Chapter 8

The First night was rocky, staying near a campfire, getting to level three within the remaining daylight. I sat near the campfire, putting my hands towards it as I felt the heat radiating from it. I sat curled up with my knees up against my chest plate and my arms extended.

I sighed a little bit, rubbing my hands together as I put my hands out towards the fire again, looking at the campfire with a frown on my face.

"I shouldn't have done all those things knowing my fate would end up like this."

I frowned, rethinking my life choices that had gotten me to this point. I had pushed my mom away for doing what I thought was right, I had deliberately lied to my dad about how my days were going, and now I had struck my best friend stuck in this world.

"I really am selfish...I'm not a righteous person...not one bit..."

I muttered to myself, staring at the fire as I rested my chin on my knee. I hugged my knees a bit sitting close, just hearing the crackling noises of the campfire. I looked up at the sky, seeing the stars brightly scattered around the night sky. I just smiled, nothing was going through my head but just self-reflection, what to do next, and just enjoy what I have now until I die.

"The stars...they're pretty tonight..."

I stared up, my eyes were locked onto the beautiful skies as I didn't want to look away from them, seeing one of the stars glow brightly. Just staring at the stars made me remember a memory from a long time ago.

***

I stood on a small stool, hyperactive as I held the telescope in my hands, looking at the horizon as the sun was setting over the horizon.

"Aren't you the excited one princess."

"Mhm! I can't wait to see the stars!!"

"Haha. Alright princess, wait for mama to guide you, okay?"

"Ok papa!"

I smiled at him, my memory being around nine years ago, I remember being a small ten year old. My family were out on a road trip and stopped on a hill, one where my mom looked up at the stars on every anniversary.

While my papa went to get my mother, I looked at the sky, seeing it getting darker and darker, little by little as the stars began to appear more and more. Within a couple hours, the stars roamed the night sky. I was in awe, seeing the sky scattered with small dots with all sorts of brightness's.

"Alright, take a look sweetie."

"Okay!"

I got back onto the stool excited, looking through the eyepiece as I saw a bright star through the telescope. I felt a rush through my body that day, excited to see a star in the night sky.

"Mama! That's a bright star!!"

"It sure is sweetie." My mother giggled.

"Lookie! Lookie!!"

I pointed at the sky, my mother looking up as we both witnessed a double shooting star. My mothers' eyes lit up like fireworks, it was the first time my mother and I ever witnessed a double shooting star. I looked at my mom as she clasped both hands together, closing her eyes as she held her hands close to her chest and face.

I heard a whisper from my mom, mimicking her pose as I closed my eyes as well, but after a few minutes of silence I opened my eyes and looked up at my mother. I then questioned her about what she did.

"Mama? What were you just doing earlier?"

"Oh? What I did was make a wish sweetie."

"A wish? Like in the movies?"

"Haha...well, not really but I guess you can say that sweetie." My mom chuckled slightly.

"What I did was make a wish on hope."

"Wishing for hope?" I questioned, holding onto her shirt.

"Yes, hope is something that shouldn't be thrown away for, it's something you have to feel for yourself one day sweetie."

"How do you know mama?"

"Well...I always hope for the best of things, I hoped to be married to your father, and I hoped to have a beautiful child like you Kanao."

"Mama wished for me?"

"Haha, you have your fathers' sense of humor alright Kanao." She giggled.

My mother kissed my forehead as she lifted me and carried me on her arm. My mom smiled as my dad came around, looking up at the sky to catch a glimpse of the double shooting star.

"Papa missed the flying stars."

"Yeah, papa missed the flying stars."

"Ah it's okay, you two seemed to have seen most of it." He smiled.

"That is true, did you wish for anything Kanao?" My mom questioned me a bit curious on my answer.

"Hmm...Yeah, I did mama." I responded.

"Oh? What is it?"

I looked up at the starry sky, my memory of that night dissolving as I stared up at the virtual sky with tears in my eyes.

I wish for mama's hope to help me when I need it.

***

The next morning arose as I began to blink a bit, waking up as I sat up groggy. I rubbed my eyes yawning as I looked to see the white ash of the campfire that burned throughout the night. I looked up at the sky, seeing clouds as the starry night sky had somewhat helped me find sleep for the rest of that night.

Moving quickly, I had gotten up and moved ahead, heading deeper into the forest as I stumbled upon a lost bag on the ground, in the middle of the dirt path. That's odd... I looked around to see if there was anyone around, scanning around the area I then walked over and picked up the bag.

The bag was like a fanny pack, it was small but compact. Just as I held it in my hand examining it as I heard a rustle from one of the bushes. I turned my head to the left to look at the bush, seeing a person jump out swinging their short sword. I moved as fast as I could, ducking underneath the sword swing. I took a couple steps back as the relentless short sword user thrusted their sword towards me.

I sidestepped out of the way and looked at the bag, looking up as I saw their indicator being orange. I didn't know what it meant as I tossed the bag at the person. They caught the bag as they looked down at the bag confused. I used this time to sprint off, I didn't want to die after the first day.

Why did that person attack me?!?

I kept running as I saw a bright light at the end of a tree line, bursting fourth as I just had run out and over a steep hill.

"OH SHITT!!!"

I immediately began sliding down that hill, a rock smacking into my shoe causing me to lean forward and begin tumbling downwards. What I didn't take into consideration was that the hill had a drop afterwards, after ten seconds of tumbling, I fell off that drop, freefalling for a couple of seconds before crashing down into more trees beneath it.