Syun walked south towards the city's forest. When she reached the south border gate she felt a faint hint of magic. Syun walked out of the border gate towards the bridge to the forest. She arrived at the mouth of the forest. There were two giant trees that stood out like a door post to another world. The moment her foot stepped over the line of the two giant trees she felt a tingle on her spine. She walked into the woods and followed the man made path before her.

As she moved along her body felt something was wrong. Something unnatural. She shrugged it off and moved far enough from the city border. She eyed her path looking for another path that has been cleared of any wild grass. As soon as she saw the clear grass path she diverged from where she was before. She followed the patchless ground until she felt the magic raised all the hair on her body. She proceeded with haste until she arrived at the cave where the man said his son went off to.

In the entrance of the cave she saw someone familiar. Someone she met earlier, the human she shared a ride with. As she walked closer she saw that the man wore something different. He was now wearing an off white colored shirt with sewed in shoulder pads. He had brown fingerless gloves connected to an armguard that is less bulky than before. On his hips are his gun and grapple on the right and left side respectively. Along with his grapple is what Syun could only make out as a collapsed baton.

"Hey, it's you again!" Syun exclaimed as she approached the man. "You know I didn't get a chance to know your name." Syun added.

The man simply ignored her.

"Where are my manners." Syun said as she grinned. "I'm Syun, and I'm an elf. You might know me... mostly the elves as the Slayer Protector." Syun introduced herself as she held out her hand.

"I should care because?" The man simply replied.

"Okay that's rude"

The man stepped towards the mouth of the cave. He walked calmly as his foot touched the inside of the cave Syun felt a cold wind exit the cave. She grabbed the man's shoulder.

"Can't you feel it?" Syun asked with concern.

"Your tight grab on my shoulder? Yes." The man looked at her pissed.

Syun let go of the man. "Look, I know you may not be a people person but please believe me that you don't want to go in that cave alone." Syun said as she looked at the entrance of the cave. She could feel something is off and that preventing this man from entering is going to help him.

"And why would I believe you?" The man glared at her with skepticism.

"Because elves can feel magic through our surroundings. And right now that cave reeks of darkness."

The man simply softly growled in inconvenience.

"If you want to find those kids like I do we should work together" Syun proposed.

The man looked at her with disbelief. "Who told you that I'm looking for some kids?"

"What? Haven't you heard, some kids came here to play and haven't come out since"

"Okay, good luck finding them then" The man simply entered the cave. Syun followed him afterwards

"Can you tell me why you came here?" Syun asked.

"I came here to look for a missing cat."

Syun looked at the man with pure disbelief. "Are you serious? You are looking for a cat?"

The man simply looked at her.

"You are serious." Syun scoffed. "You are going into a dangerous cave. A cave that reeks in dark magic just for a cat"

"Well I was already paid to do it, so why not just do it?" The man questioned her. "And I don't know what you're talking about dangerous caves. Because I've talked with the locals and they say this caven isn't even sixty meters long" The man continued.

Syun looked back. "Well that's the thing. We're already a hundred meters in the cave. And I can already feel a little breeze of magic."

The man looked back. "Are you sure about that?" the man asked.

"Yes. I'm an elf. I know how far something is by just looking at it" Syun said proudly.

The man sighed.

"I think it's best if we work together. I'll join you find the cat as long as you join me find two kids. Does that sound good?" Syun sincerely asked.

"No." The man quickly shrugged it off.

As the man walked forward Syun felt the cold breeze of air. She looked at the man who felt nothing at all. "Hey, you could at least tell me your name." Syun told the man.

"..."

"If you tell me your name I'll shut up"

The man paused and sighed. "My name is Kounna" The man said without looking at Syun.

"Hi Kounna nice to meet you" Syun replied as she smiled.

They continued to walk. Syun was silent throughout. The cave was just your ordinary cave but Syun was found rubbing her hands to generate heat. Kounna took the lead until he stopped. Syun bumped into him. She looked over to see why he stopped. Then she saw it, there was a fork on the road.

"So where do we go?" Syun asked. She looked over each path then she looked back. "I say we follow the path where the magic is strong. You know in case the monsters took the kids. And I do-" She stopped mid sentence when she saw that Kounna was no longer there. "Kounna? Kounna? Hey where are you!" She called out but received no reply.

Abandoned by her new found ally. Decided to move toward the colder place or where the dark magic reeks. She moved towards it and felt a little bit of chill. The cold was building up. She continued on the path until she heard a faint cry. Syun prepared her light machine gun. She moved towards where the cry was. It got her closer to a pile of rocks. There she can hear the cry audible enough.

She decided to move a few stones aside. She was careful as not to hurt whatever was hiding behind. And prepared to fight if the thing that hides there isn't a kid. As she did so she found a boy crying in a fetal position.

"Hey" Syun called out.

The boy looked at her. He sniffed his nose and wiped his tears.

"Everything's gonna be alright" Syun assured the boy. She helped the boy up. "Are you alright?"

The boy nodded. "I'm cold" The boy informed Syun.

Syun remembered that not only elves can sense magic but also children. So she removed her cape and put it on the boy "Here, it'll keep you warm and safe."

"Are you here to take me home?" The boy asked.

"Yes. and I'm also here to find your friend" Syun replied as she smiled.

"Someone came after me?" The boy asked. "Who was it?"

"I don't know but right now all we need is to," Syun said. As she spoke she saw her breath turned into a cold smoke The air suddenly began to feel a little colder. The walls and ground then rattled. The place was filled with heavy dark magic.

Syun looked at the kid as she turned off her gun's safety. "Run".