Chapter 81 — Distant cries


    <strong><span ss="userText">[Aster]</strong>


    <span style="font-weight:400">The sky above was dark thanks to all the branches overhead, the air heavy with an unseasonable chill, as if winter had returned even though the first month of spring had already passed. Three figures draped in handmade disguise cloaks moved silently through the underbrush, their movements slow and cautious as they navigated the twisted maze of ancient trees.


    Two days ago, they had left the safety of the tree''s protection, where they hid from that monster, venturing out once more into the unknown depths of this strange forest<span ss="userText">, searching for a way out of this ce. Maybe it was due to sheer luck, or perhaps because Aster and Silvia had decided not to have any mana inside themselves, but during that time, they hadn''t encountered the terrifying clicking creature again. It was hard to say for certain. But both siblings felt utterly defenseless without their mana, making them even more cautious than ever before.


    Every rustling leaf and the distant howl of wind set them on edge; the fear of another attack was never far from their minds. Yet they pressed on, knowing their only hope was finding a way out. Their steps were careful and deliberate, and their senses sharp, alert, and ready to flee at the first sign of danger.


    Nivalis led the way as usual, her keen blue eyes scanning the dense forest ahead while her children followed closely behind, clutching their wooden spears and each other''s hands. The girl shivered from the cold as always, but her grip on his hand remained firm no matter what. Her golden gaze flicked warily around, watching for any hint of danger. The same went for young Aster.


    However, after four hours of walking through the dense forest, something caught the trio off guard.


    <span ss="userText">''Is it... raining?'' Aster wondered, looking up into the canopy above. He could hear faint pitter-patter sounds as tiny dropletsnded on the leaf-covered hood of his disguise cloak. ncing at Silvia, he saw that she hadn''t noticed yet. ''Won''t our hiding spots between roots get flooded or something? How are we going to sleep, then? '' he pondered, furrowing his brows with concern.


    Aster squeezed her hand tightly to draw his sister''s attention, locking eyes with the silver-haired girl. "It''s raining," he <span ss="userText">softly whispered, his eyes motioning up.


    Silvia looked up at the treetops and then back at her little brother, confusion evident in her golden irises. She silently nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "So?" she mouthed, not understanding why it was a problem.


    Pulling down the cloth from his mouth, Aster leaned close to whisper in his sister''s ear. "Everything between roots down there will get flooded, dummy. Where will we sleep?" he asked quietly, his voiceced with worry. Her eyes widened at his question, instantly darting towards their mother.


    Silvia hurried to catch up to Nivalis, pulling Aster along without answering. <span ss="userText">But before she could reach their mother, more cold droplets started hitting them, making it obvious it was indeed raining. The sound of water droplets hitting the leaves and branches all around filled the air. "Hmm?" Nivalis hummed, looking up, her blue eyes wide as she, too, realized the danger of the rain right before Silvia tugged at her mother''s hand, drawing her attention.


    "Where are we going to hide? Won''t our usual spots get flooded?" Silvia whispered anxiously, her voice trembling slightly as she clutched her mother''s cloak.


    Nivalis frowned at her words, her keen blue eyes scanning the surrounding forest for an answer. "Good question," she murmured thoughtfully. "Let''s... find some bushes for us to hide in, maybe? Somewhere next to a tree," Nivalis added with an uncertainty in her voice.


    Silvia and Aster looked at each other, then back at their mother before silently nodding in agreement.


    They continued walking through the forest as the rain gradually intensified until it became a steady downpour, making it even harder for them to see where they were going. The droplets grew bigger, falling faster and heavier upon their disguise cloaks. The trio''s pace quickened as they urgently sought shelter to hide somewhere they could wait for the rain out.


    After walking for a few more minutes, a loud thunderp suddenly echoed through the sky above them, startling everyone. Silvia let out a scared squeal, instinctively clinging onto Aster''s arm; her golden eyes darted upward, wide with fear. "Sorry," she mumbled quietly, looking at her little brother with an embarrassed look before letting go of his arm.


    Aster said nothing in return, simply squeezing her hand reassuringly as they followed their mother. As the rain grew more intense by the minute, their head turned around in search of anything suitable. Suddenly, Nivalis stopped dead in her tracks, causing the siblings to nearly bump into her back. "Here," she murmured, pointing ahead. Aster barely made out her gesture in the dim light and heavy rain.


    A cluster of tall bushes stood beside arge, ancient tree simr to the ones they had been sleeping beneath for the past few days. Its gnarled roots snaked across the forest floor like massive, twisted serpents; the ground was getting muddy and slippery from the heavy rain. They began pushing aside branches until they reached the trunk of the tree.


    Nivalis gestured for her children to crouch and sit on one of the wet, mossy roots around her. As the trio huddled together, the rain poured relentlessly from the darkening sky, drenching their disguise cloaks even further, chilling their bodies to the bone.


    She then quickly pulled out all their nkets from the backpack, wrapping them tightly around them in one big nket cocoon. Nivalis hoped it would keep her children as warm as possible despite knowing they would get soaked within minutes. The sound of rain pattering against the cloth was loud, almost deafening to their ears.


    "Sorry that we have no better choice, my sweets," Nivalis whispered, her soft voice barely audible over the noise of the downpour. "Let''s have some food.Then maybe try to fall asleep..."


    — "Don''t worry, Mom. It''s not your fault. I can make myself warmer if you want?" Aster offered quietly, feeling how much his sister and mother trembled from the cold rain. He was slightly better, but not by too much since he had no mana inside his chest whatsoever.


    "No," Nivalis immediately answered, gently patting her boy''s head in reassurance. "That creature might track the mana. Let''s not take any unnecessary risks until we leave this ce, alright?" she added, pulling out three tiny dried fish from the backpack and handing one to each of her children while keeping thest one for herself.


    "Okay... Thanks," Aster whispered, leaning against his mother''s soft chest as he took a small bite of the fish <span ss="aiText">she handed him. His sister silently followed his lead, her golden eyes flickering briefly toward him as she chewed on her portion. He could see fear in her irises, but she didn''t say anything and simply kept eating.


    Nivalis quietly ate her share under the loud rain, pattering against their nkets, feeling them getting wetter and heavier by the minute. Her body trembled from the cold, but she tried to ignore it, thinking how terrible this night would be for all of them. The same thoughts ran through young Aster''s mind as well.


    They huddled closer in a tight embrace and shared nkets, hoping theirbined warmth would be enough to keep them alive until morning came.


    <span ss="userText">...


    The next few hours were miserableas the rain intensified and the temperature dropped steadily. The trio huddled beneath their sodden nkets, shivering uncontrobly from the cold. Aster heard nothing but the chattering of teeth over the heavy sound of the downpour and theirbored breathing.


    Silvia''s sniffles came now and then, her small body trembling against Aster''s side. He wondered how, in the world, they were supposed to sleep like this, with the cold seeping into their bones and the constant downpour soaking through their nkets. ''Probably we won''t...'' he thought bitterly. Then, he just decided it was enough.


    — "I''m igniting mana," Aster suddenly whispered, his voice trembling from both the cold and frustration. "You two are freezing."


    "No..." Nivalis weakly protested, but there wasn''t much power behind her words anymore as she shivered violently against him.


    Ignoring his mother''s feeble protest, Aster started to ignite the mana within his chest, feeling itsforting warmth spread through his body. After a few minutes of concentrating, he silently moved between the girls, pressing his back firmly against Nivalis while pulling his sister close with his front. He hugged her petite, shivering form tightly against him, even wrapping his legs around hers to share as much heat as possible.


    "T-Thank you..." Silvia softly murmured against his cloak, her voice barely audible over heavy rain as she wrapped her arms around Aster''s body, snuggling into his embrace tightly. Nivalis sighed heavily but didn''t say anything; instead, she simply pulled both of her children closer to her chest, seeking warmth from him, too.


    Aster felt them shiver against him, their bodies cold and damp from the relentless rain that showed no signs of stopping. ''They need more warmth. I can''t allow them to get sick...'' he thought, sighing heavily. Aster gently pressed his lips against his sister''s forehead before igniting even more fire inside him, feeling its warmth intensify.


    "Ah, it feels so nice," Silvia murmured contentedly, her body rxingpletely against his now that her shivering had subsided. Aster could feel the same thing happening with Nivalis as she hugged them tighter from behind. But the pain he felt from igniting too much mana grew rapidly within him. After a moment of silence, Silvia gazed up at him with concern in her golden irises. "Are you alright? It must hurt, right?" she asked quietly.


    — "A little," Aster admitted quietly, his voice strained from the boiling pressure inside his petite chest. "I''ll be fine, don''t worry," he added after a few seconds, forcing a small smile even though there was no chance for her to see it in this darkness.


    It continued like this for a long while; it was hard to say precisely how many hours had passed. The pain intensified gradually until it felt like a thousand needles were stabbing him from the inside out, making Aster want to scream at the top of his lungs... but he didn''t. He had no other choice but to endure it all for the sake of his mother and sister.


    The boy was drenched in sweat and rainwater, and every breath he took was ragged, simr to how he felt back under those roots when they had to hide from that clicking creature. The moment his thoughts went to the monster, he heard it. Somewhere in the distance, barely so, almost imperceptible against the sound of rain... but he did—the distinct clicking noise.


    ''No, no, no,'' Aster thought in a panic, his golden eyes widening with fear. His heart started pounding rapidly in his chest, and he instinctively tightened his grip on Silvia''s trembling form. "Mom..." he whispered urgently, his voice shaking from the pain and terror gripping him.


    Without answering, Nivalis lowered them to the muddy ground and covered their bodies with her own, shielding them, hoping it would be enough to hide from whatever wasing next. She doubted her arrows would harm that creature, and there was no way she would risk her children fighting it on their own. The cold, wet mud clung to their skin, seeping through their clothes as theyy near the tree''s root, shivering from the freezing rain and fear.


    "Don''t move," Nivalis whispered, her voice nothing but a breath against them. "Whatever happens, don''t make any sound."


    Aster''s eyes were shut tightly, his breathsing in short, shallow gasps as he tried to keep himself from screaming out in agony. Considering that the creature might track them by the mana, it was a stupid idea... but Aster began igniting everyst drop of raw mana coursing through his underdeveloped body. All of it, everyst drop. The pain was so intense that it felt like his insides were being shredded apart.


    ''It hurts, it hurts, it hurts,'' he screamed internally, feeling his petite frame tremble uncontrobly from the immense agony. Through gritted teeth, Aster whispered to his mother, "Mom... when ites close... pull down the nkets, alright? So I-I can-"


    "Shush," she instantly hushed him back, pressing her cold hand against his lips. "Don''t talk."


    Aster moved his burning-hot palm and gently pressed it against his mother''s soft, muddy cheek, trying to let her know how much mana he had ignited within himself. It must be burning to the touch. Nivalis didn''t answer in any way, only kissing his palm tenderly as her trembling lips quivered from the cold.


    The clicking sound became louder with each passing moment, echoing through the forest and making them jump in fear. Each sharp click was like a sudden knife stabbing into their ears, drawing closer with every passing second. Then, they heard its heavy footsteps; with each step, the ground shook, sending vibrations through the puddle beneath them.


    Aster''s heart pounded wildly in his chest as the monster drew near; the clicking noise became so loud that it made his ears ring painfully. At some point, Aster could swear that the creature had stopped beside them, right beside where they were hiding. The sound of its heavy breathing, slow and deliberate, filled the air around them. The foul stench of decay emanating from its body assaulted Aster''s senses, making him want to retch.


    ''I won''t let that thing hurt us...'' Aster swore to himself firmly, determined to protect his family no matter what. He was ready to sacrifice everything, even his life, to protect his girls. He already died once. At least this one will have some meaning. Instead of waiting for Nivalis to pull down the nket, Aster did so himself, wiggling outside from between his mother and sister to face the monster.


    Nivalis tried desperately to stop and hold him down, but Aster pushed himself away from her grasp, revealing his small form to the creature almost directly above him. Aster barely reached its waist in height; this alone made him curse internally. As soon as he did so, the monster''s gaze turned down to him, those ugly yellow, glowing eyes boring into his trembling soul. Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing rows of sharp, glistening fangs that dripped with sap.


    The creature was huge; its green, nt-like body towered over Aster''s petite frame, and its limbs ended in deadly wooden ws that could tear flesh from bone in a single swipe. Rain poured from the sky, drenching both the monster and him. The water cascaded off its massive form, dripping onto the muddy ground below.


    Aster met the creature''s stare, not daring to blink, even though every fiber of his being screamed at him to cower and flee. They simply stood there, staring at each other for a brief, fleeting moment that felt like an eternity. Time seemed to stand still around them as all that existed was Aster and this monstrous abomination. In its gaze, he saw something primal, ancient, and terrifying. It was as if this forest itself had taken on a malevolent form.


    Thunder roared through the sky above them, briefly illuminating the creature''s horrifying silhouette before darkness engulfed them again. Then, an even louder, deafening click of its jaw followed, making Aster''s half-elven ears ring painfully and almost certainly making them bleed.


    At that very moment, the boy unleashed every drop of ignited mana inside his petite, trembling body. He raised both palms toward the monster, and everything happened so fast. A blinding sh of white-hot me erupted from his hands, engulfing the nt creature in a zing inferno. <span ss="userText">The searing heat and blinding light of the mes forced him to squint his eyes, his golden irises glowing brighter than ever.


    The rainwater instantly evaporated into steam around them, creating a thick mist that swirled and danced chaotically. A green, wed hand emerged from the mes, grabbing Aster by the throat and lifting him into the air with one swift motion. The boy struggled to breathe as the creature''s grip tightened around his delicate neck, trying to choke the life out of him. He felt every bone on his neck creak under his grip, but luckily, none broke. Not yet, at least.


    Aster coughed violently, feeling warm blood trickling down from where the sharp ws dug into his flesh. His vision began to blur at the edges as he gasped desperately for air that wouldn''te. But it didn''t stop the fire; his palms kept unleashing torrents of me against the monster, burning it alive.


    The creature''s agonizing screams filled the air over the roar of the fire that consumed its body, and the rotting scent was soon reced by a burning, choking smell. It stumbled back, still holding Aster by the throat as it thrashed around wildly in pure agony.


    Aster could barely see through his hazy vision as he struggled for air, feeling like he was on the verge of passing out at any moment from the creature''s tight grip around his throat. With thest of his strength, the boy moved his trembling hands to press both palms against its twisted, screaming face and unleashed thest remnants of his mana.


    The nt-like skin bubbled and melted under his touch, falling apart onto the muddy ground in sizzling clumps. The monster''s yellow eyes popped like balloons, leaving only empty sockets in its skull. "Eat... shit..." Aster managed to gasp out through his coughing and desperate attempts for air.


    At the same time, Aster felt the skin of his palms hissing as well. An excruciating, burning agony unlike anything he had ever experienced before shot through him, making him scream at the top of his lungs... or at least try to. It came out more like a gurgling cough.


    With a final, agonized roar, the creature stumbled back and copsed onto the ground with a loud ssh, dropping Aster into the mud next to its twitching form thatsted only briefly. The torrent of me stopped immediately when Aster hit the ground, reced by the sound of heavy rain once again. The monster''s bodyy motionless in the puddles, the rain gradually extinguishing thest remnants of fire that clung to its charred remains.


    Aster''s vision blurred, even more so than before; his head spun dizzily as he desperately gasped for air that he so needed. His neck ached terribly from the monster''s grip, and his chest felt tight as if someone had put weight on it. But the worst was undoubtedly the searing pain in his hands; it hurt like hell, growing worse by the second until he couldn''t think straight anymore. The pain was so intense that he felt his mind was about to shut down.


    He only managed to turn his face away from the mud before everything started to go ck around him, his eyelids fluttering weakly. Distant, barely noticeable girls'' voices—more like cries—were thest thing Aster heard before unconsciousness imed him, bringing a small, satisfied smile to his lips despite the pain. ''At least they''re safe...'' Aster thought weakly as his body went limp and darkness consumed himpletely, taking him into its embrace.


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