Another beautiful morning.
Birds chirping, wind howling, water splashing on the stones, black furry pookie is dancing around. Seems she is happy with sunshine and golden new day. Alena laid outside. Lazing around like usual with nothing to do.
Inside the mansion was dead silence, eren was sleeping.
Although his sleep wasn't very satisfying, his mind jumbled and body somewhat exhausted from all the overthinking. Pushing all those thoughts aside, he got up from bed and left the mansion, a little bit down.
Incase you wondering where he got bed and furniture, Alena had it in her storage ring incase she needed it, now eren was using it.
Back to eren.
Just like usual he jumped in river, his being wet in cold water shivered. He tried but couldn't stop thinking about what he did last night and so he swam towards waterfall, slowly climbing upto spot where he could sit below heavy water pressure.
He sat with all his might and felt those heavy stones falling over but it only lasted a second and his body was thrown away, unable to hold anymore.
Eren free floated over water like dead fish, his eyes staring at the sky with seemingly lost interest.
" Good morning to you too Eren." Alena joked.
" Don't even start." He wasn't in the mood for jokes.
" Pookie gooo.." She commanded and pookie ran fast at unbelievable speed, It was monster for a reason.
Eren was remembering last night when a dark shadow loomed over his head, and next second he was drowned with black cat falling over his chest.
Eren jumped out of water and coughed as glared Alena
" You-" His words were halted with black fur ball again crashed Eren's body to ground. Eren laid on his stomach and small panther cub dancing on his back with cute roars.
Eren realised what monsters actually were, that even such small creature had power to push him down. He didn't bother imagine what future this monsters held, they were bound to get stronger and carnivorous. It was okay that this was still just cub, only few years old.
" Black panther retains its original appearance throughout all their lifespan, except the size. They're 1.5 meter tall in their prime." Alena's word made eren even more irritated.
" I didn't ask for it." He tried standing up and pookie circled around him ready to jump on again.
" Did you know that all momsters are just animals till they awaken, just like us but they awaken much early. at the age of four." Eren listened to her but had no words to reply, he was just gonna walk away when pookie jumped on his face. Luckily or unluckily eren cought it and pookie scratched him hard.
" Damnn it..." Eren threw pookie onto Alena but unlike before, it calmed and sat down like domestic little animal.
Eren didn't say much, last night still roamed in his head like a nighmare. Without much thought he walked away from mansion, Behind him Alena spoke.
" Don't go too far, there are dangerous monsters out there." Eren heard it in one ear and throw it out from another. He was living here for two years, obviously he knew there were monsters and much more powerful and dangerous than he could imagine.
In his study he learned that there were five continents. Vampire continent in North, Beastral continent in south, dragon continent on east, Human continent of west and lastly elf continent on center.
As he guessed, he lived in southeast part of vampire continent, White forest. white forest was circular large forest divided in three region.
Outer region, Covering mostly periphary and few kilometres of radius inside the forest. It had human civilization, small villages, weak beasts and animals residing there.
Middle region, majority of forest portion where deadly monsters lived. Why?, simply because mana density grew exponentially towards center and so the living monster's strength and deadlines.
Inner region, a small region spread around in hardly two kilometer but there lived most terrifying creature, stronger than any other creature living in the terror of forest. White ghost, It was also the reason for high mana density around the inner region but as forest spread out in radius, mana density also grew thinner along with monster's strength.
Humans resided in most outermost region, their life were sandwitched between vampires and beasts. It was obvious why they were in such poor state, afterall they weren't human to begin with.
Vampires slaved them to live as cannon fodder in case of monster breakout or in worst case, white ghost decided to rampage again.
Their life hardly could be called humanly but survival is an instinct, they were surviving each day with hardcore effort.
Upon hearing such facts from Alena, Eren broke in fury. His anger shot through the roof yet all he could do was punch a wall. He was powerless. Over the course of time he accepted that this was fate of this humans, he was no longer so sad. Afterall the way humans ignored his plead and begging, he partially held them responsible for his brother's death as well. He had no hatred towards them but no compassion as well.
Eren finally understood that there will always be good and evil, irrespective of gender, race and appearance.
Eren didn't realise when he reached middle region of forest.His thoughts that occupied last night's vision, halted as he heard huge crashing sound from a bit ahead and not fearing anything he walked closer, obviously slowly and without making any noticeable footsteps.
He hid behind a large tree and observed the situation, It was intense battle between two monsters.
One Brown shaded giant snake, it's size around 3 meters. It's scales shiny brown and multiples sharp teeth ready to bite. It was called nieher snake.It tried to bite on to the target over and over again yet it's opponent were proficient in running.
A white and comparatively small monster, it's size around 1.4.meter and hind limbs curved giving it effective burst and speed, it's forelimb long and clawed ready to slash down. It's mouth long but unlike fox or wolf it was similar to a rabbit with long rabbit ears. It was called pixiu.
Eren knew what they were, He read encyclopedia about monsters and animals.
' Judging from their size, they are still young but their speed is insane.' He observed from afar, yet he could feel the intense pressure each time they moved. Snake slid down powerfully ready to catch and strangle the pray yet pixiu always avoided it's poisonous fangs. Pixiu's sharp claws failed to effectively injure it's opponent afterall neither snake was bigger and faster, Their game of tag continued until pixiu was scrached. A simple scratch of nieher snake poison rendered him paralysed and within a second the snake strangled it, crushing every bone and chewed it down, ravaging it hungrily and beastly as it gulped everything down.
Without wasting any time, Nieher snake slid away without noticing eren and eren finally breathed relief. His beating heart calmed as he walked towards bloody remanats of gore, there was nothing except bits of flesh and blood.
Eren sighed and turned back, ready to depart back when meek screech came from behind, he turned around and noticed a baby pixiu. Small and frail.
It's cry in pain so weak that eren felt relieved that no monster would come but that was problem, It would be safe one day but what about next.
Eren held a deep desire to protect something, afterall he was the guy who always lost. His heart never attained that serenity he held before killing those children but looking at that pixiu, he realised something very important.
That he is not completely a monster, nobody is. He is emotional just like others. He hates being lonely and he hates unjust world but despite that he yearn for love. It's his selfishness and is there someone capable of accepting him the way he has become?
He was afraid that he became the monster that'll live in misery and die with loneliness but looking at that pixiu changed his view.
He walked towards baby pixiu, picking it up off ground and caressing it gently and that pixiu resisted in grief yet soft and warm caress gave pixiu comfort it so desired in its mother's warm fur.
And eren walked back to the mansion with small white furry creature.
" A female baby pixiu, They are best gatekeepers." That wasn't true, she was just joking and Eren glared angrily.
" It's my new pet, I've named it Ava." Eren didn't knew it's gender but hearing Alena, he gave her name accordingly.
" Nice name." Said Alena.
" Yeah, lot better than your pookie." It was childish on his part and he knew it, he was changed like this living with Alena.
" It's her pet name, her real name is....Eva." Alena spoke cheekily.
" ...."
"....."
" You made that up, didn't you?" Eren's blank face said at all, acting childish and being child were different thing and eren had doubt, which one was Alena?
Eren ignored her and walked inside. he didn't wanted eva to accidently kill this pixiu, afterall they were both monsters, obvious instinct of their was to fight and survive.
" Daemon killed them." Eren stopped after hearing Alena's word and slight irritation boiled in his head. He wasn't there on the book yet and she spoiled it.
But acting like nothing happened, eren remained silent and continued walking, this was the one of things he learned to never rebuke back.
" You've matured eren, to the point where you've become no fun at all." Alena said earnestly.
" I've grown but you're still the same." His implication sting Alena to heart. What did he mean by that.
" Eren, do you know why I do this?" Her voice lot calm and pleasing, she genuinely wanted to convey something. Eren felt some weakness in her voice and halted his movement, turning around he saw her standing on four.
" Why?" Asked Eren.
Alena remained silent for moment, to rethink her decision but watching eren standing before, she made up her mind.
" When we met, you were afraid of trusting me and so was i?, I've never trusted anyone after my family died but when You asked me to be that someone, whom you considered close.
It made me happy, In a way you were acceptinge the way no one ever did. Now I can say with honesty that I trust you too." Her fox appearance couldn't perfectly describe it but her voice was filled with happiness, something she yearnd for long time.
Eren didn't disturb her, she acted nothing like she usually did. Eren could feel her struggle.
" I said that by understanding you I'm undersanding myself, didn't I? And you said it's love then,
I love you Eren." She had never sounded so meek and afraid to Eren, it was as if she was different being altogether.
Eren was bewildered, what was he supposed to say to her sudden declaration.
He's brows lifted up in confusion yet one thing he learned here was to become calm and rational.
He looked at Alena, trying to understand her words and how it affected him. What he needed to do now.
" Alena, I trust you and I can say you're my only friend in this world but I don't love you." Alena's heart that never trembled even when ripping humans to shred was now in shambles.
But eren wasn't finished yet.
" When we made a pact to trust each other, you gained your ninth tail. Do you think by loving me you'll become human again." Alena's heart crumbled hearing his words, she wanted to explain.
" No-" but eren cut her off.
" I'm not judging, you might be right but if that's your reason then I don't think it's love at all." Eren's words shook her entire existence, she never realised how selfish her declaration was and realising it now only made her feel more guilty.
" Where is ava?" In His complicated chat with Alena, he didn't realise when ava slipped out of his hands.
He looked around to only see white furry creature playing the black one, Not what he expected.
" Monsters are smart, as long as they don't feel animosity they don't attack. Of ourselves once they awaken, they'll naturally undestand their role. to hunt those who posses mana to increase their cultivation level.
You better train ava." Alena's word calm and serene, as if that earlier talk never happened. Much to Eren's ignorance she found significant understanding in her own existence.
" I intend to." Eren smiled, watching her slomp down lazily. She was back to her original self.
" Alena, maybe key to becoming human isn't loving me or anyone but loving yourself." Eren gave some insight as he tried to understand her past changes logically, but again those were his peculation.
Right or wrong were different matter.
Alena realised something very basic and important.
Haste makes waste, either it maybe in love or in cultivation.
" I'll think about it when I'll get there."