The Beast Within

Prologue: Left Behind

Welcome to a brand new journey! I made an early update for this because I wrote this long ago! Twitter users who followed me might have read this before already. Anyway, prepare your tissues (if you cry easily) and enjoy!

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Surrounded by a thick forest of cedar trees and bordered by a mountain, lies a small peaceful village, known as Rulid Village. Despite its size and how it was secluded it was, Rulid was a lively place as the villagers worked diligently every day. There were woodcutters, hunters, builders, crafters, and herbalists. The villagers were supportive of each other but they never leave the village or conduct economical trades with other villages. It was their own way to protect their people, especially their children, keeping away from outsiders who might potentially harm them. The adults were cautious and often teaches their children to stay away from the forest, even passing down a century-old myth of a lurking beast deep inside the forest to keep the children well-behaved.

Whether the myth was truth or fiction, nobody really knows. The story was passed down from one generation to another, a tale from centuries ago. It was about a hero named Bercouli Herlentz, who saved the nation from a dreadful war but was cursed by the power that was bestowed upon him. Queen Quinella, a majestic woman, the only person in the world with the ability to enchant powerful spells. Believed that she was a miracle given to the nation by the heavens, she was made their ruler with Bercouli as her most trusted bodyguard. She was the one who gave Bercouli the power to defeat their enemies, enchanting great power into a pair of specially made golden wrist gauntlets. Those gauntlets grant the bearer beast-like strength that could take on thousands but with the drawback of gradually sacrificing humanity with each use. The more he relied on the power, the longer he remained in the form of the beast, until he could not return and died as a beast.

The war with their enemy, Dark Territory, went on for many generations with the gauntlets passed down to their descendants. With the war eventually died down, everything was also reduced to ash. It was only then, the people from the empire and the Dark Territory realized their foolishness and agreed on a peace treaty, with the aim of rebuilding a world that is free from war. Small villages were formed, scattered around the reviving forest.

However, the bearer of the golden gauntlets went berserk one day, threatening to destroy the vulnerable villages. Fearing that what they've rebuilt would be destroyed once more, the people worked together and slew the beast, sealing away the gauntlets deep inside a cave. It was said that the soul of the beast ultimately escaped, lurking around the forest, and would attack anyone that makes eye contact with it. This story was eventually passed down to all the children of Rulid Village, teaching them how dangerous the outside world really is.

Yet, a young boy at the age of five had always wondered what it was like beyond the thick forest. He was curious as most of them have never met any outsiders before. His name was Kirigaya Kazuto, a cheerful little boy with soft raven locks, often wearing a mischievous grin. He was the only son of Kirigaya Yukito and Kirigaya Aoi, who were the head herbalists in Rulid. Yukito was also the village's chief, earning the respect of many. Naturally, Kazuto was also adored by many. He may be a little prankster at times but he was a sweet boy who loves helping others as well. He had always aspired to become someone as noble as his parents.

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Sneaking around the bushes, young Kazuto tip-toed towards a thick bush and pounced when he was close enough. "Gotcha'!" The boy exclaimed as he flew into the bush and knocked a flaxen-haired boy out of hiding, causing the two boys to roll onto the ground. With a little more force, Kazuto managed to push the boy against the ground and kept him still. "I win, Eugeo-kun~!" The black-haired boy teased with a happy tone while still sitting on his best friend.