Vylt: The New Dawn

Side Story, Part 4: A Bright Future

It's been five nights since my life took a huge and unexpected turn. In fact, I've decided to start writing a diary to keep a record of everything that happens from now on. For the first time in forever, I want to leave a mark in this world, no matter how small.

It all began because of a storm. For more than two weeks, the forest I call home had been at the mercy of some of the heaviest rains I've seen in decades. I was glad to have such a cosy home to protect myself from the constant downpours, but having a good shelter didn't mean I've had it easy. I still needed to go out and gather food and resources from the forest to survive.

I've always been comfortable with the night. It's under the cover of darkness that I have an easy time gathering resources without exposing myself to humans. Truth be told, it has become a habit of mine to invade their campsites in search of those useful tools, books, and delicious snacks they bring into the forest. I also play a few pranks on them from time to time. Done properly, they will always blame the local wildlife.

Humans... I don't like them, but I have to admit their presence has added some flavour to my life. It has been tough living on my own, not because I'm not capable, but because I missed the company. After all, it had been centuries since I last saw another dræll. I truly thought I was the last member of my race.

I'm getting ahead of myself...

Going back to that night, I had been patrolling a new area in search of anything I could use or eat. You could say that gathering is all I do whenever I go out of my hideout, but those few nights were particularly challenging. The heavy rains made the terrain difficult to traverse, which ruined many of my usual sources of food. That included the humans, who refused to show up due to the terrible conditions. Not that I could blame them. No one likes bad weather.

The lack of resources forced me to step out of my comfort zone and explore areas I had intentionally avoided. I was walking through one such place when the storm made itself present once more. It didn't take long for it to reach full strength, making it difficult for me to see. It was thanks to the occasional lightning that I could continue moving.

Making my way back home, I heard a loud noise and screams coming from above. As I looked up, I spotted a car tumbling down the hill. It was coming my way, so I stepped away from its path and observed it roll some more before it came to a stop. I stood frozen whilst staring at the scene in front of me. A flash of light revealed the motionless body of a woman a few metres away from the car. No point checking on her. Her skull had been crushed from the impact with a tree.

I averted my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself. I barely took a few steps away from the scene when I heard a faint groan. I looked behind me, and as the sky brightened once more, I saw a child crawling her way out of the wreckage before it all went dark again. I remember a putrid smell reaching my nose at some point, but I never identified the source.

When the next bolt of light fell, I could see her reaching out to me, silently begging for help as her consciousness faded. She was badly injured.

I felt tempted to leave. She was human, after all. It was her kind that ruined my life. And yet, my own conscience did not let me abandon her. If I did, I would have been the same as them.

I tried casting a basic healing spell on her, but she reacted violently to it. That was a first for me. Even though I lacked proper training, my healing hadn't failed since I was a child. No, it wasn't a failure. Her wounds had visibly decreased, so I could tell it worked. The reaction was simply unexpected.

I was reluctant to try again, yet I feared that if I didn't, she wasn't going to make it. I continued to heal her wounds, regardless of her incessant squirming and complaining. Once her breathing was stable, I hid my basket within the hollow of a tree and lifted the girl on my back to take her home with me. I would come back for my things the next night. I just hoped a bear didn't find them first.