"Don't go."
The words went quiet, failing to reach anyone. Violet eyes gingerly opened, their vision blurred by tears. The sunlight shining through the tiny gap in the curtains lit up her dark room. It was the morning of a new day, a new beginning.
Wiping away the tears, she got up from her bed and walked towards the light. Pushing the two curtains opposite each other, the bright sun stung her eyes. She squinted until her sight adjusted to the view. Outside was the quiet town of Greenpine, situated on the far horizon, within a large forest. The dense woodland acted as a border between it and her house. Gazing towards the blue sky, she muttered under her breath.
"I dreamt of you again."
Before heading out of her room, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. One look at the mirror and, as usual, her violet eyes stood out. A hue that set the girl aside from the ordinary world. As such, she was named after it.
Viola.
While she was combing her long, straight black hair, her eyes caught on something in the mirror. Hanging just below her neck was a pendant—silver shaped into a half-heart by her own hands. The years had left it a little darkened in places, the shine softened, but it still held a quiet glow that drew her gaze.
"Oh, it's my birthday again. Seventeenth...is that right?"
Gently lifting her hand, she held the pendant and closed her eyes. The dream she had that morning flooded her mind along with various other memories of her past associated with the object, and the special person who wore the other half.
"If birthday wishes are anything to go by, mine remains the same as every year. I wish for us to be reunited again. I know you're out there somewhere. And I don't care what the reason was that you left me."
She reopened her eyes, and a tear fell from one, trickling down her cheek—a tear of sadness and a heart beating with hope.
"I just...want you back on my side."
Walking out of her room, Viola Caulfield would begin her new day. But little did she know that it wasn't going to be the usual. A dark fate awaited her on that horizon, within the peaceful woods.
On August 7th, 2002, Viola was going to receive a very special gift.
...
"Again?"
Viola spoke with little shock upon hearing Wright Caulfield, her father, speak about the news. She had finished her breakfast and was preparing to head out for school. Meanwhile, Wright was on the other dining chair, reading the morning newspaper, as usual.
"Yes," he continued, "more people have gone missing in the woods. It's been a week, and the authorities still haven't found the ones from before."
"Why would the people keep going there anyway? Don't they know of the danger?"
"Bunch of idiots, probably. Viola, make sure you avoid the woods."
"Of course. As much as I love nature, I know better than to dwell in the dark and unknown."
"Quite poetic." Cecelia Caulfield, her mother, chimed in as she entered the room. "Are you working on a poem?"
"I could try." Viola giggled softly as she grabbed her school bag. "I'm heading out now. Otherwise, I'll be late!"
"Viola," she called out with an excited smile. "It's your special day today! Anything in mind on how you'd wish to spend it? Perhaps a grand party, for once?"
"No, Mom. I don't like grand gestures or events, especially if it's for me. Let's keep things simple again. Besides...I've only made a single friend here, and his mother doesn't really like me." She chuckled awkwardly. "So, no parties...any time soon." She then glanced at her pendant as she thought to herself.
If only you were here...then perhaps I'd do one.
"Alright, as you wish." Cecelia sighed. "But please, make more friends, okay? I don't want you to end up alone." Viola nodded, and they smiled warmly before hugging each other goodbye. "Have fun at school!"
"I'll try!"
Her house was on the outskirts of the town, and the town was in the peaceful and quiet countryside. Adjacent, there was a large forest, and Viola had to cross a path through it to reach the main town. A dirt path with the woods on either side.
"I love Nature," she muttered under her breath. "But this place recently...it feels off."
Leaves would rustle as the Autumn wind blew, and crunchy footsteps echoed as she stepped on the dried, fallen ones. The woods weren't too dense, so the sunlight would shine through, giving a slight warmth to the place. Yet chills ran down her spine.
"This place...it's grown awfully quiet."
Aside from the wind, leaves, and her own footsteps, the woods were silent. There wasn't a single bird chirping, a wolf howling, or any other creature making a noise. Moreover, the creeping sensation that someone was watching followed her throughout. Paranoia struck her body like the cold winter.
"And it was I who told them to pick a secluded spot near the woods!"
Before moving to Greenpine five months ago, the Caulfields used to live in the crowded, grey, and noisy city of Deepshade. So, she was more than happy to shift to a much calmer and peaceful environment, one that was close to her favourite thing: Nature.
The forest path used to be her most liked spot. It was lively with birds and other natural creatures until a few weeks ago. Like a predator had stepped in and chased them away from their haven, and it was now stalking a new prey.
"That's okay, Viola. It's just your feelings. There's nothing out there. Absolutely nothing—"
Something dark moved in the corner of her right eye, and she punched the tree to her side. Her fist went inside the trunk, and leaves fell as the impact shook it. Catching her breath, she slowly pulled her hand away. With pity, she gazed at the hole she left behind, not worrying about any splinters stuck in her fingers, let alone feeling any pain.
"I may have created new housing—"
A single glance further ahead. An image that ran shivers throughout her body. And a split second was all it took to engrave the figure in her mind. The rational brain couldn't accept, while the fearful heart couldn't comprehend.
A humanoid figure whose body was devoid of all light and eerie red eyes that glared from a distance behind the trees. A vision she wanted to believe was a hallucination, but it looked a little too real.
Her legs moved on their own as she sprinted at full speed without giving any thought to the action. The path wasn't too long, so she made it into town swiftly. But even though she was out, her movement remained constant. Running away from the demonic creature was all she had in mind. What usually would take her ten minutes or more took less than half that morning. And only when she reached the wide-open front gate of her school that she finally stopped. Panting heavily, she placed one hand on the wall to her left and the other on her chest. Her limbs still shook.
"Like I didn't already have a hard time going through that path!"
Eventually, she calmed down and entered the school. She had to pass through a field to reach the main building. Most of the students would lounge around and play in the field during breaks. But this morning, Viola noticed there was a certain commotion.
"Here we go again..."
Sighing, she walked hastily towards the big crowd. Several people had gathered together like sheep being offered food, which in this case was entertainment.
"Of course, it's them again."
Viola noticed three familiar boys berating and beating an inferior one. She had dealt with such situations before and would never shy away from helping the weak. It's what her mother taught her when she was young.
But when the inferior boy came into view, she frowned and dashed towards them through the crowd, which quickly stepped out of the way. Aiming for the bully in the middle who was their leader, she punched the side of his face. The boy, caught off guard, took the full hit, falling flat on the dusty ground.
"You guys just won't let up, huh?"
The boy they were picking on was Viola's one and only friend, Bonn Ward. He sat on the floor, leaning on the steel fence behind him with tears in his eyes. Viola clenched her fists at the sight but controlled her emotions.
"Why you...!" The one who got hit tried to get back up, holding his face as if trying to keep it together. "Y-You broke a tooth!"
"You're lucky it's only one," she growled, standing firm between them and shielding her friend, while the other two bullies nervously stepped back. The reason why the flock of sheep never decided to intervene was partly due to entertainment.
"Leave," she said, her voice sharp and low. "This is the fifth time already. I assume you haven't forgotten the outcome of all the previous confrontations. Scram while you still have the chance."
And mostly out of fear.
"No, this time will be different." The bully leader grinned, seeming to have an ace up his sleeve. "I've brought some help!" He then proceeded to shout someone's name like a child desperately calling for his mother. "Jackson!"
A very tall and muscular boy stepped in and stood towering over her. Viola may have looked a little intimidated, but she would never be afraid in such situations. Because she knew she had her own ace up her sleeve. A hidden gift no other human could have.
"Time for us to teach her a lesson!"
The muscular boy, namely Jackson, started by aiming a punch at her face. But Viola shoved it away, lifted her leg, and landed a kick to the right side of his face. Before he could recover, she punched his stomach, pushing him back a little. She stayed on guard, knowing the fight couldn't be over this soon.
But, to everyone's surprise, when Jackson turned around to face the three bullies, he had tears in his eyes. "You didn't tell me she was this strong!" he whined, before running away at full speed. The other three shouted at him to come back, but he had long disappeared.
"Well, that was something," Viola muttered to herself, dumbfounded, "you know what, I kind of feel bad for him..."
"Y-You will pay for this!" the lead bully said, before the three ran away after him.
"That's what you always say." She sighed. "But you're always the ones who end up suffering." The rest of the crowd swiftly left, too. She turned around to check on her friend, giving him a hand to help him get back up. He stood about the same height as hers. "You good?" she asked kindly.
"Just a few scratches," he said softly, wiping his tears, "I'll be fine. T-Thank you for always looking after me."
"Don't worry." She smiled. "Remember my promise? I will always keep you safe."
"I know...but you always get in trouble because of me."
"You're worried about that?" She giggled softly. "That's the least of my concerns. I don't care what happens to me. What I do care about are my loved ones, which includes you!"
"Don't say that! The same loved ones care about you just as much! Not that anyone can even harm you." He let out a light chuckle. "You're an odd one, and it's not just your eyes."
Viola had a gift no other human could have. It made her unique, setting her further apart from the ordinary world. She was born with physical strength far beyond normal; one could even call her a superhuman. In fact, she would have to pull her punches every time she got into a fight, else she'd risk fatally wounding them. Only her parents, her past two friends, and Bonn knew about this. And they had kept it a secret from the rest of the world for her own safety.
Why was she so gifted? No one knew. For now...
"I-I have something to give you—"
The bell began ringing, and Viola immediately took his hand and bolted towards class, cutting off whatever Bonn was trying to say. "We're going to be late!" she shouted.
"B-But this is for your—"
"I know! We can always deal with that later!" Viola ended up carrying him on her arms since he couldn't keep up with her agility. Bonn objected to it, but eventually sighed in defeat, slightly flushed. They reached class on time.
...
"And another day done with." Viola sighed in relief as she and Bonn were walking out of the main school building. She then noticed Bonn looking a little dejected. So she asked him, "Hey, something the matter?"
"Oh, n-nothing!" he spoke hesitantly. "Everything's good!"
"Don't lie." She stopped and gave him a worried frown. "Did someone say something to you again? Tell me who they are. I'll deal with them!"
"No! No one could ever, as long as you're here! It's just that..." his voice trailed off as he looked around and noticed how everyone kept a certain distance from them. "I sometimes worry about you."
"What?" She responded with a confused frown. "Didn't you just say earlier that no one could harm me?"
"Not physically, at least. But have you noticed? Ever since you took up the job of protecting me, ever since you showed your strength by fending off my bullies whenever they came after me, the rest have started to avoid you. Someone like you would've probably made several friends. And yet, you only got me..." He returned a look of pity.
"I just...don't want to ruin your life—"
"Don't." She immediately cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth. Her eyes watered, but she held back the tears. She looked down, and her hair shadowed over her eyes. Memories of a sorrowful past flooded her mind with a wishful hope of wanting to rewrite the events. Lifting her head, she muttered in a low voice.
"The last time someone said those words...I lost a person I held dear."
"S-Sorry," he said, after she retracted her hand. "You've mentioned this certain person a few times before..."
"There was a girl I met in the town of my birth. My childhood friend—the only one I made back then. Long silver hair and an eye patch...we got along because we stood out from the rest. She was the best, and there was nothing I wouldn't do for her."
"Looks like I got competition." Viola chuckled at his comment. "Where is she now?"
"Years after we became friends, one day, don't know why, don't know where, but she left. She abandoned me, and I never saw her again." She clutched her pendant gently, fighting back tears. "But I'm not mad at her. I know she's out there somewhere...and wherever she is, I hope she is doing well."
"And I hope you two reunite soon." His words made her smile a little again.
"You know, you're just like her. She would often get picked on, and I'd have to go out of my way to defend her. The only difference between you two is that...she gave off a strong vibe. She probably could fight back, but chose to ignore the world around her and simply walked away every time."
"Hey, you didn't have to call out my powerlessness like that!" He pouted. "I'll be strong one day and protect you instead. Mark my words!"
"I look forward to that." She chuckled. "But please, don't think that you're ruining my life. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, eith—"
A sharp pain struck the back of her head, and Viola felt lightheaded and dizzy. Losing control of her body and no longer being able to stand upright, she fell forward on her knees first and then to the floor. The only things she heard were the mocking remarks and laughter of three familiar voices, and Bonn worriedly calling out her name, before going unconscious.
"Leave her here to regret later!" said the leader of the three bullies as they forcefully took Bonn away. No one around tried to help. They were afraid of, and did their best to stay away from anything related to her.
Fortunately, Viola's superhuman constitution allowed her to wake up several minutes later. Her eyes flashed open and, as soon as she returned to her senses, she got up with a face of horror upon realising what had just transpired. "Bonn!" she shouted his name, but to no avail.
Lifting her hand, she felt the back of her head where she got hit, and luckily, there was no bleeding. Even a heavy metallic weapon wouldn't cause her lethal harm since her body was much more durable than that of a normal human. Without a moment to lose, she dashed out of the school campus and began searching for Bonn.
Use your ears. Figure out where they are!
Along with having superior physical capabilities, she also had an extraordinary sense of hearing. If she focused enough, she could hear sounds from far distances that a normal human cannot.
"There!"
Faint crying noises came from within the woods, and she headed straight for it. She recalled her experience from earlier that morning, but did not hesitate. Instead, it became all the more reason for her to press on, despite the chills running down her spine. It couldn't have been real, could it?
They've gone way too far this time. I'll make sure to teach them a proper lesson!
Out of the corner of her eye, once she was deep within the woods, she saw something she never expected to see. The smell of rotting flesh invaded her nostrils, and she almost vomited seeing the pool of blood.
"W-What happened here...?"
A dead body under a tree. It wasn't just the remains of any random person, but one of the three bullies. The bottom half was ripped off and nowhere to be found, and one half of the face was unrecognisable. She shivered at the thought of what creature could have done this.
"There's a blood trail...!" And so she followed it, internally praying and hoping she would be on time to save her friend.
Please...be okay!
Derisive laughter was long replaced by shouts and screams of absolute terror. An air of dread filled the entire forest, weighing down on her, screaming at her to turn back. Not one single animal was in sight. Like they had all escaped from fear of the predator. And she, the prey, turning a blind eye to every warning.
It can't be the thing I saw, I'm sure that was a hallu...
"HELP M—" The boy was silenced by the weight of the shadow's fist crushing his skull.
...cination...
To her shock, coming into view was the same shadow figure she had seen earlier near the forest path. It stood towering over another of the three bullies, who had backed up into a tree. There was one other disfigured corpse on the scene, most likely belonging to the final bully, and Bonn rooted to his spot a few feet away from the demonic figure.
Bonn!
Viola, ignoring the bloody mess and the figure, hastily rushed in to scoop up Bonn in her arms and escape. As she ran, a loud and distorted roar echoed behind her, along with heavy, rapid footsteps that matched her heartbeats. She never turned around and kept moving forward.
"V-Viola! Y-You're here!" Bonn said, a slight relief in his voice, "t-though you might wanna be running...faster—"
Viola's extraordinary physical prowess allowed her to run extremely fast, which no other human or animal could match. Yet whatever chased them was able to keep up. And worse, closing the distance.
This isn't good. I need to find a hiding spot!
Viola ran under the cover of the trees, hoping to lose it, before finding an abandoned cabin in a small clearing and rushing inside it. The place was nothing but wood and had a cupboard, table, and chairs inside. Placing Bonn down, she immediately blocked the front door using the cupboard.
I doubt this will hold up, but I can hope...
They hid there in silence. The heavy footsteps, the distorted growls, and every sound that came from the outside, each one added weight to their bones. The silence in the longer intervals gave them a moment of respite, only to gasp at the uneven pattern.
Is it...gone?
There was absolute peace. The only noise was their hearts beating so violently they began to hurt, and perhaps even rat them out.
"I think we're sa—"
They jumped at a loud crash followed by the sounds of wood cracking, as the cupboard flung to the side and the door fell apart. And standing intimidatingly at the opening was the demonic creature.
About seven feet tall, higher than any human she'd ever seen, it had a fleshy humanoid body with skin completely devoid of any light from head to toe, looking at which felt like staring into the black void. The only parts that stood out were a large pair of glowing scarlet-red orbs on the face, in place of its eyes. It had no hair nor any other human feature on its body. It didn't even have a mouth yet was capable of making distorted growls, roars, and screeches.
"Bonn," she called out to him, while keeping her eye on the thing. "Go out from the back door and run. I will hold it here."
"But—"
"No buts, just go!" She shouted, leaving Bonn no choice but to follow her command. He escaped, swiftly but reluctantly, and luckily, the creature kept its attention on her. Her heart was in her mouth, but she stood strong for the sake of protecting her friend.
She started by lifting and slamming the table on it. The creature simply took the hit, and the table broke, inflicting no harm. The creature began slowly walking towards her, cracking the wooden floor with every thumping step, and she kicked a chair at it. The thing didn't even flinch, and the chair ended up the same way as the table.
Roaring, it threw a downward jab at her. She leapt back, and it punched through the cabin floor instead, creating a tiny opening. As soon as it retracted its hand, she lurched forward and landed a blow on its body. But the impact instead ended up hurting her as she felt her knuckles crack.
Viola yelped at the pain but ignored it with the adrenaline rushing in, and having the sole thought of protecting her loved one. She landed a few more rapid punches using both her fists, but it only broke the bones in her fingers.
What is this thing?! Why am I not able to harm it even a little—
The wind was knocked out of her from a sudden invisible force that struck her below the neck. A punch from the creature sent her flying through the wall and outside the cabin. She hit a tree trunk a few feet above the ground before falling forward to the floor.
With the pain finally hitting her, she struggled to stand on her feet, so she ended up sitting under and leaning her back against the tree. Her hands were full of blood, and the force of the creature's punch broke some of her ribs. A metallic taste coated her tongue as she coughed up blood.
"W-Whatever that thing is," she muttered through agonising breaths, "it's not a natural occurrence. I-It is beyond this world." She then remembered Bonn's words from earlier.
"Not that anyone can even harm you."
No one can be truly invincible in the world. There will always be someone or something to keep the balance.
The creature reappeared in front of her, leaping from within the cabin, before letting out a distorted chuckle at her misery. It grew claws in its left hand before raising it to land the finishing move. She tried her best to move and get away, but her body felt too heavy and painful. Closing her eyes, she awaited her demise, feeling relieved about one thing.
At least...Bonn would be safe...right?
But when what she awaited never came, she opened her eyes, and the sight in front made her heart sink. Bonn stood in between, shielding her from the creature. He looked terrified, but smiled at her.
"W-What are you doing?!" She said to him, fearing what was about to transpire.
"Returning the favour," he said, just before the creature slashed at his back with its claws. He took the hit but kept standing despite the sharp pain. The creature took pleasure in what it was given and continued ripping his back mercilessly instead of going for the kill.
"LEAVE! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"
She screamed with agony at him, but he wouldn't listen. He was hell-bent on protecting his loved one. The pain, the bloodshed, the fear, none of that mattered to him. The only thing that did was Viola's safety, even if his efforts were futile, and only delaying the inevitable.
"This is supposed to be my job...why would you..."
The creature hacked his legs off, and he fell into the pool of blood. His back was completely mutilated to the point you could see bone. Viola broke down in tears, softly turning him around with shivering arms, before placing his head on her lap. She began gently brushing his hair as tears fell on his face. The creature in front of her and the world around her were drowned out by the agony in her heart. Bonn smiled faintly, speaking in a weak voice.
"Because you're special...Viola...you are more deserving to live...than I am."
The words pricked at her when an unusually strong gust of wind blew past them. But what caught her off guard were the sounds of several sharp objects cutting through what she could only perceive as flesh. She looked at the creature to see it chopped into pieces by an invisible force, with the fallen chunks turning into dust.
And behind where the creature stood originally was a new person. A tall boy, seemingly older than her, with grey and black wavy hair and light grey eyes, and a nonchalant expression on his face. He may have looked human, but assuming he was the one to slay the unnatural creature, Viola doubted he was normal.
"H-Help," she pleaded to the stranger, hoping he wasn't hostile too. "Save him...please!"
"It's too late." Knives stabbed her heart. "He was dead from the moment he took the first wound. A single cut from that thing is death for the ordinary." Again and again, with every word. "At the very least, hear his last."
"H...ha..." Bonn tried to speak, but only blood came from his mouth. His trembling hand nudged weakly toward his pocket. Viola forced her own hand to move, though her broken fingers bent stiffly and barely obeyed. She fumbled inside and pulled out a small ring. It was made of pale maple wood, smoothed and sealed with resin, so it caught a soft shine in the light. It wasn't perfect, but it was clear he had shaped it with care.
"I have something to give you—"
She looked back at him, and he gave her a wide, closed-eyed smile. The last smile she would ever see from him. Remembering his words from hours before, the realisation hit her, and she figured out what his final words were. He closed his eyes and let out his final breath.
"No...no...NO!"
Happy Birthday, Viola.
"BONN!"
His body went cold. She shook him awake, but a corpse wouldn't react. No amount of tears could bring him back. For the first time in her life, she failed to protect someone, and she failed to fulfil her own promise. But he fulfilled his.
"I'm sorry..." She sobbed bitterly. "I'm sorry!"
Now, she must learn to live in a world without him. And a world where demons more powerful than her exist.
"He should've died right away. But his resolve kept him alive for this long." The stranger suddenly spoke up after a short moment of silence. "He was quite strong for a human." He sighed. "Unlike you."
Viola's teary eyes widened as she looked up at him.
"Why did you run?" Frowning slightly, he glared down at her. "Why didn't you fight back?"
"Huh?" Viola mouthed.
"I can sense a hidden power within you. You clearly had the strength to defeat that thing. You could've saved your friend. But you failed, and you lost to a being of lower intelligence. Do you know why?"
"B-But I did everything I could! What more could I have done—"
"Fear." She gasped. "Fear took control of your actions, which resulted in you making the wrong decisions. You chose to run and hide when you could've fought back from the start. You chose to pull your punches instead of letting go of any mercy. Fear was the reason why you lost. That otherworldly power within you is meaningless if you can't overcome a single human emotion."
The girl remained silent, unable to come up with another word. The stranger stated the harsh truth. Fear overtook logic, while her shaky fists lacked confidence. If only she weren't so used to holding back, if only she weren't so afraid of the unknown, things would've ended differently.
"When the authorities show up, tell them you were attacked by a wild animal," he said, before turning around to leave. "If you tell them what you saw, they will call you crazy. No one will believe the truth. No one will believe you."
As Viola watched him walk away, there were police sirens in the distance. She figured someone from the school must've called them. When the stranger was no longer in sight, she looked at the sky and questioned Fate, while crying all alone with her bloodied best friend in her arms.
August 7th, 2002, will forever be marked as the day Viola's life took a drastic turn.