Chapter 1: Valley of Repentance

Light begins to touch the edge of a cliff. As the day progressed, the whole village bathed under the fleeting light. Halfway between morning and afternoon, people start to come out of their houses. In a particular corner where the cliff meets the forest comes a youth from his tattered bungalow. He is wearing a dirty-white shirt and brown pants resembling a typical village youth.

"Z, now's the time. " said an old man appearing behind the youth.

"I won't disappoint you grandpa! "

A smile could be seen from the face of the old man as he heard gusto from his grandson.

Today is his tenth birthday, thus enabling him to enter the 'Forest of Sorrow' and find a beast to acknowledge him.

As they moved towards an entrance to the forest, a bulky bald man in his mid thirties could be seen. With him are two other children whose age is no different than Z. An eye-catching tattoo that resembles a boar could be seen on the right hand of the bulky man. It's lines are light gold encasing a deep shade of red. ( A/N: Treat it as a square whose lines are gold while the area or the inside of a square is in a deep shade of red. Except, it is not a square but a face of a boar )

"Koga, take good care of my grandson for me. " said the old man with a playful yet stern look on his face.

"HAHA! Will do old man. " He then turned to the three kids and said " The path ahead is important, remember to do your best! "

"The journey ahead of you may not be dangerous, but you must remember that this is a pivotal moment in your life. The world outside this valley is much larger than you think. This is the first step in leaving this valley! " added the old man.

Fear and nervousness couldn't help but creep into the faces of the three.

"Okay, I know that your parents told you already about the things to do but, let me repeat a few important pointers. One, do not cross the line where the color of trees change. Two, if you ever see a beast whose eyes are colored red, black or a mix of two, run away from it. Three, pick a beast that resonates with you. At the end of the day, power will be of no meaning if you cannot synergize with it. " explained Koga. " Got it? "

"Yes, sir! " exclaimed the three.

"Then go! May the will of the world bend and allow you to escape the 'Valley of Repentance'! " bid the old man with a hopeful expression.