After we set up our camp, we decided upon our tasks. Mum and Ria would collect kindling, little twigs, and branches for a campfire, while Dad and I would go to the river beside and catch fish.
Dad and I took our fishing rods and walked toward the river while Mum and Ria started collecting dry wood for the fire. We sat in a comfortable spot by the river and started fishing. Soon, it became a competition about who would catch the most fish.
Whenever the sunlight fell directly on the water, I could see my reflection. I saw my reflection several times. Then, I saw something ominous. In my reflection, I saw a black shadowy figure behind me. I immediately looked behind me, but there was no one.
My dad noticed the fear on my face and said, "Son, are you fine? Shall we stop now?"
I said, "No, it's nothing. No need to stop."
Afterward, Dad caught the most fish and won the match. My Dad beamed with joy. He was so proud of himself. I looked at my wristwatch—it was exactly 5:00 p.m. now.
We started walking toward the camp and saw that the girls had already done their job and had started a campfire. Ria asked me to get her sweater from her bag as it was getting extremely cold. I nodded and brought a sweater for her. She thanked me.
Afterward, we all found ourselves wearing warm clothes. It was 7:00 p.m. now. We all sat in a circle in front of the inferno. While Mum and Dad were sitting together, Ria and I were sitting together.
We started cooking the fish on the bonfire that Dad and I had caught. We added some salt to the cooked fish and started eating it.
I asked Ria if she liked it or not. She replied with a smile on her face, "It's good, bhaiya. And thanks for asking."
We all chatted and laughed at each other. Suddenly, I felt a sinister presence. I started having goosebumps. I thought someone was looking at us from behind the trees, but when I looked around, I saw no one.
My Mum noticed the fear on my face and asked, "Sweetheart, is there something wrong? You look pale."
I replied, "It's nothing, Mum. I was just looking around."
Ria said mischievously, "I think bhaiya is scared."
I gave a soft slap on her shoulder and said, "Eh, it's nothing like that, okay?"
Ria said, "Yeah, yeah."
I looked at her annoyingly.
Our father said, "You two, stop fighting. It's getting late. Go to your tents and sleep."
We nodded and walked into our respective tents. Ria asked Mum and Dad if she could share the tent with me. I was a little surprised at her remark about sharing a tent with me.
Mum and Dad looked at each other and then looked toward me. My Dad said, "Son, if it's okay with you, then I guess she can share a tent with you."
Ria said pleadingly, "Bhaiya, please say yes."
I wasn't able to say "No" to her. So, I said, "Okay."
Afterward, Ria and I slept in the same tent while Mum and Dad slept in the other tent.
Ria snuggled me tightly in her sleep. However, I couldn't seem to fall asleep due to a feeling of uncertainty that was bothering me. It seemed as if someone or something was calling out to me, urging me to explore the nearby forest.
I carefully shifted Ria, who was cozily nestled against me while sleeping, without waking her up. Without making any noise, I walked toward the forest.
Deep inside the forest, I could hear the voices of screeching owls. Cold, chilling winds moved against my body, sending chills down to my core. There was a cacophony of spooky forest sounds.
After exploring for a while, I decided to head back to our campsite. As I walked, I heard a twig snap. When I turned around, I saw a dark figure lurking behind a tree.
I was terrified and froze. Despite the cold, I was sweating. It reminded me of the figure I had seen earlier while fishing. However, upon closer inspection, I realized it was not the same figure.
Slowly, the figure moved toward me. I couldn't move a muscle. As it came closer, I saw it metamorphose into a humanoid figure.
When it stepped into the moonlight, I saw that it wasn't a shadowy figure but rather a girl my age. She was beautiful—stunning, even—wearing a cozy white hoodie and pajamas.
The moment our eyes met, it felt like we had known each other for ages, even though we had just met. She asked me with concern etched on her face, "Um… uh, did I startle you? Sorry for that." Her voice was absolutely beautiful.
I asked her, "What are you doing here?"
She said cutely, "Uh, I was waiting for you."
I thought, "What? Why was she waiting for me? I don't even know her."
I asked her, "Really? But why?"
She replied in a calm voice, "I will tell you everything now that I've finally found you."
My heart skipped a beat at her words.
I said, "Okay."
She then told me something crazy that seemed right out of a storybook. The girl explained that in this world, there exist creatures from mythologies such as elves, dragons, dwarfs, pixies, fairies, and demons. These creatures reside in a place called *Ombra*.
Among the demons, there are two types: Good and Bad. The Good Demons, known as *Iyi*, are peaceful and coexist with other mythological creatures. On the other hand, the Bad Demons do not live peacefully with other creatures and attack humans. They are called *Kotu*.
She further told me that I am a Demon Hunter and that I have special powers to hunt demons. My work was to hunt and kill *Kotu*. My hair and eye color are proof of that.
All this new information made my head hurt.
To Be Continued...