At sunrise, the river resembled an endless, ethereal mirror. Its clarity reflected the blue sky, while white doves fluttered freely around it, as if nothing could restrain those wings that seemed part of this perfect world. On its banks, sakura trees swayed gracefully, their pink petals gently falling, decorating the ground like a delicate dream. Various flowers filled the meadows with vibrant colors, while small animals like rabbits and birds enjoyed an eternal peace, undisturbed by anything.
Amid this paradise stood a sakura tree larger than all the others, its trunk seemingly a witness to thousands of years of time. But strangely, this very tree bore the marks of an ancient battle; claw scratches covered the trunk from top to bottom. Deep grooves formed faded words, barely readable the word "King" and a solitary "s" that stood alone as if telling a mysterious story, while the rest of the letters were blurred, unreadable. Beside the claw marks, intricate carvings were etched into the old wood with an eerie precision.
The boy was leaning against the trunk of this ancient tree, his back resting on the weathered wood while his legs lay relaxed on the ground, covered with fallen sakura petals. His white clothes, embroidered with golden threads, reflected a high status, or perhaps something more than that, while his long hair cascaded around his face, covering his left eye. The boy was in a deep sleep, as if the world around him had forgotten his existence, or perhaps he had forgotten this world.
Nearby, tiny ants marched in orderly lines, carrying small pieces of food back to their underground colony, embodying their daily dedication. Close to the tree's base, a group of squirrels raced across the branches, gathering seeds and storing them carefully in preparation for the coming cold seasons. On the grass, a small rabbit nibbled on a leaf, but between each bite, it lifted its head and curiously glanced at the strange boy.
Colorful birds flew above the river, chirping energetically, while a small sparrow perched on a nearby branch, catching a tiny insect to feed its young. Everything was in perfect harmony, even the wind itself gently played with the strands of the boy's hair, as if trying to wake him from his deep dream.Â
In his hand, there was a paper carrying a drawing of nature's beauty, white horses with wings and people smiling. But amidst all this calm, everything suddenly changed. The air grew strangely cold, and the birds, once singing energetically, fluttered into the sky in quick motion as if sensing the arrival of something unfamiliar. Even the other animals, from rabbits to squirrels, slowly retreated, as if anticipating something that would change everything.
Suddenly, a girl appeared. She was dressed in elegant white equestrian clothing, with a black jacket adorned by the emblem of a raven on her chest. Though she wasn't wearing armor, a black sword hung by her side, its shape peculiar, as though extracted from ancient legends.
Her steps were quiet and steady, yet they carried a weight that made the wind pause for a moment. She gazed at the boy who still seemed to be asleep, her sharp eyes missing no detail. There was something mysterious connecting them, something yet to be revealed.
Amidst the serene atmosphere and the soft light that enveloped the scene, the knight sat on the ground near the pond, watching the fish that periodically leaped, as if repeating an endless cycle of life. The air was filled with the pure scent of nature, and the flowers decorating the ground added an air of enchantment to the place. Finally, the knight broke the silence, her voice soft but loaded with emotion: "Haven't you grown tired of repeating the same thing, despite how painful it is?" Her voice was quiet, but it seemed as if she was speaking to the sleeping boy beside her, who seemed lost in another world.
She looked at him with sorrow she couldn't hide, then bent down to take his hand. His hands were covered in old wounds, the bandages that wrapped them seeming like a part of his painful story. She continued speaking, her voice filled with regret: "How foolish of me… watching you sleep as if something would change." She maintained her stern appearance, but there was an undeniable fracture behind her gaze.
At that moment, the boy's features began to change. His body trembled slightly as if caught in a disturbing dream. His closed eyes twitched, and his breath quickened. The knight tried to move closer to calm him, but she stepped on a small broken branch by mistake, causing her knees to sink into the mud. With that faint sound, the boy suddenly woke up.
His eyes widened as if he were staring into an endless nightmare. "Scarlett!" he cried out, clutching the knight tightly, his tears falling profusely. The knight didn't manage to finish her words, finding herself in his embrace as he pressed her body against his as though she were his last lifeline.
"I want to be with everyone!" the boy uttered in a broken voice as he buried his face in her chest. His tears streamed endlessly, and his hands clung tightly to her clothes as if afraid of losing her.
The knight was initially stunned, but she began to whisper as she gently patted his head: "Don't worry, Scarlett, I'm here... everything will be alright." She tried to remain strong for him, but there was something mysterious that frightened her.
The boy continued crying, his voice growing louder: "It's too late… I can't do anything." His words carried a heavy weight, as though they were a confession of something the knight hadn't yet understood.
She looked at him with confusion, then held his face to capture his gaze, hoping to find an answer in his tear-filled green eyes. She asked him, her voice trembling: "Too late? What do you mean?"
But suddenly, in an unexpected moment, a crimson sakura petal fell from the sky. It looked different from the rest of the soft pink petals drifting gently down, as though it were a warning of something unnatural. The crimson petal quietly landed on the boy's shoulder, yet its impact felt heavy on the knight. She sensed that even the air had changed.
She stared at the petal in bewilderment, as though it carried a message she couldn't decipher. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she felt the boy's body seize up in her arms. His eyes shut suddenly, and he collapsed in her lap, unconscious.
"Scarlett!" the knight shouted, shaking him gently in an attempt to wake him. "Hold on! What's happening?" But the boy didn't respond. His face was calm, yet his body seemed as if it had temporarily lost all life.
The knight hoisted Scarlett onto her back, her mind racing with thoughts of how quickly she could reach the castle. "There's no time to waste." She sprinted through the forest, startling the animals that fled from her path. Her feet were caked in mud, but none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was saving Scarlett.
As she ran, she spotted a powerful black horse galloping toward her, its glossy coat blending into the night. With a sharp whistle, she called out, "Come here!" When the horse neared, she placed Scarlett in front of her, then swiftly mounted, feeling her heart race as if it were competing with the pounding hooves.
"Let's go, faster!" she whispered to herself, listening to her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Their journey toward the castle began, the horse running with such force it seemed to understand the urgency of the mission.
As their speed increased, she breathed in the fresh air, the scent of blooming flowers surrounding them. Yet, she couldn't forget the ominous black tree looming on the horizon. The tree stood as though it were an ancient guardian, warning her of danger. "What is that doing here?" she thought anxiously. The tree appeared charred, barren of leaves, lifeless. "I need to avoid this area."
But there was no time to dwell on the oddity. The tension inside her flared. "I have to stay strong. Scarlett needs me." She recalled Scarlett's features his green eyes with a touch of magic, his smile that could light up even the darkest moments. "I won't let anything stop us."
As they rode, the wind whipped through her hair and tugged at her body. Small animals darted around them, but she paid them no attention. Her heart pounded in sync with the horse's rhythmic gallop, and sunlight filtered through the trees, casting patterns of light across her face.
"Damn, what is this strange energy?" she muttered, feeling a peculiar presence watching her from afar. The air around her was thick with something she couldn't explain. "I need to stay focused."
With every passing moment, the horse's hooves hit the ground like a steady drumbeat, but deep inside, she sensed a dark force looming ahead. It was as though her fate and Scarlett's were tied to something far greater than just survival. "We have to make it in time."
Still, she clung to a glimmer of hope, refusing to let the shadows cloud her mind. Her gaze fixed ahead, where the castle began to appear on the horizon, beckoning them closer. The sight only strengthened her resolve and will.
As the knight neared the enormous castle, its features gradually came into view under the dim sunlight. The castle looked as though it had been carved from black mountains, towering and majestic, built from dark, polished stones that bore the marks of time. Some of the walls were covered in creeping moss, quietly searching for life amidst the silent fortress. The towering walls surrounding it were impossibly high, as if trying to isolate the place from the outside world. Countless spires crowned the castle, watching the distant horizon with an air of caution.
The lands surrounding the castle were vast and green, with blooming fields and trees bending under the cold winds. There were ancient apple trees, their roots deeply embedded in the soil, adorning the earth with their bright red fruits, as if nature itself refused to submit to the majesty of the towering castle.
In the fields, the farmers worked silently, wearing simple clothes made of rough fabric and linen stained by years of hard labor. Their faces were lined with exhaustion, but their eyes held a deep sense of contentment. An old man stood on a wooden ladder, picking apples with slow, deliberate movements, as if each apple in his hands carried a piece of his life. He gently touched the fruit, feeling its ripeness before carefully plucking it and placing it in a large basket on the ground beside him. It seemed as though every apple was a token of a bygone era, every movement carrying an untold story.
Nearby, a young woman, her face lit by a soft smile, sang a simple tune with ancient words as she gathered apples into other baskets. There was a harmony between the farmers and their land, as though they weren't merely working, but living a part of an eternal story that repeated with each season.
The knight passed by quietly on her horse, the sound of its hooves on the cobblestone path adding to the calm surrounding them. When the farmers saw her, they slowly lifted their heads. The old man bowed slightly in respect, while the young woman raised her hand in a friendly greeting. "Good morning, my lady!" the woman said with a warm smile, as if she had known the knight for a long time. There was something in their gaze respect and a sense of reassurance. There was no fear, but rather a belief that she somehow belonged to this place.
After the knight had passed, she arrived at a small pond with clear water that resembled a mirror. The trees and the clear blue sky were reflected in it. The pond was completely still, except for slight ripples made by the fish swimming calmly beneath the surface. Every now and then, a fish would leap into the air, drawing a small arc before returning to the water, as if greeting the knight in its own way.
"My lady!" shouted a small boy among the farmers, running towards her with a wide smile. He wore simple clothes, but his eyes were full of life. "Are you really one of the king's knights?" he asked innocently, his bright eyes admiring her horse.
The knight smiled gently and looked at him, saying, "Yes, brave one. And what is your name?"
He answered eagerly, "I'm Thomas! I want to be a knight like you when I grow up!"
"You will be a great knight, Thomas. Just keep working hard and always be brave," she said reassuringly before continuing on her way.
The knight pressed onward toward the castle, crossing a small wooden bridge over the pond. The sound of the horse's hooves on the wood created a light rhythm that matched the beauty of the morning. As she crossed the bridge, the castle came fully into view before her. The grand iron gate loomed ahead, adorned with intricate carvings depicting ancient battles and mythical creatures, as if each carving told a story from the past.
Finally reaching the gate, she paused for a brief moment before continuing inside. She felt that this place, despite its majesty and apparent peace, held buried secrets waiting to be discovered.