There was once a beautiful forest that was filled with the most exotic of plants and wildlife.
Small creeks of flowing blue water cascaded through the terrain, fish of all varieties calling the lush region home.
But what truly sets this dense world of green apart from all others was a small cabin nestled into the thickest part of the tree cover.
With walls made of perfectly carved logs and a roof of muddied shingles, it overgrew with greenery planted by its owner.
Whether it be the roses that practically glowed with their crimson color or the sunflowers that absorbed any rays of light they could get, this home was one with the world itself.
And the one who resided in this cozy residence was no different from the abode he lived in, his tranquil space curated to perfection.
In this location of absolute solitude, the aged man worked diligently, cutting back weeds and tending to his garden of herbs.
His hands were ragged with wrinkles and scars from his long life, each scraggly white strand of hair clinging to his scalp hidden by a straw hat.
When he smiled, you could practically hear the plants he cared for crying out with joy, the gentle warmth of spring emerging from his lips.
Yet deep inside this man's heart, an unfilled loneliness lay bare to see, a burden he had been cursed to live with.
Turning his gaze downward towards the short grass he had cut back, he watched as a tiny chipmunk scurried through to his palm.
Picking the creature up in one hand, he gazed into its eyes, understanding its thoughts with a simple look.
Reaching backwards into his pocket, he revealed a tiny peanut he had harvested during the fall of the previous year.
A look of glee appeared on the animal's face as it stuffed the nut into its mouth, only to scurry away a moment after.
Instead of returning to his work, the man looked upwards and into the lush forest ahead, watching something that couldn't notice his gaze.
Far on the edge of the forest where the man resided, a woman with long brunette hair fought against vines and branches.
Her machete brazenly struck down anything that blocked her way, the greenery crumbling under her force.
The attire she wore was suited for the terrain: thick, long jeans that protected her from thorns, and a thin, white short-sleeve shirt to top it off.
Each movement she made was watched by the forest itself, the warm air contracting into a chilly breeze, and the light of the sun fading into darkness.
Her large brown eyes stared ahead of her, the sound of a trickling stream drawing her attention.
Beginning her attempt closer, she whipped her head around, the feeling of eyes trailing her sending a jolt down her spine.
How odd…
The brown-haired woman paid no mind to the strange feeling, her feet moving ahead of her to bring her closer to the river.
As she reached a patch of absolute tree cover, the sounds of birds chirping vanished, the cold air turned frigid, and the ambience of the forest enclosed her.
There was no realization of the phenomenon in the woman's head; her only goal was set in her mind as she approached a small clearing in the forest.
Furrowing her brow in confusion, she stopped moving, her eyes glued towards an odd shack located in the middle of the meadow.
Her heartbeat began to race as a sound behind her made her jump, an old man staring into her eyes appearing in a flash.
"Oh! Hello, sir…"
She nodded her head respectfully, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she began to apologize.
"I didn't realize anybody lived this deep into the forest, so I'm sorry for intruding on your home."
Looking down at the elderly man, she watched his stiff face contort into a warm, welcoming grin, a youthful appearance for one so old.
Parting his wrinkled lips slightly, he spoke in response to the lady at his doorstep.
"Do not worry, child. I was feeling rather lonely out here alone in the heart of this beautiful place. You should come in for a meal if you're planning on continuing your journey. This forest is no place for a young lady to be after dark."
High in the sky, the setting sun streaked across the starry beyond, the reds and oranges mixing together in a wonderful hue of sunset.
Taking off his straw hat and tilting his head to the woman, she placed her hands in front of her hastily.
"No, no, no. I can't accept such a generous offer when I barged into your home like this!"
Shaking his head at the girl's outlandish claim, he walked ahead of her, stepping onto the path to his cabin.
"Nonsense. Over my long life, I have invited many young travelers into my home for a meal in exchange for some wonderful stories. Do you care to share?"
Forming another wrinkled smile across his face, the woman felt a tug in her chest, the memories of her own grandparents who had long since passed flashing into her mind.
I really shouldn't go into this strange man's house, but…
Glancing at her machete in one hand and the man in front of her, another thought passed through her mind, one far darker than she wished to have.
If he tries to do anything to me, I have a weapon to defend myself.
Nodding her head in acceptance of the man, she watched as a strange expression came over his face.
"Come in then, believe me, I wish you, nor any living creature, harm."
Seemingly reading her thoughts with perfect accuracy, he pushed open his wooden door, the smell of freshly made food wafting through the air and into the woman's nose.
It smells incredible…
Taking a step forward out of instinct, she followed the man into his house, the tiny interior feeling quite sizable up close.
There were three rooms of note, one of which was filled with a kitchen, a dining table, and a chair with a tiny candle-lit lamp next to it.
Another of the chambers was revealed by a half-open door, a small bedroom that was filled with an endless variety of books and papers.
And then, the final room was a small bathroom that the man pointed to on his way in, a simple toilet, sink, and bath fitting into the tiny space.
"It's quite cozy in here."
The woman's words echoed through the house, the man chuckling gently as he stirred a large pot heartily.
"Cozy indeed. When I built this home, I wished for something different that my previous ones, a place secluded from the noisy, dark world outside the forest."
Reminiscing on his extensive life, he sighed, only slightly watching the girl as she took a seat at the table.
"Do you have any family?"
Her question was directed at the man based on the scattered photos littering the counter, men, women, and children filling various pages.
"Perhaps they could be called a family… However, I prefer to think of them as the stages of humanity, eons of change reflected in a few simple photographs."
The old man's cryptic words made the woman confused, yet, as she pondered them more, she came to a safe conclusion.
They must've moved away or passed along. The stages of life as people change… How wise…
Storing the man's speech in her heart for her diary that she would fill in later that evening, she watched as he brought a large pot from the stove to the table.
Steam floated up in waves from the surface, the smell of pumpkin filling the home like a tightly sealed bag.
Inside the woman's mouth, saliva flowed, the amazing culinary masterpiece before her a gift to her nostrils.
Handing her a bowl, he quickly sat down, serving her, then himself, hurriedly.
"I never asked you, child. What is your name?"
His words were followed by the sound of silverware being picked up from his plate, a spoon in hand, ready to drink the soup after an answer.
The brown-eyed woman paused her actions, realizing suddenly how rude she had been not to introduce herself to the kind gentleman.
"My name is Bell, or Bellina if that is what you would like to say."
Nodding respectively to her words, the man took a sip of his soup, waiting for the obvious question to be posed next.
Then, as he had predicted, she opened her mouth a spoke quietly.
"What is your name, sir?"
Smiling slightly, he placed his spoon onto the napkin next to him, responding to the woman in a tranquil tone.
"You may call me Father Adam."
His words caught the woman off guard, her brow furrowing in confusion until she noticed a small object behind the man.
Resting gently on the end of the farthest shelf, a statue of an angel praying was illuminated by a circle of candles.
With a moment of realization, she bowed her head further, finally understanding why someone would keep themselves away from society.
Of course, a priest would want total solitude! Not only that, but his being welcoming makes sense now..
"Thank you for the meal, Father."
Watching the man smile, she took another sip of her soup as he did as well, the quiet moment of time frozen by the peacefulness.
As the moon filled the forest with its lunar glow and the two adults finished their food, they migrated towards the living room where two chairs faced each other.
Gesturing out to the girl to uphold her end of the bargain, food and a place to stay in exchange for stories, she began quickly.
"I come from the city of Luminasia in the East, a place where these beautiful nature-filled jungles have vanished…"
Bell's words confused the man, something that she quickly elaborated on in case he hadn't strayed from his forest cottage for many years.
"Luminasia is built over the ruins of the ancient city of Japan, the century-long war forcing us to rebuild completely."
A look of great sadness befell Father Adam as he heard her words, the global war that left the world in pieces, a topic of great strife even in the modern world.
Yet, looking up through his grief, he spoke quietly, a deep curiosity looming in his presence.
"Japan… No, Luminasia is quite far from here. What brings you to the West, Ms. Bell?"
Staring into her brown-eyes with his own dark colored pupils, she yielded to his words, answering him calmly.
"My mother is dying, Father. I was told that this forest holds an herb that can cure any disease and revive the dead. I-If you know anything—"
Stopping herself from continuing, she watched as the man's face contorted into a frown, a sigh coming from his throat.
"There is no such plant in this forest."
A heavy silence fell over the two, the darkness of night creeping into the cabin as the grandfather clock struck nine.
"W-What do you mean…?"
Bell's words were shaky, her face pale as she listened to the words.
Shaking his head slowly, he looked at her with sad eyes, ones that had seen the same expression on the faces of many before.
Each time he had told them of the plant's non-existence, they had left without a trace, their hopes crushed under the weight of life.
And as he looked at the brown-haired girl's face, he expected that she would be no different from the rest.
In the first place, he had known her intentions, the truth of why anyone would come into the last major forest in the world.
Human greed was something this elder had known for his entire existence; whether it be evil or good, they were creatures of want.
Preparing for the inevitable words that would exit the woman's mouth, he looked at her sadly; however, she remained.
"Father. May I ask you a question?"
Furrowing his brow in confusion at the woman's odd words, he spoke quietly.
"You may."
There was a long pause after his response, and the woman mustered up enough courage to ask her query.
"My life will serve no meaning when my mother is gone. Both my father and siblings were executed by the Order, and I have nobody else…"
She paused, watching the man's reaction wilt as she began to speak again.
"It is with this in mind that I ask you, sir. Can you give me hope to keep on living in this world? You are wise, and you must know something that could be of use."
Her words became incoherent rambles until the elder stopped her by raising his hand in front of him.
A slow smile crept along his wrinkled face as he stared not into the girl's eyes, but into her very soul.
"I cannot give you hope. Hope is something that only you can find in your heart. However, I can tell you stories of my own life if you wish. Then, with that, you can do what you like."
Looking up at the old man with her big brown eyes, the woman nodded slowly, a warm feeling engrossing her entire body as she heard the man open his mouth to speak.
"Long ago, in an era long forgotten, I found a garden of perfect paradise where you humans, in a time when you were feeble, discovered god for the first time."
With the shadows of the outside darkness falling onto his face, he smiled lightly, a feeling of remembrance soaking into his old bones.
"It was during that time that I first met one of your kind. It was an interaction that, for as long as I live, I will never forget. One that sparked my love and hate for humanity. One that sowed trust and deceit. And one that would begin my endless existence."