Fiend Hunters

Shadows Of The Past

Ren's steps echoed through the dense forest, each footfall reverberating amidst the towering trees that seemed to whisper ancient secrets. The weight of the axe on his broad shoulder served as a tangible reminder of the heavy responsibilities he bore as the eldest sibling of his family. With a determined spirit, Sara looked to him for sustenance and protection, while Lily, the quiet yet resilient second sister, silently leaned on his strength. Theo, with his eager desire to prove himself, and little Aiden, their baby brother whose infectious laughter had the power to dispel any hint of sadness, relied on Ren to be their pillar of support in a harsh world.

As the day waned and the journey to the nearby town stretched longer than usual, Ren traversed the winding and treacherous path with a sense of urgency. The encroaching night shrouded the forest in an impenetrable darkness. And suddenly a voice calls out to Ren. 

"You should'nt wander out alone during the night you know".

It was his uncle. "Fiends roam during the night in search of food, it's dangerous out there!".

Warmly welcomed by his uncle, Ren found little solace in the stillness of the night. Restlessness consumed his thoughts, tormenting him with dreamlike whispers and foreboding shadows that danced at the edges of his consciousness.

''Can't Fiends just break into our homes?", asked Ren.

"Yes, they can. That's why Fiend hunters patrol during the night to slaughter them and protect us!", replied his uncle.

With the break of dawn painting the sky in vibrant hues, Ren bid his uncle farewell and embarked on his homeward journey. Anticipation mingled with weariness as his feet carried him closer to his family's humble abode, each step a heavy burden upon his shoulders. Yet, as the familiar sight of his home came into view, a sense of foreboding settled upon him like a suffocating cloak.

What awaited him shattered the fragile peace of his existence into a million fragmented shards. The acrid scent of blood tainted the air, and the once serene surroundings now bore witness to a cruel battlefield of chaos and devastation. Ren's heart thundered in his chest as he stumbled forward, his voice a tremulous echo of disbelief and horror that pierced the morning stillness.

"Sara? Lily? Theo?" His anguished cries reverberated through the desolate landscape, unanswered by the lifeless forms that lay scattered upon the ground. Tears welled in Ren's eyes as he sank to his knees, his mind unable to grasp the enormity of the tragedy that had befallen his cherished family.

A trembling hand reached out to touch his mother's cold cheek, fingers tracing the contours of her face with a desperate longing for her familiar warmth. Yet, there was only icy stillness in her vacant gaze. His father's once stoic countenance mirrored the emptiness that consumed Ren's soul, and the sight of his siblings lying motionless instilled a searing wave of anguish that coursed through his very being.

How could such a cataclysmic event come to pass? Whose malevolent hand could perpetrate such a heinous act of violence against his beloved kin? Tormented by unanswerable questions that gnawed at his sanity, Ren found himself adrift in a churning sea of grief and disbelief.

As the sun ascended higher in the sky, casting long shadows across the shattered landscape of his existence, Ren knew with chilling certainty that his life would never be the same. The path ahead loomed dark and treacherous, fraught with perils and uncertainties. Yet, with a solemn vow etched in his heart, he resolved to embark on a quest for justice, determined to unravel the mystery of his family's grim fate, regardless of the harrowing trials that awaited him.