The Leap into the Unknown
A gentle warmth bathed the forest. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, painting the ground in golden hues. The air smelled of bark, damp moss, and ancient leaves. Peace reigned, broken only by the hurried footsteps pressing against the earth.
A black-haired teenager darted between the trees, breath short but eyes alert.
— Finally… I made it this far, he whispered between breaths.
He ran at full speed, raising his arms to push away the branches whipping his face. A mischievous smile played on his lips. For years, he had tried in vain to cross the invisible boundary set by his mother. Her control over the forest was so strong it seemed impossible to escape her grasp. But today was different.
— Usually, she catches me in seconds thanks to her plant powers… Good thing I waited for her to fall asleep.
He sped up again, heart pounding with excitement. His chest, marked by an old scar, burned slightly from the effort. A strange story, that scar... His mother had always told him he was a Carbalis, and that traffickers had stolen his core when he was a baby. That's why she never let him leave the forest — and why she'd built a protective wall of vegetation around them.
As he crossed a small stream, he suddenly saw a familiar shape: a half-wood, half-antelope creature, side strained, one leg stuck in a root-covered hole. The teen rushed over.
— Damn it, Higort! I told you to be careful when you run…
He knelt and helped the creature free its leg. The beast, a forest creature raised by his mother, licked his face enthusiastically, knocking him over.
— Alright! I get it! Stop, that tickles!
He laughed, shaking his head to avoid another sloppy lick.
— You know, I'm trying to get out of the forest… You wouldn't happen to know a way, would you?
The creature stared at him, tilted its head, then remained still.
— I know, Mom said no. But I'm almost fifteen. I have the right to see what the world looks like, don't I? Besides you all, I don't know anyone. That's not fair…
No reply, of course. Higort kept staring with calm, plant-like eyes, free of judgment.
— Alright, if you won't help… I'm going anyway.
He took a few steps, annoyed. But just as he turned away, Higort darted ahead to block his path.
— Huh? You will help me? You're the best!
He hugged the creature's long neck, then climbed onto its back without hesitation. The beast took off, dashing through the trees. The path was wild, littered with holes and thick roots, and each leap made the boy bounce wildly.
Then, suddenly, light exploded.
Higort made one last leap, threw his rider out of the trees… and vanished.
The teen landed hard on his stomach, outside the forest, winded. He sat up, coughing and spitting out dirt.
— I said help me, not throw me out… You traitor.
But there was no trace of Higort.
As he brushed the dirt off his elbows and stood up, a voice startled him — cold and direct:
— And you… who are you?
He froze.
He spun around abruptly, breath caught, heart pounding.
Behind him stood a girl, shorter than him, with dark hair falling neatly on her shoulders. She looked just as scared as he was — maybe even more so.
Her eyes were wide, wary, almost trembling.
"Who… Who are you?!" she said, her voice shaky but trying to sound firm.
"Speak, or I'll call Éléonore!"
The boy blinked.
"Éléonore? Who's that?" he asked, confused.
The girl lifted her chin.
"She's my bodyguard. And if she sees you here, she'll destroy you."
Kael felt a cold sweat run down his back.
He instinctively took a step back.
"Please don't call her! I'm… Kael, Kael Veralis. I come from… there."
He pointed at the dense forest behind him.
"I live there with my mom. This is the first time I've ever stepped outside the woods. So please… I don't want to be massacred."
A silence followed, then the girl relaxed her shoulders and let out a sigh.
She realized he wasn't a threat.
"I see…" she said more calmly.
"I'm Eliora Tervalen. I thought Éléonore was right… that you were trying to kill me."
A nervous laugh escaped both teens, dissolving the tension.
A first smile was exchanged.
Their eyes met — curious and sincere.
They had just met… but a strange trust was already forming between them.
And so, the two children began to talk — innocent and isolated from the world — at the border between two realms that should never have crossed.
— Why did you think I was going to attack you? asked Kael, frowning.
— You know nothing about this place, the girl replied, voice sharp but still slightly trembling.
Kael lowered his eyes, a bit embarrassed.
— No… It's the first time I've ever left the forest. My mother always forbade me to go.
She looked at him for a long moment, then tilted her head.
— So what are you doing here, then? You ran away, didn't you? Because of school?
— What school? asked Kael, genuinely puzzled.
She sighed, exasperated.
— You really are not from here… Well, the truth is, I ran away too. I'm the crown prince's cousin. And since they want to keep the royal bloodline pure, I'm supposed to marry him later…
Kael's eyes widened, almost admiring.
— And you're running from that? I would've been thrilled to be the king of an entire kingdom!
— Easy to say when it's not you being forced to marry someone you don't even like…
She sat in the grass, arms crossed, a weary sigh on her lips. Kael gave a small smile and stepped toward her, timidly, like approaching a wild animal.
But just then, the sharp sound of quick footsteps cut through the air. A figure stormed in from behind a bush — a woman in dark leather armor reinforced with metal plates. Her red, shoulder-length hair was messily tied back, giving her a strict military air.
Seeing the scene, she narrowed her eyes, analyzing Kael as a potential threat. Instantly, her voice rang out, sharp as a blade.
— Step away from her. Now.
She drew her sword with stunning speed. The blade, fine and elegant, shimmered in the light… before suddenly igniting. A tongue of flame surged from the metal and enveloped the entire weapon, turning it into a blazing fireblade.
Before Kael could react, she leapt forward, fire blazing, her face frozen in a fierce expression of rage.