It was Saturday morning, faint rays of light slipped through the curtains of Noah's bedroom window. Outside, it seemed to be raining, and little by little, the sound of cars from outside began to be heard. Noah opened his eyes slowly; his body still felt tired, even though he hadn't had nightmares the night before. That morning, he felt strangely uncomfortable, even though his bed was large enough. As he sat up, he noticed Kai shamelessly asleep on his stomach with an innocent smile on his face.
"What's with this guy? When did he get so huge?" he wondered to himself, covered him with his blanket, and left the room.
***
Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, the nation lived in constant war with the dark spirits that terrified and ended the lives of humanity. For hundreds of years, humans fought uselessly against the threat, and as time passed, the spirit of the people broke. When the world lay without hope and helplessness and desolation had seized their hearts, a miracle occurred. Some human families were blessed by the gods with abilities that allowed them to protect their villages. Only one member of each chosen family could fight against the spirits; to do so, there was only one condition: they had to renounce their humanity, leaving their life behind, they became guardians.
Being chosen by the gods as a guardian was a blessing in the eyes of society, but for those who carried the responsibility of protecting others in exchange for abandoning everything they knew, it could feel like a curse. Many of them did not survive the torturous trial. These were judged and considered selfish in the eyes of society. How could they complain about being blessed by the gods? If only we could all fight! Were just some of the comments they had to deal with. Little by little, they went extinct or distanced themselves from everyone, fulfilling their duty in the shadows. Only some families retained the abilities granted by the gods, and these were inherited from generation to generation, like a sentence for those children with great potential.
Until one day, the gods manifested themselves to the people, asking:
Would you be willing to abandon everything you love and be reborn?
Many people hesitated and lowered their heads; it was obvious, they were not willing to abandon their lives to live again from scratch. But some people stepped forward, with their foreheads held high, answering the gods that they would be willing to die and be reborn every time if they so decreed.
The lives of those who questioned the gods were taken away, and those who agreed to leave their lives behind were reborn along with their protectors. Every year, before winter, those willing to leave everything behind were reborn, and those who were not were devoured by the spirits. In this way, it is said that the gods taught humans to accompany their guardians in their difficult task, and so it was until all the guardians disappeared from the world.
The Red Festival honors the ancient legend of the nation's guardians. By celebrating the festival, people in the past sought to commemorate the story of the legend, so the festival and its traditions were passed down from generation to generation. Currently, the Red Festival is a festival held every year in early November. Thousands of people attend, attracted by the darkness and mystery that surrounds the festival, as it is said that every year numerous people disappear without a trace during the festivities.
People wear red cloaks or garments along with terrifying masks that cover their faces, with which it is said you can deceive the spirits and avoid being devoured. During the day, there are parades, and at night, people gather in different parts of the city adorned with red lanterns and talismans that ward off danger. At midnight, a fireworks display closes the celebration of the festival, welcoming winter.
***
"Hurry up, it's getting late," Kai said excitedly like a little kid.
"We look completely stupid in these clothes," Noah's bad mood was impossible to hide.
"I'd rather look stupid than get eaten by a spirit".
"The spirits wouldn't eat you anyway, because you're stupid" Noah added, ruffling Kai's brown hair as they walked towards the subway station crowded with people dressed in red cloaks and terrifying masks heading towards the city center.