. Hanabi was not surprised about the bucket, and know where he would go for it. "I understand what we discussed earlier, even so I still trust that you're gonna be safe. None of us have free time at the moment, so I want you to take care of this for me." she orders.

Hanabi was surprised not because of the order, but because he was not scolded, which left him dumbfounded, and immediately left fulfilling her orders.

As the wind passing through him, while walking along the road, the danger he was told about made him thought twice to go at the market this time, though, even before he heard the news he was already sceptical on going. Yet since he has an order to fulfill, he deliberately walk ,wanting to finish the quest as soon as possible.

The Market feels odd compared to before, usually a lot of empty shelf lying around unused waiting for someone to give it a use. But as for today is different, most shelves was occupied by random people, Hanabi don't recognize, supposedly things like this was normal. the thing he find suspicious, was the fact that, most of the new vendors was selling random things, which is the cheapest products people can find around, yet most of the item they were selling was something already weathered and used.

As he looked around, he suddenly felt someone was looking at him while passing through, which annoyed him a lot, and made him fell uncomfortable. As Hanabi left the market he proceeds to go to the mail office to deliver the envelope Mother Lilith asked him to do, which not exactly hard to do. Right after, he proceeds to go to the second order he was told to.

Behind the Adventurers guild, is a small cemetery mainly used by commoners, in the middle is a huge statue of a supposed God in which people who lost their beloved loved once pray occasionally. Someone who used to be an orphan, just died yesterday, from the mission he accept as an adventurer. The person never have family, so the orphanage is the only family he have who could pray for him. Dead body of a human always being burned to ashes, preventing the possibility of necromancy, since the kingdom usually experienced incident from people who hide the body of their dead love ones. He put the flower in front of the statue, as he proceeded to pray, then left without looking back.

To the place where now his liar, placed somewhere unknown to everyone, in which there's no man except him was aware of, from there no man knows where he was. Inside the place is an uncleaned sight, made from scattered things he didn't put back inside the pouch before he left. Realized the time was his, he choose to use it for something he finds more valuable. As he returned everything back to where it used to be, he realized most of it is something he can't find to know. Even though curiosity wants to stray from what he decides to do, he value his purpose and let all slip through, thinking that one day he might be able to explore all these things. Right after cleaning the place, Hanabi reopens the book from the page where his magic stats was written, filled with excitement and anticipation Hanabi can't help but to smile subconsciously. Yesterday, as he's having fun, he began to try the very first basic training written from the book, which has something to do with magic control. something of release, then expand while in control of the flow, sometimes the opposite, which is control and condense, as one coat the magic flow around the body, though they were different, the training was about increasing the quality and quantity of the ones magic capacity. Base on the chart about his stats shown from him, Hanabi saw that he has affinity for all basic types of magic, yet his greatest was water, which he find strange and confused while thinking for the reason, which made him speculate about the humans elemental affinity not being associated with their life experience.

A joyous morning, awakened by the smell of the freshly cooked food like they're about to have feast, that was so rare to happened, the excitement of the children as they can't wait for the meal that was about to be served to their respective table.

Yesterday, after Hanabi's training from his hidden lair, he noticed from the grassland, in a distance, is a sight of a wide field of grass was crushed to the ground, as if something of a giant creature slide through. Looking at the distance, as Hanabi was won over by curiousity, as he wanna know what just land over the area. However! As he wander around the field, even if he wasn't supposed to, from the middle, to the other end of the plain was besmirched with a trail of chaos as if something of a two large creature fought here for a long period of time. A splash of blood watered the ground, a crushed, cut and uprooted plants and grass, a trail of claw to the ground and a stampede of monsters can be seen everywhere, A chaos that happened just last night yet he didn't noticed before when he was passing to it while going to the market.

A mountain of soil can be seen from the end of the trail where Hanabi is standing, something like a mountain of grass that piled up, and a blood flowing out underneath it, that river the ground that paint everything with red.

it was a remain from a defeated creature, a body without a life. Without a life it won't possess any danger, a lifeless body who's not from a human, if it's not a human! It can be consumed. Hanabi grab a peace of meat and continue walking to the orphanage, to tell everyone what he just found.

A melody in the diner, a rare occasion, where everyone eat without any worries for tomorrow, rest for now on thinking what to eat in the future, the important is the food later will tastes like feast. They eat as many as they can as a reward for the hardwork, after retrieving the meat Hanabi found.

As he walks back to the orphanage, after he noticed that the sun is about to set, a horrible feeling never left him even though he's already far from the market. He noticed the unpleasant feeling the moment he arrived at the market this morning, reason why he didn't stay long, and just go pass to the other side. He knew something is happening this time.

Along the way through the road, between the end of the plains and the little forest, a stranger from a far distance shades under the tall tree, could be seen seating on the ground. Looking like a rogue, as the face was masked and covered, while wearing a robe, and from the built of the person's physic, the person seems to be a man, waiting for his companions. Hanabi was not too surprised seeing strangers at the area, as even though uncommon, he already saw few people around who's usually on a quest or something related to it, and because the side of the road is the only closest shade they could find, those who visits the plains usually could be seen at the side of the road before and after their quest. But this time is different, Hanabi knew nothing right will going to happened once he got close to the person.

The moment he got closer, a pair of strangers walk behind him really close yet silent, Hanabi suspects they were using some sort of magic item that can conceal their presence, which could be enough for a normal person not to notice them. Hanabi pretend not know what's happening, giving them a fall sense of relief for thinking whatever plan they're having, it's not failing. Hanabi could detect them, thanks to the magic training he's been doing this past days. Apparently, once a magic user managed to increased their magic capacity in significant level, it allows the person to enhance some of their physical traits, because of it Hanabi made his senses sharper, though he doubt he won't detect those who tailed him even if he did not train.

When he got close enough, as the rogue pretends to just noticed Hanabi, he look back and forth each end, pretending to be confused, even though Hanabi knew the rogue was making sure no one was close enough to interrupt. As Hanabi got closed enough. The rogue began to communicate with a soft friendly tone "are you lost little boy?". He began standing up while looking at the people behind hanabi.

Hanabi was impressed that he can't detect him lying. He plays along their scheme and pretend to be an ignorant to what's happening, Atleast until they show their true colors. He answers "No, I'm an orphan, I'm now heading back to the orphanage."

The rogue clearly new he's going to answer him that way, and since Hanabi was just a child, he becomes rather impatient and confident. "you know" as he let out his sword "I'm also lost, you need to come with me, and show me where to go." As the blade pointed at Hanabi, the two who followed him finally shows up.

Even so, Hanabi was thankful that they did show their true colors, which will might decreased the guilt he's gonna feel for what he's about to do. Confident since he was just a child, seemingly not the first time they did such act, they talk like he doesn't matter, which gave him an easy time to grab something inside his pocket. It's a sheet of small rectangular paper with a symbol written it, as it began to glow the moment Hanabi holds it. One of the stranger noticed the glow and grab his Hanabi's shoulder, to investigate. However it's too late, even before Hanabi could fully turn around, the three already vanished, and Hanabi proceeds to walk like nothing happened, as the paper he was holding turns into dust.