Ren approached the boy sitting in fear . His entire body trembled, and his eyes were filled with pure panic.
As Ren stepped closer, the boy flinched and cried out, "P-Please… don't come near me!"
Ren stopped and calmly said, "I'm not here to hurt you. You should be glad—I just saved your life."
But the boy continued to back away, shaking uncontrollably.
Ren knelt down, keeping his voice soft. "Look, I understand you're scared. You were alone in a forest filled with magic beasts, fighting to survive. Honestly, it's amazing you made it this far. That takes real strength."
The boy hesitated, his voice barely audible. "M-My… my name is Morvon Reed…"
Ren smiled gently. "Morvon, can you come with me? It's too dangerous here."
Still fearful, Morvon asked, "W-What if… you kill me?"
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought, This kid… he's been through something terrible. That level of fear… it's not normal.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Morvon," Ren said. "You're just a kid alone in a deadly forest. I want to protect you. That's all. Let me help you."
Morvon looked into Ren's eyes, his lip quivering. "Y-You're not lying? You won't torture me… like they did?"
Ren froze for a moment. Like they did? Was he abused? Bullied? Tortured? The thought chilled him.
Before Ren could answer, Hayato and Ryota arrived behind him.
Morvon screamed in terror and fell backward.
Suddenly, Ren felt something—an insane, overwhelming presence building inside Morvon. It wasn't just fear. It was something… darker. Stronger. Something that could snap any second.
Ren quickly turned back to him and said, "It's okay! They're my friends. They're just like me—here to help!"
The pressure vanished. The strange presence within Morvon faded as his fear calmed slightly.
What was that? Ren wondered. That power… I felt at least five different presences within him. But asking now might destroy the fragile trust I've earned.
Ryota whispered, "Who is this boy?"
"His name's Morvon," Ren replied. "He's lost… and terrified."
Hayato asked, "But what was he doing here alone?"
Ren whispered to Hayato, "I think he has some kind of deep trauma or mental condition linked to fear. Every question makes him panic even more."
Hayato nodded. "Then… what should we do with him?"
"We help him," Ren said. He knelt beside Morvon again and softly asked, "Morvon, please come with us. We want to help you. You'll be safe with us."
After a long silence, Morvon gave a small nod.
They carefully made their way out of the forest. Strangely, not a single magic beast appeared during their journey—even in a forest known for hundreds of aggressive creatures. Morvon stayed silent the whole time, still scared, flinching at every little sound.
Finally, they reached a wide plain outside the forest. The group set up camp and rested.
That night, Ren had a strange dream.
He stood in a vast black void, surrounded by towering beings made of pure light and shadow—like gods. Their voices echoed together in perfect harmony:
"Gain power… and start war."
Ren wakes up from sleep. "What kind of absurd dream was that…?"
By morning, everyone was awake.
Ryota said, "We need to keep moving, Ren."
Meanwhile, back in the forest…
Three powerful magic beasts stood where the group had passed—a dragon with molten scales, a humanoid beast with glowing eyes, and a massive reptilian creature.
The dragon spoke in a deep, thunderous voice, "They were terrifying… One of them carried the presence of a demon. Another… was a candidate for godhood."