The center of what some would call the Spirit Beast galaxy was filled to the brim with planets. And amongst thousands of other planets, a world that some might consider small lay inconspicuously floating in the dark void of space.
The planet was relatively standard for the galaxy. It was teeming with life forms of all shapes and sizes and filled with scorching deserts, frigid tundras, and sprawling kingdoms. However, if one were to peer past mighty empires and over high mountains, one might chance upon the view of a tiny forest. It was here that the visage of ferocious wolves, and majestic stags prancing around, moving their glistening hide into the sunlight, could be seen. And away from the hubbub of the wilderness, was a small lake, completely still and unchanging.
In this serene environment, an event, one that would change the universe, was taking place. Unbeknownst to the forest’s residents, a small ball made of swirling black essence had coalesced near the bottom of the lake. Days later, this sphere of energy would suddenly disappear, replaced by something… different.
The vague figure of a man slowly clawed his way through the murky waters up to surface level. Only after the figure pierced through the water and stuck his head out was he visible. The man wore a thick, matte-black robe. It started at the top of his chest and extended down to the bottom of his ankles. Specks of bright colors resembling the stars were dotted all over it as if it was fashioned out of the night sky. But, by far, the most intriguing feature of the man was the intricate, oval-shaped, black fox mask donning his face. It had sharply pointed ears that extended to the top of his head. A flat nose and a tight-lipped mouth slightly stood out from the rest of the mask, and splotches, of what seemed to be golden streaks of paint, highlighted dark, opaque eyes.
The man suddenly turned his head, glancing at the surroundings. It was as though the lack of eyeholes in the mask had no affect on his ability to see. The sudden movement also revealed pale, smooth skin on the side of his face. Skin that one would expect a newborn babe to have. The masked man spoke out quietly. “Interesting,” his voice momentarily paused as he continued taking in the scenery before carrying on. “What a… nice place.” Indeed it was. Towering trees with maroon red, orange, and sunny yellow leaves, stood straight in front of the lake where he seemed to have been born. They were so tall that they cast a perpetual shadow across the forest. Gnarled vines curled around the trunks of the enormous trees, attempting to reach the shining sun, and a variety of hardy plants covered the woodland. And behind him, far into the distance, we’re rugged mountains with snow-capped peaks that prodded the clouds. He finished taking in the incredible world and quickly swam to land. After reaching dry land, he started work on the most important matter at the moment... his name.
A minute later, his voice resounded outwards. “Night.” Night, that was what he had decided. That was his new identity. He had attempted to think of other options, but unfortunately, he didn’t know of any. The only thing that called out to him was the singular word, night. Nothing else spoke to him in the same way. However, he didn’t mind. The name seemed to suit Night. It was a part of something that made up his character, even though he did not understand why. Now, with that issue resolved, he had another problem. He was stranded, alone, in the middle of the wilderness.
However, Night could not be any less concerned about the situation. He distinctly did not care about the predicament he was in. Though he did feel an itch inside his mind, he had to explore the forest. He felt it calling to him as if it was where he belonged. Curiosity got the better of him. Night trundled forward the tree line with bare feet.
As soon as he entered the woodland, a barrage of different scents assaulted him, tree sap, moss, pine needles, and the smell of something he intuitively recognized as blood, specifically, fresh blood. The aroma did not deter Night. He carried onwards, his feet crunching on leaves while he walked unconcernedly. He gazed at the wilting flowers, mossy rocks, and a multitude of other things, at least, until he spotted the “thing” a while later. The “thing” was a diminutive, fluffy creature. Night looked at the bird. That was the word that came to his mind. He was starting to catch on that many things were coming to him out of the blue. Night wanted answers, but suddenly, the bird took flight. He broke out of his thoughts and watched as the bird used the two large appendages growing out of its back to propel itself upwards. Before he could process what he had seen, the loud crunching of foliage distracted him from his musings.
Stolen novel; please report.
He turned to the right, where he had heard the sound, and froze in place at the image before him. Not out of fear but out of shock. A wolf with matted, midnight fur chased a small deer through the woods. Slowly, the wolf closed the distance between them. Night watched, fascinated, as the deer desperately tried to escape, weaving in between the trees. The effort was futile in the end. The dangerous predator caught up to the prey. It leaped three feet into the air, and its large body collided with the deer, landing right on its back. Both animals landed heavily on the forest floor, only about 15 meters away from him. With one final effort, the wolf bit down on the deer's neck and yanked it to the side, tearing the head right off. The deer stared at Night with lifeless eyes. The wolf dropped its head onto the ground and snapped its gaze toward the masked figure in a robe. Annoyed at the presence of what the beast assumed to be prey, it let out a low, guttural growl.
However, Night wasn’t paying attention to the powerful predator right in front of him. No. Instead, his eyes locked onto the decapitated head resting on the leaf-covered ground. Something stirred inside him. His core resonated with the sight in front of him. At this moment, the only thing going through Night's mind was the beating of drums, the drums of war. The wolf malevolently growled again, much louder this time. The drums steadily increased their rhythm, getting faster and faster.
An aura started to leak from Night, and the wind around him started howling. It was a chilling feeling, one that made the heart of the wolf quiver in fear. Feeling threatened, the wolf rose from its position and barred its sharp teeth at Night. He didn't move. The beating drums faded into the background until Night was tranquil, but the aura was only growing stronger. The wolf soon felt like it was in ice-cold water, and panic started to set in. In the heat of the moment, the massive animal made its choice.
Shaking off its fear, the wolf barreled toward him and swung an oversized paw at him. Night, although he had no combat experience, managed to dodge to the left, barely avoiding the claw in time. The beast flew past him and slid for several feet along the leaves. Night's heart pounded, and he began to feel an intense excitement well up inside him. The wolf rotated around, quickly regaining its balance. It immediately started toward him again but paused after the first step. Unnoticed by Night, the terrifying aura that he was emitting had grown much more potent, and now the wolf felt like a great weight had been placed on its back, making it hard to move. Desperately, the wolf continued rushing at Night, who had started backing from the confrontation, thinking it a losing battle. Seizing the opportunity, the beast lunged at Night.
Caught off guard by the wolf's sudden movement, he jumped to the side as soon as the wolf struck. However, he wasn't quick enough to entirely dodge the wolf's sudden attack. The mighty beast slammed into him, knocking the air out of his lungs, and they both tumbled through the low-hanging branches of a tree. Night was able to grab hold of a thin tree limb, but that did nothing to stop his momentum.
The wolf and Night landed hard on the forest floor, separated from each other by about four feet. His head hit the ground hard, and he started to lose consciousness, his thoughts turning fuzzy. The wolf rose from the earth and walked over to Night. After a few seconds, his mind regained clarity. Unfortunately, the wolf was already lording over him. Night, branch in hand, stared into the eyes of the wolf calmly, accepting his fate.
He thought back to the experiences he had with the creature. He had first seen the beast leaping on a fleeing deer. Night had seen the wolf pierce the deer’s neck with its sharp teeth. He saw the wolf pounce at him. Now here he was, becoming just another one of the wolf's meals. In the end, the prey is always pounced on and pierced shortly after. CLICK, It was as though a locked gate in his mind had been opened, letting out a stream of knowledge. Yes, he was lying on the floor, about to be consumed by a predator. But in the darkest of times, even the prey could strike back.
Still lying on the floor, Night pointed the small stick at the wolf's left eye and profoundly muttered the word. “Pounce.” Energy left his body, presumably to fuel his attack. He was propelled forward, right at the left eye of the beast. He traveled faster through the air than an eye could blink. He arrived in front of the wolf, whose expression was a mixture of fear and shock, at least, that was what Night imagined it was. The stick punctured the cornea and entered the brain, killing the animal instantaneously.
The branch continued onward, bringing the corpse along with it. Night was pulled as well, but the speed ultimately made him lose grip on the branch, causing his momentum to halt. However, the same could not be said for the corpse. It had been carried through the air before colliding with a tree and dropping to the ground. This was the last thing Night saw before he fell unconscious. The back of his head had hit the ground with a loud thud.
