“WHEEEEP! WHEEEP!”

Shun screamed like a dying kettle. And he kept going. For hours.

“SHUT UP! YOU’RE ANNOYING!” his older brother finally exploded.

“TELL ME! TELL ME!”

“ARGH—FUCK OFF—ALRIGHT!” He slammed his palm on the seat. “Fine! I’ll tell you!”

He took a breath, rubbed his face, and stared out at the trees flashing by.

“Our family used to live in Glimmerfen,” he said. “Our ancestor… the legendary blacksmith who forged weapons for the Five Heroes two hundred years ago had two sons. One of them was our great-grandfather.”

“Oho…” Shun leaned forward, suddenly all ears, hands tucked under his chin… he was watching a drama unfold.

“He moved north. Started our branch. The other… Well, nobody really kept track. But it became tradition for our family to come back here at least once.”

He sighed. “Too bad we picked the worst possible time.”

“Hmmm…” Shun narrowed his eyes… he was suspicious of the whole thing.

He turned to the carriage window, stared dramatically at nothing, then asked, “Can we change that tradition? Can we? Please?”

His brother stared at him, dead tired. He pressed his fingers to his temples.

“There he goes again…”

The older brother glanced back at Glimmerfen, now just a blur of smoke and ruined rooftops behind them. Even from this distance he could see the monsters still swarming, the Seekers hurling themselves into it.

He let out a long, tired sigh.

“I didn’t even get to enjoy anything on this trip…”

Shun immediately cut in.

“Welp, I did. I saw some amazing explosions today.”
His eyes practically sparkled.

The older brother stared at him, horrified.

“This psycho kid…” he muttered.

As they crossed the wide plains, a huge campsite came into view, tents everywhere, smoke rose from cooking fires, banners fluttering in the wind, people moving around.

They rode straight toward it. 

The closer they got, the more chaotic everything looked. Different species moved around the camp.

Tall folk with sharp, spiky sprouts growing from their heads hauled crates across the dirt.

Short ones with small, blooming flower buds swayed as they walked. 

Even a beastkin sat off to the side, sharpening a pair of curved blades

It was loud, messy, and way too lively for a place that had no business being in the middle of a huge open field.

Shun leaned forward, squinting.

“We’re heading toward that? Yeah, they’re suspicious as hell. Who’s the idiot fuck who thought, ‘Hey, you know what’s smart? Camping in a giant flat area with zero cover.’ Genius. Absolute genius.”

His older brother didn’t respond. Mostly because he agreed.

A few people finally noticed them approaching.

“OIII! Young masters! You’re back already?” one of them shouted, waving.

“We just finished setting up camp. What happened?”

Shun instantly deflated.

“Aaah… it’s our people.”

His older brother hopped off the carriage, face already tired.

“I’ll explain on the way,” he said, motioning with his hand. “Pack everything up. We’re heading back.”

Groans rippled through the group, but they obeyed.

They packed their stuff fast and moved out. 

Their carriage rolled north, wheels crunching over dry grass as Shun’s older brother explained what happened.

A humongous monster tearing through Glimmerfen… the chaos… the mushroom things… everything.

“That’s why I said go home. Don’t even think about helping.”

“We wouldn’t help them by dying beside them,” he said.

“With tensions rising between our kingdom and the northern ones, we can’t risk even one of you getting injured. Not now.”

Most of the group nodded.

Shun didn’t.

He wasn’t even listening. Kid had his head tilted, drawing imaginary lines on his palm again—probably calculating his next explosion or whatever insanity he wanted to try next.

The journey stretched long. Months on the road. Endless camps under cold skies.

Hunting their own food, rationing when the hunt failed.

Danger kept showing up—monsters prowling out of treelines, thieves watching from behind rocks, storms rolling in out of nowhere, weird natural phenomena.

But they pushed through all of it.

Every threat came, every threat passed.

And somehow, they made it through smoothly…

Shun scowled, crossing his arms. “How the freak are they so OP…”

His older brother glanced at him, eyebrow raised, and then pointed to the people around the camp, their weapons gleaming in the fading sun. Armor polished, swords humming faintly with enchantments. Shields are thicker than most doorways.

“Our family’s gear,” he said, pride radiating in his voice. “Crafted by our family, blessed by the elders, passed down through generations.”

Shun’s eyes narrowed as he stared at a massive blade being swung with ease by a tall fighter, sparks flying as it clipped the ground.

He muttered under his breath, “Hmph… fancy toys…”

Days bled into nights as the carriage pressed onward. The terrain changed from rolling plains to dense forests, rivers to cross, hills to climb. 

Each day, Shun’s legs fidgeted, impatient, restless, imagining little explosions lighting up the dark sky.

Finally, they saw them—sturdy walls rising from the horizon.

“We finally fucking made it back…” Shun stretched, yawning exaggeratedly, flinging his arms wide.

Whaaam!

His older brother’s hand slammed onto the back of Shun’s head, spinning him slightly.

“If you’re a child… act like one!”

Shun stuck out his tongue, smirking. “Pff… I dare you to do that in front of Father…”

His older brother let out a slow sigh, rubbing the side of his head, both exasperated and amused. 

The wind carried the scent of home, and for a moment, even Shun’s mischievous energy softened, replaced by the comfort of finally being back where they belonged.