Arin turned his head slowly; there was no one behind him. He was in a state of shock, and his voice trembled as he spoke into the darkness. "Is anybody there?"
No response came, but fear lingered in his heart, something that scared him. He ran to the town quickly, reaching the front of the city. "What was that that really scared me?" he wondered.
He turned back, looking at the road he came from, and sighed. "Dad, I really am a scared crow now; even my thoughts are scaring me. If you are alive, please come back home."
A small glimpse of memory flashed in Arin's thoughts. His father worked in Forge Hall before his disappearance. When Arin was young, he played with his friends in the forest, running and laughing. He visited his father's workplace with his mother.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Arin's mother told him, while hugging him from behind, "Do you know, Arin, there are ghosts in these forests?" Arin had heard stories about ghosts from his friends, and the thought sent shivers down his spine.
His father, Kailen, chuckled and said, "Come on, Elsa, don't frighten him. There's no such thing as ghosts. In reality, there are some humans that are worse than ghosts."
Elsa playfully smacked Kailen's head. "HAHAHA. Now, now, what are you saying to him, dear?" Kailen smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
As the memories faded, someone tapped on Arin's back. "Are you alright?" He turned to see a silver-haired girl, and Arin was mesmerized by her elf-like features. She was tall, almost 6 feet tall, and had an unfamiliar look about her.
"Hello, are you all right? You've been staring at the road for too long," the girl said, concern etched on her face. Arin smiled awkwardly, still trying to process the sudden interruption.
The girl's expression turned curious. "You haven't even answered my question. When I came to you, you had a really scared face; that's why I came to you."
Arin hesitated before responding. "It's nothing; there was no light, and it was really difficult to walk through the forest and get here. Honestly, it was a bit scary."
The girl nodded sympathetically. "Then it's okay; I've heard about this forest. It's said to have ghosts and demons. It's natural to be afraid when rumors like that are circulating."
She smiled warmly. "I'm Kayle, and I work at the Eldrida Manor restaurant." Arin's eyes widened as he took in her words.
"I'm Arin, and I'm a craftsman," he replied, feeling a sense of pride. Kayle's eyes sparkled with surprise, and she thought to herself, He looks weak, and he's shorter than me, but he has a cute face and black hair.
Kayle's smile grew wider. "Want to come to our restaurant? We have a new food item, and it's really tasty." Arin agreed, and together they walked to the restaurant.
As they entered, Arin's eyes adjusted to the warm lighting. The restaurant was empty, except for a single customer. Kayle noticed his gaze and explained, "Don't worry; we opened this restaurant yesterday, so it's still quiet."
Arin's attention remained fixed on the red-haired woman sitting in the corner. "No, I was looking at that woman. I thought I knew her, but I couldn't see her face."
Kayle followed his gaze. "Oh, that's Mrs. Quinn. I heard she's the wife of a famous craftsman named Kailen Quinn."
Arin's eyes widened in shock as he whispered, "Uh, Mom..."