"Hah... Now this is fun, hahaha."Kaisis continued walking, carefully observing everything.
Then suddenly, he spotted an elegant gray carriage, different from the general look—since the entire town consisted of only a hundred houses, all made of ordinary black bricks, most of them one or two stories at most.
The carriage was parked beside an ordinary house, whose door opened, and a beautiful blonde woman stepped out. She seemed in her thirties, and her swollen left eye diminished her attractiveness. It was obvious she had been hit. She was holding the hand of a cute blonde girl, clearly destined to grow up to be a beauty.
"Alright, Dad, Mom, I'll be heading back now."The woman spoke as she turned around, and there stood a tall man, seven feet in height, bald-headed, and beside him was a woman with messy hair and eyes. Of course, they were Howal and Marlon.
"Mary, make sure to take good care of your husband, and don't disobey him. That is your duty."Howal spoke in a low voice, reminding his daughter.
"...Yes, Dad, I know. You don't have to remind me every time you see me."Mary replied with clear disinterest.
Then she moved to get into the carriage with her daughter but noticed out of the corner of her eye a boy watching her.
"...?"Mary felt a strange familiarity toward the boy."Ah..." she opened her mouth to speak to him without realizing it, but a voice cut her off:
"Hey, you whore! Move your ass quickly. I've got more important things to do than this family drama!"A man inside the carriage spoke with boredom.
Mary turned toward the voice and gritted her teeth, but obeyed and got in.
Kaisis also looked at the woman and her daughter for a few seconds before continuing on his way.
The carriage moved quickly toward the town gate, pulled by two snow-colored horses, their hooves shaggy up to mid-leg in black.
The colors in this world—for creatures and objects alike—were a blend of black and white. Some people had pale white skin, others had black, and so on in varying gradients.
Kaisis's wandering ended when he saw the blood-red sun nearing sunset.
Though here, there was no "day"—from sunrise to sunset, it was all considered "sunset."
The color of the sky was a mix of red and dark orange, ominous in tone.
Kaisis returned the way he came, and fortunately, he had a strong memory.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."He panted as he hurried along the familiar path, uncaring whether he encountered a wolf or a predator—there was no other route he knew, and no place to wait out the night.
So he rushed with all he had, gambling his life; if he lived, he lived. If he died, he died.
And in his heart, it was pounding—not from fear or tension, but from excitement... the thrill of putting life on the scale.
He returned home safely, opened the door quietly, slipped inside quickly, then took off his shoes and placed them where they belonged.
He headed to his bed, which was near the kitchen. The cabin consisted of two rooms: one small room for Keolen to sleep in, and the other combined the kitchen and living area.
Without much thought, he got into bed and covered himself.
"He must be asleep... haah, good."He thought to himself and closed his eyes, but felt something strange, as if something were watching him. The silence didn't help.
He pondered: should he lift the blanket and check? Or pretend he didn't feel anything?
Of course, he went with the second option and continued sleeping.
Far behind the bed, Keolen stood for a few seconds, then headed to his room.
---
In the morning
Birds were singing outside... their tune full of sorrow and despair.
On the table, Kaisis and Keolen were having breakfast.
"Alright, boy, where were you? And why did you return late last night?"Without introductions, Keolen got straight to the point, his eyes locked on Kaisis like a hawk.
"...I was returning from the usual path."Kaisis answered confidently, and continued:"But the path was full of wolves... so I turned back and waited..."He thought carefully before adding:"I waited for three hours at a distance of five kilometers, and when night approached, I returned cautiously... then ran at full speed when I neared the house."
"...And?"Keolen said.
"...That's all."Kaisis affirmed his story.
"...And?"
"Really, that's everything."Kaisis replied with slight tension. He didn't want to mention leaving the town, because Keolen would never allow him to go again.
"...Alright."Finally, Keolen's face relaxed, he smiled, and returned to his meal.
With a matching smile, Kaisis also returned to eating.
"By the way, I've always wa—Ahhh!"Before Kaisis could finish his sentence, a hand stretched out quickly and strangled him!
"You're lying! Why are you lying? Where were you?!"Keolen shouted, his face close to Kaisis's, eyes filled with unusual madness.
"Ah... Uhkkkh!"Kaisis tried to breathe, grabbing Keolen's hand to push it away, but it was useless. The difference in strength still existed.
"...!?"Keolen, after regaining clarity, released Kaisis's neck and stepped back slightly.
Then he approached again—but gently.
"Son, understand me... I'm afraid of losing you. Wandering beyond the designated area could cost you your life."Keolen spoke emotionally, raising his hand to softly ruffle Kaisis's hair, then lowered it and lifted his chin to face him.
"Be more careful next time, please."He reminded him calmly, then stood and headed to the cabin door.
"I'll take care of hunting this week."He said as he grabbed his bag and rusty axe, then turned back:
"Wolves are increasing these days and roaming freely... they've even reached the safe zone I marked. I'll define other safer zones where you can continue hunting."He spoke while thinking about possible solutions to the wolf problem.
Poison the river stream? That's ineffective. The required amount of poison is massive, and with the river's constant flow, it becomes unfeasible.
Maybe catch some prey, poison it, and scatter it at the forest's edge?But wolves aren't fools. With their strong senses, even if one or two fall into the trap, the rest will survive and grow more cautious.
Or maybe poison the ground? There are some toxins, when mixed with blood, that prevent clotting, turning it into a thin sticky layer or powder instead of the thick paint-like texture. They can affect creatures through touch or smell, but only stay active for one or two hours at most.
The best solution? Set up deadly traps in specific spots to enclose a safe area.Wolves are living creatures, and living creatures tend to value their lives instinctively... it's called the survival instinct.Meaning, wolves won't risk entering the traps unless they have a compelling reason to do so.
---
An hour after Keolen left
Kaisis sneaked into his room, and as usual, opened a hidden section of the wooden floor to find a book—old, with a cover as black as coal, emanating an aura of terror and strangeness. He began reading it as always.
The pages of the book were as black as the cover, with words written in the color of blood.It contained drawings of complex circles and strange plants.But Kaisis didn't seem tense—rather, he was pleased.He smiled from time to time, even laughed, as if the book whispered a joke to him.
As if the book had a drug-like effect, offering a sensation of pleasure with every word.
"...!?"Suddenly, Kaisis placed his hand on his forehead and snapped out of it, feeling disoriented. Then he placed his other hand on his head, running it through his hair, then across his face with both palms.
Then his left hand smoothly slid down to touch his chest as well.
"...!?!"He felt afraid of his involuntary actions, regaining control of his body with a jolt. He stood up, fear creeping inside him, and quickly tried to leave the room.
But he remembered the book, gathered his courage, picked it up and put it back in its place, then hurried out of the cabin
-------------------------
So far, the story is progressing slowly and mysteriously, focusing on world-building, a dark atmosphere, and a sense of strangeness.Do you find this kind of progression engaging? Or would you prefer a faster buildup of events?Share your thoughts—your feedback will help me improve the pacing and shape the story to better match your expectations.