Thief Of Existence

NOVEM

When Arian was ten years old, she got lost in the deeper parts of the woods.

Her father thought of her as an experienced hunter at that age so he allowed her to go and walk further into the woods on her own. Arian agreed to this since she couldn't stop herself from dreaming of hunting alone in the heart of the woods. Her father let her dwell on her own and she was more than happy to march her way farther from the house. Her father had given her a huge and heavy backpack that carried a first-aid kit and some food and water. "Just in case you get lost, princess," he said as she watched him pack her backpack. Arian didn't like the idea of her father packing her backpack for her because she considered herself a big girl but Anwyll insisted. It was Arian's first hunt into the heart of the woods after all and anything could happen. Anwyll himself had already memorized every twist and turn of the woods and he knew that if ever Arian lost her way, he can always find her. He always had.

Arian made it into the woods without any problem. She was mainly hunting birds and squirrels until she found a deer silently passing by. It was a huge one but she was confident that she could take it down. Unfortunately, she startled it when she accidentally stepped on a bunch of twigs, making loud noises that were loud enough to get the deer running in panic. Arian wanted to hunt down that deer so bad that she ran after it as fast as she could with her short and tiny legs. She was hurling herself deeper into the forest and she didn't even notice it. She only had a chance to look at her surroundings when she lost the deer.

And she was lost, too.

She was in a part of the woods so not familiar to her that it scared her. Arian walked aimlessly, trying to find a way out but the woods just seemed to get thicker and denser. She had been walking for hours then, and there was no sign of being out anytime soon. She was scared and hungry, but at least her father had packed lots of food and water in her bag. Thinking about her father depressed her as her delicate mind began to overthink about never being able to go back home. She sat on the foot of a tree and cried as she ate, her tears adding to the taste. She felt so vulnerable and weak that her independence didn't matter much anymore. She just wanted to go home.

After eating, she walked again. She didn't care about hunting anymore, fearing that she would be distracted and get herself deeper into the woods. She focused on trying to find a way out and it was the only thing that mattered. The sun was still shining but it was dimming a little, which made her think that it was already late in the afternoon. It would be hard for her to find a way out at night, let alone staying in the woods at nighttime.

By sunset, Arian was already panicked. She cried so loudly, wishing that her father would hear it. "Papa!" she shouted. "I'm right here! Right here! Please come here, I'm scared! I want to go home!" But her father didn't come and it was almost dark. Her breathing became ragged and quick as she realized that she would have to sleep somewhere in the woods, surrounded by animals that knew she was there to kill them. She rolled herself into a ball next to a fallen log and cried with her head buried between her knees. "I just want to go home, please..." she mumbled along with pitiful sobs. Her tears have helped her sleep in such a vulnerable spot but she didn't mind anymore. It was dark and there was no point in walking around. She thought that maybe if she stayed still, her father would find her.

And he had.

Arian felt a pair of strong hands hold her shoulders. She frantically raised her head and met her father's gentle eyes. She instantly cried and hugged her father for dear life, clutching on his clothes as if never to let go of them. "Hey there, princess," her father greeted as he wiped the tears off Arian's face. "Got lost on the way, huh? It's normal, hunters get lost, too." Arian didn't speak, she was just happy that she was found and that her father finally came. Anwyll picked her up and carried her carefully and lovingly. He buried his face in her hair and sighed.