It was a quiet morning at the Aretil household. Ribi's father, Aretil, was preparing for his merchant work near the Elvian Kingdom. He double-checked his goods, ready for the journey.
"Dear, be safe on your journey," Lily said, adjusting his collar.
At that moment, young Ribi emerged from her room. Her hair was a messy nest, and she wore a small white gown, her face still heavy with sleep.
"Father, are you leaving already?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Yes, my beauty. I will be back tomorrow," Aretil replied with a warm smile. He gave both his wife and daughter a lingering hug before stepping out to his carriage.
The carriage began its trek through the forest, joined by a small group of other travelers and a driver. However, as they moved deeper into the woods, the atmosphere shifted. The travelers gasped in horror. The forest was distorted—ancient trees were snapped like twigs, the ground was gouged, and the silence was broken only by the sight of dead birds littering the path.
"I think a Spined Boar attacked this area," one traveler whispered, his face pale. "It's too dangerous to continue."
The group agreed and quickly flagged down a patrolling knight. The knight, a man with fair skin and jet-black hair, gripped the hilt of his sword as he surveyed the damage.
"Sir, I can move forward to scout," the knight suggested, "but my commander hasn't arrived yet. It will be difficult for me to engage a boar alone if it's still here. Perhaps we should wait."
The merchants, pressured by urgent business in the next town, refused to wait. After they insisted, the knight called for four more of his comrades. Together, the knights and the carriage moved cautiously toward the heart of the devastation.
When they reached the center of the clearing, the carnage stole their breath.
"Look at all the blood!" someone shouted.
The knights drew their weapons, forming a defensive perimeter as they followed the crimson stains. There, in the middle of a ruined clearing, lay the severed head of a Spined Boar, a dagger still buried deep in its eye. Its massive body lay a few meters away.
And near the carcass, pinned to the earth by a thick spine, lay a small, blood-soaked figure.
The crowd rushed forward. Aretil was the first to reach the boy. When he turned the child over to look at his face, he recoiled in shock.
"It's Rudra!" Aretil cried out.
"You know him?" one of the travelers asked.
"Yes, he's my daughter's friend," Aretil replied, his voice trembling.
One of the knights knelt down, his expression grim. "Is the kid... dead?"
A strange, heavy feeling hung in the air. The knight reached out to check for a pulse. Suddenly, his eyes widened. Amidst the carnage and the horrific wounds, he heard a faint, rhythmic sound.
"He's breathing!" the knight shouted. "The kid is still alive!"
The crowd surged with frantic energy. Aretil didn't hesitate. "Get him to the carriage! Take him to my house immediately!"
Lily was busy with house chores when a violent pounding erupted at her door. The strikes were so loud she feared the wood would splinter.
"Who is it? You'll break the door!" Lily called out, frustrated. But when she opened it, the words died in her throat. Her husband stood there, flanked by several men carrying a boy covered in gore.
"What happened? Who is this? What happened to him?" Lily's questions came in a desperate rush.
"Lily, I'll explain everything later," Aretil interrupted, his face set in a mask of worry. "Just show us where to put him."
They rushed the boy into the guest room, laying him on the bed just as the village doctor arrived. The commotion finally woke Ribi again. She wandered downstairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Mom? What's all the noise?" she asked.
As she looked around the crowded room, her eyes landed on the bed. She saw the blood, the pale skin, and the familiar face.
"Rude!" she screamed, racing to the bedside. "Rude? What happened? Open your eyes!"
Aretil placed a heavy hand on his daughter's shoulder. "He was injured fighting a Spined Boar, Ribi."
"What? Father, how?" Ribi cried, her voice breaking.
"We don't know yet," Aretil said softly. "His father has been notified. He's on his way; perhaps he has the answers."
At the house of Reyand, the morning had started normally. Reyand was finishing his daily exercises, followed by Erik, who had begun taking his training seriously. Alice was in the kitchen, the smell of breakfast filling the air.
A sharp knock at the door broke the routine. Reyand opened it to find a knight standing there, looking out of breath.
"What happened? It's far too early for a visit," Reyand said.
The knight quickly explained the scene in the forest and where Rudra had been taken. Alice and Erik, standing nearby, froze in shock.
"That's impossible," Alice interrupted, her voice shaking. "Our son is sleeping in his room right now."
Reyand's face went pale. "Erik, go call your brother."
Erik bolted up the stairs. A moment later, a terrifying shout echoed through the house. "Father! He's not here! Rudra is gone!"
The family didn't wait. They sprinted to the Aretil house, bursting into the guest room where Rudra lay unconscious. Alice pushed past the doctor and the neighbors, falling to her knees by the bed.
"Rude, please... why won't you open your eyes?" she sobbed.
Reyand and Erik moved to the doctor, their faces tight with fear. "Tell us," Reyand demanded. "What happened to my son?"
The doctor looked at them, his eyes filled with disbelief. "It is a miracle he is even breathing. The spines of a Spined Boar pierced his back deeply, and he has lost a massive amount of blood. His ribs are shattered."
The doctor paused, cleaning his hands. "I have removed the spines and stabilized his ribs, but he will remain unconscious for a long time. His body has been through a war."