In ancient times, in a distant land, the first days of autumn... The air, cleansed of its old stifling heat, had grown cool. The leaves of the trees had begun to turn from green to yellow, and as nature prepared to retreat into slumber once more, the stories told by the fire, listened to with trembling fear, began to come alive; the things you imagined when you looked out into that forest at night now stirred. As brown leaves danced with the wind, the shadow rising above the moon through the bare trees began to breathe fear into your dreams again.
The night was silent. Even the whistles of the steamships had fallen quiet. The city slept.
Then a bell rang.
One of the towering spires—the Safe Haven North Watchtower—had cast fear into the night. As bell sounds rose from the other towers, a panic spread through the city. People jolted from their sleep. Those looking out their windows began to see the city's protectors, the hunters, in the streets. The sound of their leather boots was as loud as the bells. At this hour of the night, these bells rang for one thing:
Monster atack!
Once again, the hunt had begun in the middle of the night.
Eren: Age 15, 1.75m, messy short brown hair, dull hazel eyes, light wheat skin, thin but agile, simple shirt and jacket.
Kayra: Age 15, 1.78m, light sandy wavy hair, vibrant blue eyes, fair skin, athletic slender build, wears a stylish shirt, vest, and wristwatch.
Luna: Age 14, long braided grey-silver hair, glowing purple eyes, delicate build.
Sahra: Age 15, short messy dark red hair, hazel eyes, strong build.
Rafael: Age 16, slicked-back black hair, emerald green eyes, sturdy build.
Kayra's terrace, a kilometer away from the city center, was enveloped in silence. Eren was pasting unidentified photographs into a notebook and taking notes under the flickering light of a gas lamp. There was a table on the terrace. Five people sat around the table: laughter, empty bottles, and the gloomy atmosphere of an autumn evening...
Suddenly, the bells began to ring.
Eren looked up.
Eren: "It's started again."
Kayra: "It'll be fine. We're safe inside the barrier."
But Eren remained silent. The lamp's light did not illuminate the shadow in his eyes.
Eren: "It's only the first days of autumn... Attacks never used to start this early. Especially in the last two years, they've become more frequent and earlier."
Kayra: "Like I said, nothing will happen. Monsters can't get inside the barrier. Besides, what are you scared of? Oh, are monsters going to make a home under your bed because you didn't finish your dinner?"
Kayra was quite relaxed. She took a sip of her drink and started looking at her other friends. Eren stood up and placed his notebook by the gas lamp. It was clear now. As the wind moaned among the empty bottles on the table, the flickering light of the gas lamp fell upon the 'living dead' drawings in Eren's notebook.
Sahra smirked slightly, leaning her head on her pillow.
Sahra: "Really, we're safe inside the barrier. Besides, even if one of them did get in, the Master Hunter would protect us as long as he lives."
Rafael: "Yes, he'll protect us as long as he lives. But the sentence itself reveals the problem: 'As long as he lives.' And what about you, Eren? You want to be a hunter, but you're afraid to even step outside the barrier."
Luna: "But outside the barri—"
Rafael looked at Luna with a tense expression. He squeezed the glass in his hand.
Rafael: "That's exactly what I'm talking about! Almost everyone accepted into the Hunter Academy are people who already know how to fight, or who have hunted low-level monsters. We haven't even seen a single monster with our own eyes yet."
Rafael grew increasingly tense. He looked at Eren. Eren nodded in agreement.
As the bells grew louder, Sahra shifted uneasily.
Luna: "Maybe we should go home."
Just then, the terrace door opened and Kayra's mother, Nevra, appeared.
Nevra: "Children, the bells are ringing. Your families will worry. Come on, go home."
As they were dispersing, Kayra grabbed Eren by the collar and dragged him aside. His pupils were dilated; he looked like he wanted to punch Eren.
Kayra: "Eren, are you really going to listen to what Rafael said? He's a fool who's eaten his heart out! Going outside the barrier at this time, especially unarmed, is practically suicide!"
Eren was calm. That usual coldness was in his eyes.
Eren: "Who said we'd be unarmed? Maybe you don't have one, but I do. I can bring it. If we hunt a monster and report it, we can get into the Academy."
Kayra's eyes widened in disbelief.
Kayra: "This could cost us our lives!"
Eren: "We'll shoot a living dead in the head and report it. How could that cost us our lives? Relax."
Eren turned his back and set off for his home, where no one was waiting for him.
The city's chaos slowly blended into the night's tranquility. Eren walked heavily towards his home through the gas lamps illuminating the street. He silently crossed the street and entered a small garden. He took out his key and opened the door.
Eren: "Home, sweet home," he muttered.
He took off his shoes and placed them in the corner. He took off his old leather jacket and hung it on a chair. He put his notebook aside and went out to the balcony. He noticed a piece of paper in his pocket. A smile curled at the corners of his lips as he read the writing on the paper. He laughed silently for a while, then suddenly stopped. He turned towards the railing and looked into the house as if he wanted to hear someone's voice. Seeing no one, he turned his head back.
Eren:"Did you hear the bells, Dad?" Eren asked the empty air.
Eren: "Yes... there was another attack. I was hanging out with friends then. I couldn't help anyone again."
A giant shadow seemed to fall over his hazel eyes. He gripped the railing and looked into the house once more. A scene from the past flashed before Eren's eyes. In front of him was a man with a spear plunged into his back. He was screaming for help.
Eren: "Dad, I'll save you, Dad!" a younger Eren had cried.
At that moment, a hunter grabbed Eren from behind and dragged him backward.
Hunter: "I'm sorry, kid," the hunter had said,
Hunter: "but there's nothing I can do. I can't send you to die next to your father."
Eren composed himself, took a deep breath, and tried to think of something other than that scene, but was it possible?
Eren: "I couldn't save you that day either," he whispered. "But... that's about to change."
That same night, in an abandoned building in the city.
Rafael, with his large build, almost completely filled the armchair he was sitting in. The usual anger was on his face.
Eren: "I can't believe Kayra acted so cowardly!" he fumed. "He knows I'm right, but he didn't say a word!"
Luna looked at Rafael.
Luna: "You know what kind of dangers lie outside the barrier."
Rafael took a deep breath. He was thoroughly fed up.
Raphael: "You're still saying the same thing!"
Luna: "Yes, because I'm right," Luna maintained.
Raphael: "Are you right? Not at all," Rafael scoffed. "Danger, huh! I have no idea what you're thinking, but the most dangerous thing in the forest this time of year is bears. And there aren't even grizzly bears in that forest, only black bears. And black bears are afraid of humans."
Sahra noticed the tension in the air. Just as she was about to open her mouth—
Luna: "Look, Sahra agrees with me," Luna said, cutting her off.
Sahra: "Actually..." Sahra began, "I think Rafael is right. Killing and reporting even one monster would make it easier for us to get into the Hunter Academy. And how hard can it be to kill a skeleton or a zombie?"
Raphael: "See?" Rafael declared. "Finally, a smart one among us."
Luna: "Really?" Luna asked, surprised.
Raphael: "Really," Rafael confirmed. "Besides, Luna, we all know how fond you are of money. Hunters are among the highest-paid professionals in this world."
Luna: "Are you really determined to do this?" Luna asked, her resolve wavering.
Raphael: "I am determined," Rafael stated. "Sahra wants to come. As for Eren... He didn't say much, but if I know him – and I do – he's probably telling his dead father what he's going to do, as if he were still alive. The reason I like Eren is that despite his quiet demeanor, he's got a screw or two loose."
Luna: "So?" Luna pressed.
Raphael: "He'll come too," Rafael concluded. "There's not much way to convince Kayra."
Luna smirked devilishly.
Luna: "Count me in."
Sahra: "But Eren doesn't know we're going," Sahra pointed out.
Raphael: "He must have caught on from what I said," Rafael dismissed. "Besides, your smart Rafael thought of this too; I slipped a note into Eren's pocket. So he knows what we're going to do."
***
The next morning, Eren was already awake.
There was a faint smile on his face; he was quite different from yesterday. He wore an old jacket, blue inside, with a black and yellow full moon pattern embroidered on the outside. A utility belt hung at his waist; on the belt were a sword, a dagger, and a six-shooter pistol. On his bed, several bear traps stood out.
Eren: "Today's the big day..." Eren said to himself. "If I don't succeed now, I won't have another chance."
Eren turned his head slightly and looked towards the door.
Eren: "They'll be here any minute," he thought. "We'll handle this without anyone knowing, and soon we'll all be accepted into the Hunter Academy."
*Knock, knock, knock.*
After hearing the sound, Eren walked towards the door, grabbed the handle, turned it, and opened it.
Raphael: "Good morning, champ," Rafael greeted him. "I see you're ready. Shall we check our arsenal before we set off?"
Rafael took a sudden step inside, and an expression of happy surprise appeared on his face.
Raphael: "Are those bear traps? Holy moly. I already had a plan, but with these, we won't even need it. We'll just set up camp in an open area and wait for one of those stupid creatures to step on them."
Eren: "I got these for security," Eren explained. "They take a long time to reset. Traveling at night would be dangerous. We'll camp there, and these will keep the creatures immobile, not kill them. We'll still have to get our hands dirty either way."
Rafael ran his hand through his hair and turned his head to Eren.
Raphael: "Anyway, first, let me explain the plan," he said. "The plan is simple. We'll settle in an empty campsite near the forest entrance during the hours when darkness is most intense, like when the moon is at its peak. I'll leave cut animal meat around. Low-level monsters, smelling the scent, will flock to us."
Sahra: "What if the meat doesn't work?" Sahra asked.
Raphael: "Then I'll shout," Rafael said simply. "They'll definitely come."
Luna: "Are you serious?" Luna deadpanned.
Raphael: "If you think this is a joke, you'll be walking in front tonight," Rafael shot back. "What was I saying... Yes, the smell of meat. As they approach, we'll observe the camp from a little higher up, from the top of the cliff. Not all of us are snipers, but shooting from a distance is safer. We'll also set up bear traps around. If one of them approaches, it'll get caught. If not... then it's test time."
Luna: "What if more than one comes?" Luna asked.
Raphael: "That would be great," Rafael grinned. "More corpses, more reports, more points. The more hunts, the higher the chance of acceptance."
Sahra: "And more risk..." Sahra added quietly.
Raphael: "No risk, no reward," Rafael declared.
Eren: "Okay, the plan is good," Eren said, "but I thought I was the only one with a weapon."
Raphael: "Don't worry, I handled it," Rafael assured him. "The only problem is that only you and i have a sword. But since we won't need to engage in close combat, I don't think it'll be a problem."