Paths Beyond (Under Rewrite)

Chapter 2: Bonds Forged in Survival

"Yeah, it'll be no problem," he reassured her with a bump of his shoulder. Smoke slipped through the tunnel dug into the floor, warming the room as they spoke.

"So, what did you get? This doesn't look like a Tree Rodent," Tear teased, pointing to the sizzling meat.

"Are you sure? Maybe it was just a really big one," Grey chuckled.

She tried picturing the small bushy-tailed creature large enough to create such a big piece of meat. If it wasn't for the fact that they ate animals the same size as them, the squirrel-like beasts would be quite cute at such a size.

The thought made her smile wryly. "Come on, stop messing around."

"It was a Hooded Horn," Grey revealed.

Tear's eyes widened. "You mean like the ones in the Elder's paintings? I thought you could only see those on a Grand Hunt."

"Until now I hadn't ever seen one in person either, but it is even bigger than I imagined," Grey said, pride swelling in his chest.

He expounded on the hunt in vivid detail as they ate. The biting cold that froze even the thickest tree bark. The colossal tracks left by the beast. The dense, magnificent pelt that could warm an entire household. And finally, the violent majesty of its single horn.

By the time he was finished, they had long passed finishing their luxurious meal, and Tear had already drifted into steady, peaceful breathing.

Watching her sleep, Grey felt a protective warmth. You could mistake the two for siblings like this, but they in fact shared no blood relation. Despite their lack of blood ties, they shared a bond forged by chance—a bond that began on the day Grey found her.

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It had been his eighth cycle.

A young Grey sat on the porch of a wooden hovel, staring at his new home. The Elder had gifted it to him as repayment for a service rendered by his family generations ago. Though grateful, Grey was unsure how to feel about living alone at such a young age. The rest of the village saw him as a burden. I want to prove them wrong.

While gazing at the stars, a small mouse scurried out from beneath the hovel's foundation, catching his attention. Its faint red glow was unlike anything he'd seen before. Recently, Grey had noticed similar lights surrounding living creatures—patterns of energy visible only to him. Over time, he'd come to realize these lights weren't a figment of his imagination, but a gift.

There it is again, he thought.

The mouse scurried away, and although it left no trail, it was instead coated in a pale red glow. Grey's focus waned, and the lights vanished, returning the world to normal.

Footsteps from behind broke his concentration. An old man approached, hunched over but still exuding an aura of strength from his prime. He held a walking stick, but even so, he radiated an air of authority and wisdom.

"Are you sure you won't stay longer?" the Elder asked, voice hoarse with age and concern. "I don't like the idea of you living alone here. I only gave the home to fulfill my promise."

"Elder," Grey greeted with a nod. "You've already done so much for me. I want to make a life here on my own. Besides, you've made it clear I'm welcome if I change my mind."

Grey had truly not wanted to leave; after all, he was so young at the end of the day. Being alone here would be desperately lonely, but with his plans, there would be far too many questions had he decided to stay in the care of Elder.

Elder sighed. "If that's your decision, so be it. But about the favor you asked... You can't seriously think of going into the Prowling Forest, can you? Even I didn't venture there alone at your age."