Grass swayed in unison, bowing under each of his steps until the blades flattened beneath his feet.
Zeke's breath rustled in his chest, sharp and uneven—then stopped altogether when his eyes caught two familiar figures in the distance.
"M… Mom? Dad?" he whispered.
"…MOM! DAD!"
The shout tore out of him as he forced his legs to move faster. Sweat traced the line of his jaw, flinging off with every stride.
Across the field, both of his parents froze—eyes widening, panic draining from their faces as recognition shattered the distance between them.
For a heartbeat, the world held still.
The wind carried his name like a fragile thread tying them together.
Then, at the same instant, all three of them broke into a run— A parents rushing toward their son.
His mother ran faster than she ever had before. The sound of their footsteps echoed over the bridge. And when they finally reached him, neither hesitated. His mother wrapped her arms around him first, followed by his father — both clinging to him as if afraid he'd vanish the moment they let go.
For a heartbeat, the world go quiet — as if every fear. finally melted the moment their arms closed around him...
However. the embrace was so tight and suddenly, it nearly knocked the air out of him — Zeke's face squished between their shoulders, cheeks puffed as if about to pop.
"I… can't… breathe…"
Meanwhile, the little rabbit — an innocent bystander — ended up trapped between them too. Its tiny squeak rose from the center of the hug, face flattened in pure misery, somehow almost like Zeke's own expression...
His mother gasped, still refusing to let go.
"I'm sorry sweetie… we're so glad you're okay,"
Zeke's face, however, was another story — squished beyond reason, eyes bulging like they were about to pop. The poor rabbit wasn't any luckier; only its long ears were visible, twitching helplessly between the family reunion.
"Yeah… I'm… glad… too… mom…" he croaked, voice cracking like glass under pressure...
For a brief moment they finally loosened their hold, Zeke stumbled back, gasping for air as if he'd just surfaced from underwater. The little rabbit tumbled to the ground beside him, dazed and dizzy.
Coughing a laugh, Zeke bent down and picked it up gently.
"You okay bud?"
The rabbit blinked once. However you can see the trauma through its eye...
Then for the next second.
Zeke blinked. "Heh?"
His mother's gaze landed on the rabbit — and her whole face instantly transformed. One second she looked serious, the next she looked like she just discovered the cutest thing on the continent.
The rabbit stiffened.
Zeke stiffened.
Even his father stiffened.
Zeke didn't even bother trying to stop her. There was no force in the world capable of stopping his mother once she entered
She swooped in.
"Oh my goodness, look at this adorable little thing!"
she squealed, scooping the bunny up before anyone could stop her. She grabbed its fluffy cheeks with both hands and squished them together, turning its face into a soft, wobbling like pillow
"Aww... Where do you found this little fella."
He almost lost his words as she leaned closer. He gulped, worry prickling his spine—and he wasn't alone. His father looked just as uneasy.
"Ohh, ahh… I— I met it earlier… and picked him up while I was packing… some things…" Zeke stammered.
His mom squeezed the rabbit even harder, stretching its tiny face until it puffed out fluffier than ever. Zeke flashed a crooked smile, and his father wore the same strained curve on his lips as the bunny started to go dizzy all over again.
But this was nothing compared to what would happen if his sister found out. If Emelia ever saw that bunny… she'd probably end its life on the spot — not out of malice, but out of pure, overwhelming love. The kind that squeezes until souls leave bodies.
"Uhmm! Mom… maybe you should give it a little space to breathe," Zeke managed.
But she didn't let go.
"Y–Yeah, honey, maybe let's head back now…" his father added, voice tight.
"We need to hurry, let's g—"
He paused mid-word.
Shadows beneath the earth crawled like living terror. A sweeping shade rolled over them, covering their bodies like a heavy blanket, stretching far beyond the curve of the hill. The wind shifted—cold, sharp—carrying the low rumble of something approaching.
They had been together too long, lost in their bond, that they forgot to notice the black crimson clouds—now it's about half a kilometer away—closing in on their house atop the hill.
Their gaze snapped out
"Go, GO!"
His father shoved them forward, urging them to run back toward the village. His mother clutched his hand tightly, pulling him along while in his other arm he held the trembling little bunny.
At this rate theirs no stopping they need they need to get out of the village as soon as possible
****
Back in the village, time was slipping through their fingers. Panic clung to the air; people rushed in every direction, unsure if there was even enough time left for everyone to escape. They couldn't afford a single wasted second.
The elders scrambled for a solution — something fast, something that could save lives. And finally, they agreed on the only thing powerful enough to move an entire village in moments:
A transport dimension.
A portal capable of sending people from one place to another in the blink of an eye.
It was dangerous, unstable, and required massive energy… but it was their best chance.
The village chief didn't hesitate.
"Start the process!" he commanded, voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.
At once, the mages and guards sprang into action, gathering mana stones.
"GUARDS QUICK... we need more mana stone."
They placed the mana stones one by one around that specific fountain, each crystal settling into a precise groove carved centuries ago. The villagers worked in trembling silence, aligning each stone in its exact position as the air around them began to hum.
Turns out the fountain wasn't just a landmark.
It was a dimensioal door— their one chance of escape.
Near the fountain, a young mage knelt with a trembling hand, drawing a glowing magic circle that wrapped perfectly around the stone basin.
"How much time do we need?" the chief asked, voice tight with urgency.
"It's almost done, sir… we just need more mana stones for the dimension."
His fingers didn't stop moving, tracing runes that sparked and hissed.
Mana stones — crystals capable of absorbing mana from the very air — were the lifeblood of the spell. The dimension demanded an enormous amount to activate, and even more to stay open. The more mana they had, the longer their chance for escape. And with an entire village to evacuate, they needed a lot.
With couple moment, with a final stroke, the mage lifted his hand.
A ring of blue light surged around the fountain.
"It's finished."
Relief washed over the group… but however it was thin, fragile.
Because... they lacked mana stones.
They had enough to open the transport dimension.
—but not enough to keep it open long enough for everyone to pass through.
Time, already short, and was now slicing even faster.
The village chief clenched his jaw.
"It's now or never. We have no choice."
With single order from him.
Five people circled the fountain, their palms hovering over a hastily drawn magic circle. Like sparks from a campfire, their mana flared, igniting the circle. The energy surged toward the mana stone, forcing a reverse mana flow, and the stone pulsed, becoming a conduit for their combined power.
The mana raced along the circle, transforming the drawn glyphs into a shimmering aura of blue light. When it reached the fountain, the golden symbol at its center will glowed with intense brilliance, signaling the portal's imminent opening.
Bright smiles curved their lips—a fleeting relief that seemed to warm the air around them.... However... Their smile doesn't last long.
Something was wrong. The blue light crawled sluggishly, as if the portal itself was resisting them.
The crowd fell into a hushed murmur, whispers of doubt and fear threading through the air.
"What's happening…?" The chief asked,
"I'm not sure either, sir…"
A heavy silence settled over them, thick enough that even the air felt harder to breathe.
At the crowd—
Emelia's eyes drifted over the restless crowd, her fingers curled tightly around her uncle's sleeve. Then as she scan around—something familiar. She froze. Squinting. The blur sharpened into a face she knew far too well.
Relief hit her first.
She gasped, her eyes widening.
"Uncle… it's big brother Zeke!"
Fred barely had time to turn his head before Emelia slipped from his grasp, his hand closing on nothing but air as she bolted toward her parents even though the crowd was tightly impossible. However she managed to slipped.
For brief moment. they reached each other. Hugs were exchanged with her parents, tight and desperate,and Zeke, however, drained beyond measure, collapsed with a dramatic thump onto the ground.
He had run from house to village, relentless… and now the exhaustion caught up to him. The little bunny beside him seemed equally overwhelmed too—maybe just dizzy from all of that chaos.
"I… h-hard… t-to b-breathe…" he managed to choke out, every word trembling.
His head tilted, eyes landing on Emelia — standing quietly right in front of him, her hands clasped, her eyes wide.
"Huh? Oh no—she's totally worried about me… Don't worry, Emelia, I'm fine," he told himself, the thought alone almost enough to make him tear up.
"I should just get up… I don't want her to see me looking this ridicul—"
"KYAHHH! BUNNYYYYY!"
And there it was.
Emelia lunged forward, excitement exploding from her tiny frame as she snatched the bunny up, hugging it tight and aggressively rubbing its fluffy cheeks.
"…Well... Good luck, little buddy," he thought as the rabbit's soul visibly tried to escape its body...
That was a hard challenge. and he finally made it... Both of them... Him.... and the rabbit...
"Okay... what now?."
For a fleeting moment… his father's gaze was just as silent as the crowd.
He turned his head toward Fred.
"What's taking so long, Fred? I thought the dimension should be activated by now."
Fred didn't flinch. His expression didn't change; he only released a calm, steady breath.
"It should be… however, the mana flow—something's off. It's moving too slow. Most likely the circle's size is greater than the amount of mana we gathered. It'll take time before it fully activates."
The blue light continued to crawl along the drawing, a reminder of how helpless the people were as they watched it struggle to reach the center.
'You're gonna be kidding me...'
For a brief moment... shadow crawled across every rooftop. One by one, people tilted their heads upward— and terror struck them silent.
Crimson-black clouds churned above, swallowing the once bright blue sky whole.
The crowd gasped, voices scattering into trembling murmurs.
"Okay… everybody stay calm. Hold your families close."
the chief ordered, though his voice wavered beneath the weight of fear.
He leaned to his right, whispering urgently to his guard.
"Go—keep the people inside the mansion. Find a safe spot for them and never—"
A sudden screech ripped the air apart, shredding the rest of his command. Something that belongs to a wild creature.
Everyone froze.
That sound… it came from the black clouds.
And it was getting closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Panic burst like wildfire.
Zeke lifted his head, a flicker of recognition snapping into place—those flying figures he saw earlier…
For next moment—a massive shadow pushed out from behind the swirling darkness.
People screamed. Bodies scrambled. Pure chaos erupted.
Everyone panicked—except Zeke and his family, who stood firm, staring into the sky.
Then it finally emerged.
A creature descended into view—
its wings wide and leathery like a giant bat with red thick skin, it's head a twisted cross between a hound and a reptile, with sharp crimson claws and long tail like bones
The crowd pushed against one another in blind panic as the creature dove toward them.
It sliced through the air at terrifying speed, wings beating like thunder, its jaw unhinging to reveal rows of jagged teeth. Closer. And closer.
Screams rose—
—but then a blazing sphere of fire streaked across the sky.
It struck the creature's chest and punched straight through, melting flesh like soft butter.
The monster jerked mid-flight, losing all control. Its body spiraled downward and crashed onto the main road, skidding across the stone like a rag doll. Dust burst. People froze, their eyes locked on its unmoving form.
The creature finally slid to a stop.
A moment later, a boot stepped onto its head—firm, deliberate.
A tall man with red, flaming hair stood over the corpse, smoke curling from his hand where fire still swirled like a living thing.
Zeke's breath hitched. The entire crowd froze into silence as realization struck them one by one.
The man who killed the beast…
was his father.
He held a perfect battle stance—shoulders square, head slightly lowered, eyes burning like embers. Then his lips moved.
"Hey. Young mage."
The mage who had drawn the circle earlier jolted, nearly stumbling backward, sweat sliding down his face.
"M-Me…?"
"Yes, you." His father's gaze pinned him like a blade. "How long until the dimension opens so we can get out of here?"
"U-uh… if I'm correct, sir… m-maybe twenty minutes…"
He took a single step forward and turned his head toward the trembling crowd. His expression hardened, voice deep and steady.
"What's there to fear? Most of you here are awakened, aren't you?"
No one dared respond.
Zeke blinked—he couldn't remember his father ever being like this… this sharp… this commanding… this terrifying.
His father's voice dropped lower, like a verdict.
"At this point, no dimension, no evacuation, no miracle will save us. If you're afraid to die—"
he lifted his flaming hand, fire crackling around his knuckles—
"—then learn how to survive."
Silence swallowed the air.
Then he looked at all of them, eyes glowing like molten steel.
"If no one is going to save us…"
A wave of heat rippled from him.
"Then we fight."