Chapter I: Danger is Sweet

The soft knocking of the cold northern wind on the window beside his bed was not the one that kept him lying awake. It was already past midnight but still, he couldn't sleep. He just lay there in the darkness, eyes wide open. Something's really troubling him, he just couldn't figure it out. He shifted his gaze towards the window. The wind was howling outside and he could hear the faint sound of waves hitting the rocks of the shore. A storm is about to pass by. He smiled at the thought of it. He secretly admired the storms that always pass by the country. The sound of fierce waves rocking fishermen's boats and howling winds had always marveled his heart. No matter how his family and neighbourhood hated storms, he just totally loves it.

He was always right when he predicted that a storm is about to come and now, he again proved that his instincts were always right. But this time, something was bothering him. And he doesn't know what it is. The flames from his fireplace flickered as the wind rushed inside his room, giving him a chill that ran down his spine. He shivered, and he could feel that his stomach started churning again.

"Annoying," he thought to himself. He slightly shook his head as if to tell himself to let go of the negative emotions his head is trying to materialize.

Standing up, he approached the far end corner of his room and grabbed the book lying on his study table. The picture of his master greeted him as he turned the pages. Seeing those crimson eyes frozen in time in a piece of paper and staring back at him made him grin and chuckle to himself.

"I do miss you Master," he thought. "But where are you right now? It's been 10 years..."

A deep sigh escaped his mouth as he flipped the pages of the book. He was mindlessly riffling through, but his mind wandered off again. The windstorm gushed outside and was tapping softly on his glass windows. Snapping out from his trance, he looked out and saw the wind furiously howling outside.

The storm is now at it's tempest and he should've enjoyed it right now, but he couldn't. This strange weird feeling had been haunting him for days now and he had to shake all these weird thoughts in his mind. He had to sleep. And he had to ignore all these feelings and forget about these things even just for a few hours. He really had to.

A deep sigh escaped his mouth as he grudgingly trudged his way back to his bed. Grabbing hold of the thick duvet, he pulled it over his head and reluctantly closed his eyes. It took him so long before he drifted into a deep sleep filled with fiery nightmares.

❇❇❇

Thunder roared and the world turned white for a second when a bolt of lightning struck the ground. The steep slope of the mountain was making it harder for him to get away as it was already eroded and rocks were falling down from afar. Looking back, he could see the flicker of torches the darkened soldiers were carrying.

Remembering the things that just happened a while ago made him shiver and sob helplessly. His body hurt everywhere and he can't think straight. He is having the urge to just stop running away and just let them imprison and kill him, but no. He shouldn't. His grandfather sacrificed everything just to let him live. And he couldn't break the promise he made to him.

Breathing deeply, it was only on that moment that he realized the gallops of horses were suddenly gone. Looking around and adjusting his eyes in the darkness, he could see that he was already in a narrow plain land with bushes on the sides.

"Where are they?," he mumbled to himself.

"Are they gone for good?"

He was so lost in his thoughts that suddenly his world stopped. It was already too late when he realized he was falling from a steep precipice. Muffled screams were escaping from his mouth as he waved frantically in hope to grab something.

"AAAHHHH!!!!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs but it all died with the pouring of the rain.

"Is this it? Am I just going to end up like this...?"

Tears came flowing down his cheeks as he remembered his grandfather. There was a loud thump! when his body reached the ground. But he couldn't move. Nor feel. He felt numb. His vision was starting to get embraced by the darkness as images of his life flashed before him.

"Is this the end?"

He heard footsteps and raindrops touching his face. And then, it was all black.