Shall we start again ?

(9 years passed)

***

It was deep into the heart of winter where there was no leaf life, trees stood unmoved, moonlight fell upon the snow and darkness shrouded the fir trees.

The snow spread over the ground like a diamond blanket in the midnight sky, where the stars look like a sprinkling of salt on a dark velvet fabric.

Silver moonlight trembled by bare trees projected prints on peaceful nature.

While the trees, once the giants with watchful sentinels, now covered with thick blankets of snow hiding their green needles, were silent behind the heavy silence.

Every branch tipped wearily under the winter with its bead covered in ice, but the coldness of the night, stillness.

In the silence of the woods, a harsh noise slipped in echoing in the distance.

The carriage wheels on the now rock-salt-covered road came to a halt, and the world became silent again.

The driver alighted from his lofty seat, breathing frosty breaths in the already freezing air while he examined the wreckage.

The wheel, shattered by the relentless force of nature, stood dismantled, jagged wood jutting in all directions, bleeding out from the savage land.

He gave a low grunt of disgustful words knowing that they were at least fifteen miles away from a town of any sort, and had no hope of help until daybreak.

"Josh, come over here to be of some assistance with this," his father bellowed.

Josh stumbled out of the carriage, his breath forming foggy puffs in the cold air. He shivered, pulling his coat tighter around himself as he joined the driver by the broken wheel.

 "What happened?" Josh asked, his voice barely above a whisper in the silent woods.

 The driver shot him a weary look. "It looks like we hit a hidden rock or root. The wheel's beyond repair now."

 Josh's face twisted in discomfort.

 "What's our plan now?" The driver rubbed his head and looked around at their desolate surroundings.

 "We'll have to spend the night inside the carriage until morning, then hopefully someone will come by and assist us. This road isn't completely deserted."

 Josh nodded, his gaze drifting towards the dark forest that surrounded them.

 "How about the wolves?" he asked, his voice laced with apprehension.

The driver snorted. "Wolves are scared of fire, boy. We'll light a fire that'll keep them at bay."

 A small voice interrupted the two with a question, "Pa, is it true thatbandits steal from merchants at night?" It was a little girl with green eyes and brown skin, holding onto her teddy bear tightly.

The driver smiled down at his daughter.

"Don't you worry, my dear. Wolves are afraid of fire, and bandits are afraid of honest men with weapons. We have both, so there is nothing to fear."

 He gently touched her head before reaching into the carriage. "Maria, is everything alright? It seems like we might need to spend the night here," he said with concern in his voice.

 A soft sigh escaped his wife's lips as she peered out from behind a pile of blankets. "It's cold," she whispered.

 The driver chuckled. "It's winter, my dear. It's supposed to be cold. But we'll make sure to keep you warm; don't you worry."

 He carefully rearranged the blankets around her before turning back towards the front of the carriage.

 "Josh, find some dry wood while I gather some stones to build a fire pit. We need to keep the fire burning all night to keep us warm and safe."

 Josh nodded and disappeared into the darkness, his footsteps muffled by the snow.

Several minutes slipped by, each one feeling heavier than the last as Josh failed to reappear. Anxiety clawed at his father's chest, tightening its grip with every unanswered call he made to his son.

 "Sweety, I'll g—ugh."

 The driver's voice was silenced as a gnarled root impaled his face, spraying blood onto the frightened faces of the little girl and her mother in the carriage.

 Their horrified screams were drowned out by the sound of flesh tearing and bones crunching.

 "No! No!" The girl cried, her voice cracking. "Daddy!"

 Her mother, still in shock, stumbled out of the carriage and fell to her knees beside her husband.

 The sight of the gaping wound in his head, the blood staining his face, and the steering wheel was too much for her. She threw her arms around him, her sobs echoing through the quiet forest.

 "MOM, look out!!"

The mother's heart clenched in terror as her child's screams echoed through the dense forest.

 Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up to see a multitude of vines hurtling towards them with deadly speed.

 With a primal instinct to protect her child, she lunged towards Maria but was yanked back by a thick tendril and thrown into the air like a ragdoll.

 As she flew through the air, her head hit a tree trunk with a sickening crack, and everything went black.

The little girl was left alone, with both her mother and her father dead.

She clutched her teddy bear tighter and looked around frantically for any sign of her brother.

"Josh! Josh!" she called out, her voice trembling with fear.

But there was no answer.

She ran away from the scene, heading towards the forest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She was terrified of whatever might be hiding in the depths of the woods.

A sudden force yanked her into the dense undergrowth, and a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. "Shh," a voice hissed urgently, "stay quiet or you'll end up in her grasp."

The little girl's body trembled as she tried to suppress her sobs, her wide eyes peering up at the stranger.

She strained to see his face, but the dense canopy of trees cast deep shadows over them.

But she felt the chill of the metal blade as he tightened his grip on his sword.

 "Who are you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

 "A nightstalker," the stranger replied, his tone low and cautious. "You have gold?"

 The little girl's eyes widened in fear as the stranger's words sank in.

 Tears streamed down her face as she vigorously shook her head, her body trembling with sobs. "I don't have any gold," she cried out. "But my father has plenty in his pockets. He's dead over there."

 "Alright, so now you're officially my client. My mission is to take down that monster. Got it, kiddo?"

 The stranger's hold on the young girl relaxed, and he gently patted her head. "There's nothing to be afraid of, little one. My name is Zellrid, and I'll keep you safe," he whispered in a soothing tone.