Chapter 1:
Long ago in Japan during the Sengoku period. A time of hatred and despair. A nation of war, samurai clans across the country battling in the hope of conquering one another. Hundreds of years of battling to the death left only 2 of the strongest clans standing. Them being the Shinigami and their arch-enemies the Hoshina.
Far away from all the trouble and conflict lived 2 brothers, who grew up isolated and sheltered from the rest of the world. Not knowing about their family history and the power at which they could harness the brothers knew nothing more than fishing and wood logging. Living with their parents in a forest withdrawn from civilization, the nearest village being a few miles from their small wooden cabin.
One day their parents set out to collect extra firewood predicting a cold blizzard within the next few days. The brothers expected their parents to return the very day they left, however, days passed by without their return... Close to a week after their disappearance, a mysterious man showed up at the cabin, knocking at the door. The brothers both rushed towards the door of their small cabin, in the hope of opening the door to see their parents. However, saddened to see that it was not them, slowly coming to the reality of what may have happened to their parents.
The mysterious man: "Your parents passed away 2 days ago; their cause of death is unknown. However, my main reason for being here is to warn you too. You need need to beware! You no longer have the protection of your father, your family's bloodline is sacred... use your gifts wisely, and do not let it get into the wrong hands!"
Before the brothers could question the mysterious man, a strong breeze blows by, filling the air between the brothers and the mysterious man with thick fog. The brothers quickly ran through the fog diving through it almost, desperate for the man to finish his sentence, questioning everything the man had said. The brothers burst through the fog, but the man was nowhere to be seen...
The brothers were terrified by the man's last words, questioning almost everything he had told them. Kiyoshi, the older brother, felt he needed to take leadership and responsibility over the Kozakura family wanting to uncover the mysteries, particularly the reason for their parent's death. Enraged by the loss of their parents and the unknowns of their passing. Kiyoshi set out one day in the hope of revealing the reason for the death of their parents, promising his younger brother Hikaru of his return, leaving him in charge of taking care of things, and keeping a lookout... Hikaru, left alone in the forest with no company at all, was intrigued by the last words said by the man. Wondering what may have been so significant about the Kozakura family.
As time passed on without any sign of Kiyoshi, Hikaru became increasingly fearful and worried, assuming Kiyoshi had met the same fate as his parents.
A few days later, while Hikaru was outside cutting logs for the fire to keep warm, the mysterious farmer appeared once again.
Hikaru: [Staring harshly at the Farmer, showing signs of sadness and disbelief] "No! No! No! Why are you here?! Please don't utter a word if you're going to say what I think. Don't say my brother is dead!"
The Mysterious Farmer: [showing no remorse for Hikaru] "Head to the village and seek the swordsmith. Tell him your name and do as he says. If he refuses to help you, tell him Makoto Mitsunari sent you."
Hikaru: "But my brother, where is he? Have you seen him? I need to know!"
Before Hikaru could even finish his sentence, the Farmer disappears as he did before, leaving Hikaru on his own once again feeling even more confused than he did before.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "Who is this man? Why does he keep showing up?"
Abandoned, Hikaru has no choice but to listen to the man's words in the hope of it leading him to his brother. Filled with fear and disbelief Hikaru leaves all he knows behind and begins his venture towards the village, taking some money from his parent's hidden stash; which he saw his father placing money in one day; along with him.
Hikaru: [Thoughts while walking from his house in the cold winter breeze] "The farmer is someone I have never seen… His presence felt so abnormal yet so familiar, it was as if he was not human. The clothes he wore seemed so familiar… but… the question is from where? I have never seen anyone like him…"
The weather becoming increasingly worse. The temperature dropped, with an icy cold wind blowing through the forest woods.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "It's so cold! I can't see anything in this fog… I don't even know if I'm walking in the right direction… it feels as though I'm seeing the same trees over and over like I'm stuck in a loop, but how would I tell? Everything is drowned in the wintery white coating of the heavy snow... But I can't stop walking now. If I do… I won't even stand a chance of finding my way out here!"
The cold winter breeze grew stronger while Hikaru gradually became weaker. Covered with frost, his body aching more and more with each step he takes. His vision slowly fades, while he gradually succumbs to his body's hunger… Doing his best to fight all this, he focuses on taking one step at a time trying his absolute best to stay awake in this brutal environment. However, there is no use. Hikaru falls to the ground, lacking any power and strength to get back up again… His vision blackened even more and finally Hikaru faints.
Hikaru sees a vision while he is asleep. Where his mother and father were standing in front of the wooden cabin that Hikaru had learned to call home.
Hikaru: [Memory/Vision] "Mother?! Father?! Is that you?"
Hikaru ran towards his parents intending to hug them; however, to his surprise, his body passed straight through them.
Hikaru's vision fades into another, showing a memory of his from a few years ago. Hikaru had tripped and fallen while carrying some logs. Kiyoshi his brother was some distance away from Hikaru chopping logs with a Hatchet and felt pain in his ankle as Hikaru had fallen.
Hikaru: [Screaming] "Oww, my ankle! I've Fallen!"
Kiyoshi: "Hikaru! Are you okay?! I'm coming to help!"
Kiyoshi ran for his brother, dropping his hatchet. Hikaru had sprained his ankle as a result of tripping, making him unable to stand up.
Kiyoshi: "I'm here Hikaru. Let me pick you up I'll take you to Mother, she can help treat your ankle."
Kiyoshi picked Hikaru up. Carrying him back to their cabin in a strong winter breeze. The snow was thick too, making his job even harder.
Hikaru's vision changes. Showing the mysterious man he saw earlier, standing in the middle of a forest... His presence felt strong as it had previously when Hikaru first saw him. The forest was silent with the fog slowly moving around the man in a spiral-like motion as if he was somehow manipulating it in such a way that he was only visible in parts. Through the fog, crept a symbol on his cloak that burnt into Hikaru's retina.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "That symbol... Why does it look familiar?" [Hikaru's vision changes once again, nothing can be seen. Out of nowhere, he hears a scream that sounds like his brother's... Shouting his name repeatedly!]
Hikaru wakes up immediately after hearing his brother's voice hoping to find him nearby. But nothing. The forest is silent just as it was before, nothing can be heard... The silence was deafening.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] I must get up! Kyoshi needs me, my brother needs me.
He finds the strength to get up from the snow, dusting himself off and beginning to walk on.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "I must get to the village before dusk! This is no place to be at night. I will not be safe.
Hikaru sees a vision from his brother's point of view in the forest, in which Kiyoshi used to travel to the village alongside his father, helping him carry wood supplies back to the village to sell for money.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "This is my brother's vision, why am I seeing it? This place seems familiar to the place in Kiyoshi's vision. I recognize those trees; the Village must be through that way! I can't be that far from it now."
Suddenly Hikaru begins to feel an intense atmosphere, sensing danger nearby as he gets closer and closer to the village.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "Whatever is nearby I don't like it. I need to move quickly. I'm sensing danger and it seems to be closing in quickly, I'm feeling shivers move up my spine."
While Hikaru continues walking, a pack of wolves begins to close in quickly, chasing him down… At this point he is unaware of the wolves, however, senses something is on the move knowing he's in danger. Hikaru already uneasy in the vast eerie forest, his body begins to tremble in fear. The wolves in a fleet of 4 quieten their movements as they get close in on Hikaru.
Hikaru: [Thoughts Whispers] "Somethings behind me…. I can feel it moving through the faint vibrations from the ground. I can feel the movement through the snow?"
The wolves, almost in reaching distance of Hikaru. They began to sneak towards him attempting to corner him, preventing Hikaru from being able to escape…
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "The vibrations through the ground are becoming more clear... This must mean whatever it is that's after me is getting nearer..."
The alpha wolf, close enough to strike, jumps towards Hikaru opening its jaws in an attempt to connect a fatal bite.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "The vibrations have stopped?! Am I safe now?"
Hikaru hears the voice of his brother in his head.
Kiyoshi's Voice: "Turn around Hikaru!"
The tone of Kiyoshi's voice alarmed Hikaru. Out of instinct, Hikaru turned around to scan his surrounding. As he turned, his eyes lit up and his heart dropped, pounding heavily in his chest! A wolf, charged in towards Hikaru, its mouth wide open attempting to land a fatal bite upon Hikaru.
Hikaru saw the wolf in time, dodging its attack by diving to the left and landing on the soft snow, knowing he had to get up immediately and stand his ground.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "I need to get up! My brother is out there somewhere, and I need to find him. I can't die to these wolves."
In the distance, Hikaru sees a long stick that he can use to fend off the wolves. He makes a run for the stick however fails to see one of the wolves blocking him and scratching his arm as it latches out to bite Hikaru.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "The wolves are circling me, I'm trapped… What should I do?!"
Suddenly the wolves had stopped moving, for a second it felt as if everything had paused.
Hikaru hears a quiet voice in his head sounding a lot like the voice of his mother.
Mother's Voice: [Whispers] "Hikaru… be brave! You're a Kozakura… you're a fighter, Hikaru!"
Hikaru's eyes lit up in shock, staring at the brutal terror of the wolves, triggering a vision. A vision that looked much like a reminiscent of the past, a memory from someone... Hikaru saw a Samurai wearing the same uniform the mysterious man wore… From what he could see, the Samurai looked much like Hikaru's father... The Samurai took a defensive stance, preparing for the attack from something.
Slowly the vision begins to fade into reality. A wolf jumps towards Hikaru, its mouth open wide, attempting to land a bite on Hikaru… Sensing the wolf instantly, Hikaru's instincts take control. His body took the same stance as the man in his vision... preparing to evade the wolf's attack, waiting for the perfect moment to act.
A wolf directly behind Hikaru jumps towards him as well, attempting to synchronize its attack with the other wolf, leaving Hikaru with even less time to act.
Out of nowhere. Hikaru jumps... placing his foot on top of the wolf's face in front of him, pushing off of it like it was some sort of a platform... Sending the wolf into the ground, giving Hikaru a boost, launching him into the air, and backflipping out of the circle created by the wolves. However, Hikaru's acrobatic attempt was not enough to escape this encounter would free.
Mid-flip, Hikaru was scratched across the face by a wolf as he flipped out of the circle… Luckily, despite this, Hikaru still landed his flip, and with nothing further to defend himself, he made a run for it.
Hikaru: [Thoughts, speaking in shock] "How! How did I?! Never mind... I need to stay focused! These wolves still haven't given up."
Only being able to see out of one eye, Hikaru ran as fast as his legs could take him, trying his absolute best to escape the wolves, quickly realizing it would be impossible for him to outrun them...
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "How am I going to outrun these wolves… It's just not possible… If only I could find a way to run faster!"
The wolves close in on Hikaru catching up to him fast. Within no time all 4 wolves are close behind Hikaru, splitting apart and attempting to circle him once more to make the kill.
Hikaru: [Thoughts] "I need to run faster! Kiyoshi is counting on me!"
Suddenly, Hikaru launches forward! His body surged with power, releasing a dash of white energy behind him, melting a large radius of snow that surrounded him. Creating a shockwave so strong knocking multiple trees over! Running at an unmatchable speed; Hikaru left the wolves in the dust, he felt untouchable; it was as if nothing could get in his way. His body was so light, not a single vibration in the ground nor the slightest of sounds followed each footstep.
Hikaru: [Thoughts]" I'm moving so fast! How is this even possible?! I have never felt this way before... but I can feel I don't have the strength to keep this going, I need to stop before I fall... My legs are too weak."
Hikaru attempts to slow himself down, however, the inexperience of his body moving at this speed causes him to lose control, resulting in him tripping, sending Hikaru tumbling across the ground. Breaking both his arms and his right ankle, as well as hitting his head hard several times as he tumbled across the snow, knocking him out...
Sometime later after Hikaru's heavy impact, he attempted to lift himself off the ground. But it was no use. The state and fatigue of his body made it impossible...
In the distance Hikaru sees a small petite figure, his vision hazy unsure if what he is seeing is real. The figure appears to be running towards him in distress... Barely conscious, Hikaru hears the cry of the figure's voice... Hikaru not being able to fight his bodies will any longer; he falls unconscious once again. This time for even longer...
Unknown to Hikaru the figure he had seen was in fact real. A woman who had spotted him lying in the snow, was on the way to help! As she approached Hikaru she called out a name, alarming this person she had found a boy! This boy being Hikaru... he was being saved!
The Woman: "Yoshi! Yoshi! Come help, a boy! I see a Boy! We must take him back; we must help him!"
As the woman got nearer to Hikaru, she was quick to pick up on the terrible state in which he was. She noticed the many broken limbs as well the claw-like wound on Hikaru's face...
The Woman: "What could have possibly happened to this poor boy? That wound on his face looks like that of a wolf's, but I do not see how a wolf could have caused this extent of injuries..."
The Woman takes little time and care as to how the boy may have obtained these injuries. She knows that he must be treated urgently, or else his chance of survival will be lower than it already is.
Yoshi: [Speaking with a deep powerful voice] "Something about this boy seems so familiar... I'm sensing something different about him too. We help this boy. Then, he leaves. Whatever it is I'm sensing I don't like it."
The Woman: "Oh Yoshi, I'm sure he'll be no trouble. Sometimes you just need to turn that little samurai brain of yours off..."
Yoshi walks over to the boy, picking him up over his shoulder, and carrying him to their cabin located in the village.
The village where Hikaru was told to head to!