An evening just like any other.
Three moons floating beyond the sky far above, each of differing shades and sizes, and typical grey clouds wandering aimlessly through the atmosphere, faintly obscuring the millions of scintillating dots scattered beyond.
Below this peaceful scene, there rests a humble settlement encompassed by nature.
Pine Village.
A simple place containing a tight-knit, loving community, and exhibiting bountiful happiness.
Within this land, within a certain household, there was a boy of toddler age―sneaking conspicuously across the wooden floorboard, his every step producing an unmistakable creak beneath his bare feet.
Creak~!
Creak~!
Creak~!
Gradually, he aimed to "quietly" make his way towards the living room window, but didn't notice that someone had already beaten him to it.
"...Ray? What are you doing up so late?"
The older girl called out to him.
He thought he was being quiet, but apparently that wasn't the case at all.
"Sewa... When Dad coming back...?"
Answering with a question of his own after being caught red-handed, Ray looked at his sister with upturned eyes, to which she sighed, "You know it's Dad's turn for the night shift today, don't you? Now, go to bed before you wake anyone up; it's late."
Puffing his cheeks, Ray began to grumble, "Mmmh, but--"
"--No buts. You need a lot of sleep to grow up well, okay?"
Unable to retort, Ray quietly turned around and returned to his room.
"..."
Watching her little brother's back cross the door, Sera turned her gaze to outside the window, where systematically-placed torches dimly lit up the otherwise pitch-dark village to stave off the innumerable creatures of the night.
Pine Village is surrounded by a perimeter of thin wooden walls, which are then protected further by the Village Guard―a group which includes her and Ray's father, Eric.
It was without doubt a dangerous job, and although Eric's position was as Vice-Captain of the Village Guard, there was no telling what could happen when it came to wild monsters.
In fact, the danger only heightened his level of responsibility as he was accountable for the security of the entire village.
Because of this, it was not at all uncommon for Eric to be out of the house from late night to early morning, leading Sera, the eldest sibling who worried dearly about her father's safety, to develop an unhealthy habit of waiting at night for his return.
"Aaahhw~..."
She yawned, rubbing her watery eyes. Just as she told Ray previously, it wasn't good to stay up for too long.
"...Come home... safe..."
Hoping that she would wake up in her bed with a blanket placed over her in the morning, Sera slowly closed her eyes and before she knew it, drifted asleep.
❖─────❖─────❖
It was the start of a new day.
Chirp chirp~!
The chirping of the birds and the insects, along with the serene image of the rising sun, signified that dawn had broken and morning had arrived.
Around the village, roosters could be heard crying as well as the various other farm animals that had just awoken.
"Sera, Ray, breakfast~!"
Summoned to the kitchen by Serena, their mother, the sleepy-eyed siblings soon arrived; joining their baby sister, Eri, at the dinner table.
Placing their wooden bowls in front of them, she asked with concern, "Good morning, you two~ My, look at you~ Did you not get much sleep last night...?"
Of course, even if they tried to hide it, escaping the acute eyes of their mother was impossible, so they didn't even try such a futile thing.
"Good morning..." Sera was the first to answer, "I was waiting for Dad to get back, but I didn't see him..."
"Again..." Hearing her response, Serena sighed.
"Sera, dear, what have I told you about staying up late? I know you're just concerned, but that's no reason to disregard your health... It's especially important for you to get a certain amount of sleep each night, and even more so because you'll be a lot busier soon, remember~? Daddy's resting, so there's no need to worry~ Alright~?"
Nodding her head, Sera didn't refute her mother's words.
She couldn't.
She knew everything she said was correct, after all.
It's just that there was... a certain reason why she couldn't help but be concerned about the whole situation.
In any case, the final words of her mother made her ears perk up.
"Is it time?" She asked expectantly, to which Serena chuckled.
"Fufu~ Not quite~ Just wait a couple more days, darling~"
Barely containing her excitement, the speed at which Sera was eating her breakfast suddenly increased.
Needless to say, she was already aware her birthday was a mere few days away, but hearing it come from someone else's mouth only served to promote that anticipation one step futher.
"After you're finished eating, you two, get ready to go outside~ There's a few groceries I need you to buy, so here's the list~ Oh, and make sure to deliver this letter to the Jewellers, James and Erika, for me, okay~? You remember little Alice's father, don't you?"
The kids' eyes watching as she set a pouch of coins and a sealed envelope on the table, Serena laid out the instructions clearly.
This wasn't a rare occurrence, as Eri was only a baby and couldn't be left by herself, so she oftentimes sent the two older siblings on the errands she would normally be taking care of for her.
Pine Village was a safe place, of course, with trusting residents, so there was no danger.
""Okay~!"" The two responded in unison.
Finishing their breakfast with haste―a simple combo of fresh meats, bread, and vegetables in a soup―the siblings got dressed for the day and rushed out of the house; their mother's voice trailing behind them.
"You can play around after, but don't forget to get back in time for lessons once you're done...!"