Long time ago, in a small village in Adina called Megumi, there lived a poor but happy family called the Yukinas. Their house is only made of bamboos and other wood, but this didn't bother them. They are grateful for what they only have and ask no more but guidance to make their family safe and happy.
"Erica! Please come here and help me prepare the table," her mother, Alice, calls her daughter. The child responded with delight and obeyed her mother without hesitations.
"Yes, mother!" Erica said.
The Yukinas are made up of four people: Firstly, Erica, the firstborn. Kyle, the youngest. Alice, the housewife. And lastly, Nadal, the head of the family. Although he hasn't returned home for years because of work, Alice and her little ones still believed he would.
"Mother, I'm done preparing the table. Should I call Kyle to come inside?" Erica said as she places the last pair of spoon and fork on the third plate.
"Yes, my dear," Alice replied.
Erica rushed outside to call her younger sibling. But instead of bright and happy eyes, Erica didn't expect Kyle to look so worried and panicking. So she asked, "K-Kyle, what's wrong?"
"Onee-chan, we have to hide! Child hunters are coming!"
Erica was puzzled. Child hunters are coming? But why now?! she thought.
She wasn't moving so Kyle was the one who pulled her inside. He told his mother, "Mom! Child hunters!"
"Yes, I have heard of them too, my dear. Come, hide," Alice said and locked her children in a room. Though they won't fit if she comes in too, for the room's too small to fit 3 people. No, let me correct that. Not a room, but only a cabinet, since it was the only hiding place in their house.
"Wait, how about you, mom?" Erica said as she snapped back to reality. But the lady just smiled at them, a face assuring that she'll be safe.
"Don't mind about me anymore. Your safety's more important than mine. Remember that mommy loves you very much. Don't come out unless I tell you so," and she closes the cabinet's door, leaving Erica and Kyle nervous about their mother's safety. They can hear loud footsteps running in their house, men's voices shouting for commands. A lady's voice was also heard shouting back, but they were certain that it was their mother's. They were too uncomfortable about the situation.
"Cover your ears, Kyle," Erica tells her younger brother, a tear falling from her right eye. Kyle did as what his sister told him to do, but the voices were still loud enough for them to hear.
And they heard their mother scream in pain, a sound of liquid splashing from outside. Erica quickly hugs her brother and whispers near his ear, "Hush. Don't cry, they'll hear us. Remember what mom said? She loves us so much that we're more important than her life. We have to stay to show mother that we love her, too."
Kyle didn't say anything. His wet face looks too shocked of his mother's loss that she doesn't know what to do anymore. They both kept silent.
"I think we're done here. Let's burn this house already," the man said. Suddenly, Kyle and Erica felt like the temperature's rising. And before they knew it, their house was already on fire. Kyle kept on coughing badly because of the smoke, so Erica decided to open the cabinet's door and planned that they both escape.
But as she was doing it, Kyle fell unconscious.
"Kyle!" Erica said as she noticed Kyle's closed eyes. She quickly carries her younger brother outisde, "Please don't die, Kyle. I'll seek for help."
When they were outisde, Erica puts Kyle in an open barrel she found and said, "Don't worry Kyle, I'll be back."
But while seeking for help, she was grabbed by a man's arm. She tried her best to run and escape, but it was of no use. Them man was too strong that he succeeded on wrapping Erica in a sack. Her eyesight went black, and fell unconscious.
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Author's note: Hi again! I know I said that it will only have a very looooong chapter but I erased that idea. Gomenasai!
Read part 2 please, and thank you very much if you'll support this story!
