He turned around and saw that his mother's corpse had become as dry as a mummy. When the wind blew, it scattered her mummified remains into dust. Overcome with grief, he carefully gathered the remnants of his mother and placed them in a jar he found nearby.
His father's corpse was nowhere to be found.
He mourned them sorrowfully. With a heavy heart, he carried the jar containing his mother's remains and buried it in a secluded spot deep within the forest. After saying his final farewell and promising to avenge their deaths, he left the forest and returned to their old residence.
When he arrived, the house was in ruins, its walls stained with blood.
He stepped inside and went straight to his room, where he packed a small bag with the few belongings he had left. Then he made his way to his parents' bedroom. The room looked as though it could collapse at any moment. As he looked around, his eyes fell upon a necklace resting on the bedside table. It was his mother's necklace. He picked it up gently and fastened it around his neck.
He walked out of the house, stopped for one last look at the place he had once called home, and then left without turning back.
The entire town was deserted. He had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. As darkness approached, he hurried into the forest. Exhausted from everything that had happened, he was weak with hunger and parched with thirst.
Eventually, he found a small cave nestled beneath a rocky cliff. Deciding it would serve as temporary shelter, he placed his bag inside and rested for only a few moments. His throat burned with thirst, and his stomach twisted painfully with hunger. Knowing he could not survive the night without water, he picked up a sturdy branch to use as a walking stick and ventured deeper into the forest.
The forest was unnaturally silent. Towering trees blocked out most of the fading sunlight, casting long shadows across the damp earth. Strange cries echoed from unseen creatures hidden within the dense vegetation, but he paid them little attention. His only thought was finding water.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, he heard the soothing sound of rushing water. Relief washed over him. He quickened his pace, pushing aside thick bushes until he emerged before a crystal-clear river. The water shimmered beneath the golden rays of the setting sun, appearing calm and inviting.
He knelt beside the riverbank and cupped his trembling hands to drink.
The moment his fingers touched the water, a sudden chill ran down his spine.
Something beneath the surface moved.
At first, he dismissed it as a fish disturbed by his presence. Leaning closer, he lowered his head to drink.
Without warning, the water exploded.
A massive serpent burst from the river like a streak of blue lightning.
It was a Rank One Blue-Eyed Water Python, one of the most feared magical beasts inhabiting freshwater rivers. Though only Rank One, it was an exceptionally dangerous predator whose speed and venom made it a nightmare for inexperienced hunters. Its sapphire-blue scales glistened beneath the fading sunlight, while two luminous blue eyes fixed upon him with chilling intelligence. Its enormous jaws opened, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs.
Before he could react, the python lunged.
Its fangs sank deep into his left calf.
"Arghhh!"
His agonizing scream echoed throughout the forest.
A searing pain raced through his entire body as the venom spread rapidly through his veins. It felt as though molten fire had been poured into his blood. His vision blurred almost instantly, and every limb began to lose its strength.
Instinctively, he stumbled backward, desperately trying to free himself from the serpent's attack. His foot slipped on the moss-covered rocks lining the riverbank.
His balance vanished.
He crashed into the icy river with a tremendous splash.
The python remained motionless for a brief moment, its glowing blue eyes watching its prey struggle against the current. Seemingly satisfied that its venom would finish the job, it silently slipped back beneath the water, disappearing into the river's depths.
He fought desperately against the rushing current, but his body grew weaker with every passing second. The venom had already begun robbing him of his strength. His arms felt unbearably heavy, and his legs refused to obey him.
"No... not like this..."
He reached desperately toward a protruding rock, his fingertips barely grazing its surface before the powerful current ripped him away.
The once peaceful river suddenly became a raging torrent.
The current accelerated as the river narrowed between towering cliffs. Water crashed violently against jagged rocks, dragging him relentlessly downstream. His body spun helplessly through the churning rapids, battered by the unforgiving current.
His head slammed against a submerged boulder.
Pain exploded through his skull.
Darkness crept into the edges of his vision.
Just as his consciousness began slipping away, a deafening roar echoed ahead.
With great effort, he forced his heavy eyelids open.
His heart nearly stopped.
The river ended.
Ahead lay a colossal waterfall plunging hundreds of feet into a mist-covered abyss. The roaring water vanished over the cliff's edge, disappearing into an endless veil of white.
"No..."
His weak voice was completely drowned out by the thunderous roar of the waterfall.
The current showed no mercy.
It dragged him inexorably toward the precipice.
For one fleeting moment, time itself seemed to slow.
His parents' smiling faces flashed through his mind. Their laughter. Their love. Then came the memory of his promise as he buried his mother's remains.
He had sworn to avenge them.
He couldn't die here.
With the last of his strength, he stretched out his hand toward the riverbank.
Nothing.
The river claimed him.
His body was hurled over the edge of the waterfall.
He plummeted through the air as the deafening roar of the cascade filled his ears. The wind screamed past him while the world spun violently around him.
Then—
Crash!
The icy waters below swallowed him whole.
Everything went black.