Boy

As the morning sun rose, Lance and Sunflower readied themselves to embark on their journey. Together, they ventured deeper into the lush expanse of the Green Forest, guided by Sunflower’s familiarity with the terrain.

“Why is it called the Green Forest?” Lance asked, finding the name somewhat plain.

Sunflower pointed to his right. “Look down.”

Lance followed her gesture and spotted a squirrel staring back at him. Its eyes were pitch black, but its fur—and even the nut it held—was a rich, deep green.

Sunflower smirked. “Well, now you know why.”

She continued, “Every plant and animal in this forest is green. That’s also why it's dangerous—predators blend in too easily. It’s hard to spot them, which is why people usually avoid coming here.”

Lance’s mind drifted back to the green tiger he had once fought in this very forest.

They walked in silence for a while until Sunflower suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right! I forgot to mention—”

“What?” Lance asked, curious.

“You probably don’t understand how magic works,” she said, watching him shake his head. “I don’t fully understand it either, but from what I’ve seen, you can imagine things into existence. That’s... an absurd level of magic.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah, but the pain is unbearable.”

“Exactly. To reduce that pain—or increase how much you can use your powers—you’ll need to train,” Sunflower explained.

Before Lance could ask what kind of training she meant, Sunflower suddenly shouted, “We made it!”

He looked ahead and saw light breaking through the trees. As they stepped toward it, a gentle river came into view, flowing calmly. A wooden bridge stretched across it, leading to a dirt pathway.

“We’re out of the forest now. This is the main path,” she said.

As they crossed the bridge, Lance noticed a wooden sign with an arrow pointing forward. The word “DEWBOUR” was carved into it.

“Our journey will take three days,” Sunflower told him, “but don’t worry. There are plenty of small villages and towns along the way where we can rest at night.”

Lance nodded, and the two continued along the path. As they walked, Sunflower began explaining the training he needed. “For mages, endurance is crucial. You’ll need to improve your stamina. That means endurance training, for example—”

She stopped mid-sentence. Both their eyes shifted forward.

Someone was approaching.

Sunflower’s keen vision caught the figure first.

A young boy was staggering toward them, his shirt torn and scorched. He wore a brown-dyed helmet with a pair of cracked goggles around his eyes. Blood was smeared across his skin, and his face showed exhaustion and pain.

Strapped to his back was another person—a blonde girl in a matching helmet and goggles. Her condition was worse. Her clothing was burned, her face streaked with blood, and a deep wound marked her chest.

The two parties neared each other in silence. No one spoke. The boy, barely able to walk, forced himself to take another step… and then another… carrying the unconscious girl.

As he passed them, Sunflower broke the silence with a voice that was slow, cold, and solemn.

“She’s dead.”

The boy froze. His body seemed to give up for a moment… but then, summoning the last of his will, he tried to take another step forward.

His legs buckled. He collapsed to the ground, the girl still on his back.