Fire, blood, burning houses, and red eyes staring at me from among them. I couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"What happened here?" I whispered, my voice trembling. My legs felt as if they were nailed to the ground. Unable to move, I stood frozen, observing the chaos around me. The fire roared with terror, devouring everything in its path. Its flames were so intense that I could feel the heat on my skin even from afar. The air reeked of the metallic scent of blood and the acrid stench of burning wood.

Although I was standing at the far end of the village's main street, I could see what was happening at the other end through the smoke. Bodies lay scattered on the ground, with dogs gnawing at them. I could hear the agonizing screams of men and the shrieks of women crying out in fear.

At the head of the street stood a figure—if it could even be called a person. It had two horns protruding from its head and glowing red eyes, so bright they pierced through the surrounding smoke. In its hand was a spear pointed at the chest of a man lying on the ground. That man was Gans.

The red eyes slowly turned toward me, their sharp gaze cutting through me like a blade. Despite the heat surrounding me, cold sweat began to pour from my body. This creature—it was a demon.

All of this began with a dream I had that morning.

A man, sitting at a table in a medieval house, by the light of a candle, began to tell a bedtime story to his young son, who lay under a blanket with his small hands resting on top of it.

The man said:

-“A long, long time ago, in an era when humans had not yet understood who they truly were, a massive star lit up the sky one night and began to fall toward the earth. It seemed to display its beauty, splitting into five parts—red, green, white, yellow, and blue. Each fragment was unique and mesmerizing. The stones landed in different parts of the world and lay there for a very long time.

After thousands, perhaps millions, of years, strange creatures began to emerge where the stones had fallen. These creatures were terrifying and resembled ordinary animals but had extraordinary abilities. Some could breathe fire; others resembled moving trees.

Humans, too, began to develop unique abilities. They called this power ‘magic.’”

The boy asked:

-“Magic?”

Man:

-“Yes, magic. Magic was capable of many things. People who learned to control it were called ‘Magicians.’ One of these magicians eventually united all the people and built a great kingdom.”

Boy:

-“Wow, magicians must be really powerful, right?”

Man:

-“Of course! They are not only powerful but also very intelligent.”

The door to the room opened, and a woman entered.

Woman:

-“Are you telling him scary stories instead of a bedtime tale again?”

Man:

-“Not at all. I’m just telling him a story.”

Boy:

-“Yes! Dad told me about monsters and magicians!” he said excitedly.

Woman:

-“What are you doing? Scaring a four-year-old child like this? Don’t you realize he might have nightmares about these things? He’s still so little!”

Man:

-“It’s nothing. My son isn’t scared, right?”

Boy:

-“Right!” he shouted.

Woman:

-“That’s enough for today, then. Let’s go,” she said, looking sternly at the man.

Man:

-“Alright. It’s not good to upset your mother, so we’ll end it here for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you another story. Goodnight! Sleep well, Attu,” he said as he left the room with the woman.

It was all a dream. Attu woke up in his bed, thinking about how he had seen the same dream again. But he had never seen his father’s face in his dreams.  He sat for a moment, then said to himself, “It’s time to get up.”

Grabbing the long cloth from the bedside table, he tied it around his eyes and got out of bed. Attu looked like an ordinary boy—tall and lanky for his age. Since he was little, he had always worn a cloth over his eyes, not because he wanted to but because his mother insisted. When Attu was younger and tried to play with other children, they had been frightened when they saw his eyes.

His mother had told him that he needed to wear the blindfold and never show his eyes to anyone. Despite this, Attu could still see everything around him perfectly.

He put on a white shirt, short brown pants, and tied the black cloth securely over his eyes before leaving his room. As he walked toward the kitchen, the sweet aroma of breakfast filled the air. In the kitchen, his mother was preparing the morning meal."Good morning, Mom," he said.

His mother’s name was Aurora. The two of them lived alone on the outskirts of the village. Aurora stood in the kitchen wearing a long, old, dark orange dress. Her hair was tied back in a simple bun.

Mother:

-“Good morning to you too! Come, sit down,” she said, placing the meal she had prepared on the table. She looked at her son’s face and sensed something was wrong.

Mother:

-“What’s the matter? You look upset.”

Attu:

-“Everything’s fine. I just had a bad dream. It was that same dream again.”

Mother:

-“Was it about your father again? How many times do I have to tell you, your father didn’t abandon us? He simply left because of his work.”

Attu:

-“If that’s true, then why has it been six years? He still hasn’t come back. You don’t even know if he’s alive!” he shouted.

Aurora started crying where she sat and said:

-“You’re right, I don’t know what he’s doing right now or where he is. But I trust him. I know he will come back.”

Seeing his mother cry, Attu realized he had made a mistake and apologized:

-“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I’ve ruined your mood too,” he said, wiping away her tears.

Mother:

-“I was going to give you a gift for your birthday,” she said softly.

Attu:

-“Really? What is it?”

Aurora took off the necklace she was wearing and placed it around Attu’s neck.

Attu:

-“Mom, this is a women’s necklace!”

Mother:

-“No, take a closer look,” she said.

Attu examined the necklace around his neck. It had a black ring with a carved rhombus in the center. It was clearly a piece meant for a man. Curious, Attu asked:

Attu:

-“Where did you get this?”

Mother:

-"Your father gave it to me as a birthday gift. Now, I’m giving it to you."

Attu:

-"Why a man’s necklace, though?"

Mother:

-"Well, that day, your father had forgotten it was my birthday. Since he hadn’t gotten me anything, he gave me this instead. The next day, he went out and bought me a bracelet to make up for it," she said with a laugh.

Attu:

-"Mom, how did you meet Dad?"

Mother:

-"Um… oh, right! Let’s eat before the food gets cold."

Attu thought to himself how his mother always avoided that question. She had never answered it, no matter how many times he asked. Deep in thought, he wondered, “Why doesn’t she ever tell me about how they met? Does she have some kind of secret?” Then he continued eating.

Attu:

-"Mom, as always, your cooking is delicious," he said, praising her.

Mother:

-"Thank you. Since it’s your birthday, I’ll cook something special for you today. But we’re out of firewood, so it would be great if you could go fetch some."

Attu, excited, replied, "Of course!" and finished his meal. After eating, he got up, grabbed the axe, and headed out. Their house was on the edge of the village, opposite the forest.

While walking, Attu spotted the village elder, Hans. Hans was around 30 years old but already managed the entire village. He had previously attended a swordsmanship school but had to return to the village when his father passed away early, taking over his father’s responsibilities. Hans was an accomplished swordsman, even though he hadn’t completed his training, and always carried two swords with him. Attu respected him greatly.

When hans saw Attu, he called out:

hans:

-"Hey there, kiddo. Where are you off to with that axe bigger than you?"

Attu:

-"It’s not big at all; it’s just right for me! Besides, I’m not a kid anymore. I turned 12 today!"

Hans:

-"Oh, so you think you’re a man now, huh? You’ve still got a long way to go before you’re a real man. You’ll be one when you can take responsibility for yourself and protect others. Until then, you’re just a boy. But hey, good luck, little man!" he said with a laugh.

Attu:

-"Today’s my birthday."

Hans:

-"Well done! When I first came here, you didn’t even know who you were. Look at you now, turning into a fine young man."

Attu, delighted by his words, replied:

-"I have to go now; I need to chop some wood," and with that, he took his axe and headed toward the forest.

As Attu walked away, Hans suddenly remembered something and called out:

-"Be careful and stay away from the river!"

Attu nodded in acknowledgment and continued toward the forest. Once he reached it, he began chopping dried trees and gathering wood, arranging it neatly for easy carrying.

Attu (to himself):

-"Just a little more, and I’ll have enough," he thought as he kept chopping wood.

While working, a branch scraped his hand, leaving a cut. Nearby, a river flowed, and Attu decided to wash the wound. As he approached the riverbank, he noticed scattered debris—carts and wooden planks—likely brought there by the flood from the previous day. He removed the cloth covering his eyes to rinse the blood off his hand.

Attu glanced at his reflection for a moment. His eyes bore a unique mark: two intersecting rhombuses connected by a black ring encircling them. After rinsing the blood, he washed his face and looked up.

Something shiny caught his eye beneath the water’s surface. Reaching in, he retrieved the object—a red crystal. At first, Attu didn’t understand what it was but quickly realized it could be valuable. Excited, he jumped with joy and thought about how happy his mother would be to see it.

Attu (to himself):

-"If I show this to Mom, she’ll say, ‘Well done! I’m so proud of you!’"

Elated, he began searching for more stones in the same spot. After half an hour, he found five colorful crystals. Overjoyed, he imagined presenting them to his mother and how proud she’d be.

As he held the stones in both hands, a cracking sound startled him.

Attu:

-"Are the stones breaking?" he wondered, bringing them closer to his eyes.

Suddenly, cracks appeared on the stones. Panicking, Attu brought them even closer for a better look. In an instant, the stones shattered into fine dust, which surged into his eyes.

He clutched his face, screaming in pain, as blood began to pour from his eyes. Desperate, he tried to open them to find his way, but everything around him appeared blood-red. Fighting through the pain, he took a few steps before collapsing.

Attu felt worse by the second. When he opened his eyes again, the pain was still there, but now the world looked different. Objects didn’t stay still; they shifted and swayed unnaturally.

He looked around and realized he was in his room, sitting up on his bed. His mother entered the room, looking alarmed.