Shadow of the forest

The three of them stood in the ruins of Kava's house, the weight of his absence pressing heavily upon them. The air was thick with silence, only broken by the soft crunch of dirt as Zeke, in his human form, knelt on the ground. In his hands, he held Kava's tattered robe, the last remnant of their beloved teacher.

He dug a small hole in the earth and gently placed the robe inside, his voice low as he whispered, "May you rest in peace, my old friend."

Arina watched, his hands clenched into fists. He wanted to say something, anything, but his throat was tight. Instead, he placed a hand on Zeke's shoulder as the lion-turned-human stood, brushing dirt from his hands.

Sera, who had been quietly observing, broke the somber moment. "We should go," she said softly, gesturing toward the forest.

The trio walked in silence, the trees around them whispering faintly in the wind. They had wandered aimlessly for a while when Sera suddenly stopped. She extended her hand and collided with something unseen—a shimmering, invisible barrier.

"Here it is," she said, turning to them with a smile.

Arina and Zeke exchanged glances. Sera stepped through the invisible gate, vanishing in a flash of light. Without hesitation, Zeke transformed into his lion form, nudging Arina forward. Together, they leaped through the gate.

On the other side, a breathtaking village appeared before them. It was unlike anything Arina had ever seen—houses carved into ancient trees, glowing with soft, golden light. Streams of water flowed through the village, sparkling as though infused with magic. Tiny winged fairies flitted about, their laughter like a gentle melody in the air.

"This is the village of the fairies," Arina murmured, his eyes wide with wonder.

Zeke, now back in his human form, nodded. "We used to live here, We've been living here for a year, what's wrong with you?"

"Yes, but I'm still amazed by its beauty every time we come back here, haha," Arena said, laughing, scratching the back of his head.

The fairies greeted them warmly, their eyes filled with admiration and sympathy. Word had spread of Kava's death, and the villagers, who had always respected the old sage, had taken in his students without hesitation. They had even built a small house for Arina and Zeke, a place of refuge amidst the chaos.

The three of them reached their house, and Sera waved them goodbye. "Rest well," she said, her silver eyes lingering on Arina. "You both need it."

Inside, Zeke immediately threw himself onto the bed, groaning loudly. "Finally," he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillows.

Arina, however, didn't follow. Instead, he pulled something from his bag—the metal box he had found in Kava's ruins.

"What's that?" Zeke asked, sitting up.

Arina held up the box. "Do you know what this is?"

Zeke's golden eyes narrowed as he studied it. "That was Kava's," he said after a moment. "He used to keep his secrets in there."

"Do you know how to open it?"

Zeke sighed, lying back down. "No idea," he said, his voice heavy with disinterest. Moments later, his soft snores filled the room.

Arina frowned, turning the box over in his hands. There was no keyhole, no obvious way to open it—just a green stone embedded in the center. It pulsed faintly with an otherworldly light, almost as if it were alive.

"I'll figure it out," Arina muttered to himself. He placed the box on a nearby table and stared at it for hours, his mind racing with possibilities.

---

The next morning, a sharp knock jolted Arina from his restless thoughts. He stumbled to the door, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

Sera stood there, a warm smile on her face. "Good morning," she greeted, holding out a bowl. "My family gathered these yesterday. I thought you might like some."

Arina took the bowl, filled to the brim with glowing fruits and vegetables. Among them, he spotted a handful of magical mushrooms—the same kind Kava used to love in his soup.

"Thank you," he said, his voice soft.

Sera's smile faded slightly as she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Did you sleep at all?"

Arina shook his head. "I was trying to open the box."

Sera sighed. "Don't push yourself too hard.."

With a final wave, she left, disappearing into the bustling village.

Arina stared at the bowl in his hands, his gaze lingering on the mushrooms. A bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. "Kava liked mushroom soup," he whispered to himself.

Minutes later, he was in the small kitchen, chopping vegetables and stirring a pot of soup. The familiar scent filled the air, bringing back memories of quiet evenings with Kava.

"Wake up, lazy," he called, nudging Zeke's shoulder.

Zeke groaned but eventually rolled out of bed, joining Arina at the table. They ate in silence, the warmth of the soup doing little to ease the cold ache in their hearts.

As Arina stared into his bowl, Zeke's voice broke the quiet. "Do... you want to cry?"

Arina looked up, startled.

Zeke's golden eyes were steady, piercing through the mask Arina had tried so hard to maintain.

For a moment, Arina said nothing. Then, he smiled—a small, strained smile that didn't reach his eyes. "No...I'm fine" he said quietly.

Zeke didn't press further, but his gaze lingered on the boy, silently vowing to watch over him as they moved forward into an uncertain future.