World of Santara – Farlios Biome, Nightfall
The Farlios Forest was veiled in a thin mist that night.
Pale blue light from the glowing forest flowers illuminated the damp path, while the hum of insects echoed faintly between the towering trees.
A night bird cooed softly as two small figures walked slowly between the moss-covered roots.
A little girl with cat-like ears and a short gray tail swayed gently behind her, her tiny hand holding her mother's fingers.
"Don't wander too far, Neri," her mother said gently, carrying a rattan basket filled with luminous fruits and soft violet mushrooms.
"I know, Mom," Neri replied innocently, her emerald eyes gleaming as she admired the glowing fungi on the tree trunks.
They stopped for a moment beside a small stream, washing their hands and filling a leaf pouch with cool water.
The night air felt calm—
until—
Crack.
A twig snapped behind them.
The mother turned instantly. Her feline ears twitched upright, alert.
"Neri, stay behind me," she whispered quickly.
Her hand reached for the small knife at her waist, its blade glinting faintly under Farlios's blue moonlight.
She stepped toward the bushes, her breath held tight.
The shrub rustled—then a white rabbit hopped out, sniffing the ground peacefully.
Neri's mother exhaled in relief, smiling faintly.
"Just a rabbit," she murmured softly, glancing back at her daughter.
But before her smile could bloom—
a massive shadow loomed behind her.
The ground trembled.
From within the fog emerged a towering creature, twice the height of a man.
Its skin was dark green, cracked like old scales.
Two legs as thick as stone pillars supported its hulking body, while two arms ended in steel-hard claws.
Its eyes burned crimson like embers, and each breath it exhaled released a trail of smoke.
Its long mouth was lined with blunt, uneven fangs—like some prehistoric beast.
"Run!" Neri's mother screamed.
But it was too late—
The creature's claw swung down with brutal force, striking the woman and flinging her against a tree.
The crack of bones echoed faintly. Blood dripped down the roots.
"Mom!" Neri cried, her basket falling to the ground.
The monster advanced, each step shaking the earth.
Neri's mother struggled to rise, her body trembling.
"Neri… run…" she gasped, breath ragged.
But the girl didn't move. Tears streaming, she ran to her mother, clutching her bloodied hand.
The monster raised its claw again—ready to strike them both.
And in that instant—
CLANG!
A long staff smashed into the monster's head from the shadows, making it stagger back with a guttural roar.
The staff spun in midair and returned to the hand of someone emerging through the mist.
From between the trees stepped a brown-skinned man, about twenty-five.
He wore a split black cloak over a plain white tunic and black pants.
A green turban wrapped neatly around his head, and dark glasses covered his eyes.
On his back hung a mountain pack carrying a sheathed Dzulfikar sword, a karambit, a composite bow, and a long spear—yet he only held a carved black staff in his right hand.
He walked forward slowly, voice deep and calm.
"Leave this place, creature of Santara."
The monster roared, lunging with fury, claws slicing through the air.
But the man didn't flinch—he spun his staff once and blocked the strike with a single, effortless motion.
A booming impact thundered through the forest, the air trembling as if torn apart.
The beast staggered backward.
The man twisted his staff again, thrusting it toward the monster's chest.
In an instant, the staff moved faster than sight—three rapid strikes, followed by a final downward slam.
BOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward, smashing into the creature like a giant hammer.
It shrieked in pain, then turned and fled, crashing through the trees until it vanished into the mist.
Silence.
Leaves drifted gently to the ground.
The man stood tall, resting his staff on his shoulder.
He walked toward the little girl weeping beside her mother. His gaze softened behind the dark lenses.
The woman no longer moved—her final breath had just left her.
The man knelt beside the child.
"Shh… it's all right now."
He placed a hand on the girl's head and slowly removed his glasses.
His eyes—ordinary, calm, human.
Then he gently closed the woman's eyelids.
From his right eye, a white glowing "X" appeared, pulsing like moonlight.
The light flowed into the woman's body, bathing her in a soft radiance.
The bleeding stopped. The wounds sealed. Her breath returned.
Neri's eyes widened.
"Mom…?"
Her mother coughed weakly and opened her eyes—alive once more.
She turned to her daughter, who cried in joy, and embraced her tightly.
When they looked up to thank him—
the man in black was gone.
Only his footprints remained on the ground… and a single green leaf from his turban lay upon the grass.
The night breeze of Farlios whispered again, carrying the serene sounds of the forest.
Yet, far away… faint, heavy footsteps echoed through the mist—perhaps the same monster, perhaps not.
And high above, the stars glimmered—like eyes watching the world beyond the fog.
A few minutes later—
The mist began to thin as two small figures emerged from the edge of Farlios Forest, walking toward a village lit by pale blue lanterns.
Round wooden houses with thatched roofs glowed softly among the giant trees.
The air smelled of wildflowers and warm wood smoke rising from hearths.
Furniy children ran playfully along the path, their tails and ears flicking with laughter.
But the laughter stopped when they saw Neri and her mother.
Her mother's dress was stained with dirt and blood.
Villagers rushed forward, ears and tails stiff with concern.
"Lady Rinna! What happened in the forest?"
"You're hurt! Was there another attack?"
Rinna lowered her head, still clutching her basket of glowing fruit and mushrooms.
Neri clung to her sleeve, eyes red from crying.
Her trembling voice answered,
"There… there was an Astrat. It attacked us near the northern stream. I almost died… if not for someone."
The villagers murmured, men in leather vests tightening their grips on wooden spears.
"Someone? Who?"
"A Warden?"
"Yes but…" Rinna whispered. "He… a man. Dressed in black. He struck the monster down—with just a staff."
She paused, staring at the ground.
"And… his eyes. When he removed his glasses, there was a white 'X' glowing in his right eye."
The entire village fell silent.
Every Furniy ear in the crowd twitched. Tails lowered in unease.
A murmur spread.
"The mark of X…"
"Are you sure? His eye had the mark?"
"That's… Atharlez…"
The night wind carried the whispers across the village.
In moments, the once-warm air turned heavy and cold.
---
[Nightrune Village Hall]
The hall was built from the trunk of an ancient luminous tree.
Blue torches lined the walls, their flames casting slow, shifting shadows like forest spirits.
The Furniy elders sat in a circle on carved root chairs.
In the center, Neri and her mother sat quietly.
The soft clatter of looms and footsteps of guards echoed faintly outside.
Elder Fao—the village chief, an old Furniy with silver hair and tail—stared deeply at them.
"You are certain of what you saw, Rinna?"
She nodded slowly.
"I'm certain, Elder. That light healed my wounds… even brought back my breath."
Fao lowered his gaze, the blue torchlight reflecting in his pale eyes.
He inhaled deeply before speaking, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Atharlez… the forbidden power of the ancients. The power said to call a soul back within five minutes of death."
A younger villager stammered nervously,
"But… isn't that… divine power? How could any man still possess it?"
Fao shook his head slowly, ears drooping with sorrow.
"Because the old prophecy still lingers…"
"The one that says: 'He who bears the Eye of Atharlez will awaken the Golem that ends the world.'"
Silence filled the hall. Only the crackle of the hearth replied.
"And that," Fao continued softly,
"is why the nations of Santara once hunted all who bore the Eye of X.
Child, adult, elder—it mattered not. All were deemed a threat."
Neri looked up, confused.
Her mother held her close, meeting the elder's eyes firmly.
"But that man… he saved us.
If not for him, I'd be dead.
Does a savior like that truly deserve to be called a curse?"
No one answered.
Only the forest wind sighed through the cracks in the wooden walls.
---
[Outside the Hall – That Same Moment]
A Furniy guard stood atop the wooden watchtower, scanning the western forest.
A tiny glowing bird with transparent wings fluttered toward him, landing on his shoulder.
He untied a small scroll from its leg—
a message from Ardelle Nightrune.
"Report," he murmured, reading quickly. "The Elder must know."
He dashed into the hall and bowed before Fao.
"A message from Lady Ardelle.
She orders the village to strengthen all border defenses. And…"
"And what?" Fao asked tensely.
"She requests that news of the X-eyed man be sent immediately to the Goblin Valley village.
Lady Ardelle suspects… the Astrat's movement tonight wasn't by chance."
---
[Watchtower – Moments Later]
The bell rang softly—signaling alert.
Furniy men armed with spears gathered along the wooden barricades,
while women prepared healing tonics and lit green flame lanterns.
In the distance, the mist to the east shimmered faintly—
as though something moved behind it.
From the window of their small hut, Neri clung to her mother.
"Mom… will that man come back?"
Rinna gazed toward the forest, eyes dim with thought.
"I don't know, dear…
but if his eyes truly carry light—
then maybe… this world isn't entirely lost to darkness."
The night breeze whispered through the leaves, soothing and calm—
but beneath its gentle sound, faint heavy footsteps echoed once again,
as though something ancient had begun to stir beneath the blue moon of Farlios.