The Unthought Fate [MxM]

Chapter 1

Vlad

I am surrounded by nature. The sound of leaves and sticks crunching under my steps is all I can hear. Autumn, my favorite season, has come. The trees are slowly shedding their beautiful foliage, covering the ground and creating a thick layer of protection for the upcoming winter.

I love seeing all the squirrels and birds trying to find more food to stash so it will suffice during the cold weather.

There is nothing I love more than the peaceful sounds of nature, with all the animals, birds, and insects, the wind blowing gently through the withering grass, tickling my nose at the same time and engulfing me with its scents. Lying on my back, enjoying the peacefulness, the tranquility... this is where I belong, where I feel safe, where I feel alive. The song of nature creates a barrier that shields my mind and soul from all external stress...

"Vlaaaaad!!! Where are you, you little rascal?" I hear my father shout. He is the only one who can disrupt my meditation. That man can demolish an army of saints with his yelling and break an iceberg if need be.

Begrudgingly, I lift my tiny body from where I am sitting—very comfortably, may I add—and glare at my parental figure, who is standing exactly 5 m from me.
(AN: 5 m = 5.46 yd = 16.4 ft)

"Oh, there you are! I thought you went somewhere further into the woods. You know we should be preparing to leave," he says to me.

"You didn't even look before screaming bloody murder and startling my friends and me?" I question him.

"Friends? What friends? You don't have friends!" he points out.

"Oh, thank you, father, for reminding me!" I say, rolling my eyes. "I was referring to the beetle that was sitting on my chest before somebody disturbed us."

"Well, I'm sorry I disturbed your tea party! Now, please start packing everything—we must get going. We have stayed far too long in this place, and it's only a matter of time before we are found, and we don't want that, do we?" he says without even looking at me.

"I know, but... I really like this place. It's been a long time since I found a spot where I feel so in tune," I tell him sadly.

He notices my mood, steps closer, and gets down on the ground beside me.

"I have a feeling we won't be doing this for long. I sense a change is coming, and maybe it's what we are expecting. Who knows, maybe the war will end, and we will soon be free to roam the realm without fearing we will be found," he tells me quietly. After putting his hand gently on my shoulder, he nudges me and says, "Let's go. Wherever we go, you will always have me, and we both know that there is no beetle, ant, or squirrel that won't want to be your friend."

Looking into his blue, gentle eyes, I can see the love and care he always carries whenever he looks at me. He used to tell me that the love a parent has for their child is like no other—it can't be expressed or shown in a specific manner. But I can see it in the way he talks to me, looks at me, how firm he is when he sets rules and consequences, and the fear he tries to hide whenever we meet new people. I know it's hard for him—he is a single parent with an 11-year-old child during an ongoing war, doing his best to keep us both safe and alive.

My father, Eric, is what I strive to become: strong, courageous, and with a heart of gold.

So I pick myself off the ground and start gathering my possessions, stuffing them into my little backpack, and my dad's into his. In a matter of minutes, we are again on the road, destination unknown for now. It's nothing unusual, but sometimes I wish to settle and just live a normal life, like the others. Maybe in my next life I will be a king, and I won't have to hide anymore.