In the summer of the year 620, two friends were picking apples in a place with apple trees a little way outside the village where they lived. Everything was normal for now… One of the friends said to the other:
"Arlen, do you see that apple? Even from here it looks so delicious!"
Arlen replied, "It really does look nice! But it's not worth climbing that tree for just one apple. Don't you see how big it is?"
Ethan didn't hear Arlen and started climbing the tree. At last, he reached the top and plucked the apple. He had just begun to feel happy when suddenly his mood dropped…
Arlen called out, "What happened, Ethan?"
Ethan said, "I wish I had listened to you…" and showed the other side of the apple.
Seeing that it was rotten, Arlen laughed and said, "I told you—not worth it!"
Ethan shrugged. "Whatever… never mind! You gather the apples on the ground, and I'll pick the ones from the tree. I didn't climb all the way up here for nothing!"
Arlen agreed and started collecting apples.
After a minute or two, the air suddenly felt heavy, and Arlen muttered to himself, "Strange… I feel weird…"
He didn't pay it much attention and kept picking apples.
At that very moment, while Ethan was quietly picking apples at the top of the tree, he suddenly felt as if someone was beside him… Just as he was about to turn around, he saw—right next to him—a silhouette resembling a human figure.
The moment Ethan saw it, his head spun, and the silhouette vanished. He tried to call out to Arlen—but he lost consciousness and fell from the tree.
Arlen saw Ethan hit the ground and screamed:
"ETHAN!"
"ETHAN!"
"PLEASE WAKE UP, ETHAN!"
Terrified and unsure what to do, Arlen tried to drag Ethan away, but he couldn't. He propped him up sitting against the tree and ran toward the village with all his strength.
"Hold on, Ethan! Hold on! I'll bring help—just hang on!"
As Arlen ran toward the village, he noticed something about 100 meters away—something that looked like a person lying on the ground. But in his panic, he didn't pay it much attention and kept running to get help for Ethan.
Ten minutes later…
Ethan, lying there unconscious, suddenly screamed:
"DON'T DO IT!!"
He opened his eyes. His body trembled, his heart pounded rapidly, and his hair stood on end. He was filled with a terror so intense it felt like he might die.
After gathering himself with effort, he tried to stand—but fell back down.
"Ahh—my leg!"
"It hurts!"
Lying on the ground, he muttered:
"Where's Arlen?
Why am I alone?"
For a moment, something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't fully remember it.
"I saw something… but… I can't recall…
Ahh! What did I see? I just know it was a very strange dream…"
As Ethan murmured to himself, suddenly Arlen's voice came from afar, shouting:
"He's under that tree!"
Still lying down, Ethan lifted his head and looked. Arlen and a man on horseback were approaching.
Seeing Ethan on the ground, Arlen said,
"Ethan! Are you awake?!"
The doctor who came with Arlen asked,
"Ethan, can you stand?"
Ethan replied,
"No! I tried earlier, but my leg hurt really badly!"
The doctor said,
"Then let's put you on the horse and take you to the hospital."
The doctor lifted Ethan onto his shoulder, placed him on the horse, and they headed toward the village. Then Arlen said to the doctor:
"Look over there! Mounted soldiers have gathered around that thing from earlier! Was it a person?"
The doctor replied,
"I don't know. After I take you to the hospital, I'll go back and check."
~ Part 1 End ~