Isamu entered Magnolia's room.
"Didn't you want the rock to be carved?" Isamu inquired, holding his carving tools.
Magnolia shook his head. "No, it's fine. I kind of like it this way. It's my own creation."
With a determined look, Magnolia picked up the polished rocks and a chain. He turned his back to his father, his hand glowing with a dark, orangish light as he fused the rocks and chain together.
"Father! Can you put the chain around my neck?" Magnolia asked, his voice full of excitement.
"Yeah, I'm on it," Isamu responded, placing the necklace around his son's neck.
Magnolia immediately rushed outside to look at his reflection in a nearby pool of water.
"Wait up!" Isamu called out, chasing after him. When he caught up, he was struck by the sight of Magnolia with the necklace, a memory of his late wife, Nadia, flashing through his mind.
"You look great, Mag. But it's getting late; come inside," Isamu said, slightly out of breath.
"Okay, Father," Magnolia responded, his enthusiasm tempered as he followed his father back inside.
…
Later, as Magnolia lay in bed, Isamu sat beside him, waiting for him to fall asleep. Once Magnolia was sound asleep, Isamu quietly left the room, closing the door behind him. He retreated to his own bed, but the image of the necklace continued to remind him of Nadia, filling his dreams with memories of her.
Suddenly, Isamu was jolted awake by the sound of rustling outside. He sat up, his heart pounding.
"Is someone there?" Isamu called out, his voice laced with unease.
He got out of bed, cautiously approaching the noise, only to find nothing. Relieved but still on edge, he returned to bed, trying to convince himself it was just his imagination.
A few minutes later, as Isamu began to drift off again, a loud BANG shook the house. His eyes snapped open, every instinct screaming that something was wrong.
"DAD!!!!!" Magnolia's terrified scream pierced the night.
Isamu bolted out of his room, nearly tearing the door off its hinges as he raced to Magnolia's room. The sight that greeted him was the stuff of nightmares. A dark, shadowy, snake-like creature with humanoid features loomed over Magnolia, a black dagger raised to strike.
Without hesitation, Isamu charged at the creature, slamming into it with all his strength. The impact sent them both crashing through the window, landing outside in a heap. Isamu quickly pinned the creature to the ground, pressing his forearm against its neck as it struggled beneath him.
"Why?! Why are you here, trying to kill my son?!" Isamu demanded, anger and confusion burning in his voice.
"Kekeke… Lord Apophis demands the blood of Ra!" the black assassin hissed, its voice a chilling whisper.
Before Isamu could react, the creature dissolved into shadowy smoke, vanishing from his grip. Panic surged through him as he scrambled back into Magnolia's room.
"MAGNOLIA?! MAGNOLIA!" Isamu yelled, fear gripping his heart.
"Father, I'm right here," Magnolia said, his small hand tapping Isamu's shoulder.
Relief washed over Isamu as he pulled his son into a tight embrace, a tear slipping down his cheek. Magnolia looked up at him, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Father, who is Apophis?" Magnolia asked softly.
Isamu shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now. We must leave—immediately."
"Yes, Father," Magnolia agreed, sensing the urgency in his father's voice.
They quickly gathered their belongings and headed north, eventually finding shelter in a small, isolated shack with a bunk bed. As they settled in for the night, Magnolia removed his necklace, hanging it on the end of the bed.
"Father, why was that snake-man attacking me?" Magnolia asked, his young voice tinged with fear.
Isamu sighed, brushing off the question. "That doesn't matter, Mag… Just rest now."
Magnolia, feeling defeated in his quest for answers, closed his eyes and drifted into a restless sleep. Early the next morning, he woke up to find his father already gone from the bed.
"Father?!" Magnolia called out, his voice trembling with worry.
"Mag! I'm outside, in the back!" Isamu's voice reassured him.
Magnolia rushed outside to find his father gathering wood to build a fence, hoping to keep wild animals at bay.
"Hey, Mag, where's your necklace?" Isamu asked as he noticed the absence of the shiny chain.
Magnolia's hand flew to his neck, his heart skipping a beat when he felt nothing but bare skin. He quickly ran back to the shack, relieved to find the necklace still hanging where he had left it the night before.
"Father, I've got it. Can you put it around my neck again?" Magnolia asked, holding out the necklace.
"Yeah, sure," Isamu replied, carefully placing it around Magnolia's neck.
As soon as the necklace touched Magnolia's skin, it began to glow with a bright, reddish-orange light, burning Isamu's hand.
"Ouch!" Isamu exclaimed, pulling his hand back in pain.
"Father?! Are you okay?" Magnolia asked, worry etching his young face.
"I'm fine, Mag. Just nicked myself, that's all," Isamu assured him, though the incident left him deeply unsettled.
Later that day, Magnolia helped his father finish building the fence. Once the work was done, Isamu decided to head out to find more rocks to add to Magnolia's collection. Hours passed, and Isamu still hadn't returned. As night fell, Magnolia grew increasingly anxious, torn between waiting and going out to search for his father.
Finally, unable to bear the worry any longer, Magnolia made the decision to venture into the darkness to find Isamu.