"Krahn! Have anyone of you seen Krahn?"
The village is burning harshly. People were being stabbed by the people who were supposed to be protecting them. They were like an animal that was being struck down with no signs of human's mercy. One may cry, one may run away, but none of them was able to escape from the cruel fate of death delivered by their own kind themselves.
Krahn's mother didn't care about the current situation. She took the red pendant sealed in a little box. She carried that small precious thing with her as she began asking the people around if anyone has seen her precious daughter. No one had time to answer her, one had their priority to live. They tossed her away, pushed her, and even called her an 'idiot'.
Instead of running away from the death reapers. She idled there to find this missing daughter of hers.
"Mother! What are you doing?! Why are you looking for that brat! We have to go!" her son would approach her with such an irritated manner. The son grasped her right arm, trying to drag the mother with him but he was only pushed as the result of it.
"Go. Leave. I need to find Krahn!" but the affection of this woman beyond the white-haired person was more powerful than her own son. Her son zipped his mind and mouth from it. He began stepping backwards, with his confused reaction, he thought of 'why is his mother more prioritized the white-haired girl than him?'
He feared his mother instead of as he started to fade in shadow, finally deciding to leave his own mother in that place.
The only last thing that he prayed before he left that place was, "Please somehow… she makes it alive."
***
Krahn's perspective.
I was running down, the path was rather thorny, muddy, and dangerous but that's not enough reason to stop here. I endured the pain, and at the very last. I was able to reach the village.
The atmosphere was very hot due to the burning houses, most of the houses are already turned into ashes, the smoke was horrifying wild either. It's hard to see that some people living in this area were already lifeless. My whole body is horrified at what I am seeing but, I stepped in. I'm walking beyond this hellish place that was supposed to be just an ordinary village for the poor.
Blood drifting to the dead bodies. Cries, begging's, is what I still hear. There are people whose wearing armoured clothing that would cross my path and all I can do was hide to the water barrels nearby.
"They are from the palace." I'm certain of it since I saw some sort of those clothes that were worn inside the palace. However, I could not still think of the reason why do they have to kill these innocent people.
"Have you seen the white-haired girl?" not too long when they commenced a conversation regarding their real subject about this destruction. I was peeking in-between space of the barrels, "I'm sorry, General Weston. We couldn't find the girl."
I heard they mentioned something about the white-haired girl, are they possibly looking for me? They did all of this just to find me?
"You bunch of useless idiots! Find her! If we won't be able to execute the girl here and now, our neck will be replacing for her!" I couldn't just believe what I found out. They intend to execute me; they intend to kill me.
Fear is growing strong through my veins; I'm scared of moving and even I'm afraid that they might see me. I don't want to die here. I leaned my back to the barrel; I can't deny my fear for my eyes are already wet. The sharp pain in my chest is also bothering me, if they find me here, I will be killed on the spot.
But I'm scared of going anywhere. I need to find my mother but… I began crying to myself. My head was down to my knees, hopeless I was. I didn't move an inch from that place where I heard those people.
"Krahn." But when I heard a familiar voice came right in front of me. I hurriedly ceased to cry as I lifted my head to see who it was. "Mother?" she was right here, smiling warmly.
"What are you doing here? It's very dangerous for you. We must go. Can you walk?" she checked upon me—she can clearly see my cuts from the face, arms, and lastly my legs. Mother lifted me; she intends to carry me instead of letting me run with her. Mother went to the shadowy part of the village where it was hard to see the surrounding.
It was a great tactic for us, she knows every corner of this place after all. While we're on the run, I supposed I shouldn't ask things but, in the end, —I was so curious that I didn't care if we're in a hectic situation. I want to know the reason why they have to kill those people, burn our home, just to get me.
"Mother—" Mother was facing the path rather serious. We're ascending the path through the mountain forest, "I know you want to know the truth but rather… we should find a safe place for us first. Krahn, can you wait a little longer?" she knew that I would ask her about what is going on.
I agreed with her, it's not like I want to argue about it. I leaned my head to her shoulder; I still see the light of the burning village of ours up from here. Mother was with me, but now that I think about it. I don't see my brother with her.
"Mother, where's brother? He's not with you?" I was worried about him, even though he only showed me violence. He is still my brother. "That idiot, he will survive. Don't worry about him." mother was so confident that nothing will happen to him. I didn't press any more questions that might add up to her worries.
Soon, the dark clouds began to cover the night sky. A droplet of water began to pour as if it was finally decided by the gods to end the hellish fire in the ground realm of the humans. It began raining, a sign for us to stop from our ramble.
Fortunately for us, Mother found this small shelter underneath the huge old tree. Since there's no kind of buildings, huts, or other structures called house. We have to stay here for a while just to wait for the rain to stop.
I was on my knees. Mother would stare outside, probably keeping a watch if anyone still tails us. It was heavy rain, perhaps they would stop from searching for a while. It was a good thing for us to recuperate our strength. I know mother won't intend to stay here if we're being hunted like this.
I must understand that we must leave this place.
"You should sleep, Krahn. We will leave when the rain stops." mother turns into me, giving me her outer clothes to warm me up. "I'm worried about my friend, Hakurei." I left him there, but if he wasn't in the village with me. I'm sure he won't get caught up with that tragedy.
"...I see."
"He was with me; we were supposed to enjoy the festival. I just hope he didn't follow me back then." I told him that we'll meet in the village after all. "He will be fine if he is at the festival." mother somehow removed my worries. She patted my head, even pinched my cheek to cheer me up.
"Why do those people want me dead? I've heard those soldier's conversations before and I was being hunted because that was been ordered from the palace." mother brushed my hair gently. "It's because I'm a white-haired freak?"
"No. You are not a freak." disagreed, mother would glare at me for calling myself a freak. "The reason why you were being hunted down is that they are afraid of you. You are the chosen light of the gods, and you are about to do something that will end the darkness in this world."
Even though it's not sound real enough for me to believe. I just remained silent and listens to my mother's soothing words at least.
"If you continue to live where the darkness exists. Someday, you'll be able to purge them, that's why they want you to cease living to avoid that happening. But you have me and the gods, we will guide and support you from getting rid of the darkness that already tainting the world. That's why, I want you to remember, no matter what will happen to us here. Live Krahn, find the rightful path for you, and avenge those innocent lives that were taken by those grim reapers."
Mother smiled gently; I wasn't supposed to cry but my eyes were wet already. I hugged her tightly and so she does.
"I'm sure you can do it. You are not just a slave after all."
She then kissed my forehead, she leaned her right hand to my head, gently pushing me to lay down and have a rest. Mother also began to hum a sweet gently song for me. It was so beautiful that my worries began to fade, I started to submit to the thing called sleep.