----> The dark forest 1

The morning started as every other morning for the brothers. Sunlight hit the half-broken glass window and illuminated the old room. As usual, Ryan was making breakfast on a cardboard box since they didn't have a kitchen.

"Liam, wake up. It's time for work," Ryan said while chopping vegetables.

"I'm up," Liam replied, uninterested.

"Are you still feeling down? You don't have to go to work if you're not feeling well. Just focus on recovering. I don't know what actually happened, but it sure left a mark on you," Ryan said, comforting him.

"Yeah, I'd like to stay in the house," Liam replied. It was like his eyes had lost their glimmer; they had no glow to them. He was different from his usual self.

"Okay, I'll just leave your breakfast and head to work. Try to relax, and remember, if anything is bothering you, you can rely on your brother," Ryan said, placing the food near Liam's bed. He could see Liam crying and wanted to know what had happened, but pressing him too much might make him more scared, so Ryan just hoped Liam would recover.

As Ryan left, Liam got up and looked at the food, disinterested. Suddenly, a feeling of disgust took over him. *This was probably made from vegetables the village chief gave us. He looks like a wholesome old man, but he is a disgusting being. He can't even be considered a being; he is a monster, a demon in human clothing.*

Four days ago, Liam had overheard Princess Sophia and the village chief talking about killing all the elves in the village. It was going to be a massacre. He felt betrayed, and thinking about it made him throw up. He clenched the sheets tightly, his forehead began to sweat, and his eyes were red and sore from all the crying. He felt like he was going crazy. He hoped it was a dream, but sadly, it was his reality.

Liam thought to himself while looking at his hands, *I promised myself I'm going to survive this. I can't die now; I have so much left to experience: buying a big house, eating a proper meal, having a beautiful wife, having kids, experiencing true happiness. I still have so much left to do. I can't die. I'll have to make a run for it. I can just hide somewhere until the massacre is over. Wait, I won't be able to return. I have to find a new place!*

Liam's body was still tired from the shock, but he opened a cardboard box and picked up his clothes. He put them on and left the house, heading for the library. As he left, he saw some people in armor. He freaked out and started screaming.

*They are here. No, it can't be. The princess will be crowned tomorrow, but what if they are already going ahead with the plan? What if she is already crowned? I have to make sure, but I don't know why I just can't raise my head.* Liam felt pressured; his legs gave out, his heart was beating so fast it could be heard over his screams. He clenched his chest to reduce the pain. It felt like a sharp object was piercing his heart. His breathing became fast, and he was about to lose consciousness, but a hand rubbed his back, and soon a voice followed.

"Ah... Are you alright?" a shrill, cute voice asked. Liam replied, "Thanks, I am alright now." He looked back and saw a girl. Liam couldn't take his eyes off her.

She was a human girl, around the age of 16, with well-defined muscles. She was wearing a royal knight's armor with a closed book crest. She had a bow on her back but wasn't carrying any arrows. She had beautiful brown hair, and her skin looked smoother than labyrinth stones. Liam thought to himself, *It's like she is glowing. How can someone be this beautiful?*

"You've been staring for a while" she said with a nervous smile.

"Oh, sorry. I was just trying to understand the situation," Liam said, taking his eyes off her face.

"Hehe, I was just joking, but you sure looked in pain back there. Did something happen?" she asked, kneeling down.

"No, no, I am alright. Thank you, you saved me back there. I am Liam. May I get your name?" Liam said, holding out his hand for a handshake.

"Oh, my name is Hannah. Glad to be able to help, Liam," she said, shaking his hand and helping him get back up.

"I have never seen you around here. Where are you from?" Liam asked, shrugging the dust off his clothes.

"Oh, I am from the capital city of the human empire, Aurelia. A lot of guards have been sent to your village, Grimthrone. I have no clue why, but we will get orders by tomorrow," Hannah replied.

Liam was happy to hear that until a sudden shock hit him. *They are here for the massacre. I knew it. I don't have time to rest; I have to make plans to flee before tomorrow. I should go to the library to do some research.* Liam's train of thought was interrupted by Hannah.

"You seem to be in a worry. I can help you if you want," Hannah offered with a smile.

"No, it's alright. I am just going to the library. Don't worry, I can make it by myself," Liam said, reassuring her.

"If you say so," Hannah said, walking away to her post. Liam sprinted to the library.

After finally reaching the library, which was the biggest building in the whole village, carved out of a big tree, he pushed the big wooden gate and entered.

"Welcome to the library. The charge for a reader here is 20 silver," said the old lady at the front desk. Most people didn't know how to read, so libraries had an assisting service.

"Yes, I would like to have a reader," Liam said, paying 20 silver. He was hesitant to pay, as they only earned 17 silver from a week's work. *If I die here, there is no point in money,* Liam thought to himself as he paid the money.

The old lady rang a bell, signaling a young boy with black hair and sharp facial features.

"Hello, my name is Jin. I'll be your reader. Let's go. What kind of book would you like me to read?" Jin said with a cold face.

The old lady hit him on the back of his head and said, "Be more polite. He is your master at the moment."

Jin replied, "Do I look like I care? Let's move on, buddy. Did you pay money for me to be polite or for me to read?"

The old lady let out a big sigh and said, "If you'd like, I can call another reader, but it would take some time."

Liam didn't have any time and wasn't bothered by Jin's behavior, so he agreed to take Jin with a nod. Jin took him to the main room filled with thousands of books.

"So, what do you want to learn about?" Jin asked. Liam was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books. Jin realized that and said, "You probably haven't seen this many books, so just tell me what you are looking for."

"I want to get out of here, so I wanted to know about the basic geography and potential adventures," Liam said, avoiding eye contact.

Jin squinted his eyes. "You look mad suspicious right now, but you didn't pay for a detective, so I'll get straight to the point." Liam smiled and listened intently. "You want to leave, right? Guess what? You are absolutely screwed because this village is surrounded by Venomwood. You need to be at least a B-class adventurer to pass."

Liam got nervous. *Does that mean I won't be able to leave? No, if I go through the forest, I might die, but if I stay here, I'll definitely die. I have to take my chances.*

"I'm not going to leave. Just tell me how to reach the nearest village," Liam said.

Jin looked at Liam for a second, trying to figure out his intentions, but gave up and let out a big sigh. He picked up a book from the third shelf, turned a few pages, and told Liam, "The nearest village is Goldshire, the second-biggest trading town after Aurelia, the capital city."

Liam clenched his fists and left. "Thank you for coming," the old lady said as he exited.

Jin came to the old lady and said, "That kid is hiding something, I can tell."

The old lady smacked him and said, "Your adventuring days are over. Just go back to cleaning. I'll tell you when someone asks for a reader."

Jin went back to working. *It feels like something big is going to happen,* Jin thought to himself.

Liam made way to his house looked around for while this was probably the last time he was gonna see this. He picked up a pen and paper and sat at Ryan's desk, his heart heavy with a mixture of sadness and determination. Images of shared laughter and childhood mischief danced in his mind as he carefully penned the letter to his brother, trying to capture in words all the memories they had built together. A tear rolled down his cheek and stained the page, but he quickly wiped it away, resolved to his decision.

With a sigh, he rose from his chair, gathering the supplies he had packed meticulously - a rope, a small pouch of silver coins, some food, clothes, and a cooking knife - and made his way to the village exit. *i didn't think I would cry this much over Ryan I guess he is my real brother.* Liam thought to himself and smiled

Liam went to the exit gate of the village. After crossing the river, the village was actually surrounded by dangerous creatures and various kinds of dangers, but none attacked because the village was encircled by the river, the river was what kept everyone alive and made life possible in the middle of such dangers. *This is it. If I go there, I might die, but I have to go. I've already left a letter for Ryan. I hope he survives too, but he's a human. He won't understand my fear. I'm all alone in this.*

After preparing himself, Liam finally crossed the river. The current was strong enough to break bones, but somehow Liam pulled himself to the other side using a rope. *That was harder than I

After preparing himself, Liam finally crossed the river. The current was strong enough to break bones, but somehow Liam pulled himself to the other side using a rope. *That was harder than I expected,* Liam thought as he looked at Venomwood. *I can't see a thing.* There was absolute darkness, and it was hard to even make out his own hands. The grass was tall.

*What's this noise? Wait, I feel something on my leg!* Liam was thrown into a panic and began to run wildly. He kept running at full speed until he reached a part with less vegetation. It was like a clearing in the woods. *My eyes have finally adjusted to the darkness. I can at least see some stuff now,* he thought.

As he kept on exploring trying to find a way Liam's attention was suddenly drawn away by a faint but distinct sound in the distance. He whipped his head around, his heart pounded in his chest. His feet slipped on the smooth bark. Suddenly, a chilling whisper wafted through the air, and a shiver crept over Liam's spine. He saw the unthinkable—a colossal spider the size of a small house loomed behind him, its glittering black eyes glinting in the dim light. Fear gripped Liam's soul, and for a moment he froze, paralyzed by the sheer size and horror of the creature before him. The spider's bulbous abdomen swelled and contracted, and suddenly, a torrent of silvery webbing shot forth.

Liam's reflexes kicked in, and he leapt to the side in a desperate bid to escape. The webbing narrowly missed him as he scrambled away. Panic flooded through him as he sprinted with all his might, weaving through the trees and jumping over fallen logs, the sound of the spider's heavy footsteps growing louder behind him. Liam's mind was in a state of absolute panic. *I'm going to die. I'm really going to die. Why does my life have to be so hard? Why didn't God make me strong? It's unfair!*

In a flash, the webbing enveloped him, slamming his body against a rough tree trunk and breaking his arm on contact. It trapped him firmly against the tree. His heart thundered in his chest, his body frozen in terror as the colossal spider loomed above him. Liam squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable. His mind raced through the moments of his life, his regrets sharp and stinging. He let out a primal scream, his voice a mixture of fear and defiance, as the huge spider raised its venomous fangs and prepared to end his life.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached. It sounded like someone was moving quickly. Seconds passed, and a large boom roared through the forest. Liam was thrown off the tree and opened his eyes. A strong, recognizable male figure stood before him. *It's Jin from the library. Did he come to save me? I don't have to die!* The forest was engulfed in silence as the spider was alarmed by Jin's sudden arrival.

Finally, Jin broke the silence. "Don't worry, I came here to save you. I could tell you were stupid just by looking, and you don't have to be smart to figure out your weak ass isn't surviving this." Even though those were insults, to Liam they were the coolest thing he had ever heard. He couldn't help but admire Jin as Jin readied his sword for battle.

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