The Beginning Of The End

As I woke up, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. Today was the last day our group would venture into the forest together, and I knew I would miss these moments dearly. However, I pushed these thoughts aside and focused on the day ahead, determined to make the most of it.

Still, things didn't start as I wanted. I had the same terrible nightmare that made me drenched in sweat. Despite my discomfort, I knew I couldn't afford to be late today. I apologized to my mother because I didn't have time to have breakfast with her this morning since I wanted to arrive on time.

I gathered my things and made my way to our usual meeting point. Once outside, I saw that the sun was shining bright, the birds were chirping merrily, and It didn't look like it was going to rain. It looks like it's going to be a good day. As I walked, I tried to shake off the remnants of my nightmare and focus on the present moment. Yet, when I arrived at the meeting point, I was surprised to see Amelia and Oliver already waiting for me. I had expected to be the first one to arrive this time, but it seemed that they were just as eager to get started as I was. I guess I will always be the last to arrive until the end.

"Good morning!" I said, waving my hand.

"Good morning, Darx!" Oliver responded, waving his hand too, "Amelia just told me about her future intentions, so if this is our last adventure together. We must make the most of it."

Oliver didn't look too surprised. Maybe he had been thinking the same as Amelia for some time.

"Are you ready, Darx? I hope you were able to sleep well because today, I will make you work twice as hard." Amelia told me with a mischievous smile.

Amelia's words reminded me of the kiss last night. Was she intentionally teasing me with her playful tone? The mischievous smile on her lips only added to my confusion. I couldn't deny the truth of her words, though. I had spent the night tossing and turning, unable to shake off the memory of her lips on mine. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of admitting it. I wouldn't let her see how much her kiss had affected me. So instead, I bit my tongue and tried to hide my embarrassment behind a stoic expression.

"Darx, do you feel sick? You're turning red." Oliver told me, looking concerned.

O-Oliver is not making things easier...

"I-I'm fine! L-Let's get going." I said while I started walking ahead, trying to hide my reddened face.

"Hahaha!" I hear how Amelía couldn't contain her laughter any longer.

Oh, well...

Just as we planned, we decided to take a different route this time around. Instead of going to the road that leads to the mine, we opted for the village's exit. Of course, we were aware that we weren't supposed to leave without proper supervision, but we figured that as long as we didn't venture too far away, we'd be alright. Unfortunately, our luck took a turn for the worse when we unexpectedly stumbled upon Jax's group on the way.

"Fabe, the pair of fools is coming this way!" We hear Cal's annoying voice.

Sometimes I wonder if Cal's vocabulary is as limited as his ability to come up with insults. It seems as though he is constantly repeating the same insults, over and over again, without any thought or creativity. And while his insults may have been effective at one point in time, after hearing them repeatedly, they begin to lose their impact.

This time Cal didn't pay much attention to me and instead ran in Amelia's direction, "Amelia, I heard that you are finally going to join our group! I'm glad that you came to your senses. I'll make sure to protect you, eh.., a, I-I mean, w-we'll make sure to protect you..."

"Speak for yourself. Amelia will only slow us down." Mia jumped into the conversation.

Amelia frowned her eyebrows and tried to defend herself, "I don't need your protection, and I'm not going to slow you down either."

"Shut up, Mia! We needed a healer, and who better than Amelia." Cal said in a mad tone.

"Shut me up again, and I'll cut your balls off!" Mia replies to Cal, looking really mad, "Even if you defend her, she won't let you fuck her, stupid!"

"Y-You shouldn't talk like that being a woman!" Cal answered back.

"Go fuck yourself!" Mia said to him as she stuck out her finger.

I feel bad for Amelia. It's evident that she is going to face a tough challenge dealing with those two individuals.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Oliver greeted Emma kindly, "Hi, Emma!"

"Hey, Oliver! What about you? Will you join us too?" Emma asked Oliver with a smile.

"Of course not!" Fabe said, interrupting, "I won't let the fat pig join our group and slow us down."

As always, Fabe quickly intervenes every time Emma and Oliver cross a conversation, but it's harder to see now, knowing what we know.

"I dare you to say that again!" I yelled as I stood in front of Fabe.

Lately, Fabe has been getting on my nerves like never before. I can't stand the sight of him. He appears to have bulked up since our last fight, which I won, making him seem more intimidating. However, even if he manages to beat me this time, I have this burning desire to punch him square in the face.

"Please, stop!" Emma tried to stop us, seeing that me and Fabe were about to hit each other.

Fabe pushed Emma with his hand making her lose her balance and almost fall to the ground, and without any care, he continued in a mocking voice, "What? It's the truth! Even Amelia realized that continuing with those two was a waste of time."

"That was not the reason!" Amelia spoke, sounding irritated.

"Yes, it is the truth! Otherwise, you wouldn't have needed to leave those 2 idiots and come to us." Fabe continued.

"I dare you to say that ag-" I was saying, but I was interrupted.

All fighting was stopped when we heard Jax's voice. When we turned to see, we saw that he was coming in our direction, "For how long will all of you continue to behave like children?" Jax said as if scolding us, "Less than three months. That's all the time you guys have left, and you decide to waste it on nonsense? Do you guys really want to be adventures? Because right now, it doesn't seem like it."

And with a few words, Jax imposed the order.

"Darx, Oliver, what are you going to do?" Jax asked us, still sounding mad, "You should follow Amelia's example and join us too."

"I-I'm not sure yet," Oliver answered, almost whispering.

"Me neither..."

"Darx, you should at least let Ilene help you train. And you, Oliver, you

have to make your mind as soon as possible."

"Y-Yes...!" Oliver timidly reply.

After scolding me and Oliver, Jax turned his head toward Amelia, "Amelia, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow. Don't be late."

"Y-Yes..." Amelia also responded timidly.

Now, let's get going!" With those parting words, Jax took his group, and they left.

In my younger years, my mother made an attempt to train me. However, I refused her offer as I knew she was already burdened with a lot of responsibilities. I didn't want to add to her workload and cause her more inconvenience. My mother has always gone above and beyond for me, and I didn't want to take advantage of her kindness. I am grateful for all she does for me; therefore, I declined her offer to train me, knowing that it would only add to her already demanding schedule.

"Those fools made us waste a lot of time. Let's keep going!" Amelia told us.

"Yes!"

Now without further interruptions, we continue walking towards the village exit. As we left the town behind, the road ahead of us stretched out into the distance. We walked along the road for a few minutes before entering the forest. As we stepped into the dense forest, we knew that we had to be on high alert. We had no idea what kind of creatures lurked within the trees, and we couldn't afford to let our guard down. With that in mind, we took up our battle positions from the start, ready to face whatever lay ahead. As we made our way deeper into the forest, our senses were on high alert, and our eyes scanned the surroundings for any signs of danger. However, our peace was short-lived as we soon encountered our first enemy - a giant rat. With lightning-fast reflexes, we sprang into action, easily killing the oversize rat. Soon after, we encountered another foe - a slime. This slimy creature was just as easy to defeat. Unfortunately, just like in our usual training area, we only encounter giant rats and slimes.

After a long while of the same, we walked with our shoulders down, feeling disappointed.

"I will not lie. My expectations have been destroyed. I expected to face new enemies, but it's just more of the same." Amelia was quick to express what we were all thinking.

"I would have liked to fight another carnivorous plant to eat its fruits," Oliver added.

We keep walking around, fighting more of the same. As time passed, my stomach began to grumble and growl, demanding the sustenance I had denied earlier in my haste to arrive early. Realizing that we couldn't continue on an empty stomach, we took a break to refuel ourselves with some sandwiches that Olive had thoughtfully prepared for us. As we ate, we took the opportunity to analyze our surroundings and consider our options. Two possible routes lay before us. The first was a valley that stretched out before us, formed by raised ground and rocky terrain. We couldn't see how far it went, but it seemed a different rocky area compared to the rest of the forest. The second option was to keep walking around the woods like we had been doing so far, but that would mean that we would probably keep fighting the same weak monsters that we had encountered so far.

"So what path should we take?" I asked.

I was okay with any path, but maybe they had a preferred one.

"Let's take the path of the valley as we may find something different." Amelia gives her opinion.

"Yeah, no objection," Oliver reaffirm.

Since we all agreed on how to proceed, we made our way to the valley after satisfying our hunger.

As we made our way through the valley, on both sides was high ground that almost made it look like walls covered in roots, stones, and some bent trees. Strangely there were no enemies. We walked for a while, and it was more of the same—just a path with nothing to offer.

"It seems we made the wrong choice..." Amelia said, sounding disappointed.

"Amelia is right. What do you think we should do, Darx? Go back!?" Oliver asked me.

This is an area of ​​the forest that I had never seen, which makes me a bit intrigued to know what will be at the end of this valley, but if we continue, it will most likely be a great waste of time, also considering the way back. Although, if what I think is correct, I believe this path is taking us back to the main road that leads to the village entrance. If that's correct, we wouldn't have to go back this same way, and we could take that more direct route back to the village.

I explained what I thought to Amelia and Oliver, and they both agreed to continue hoping that I was right. And even if I'm wrong, we have enough time to get back this way before it starts to get dark. The only thing that bothers me is that for a while, I began to perceive a very unpleasant smell. Maybe a dead animal nearby!?

"Smell that?" I asked Amelia and Oliver.

"AH!?"

They both try to smell it, but their noses remain oblivious to its presence.

The pungent odor was now undeniable, yet neither of them seemed to notice it. The scent was overpowering, almost suffocating. My sense of smell has always been better than most, so it is not unusual that they can't smell something I can. Still, the further we advance, the stronger the scent is.

"Ocrissade!?" Amelia suddenly yelled excitedly after seeing several of the pink roses that she uses for her potions all together in one place.

Amelia ran with a big smile in the direction of the flowers getting ahead of us.

"Is something wrong, Amelia?" Oliver asked, confused since he hadn't noticed the flowers.

"If I remember correctly, that flower is used in healing potions. I think its effects are even better than the Obroil we usually collect." I reply to Oliver.

"Look, there is more!" Amelia yelled, looking incredibly happy to find these plants.

Looking at Amelia smiling like that makes me think this trip was not so disappointing after all.

"I want to see it too!" Oliver yelled, running to where Amelia was.

"Hey, don't go too far ahead."

While they went ahead, I stopped for a moment since the bad aroma that I had smelled for a while was stronger than ever, and I was already beginning to detect where the smell was coming from.

I took a deep breath to try to discern the source of the putrid odor that had been assaulting my senses for some time. I was determined to follow the scent to its origin and uncover the mystery behind it. I started to walk, being guided by my nose, when suddenly a slimy liquid fell just in front of me. It was some kind of greenish slime. I looked up to see from where that thing had fallen, but then...

"Eh? W-What... is that?"

As I lifted my gaze, I was confronted by the sight of a troll perched high above us. The sheer grotesqueness of the monster left me frozen in terror, my mind struggling to process the reality of what I was seeing. Despite my fear, I couldn't help but notice that the troll seemed to be fixated on Amelia, studying her every move with an eerie stillness. My instincts told me I needed to act, to protect my friend from this monstrous creature, but my legs refused to obey my commands. I was trapped in a state of paralyzed fear, **** for a way to break free and take action before it was too late.

"Ame... A-a... AMELIA!!"

I finally got out of the trance and managed to yell at Amelia.

As soon as my panicked scream pierced through the air, both Oliver and Amelia whipped their heads towards me, their faces etched with confusion. They looked confused as to why I would let out such a blood-curdling sound out of the blue. However, it didn't take long for them to realize the gravity of the situation. Their expressions morphed from one of perplexity to sheer terror, and I could see the fear taking hold of them.

"You have to r..." I tried to say, but I couldn't finish my sentence.

The troll jumped, falling in front of me. Its massive body crashed onto the ground, creating a thick cloud of dust that made it hard to see. As the dust began to settle, I was able to get a better look at the creature before me. It was enormous! Two or three times my size. The stench emanating from the troll was overpowering, causing my eyes to water and my stomach to churn. The smell was a mixture of rotting flesh and decay.

As I looked up at the troll's massive arms, I couldn't help but feel small and insignificant. His arms were easily as wide as my entire body, and I knew that if he were to grab me, there would be no chance of escape.

But it was his nose that truly horrified me. Enormous and bulbous, it seemed to take up half of his face. And as I looked into his eyes, I could see the hunger and malice lurking within. It was clear that he saw us as nothing more than prey, and that we were in grave danger.

''HYAAA!!"

Amelia's scream caught his attention because the troll turned his back on me and started running towards Oliver and Amelia.

"RUN!!"

I yelled at them to run while trying to catch up to the troll, but it seemed they were in a trance.

"Stay behind me, Amelia!" Oliver yelled as he pulled Amelia behind him.

The troll raised his arm, making it evident that he was going to swing at Oliver. Oliver stood with the shield in hand, protecting Amelia, but despite his best efforts, the troll's massive arm came crashing down, sending Oliver hurtling through the air like a rag doll against the trees. The sickening sound of the impact echoed through the forest, and then the sound of Oliver's body hitting branches and a trunk was so loud that, for a moment, it made me think the worst.

"OLIVER!!!" Amelia yelled.

"OLIVER!!" And I yelled too, as I was still trying to catch the troll.

The troll paused for a moment to see Oliver's immobile body but quickly focused his attention on Amelia after hearing her yell Oliver's name. The troll raised his arm, ready to hit Amelia. Amelia ignored the danger in front of her to use "Heal" on Oliver.

"Heal!"

As the troll lunged towards Amelia with a menacing punch, I knew I had to act fast. With a swift motion, I slashed at the troll's leg, but my old sword barely made a scratch. The beast let out a deafening roar and turned its attention towards me.

I took a few steps back, carefully watching the troll's every move. It charged towards me with a ferocity that sent shivers down my spine, but I managed to evade its first blow with a backflip. I knew I had to keep my distance from the troll, so I ran as fast as I could while keeping an eye on Amelia. The best thing I can do now is run, trying to widen the distance between the troll and Amelia to give her the chance to heal Oliver.

The troll was hot on my heels, its heavy footsteps echoing through the forest. As I ran, I could hear the troll's angry growls behind me. I could feel its breath on my neck, knowing that one wrong move could mean the end for me.

"DARX!!"

As Amelia's piercing scream echoed through the air, my heart sank. But I knew what I had to do. I was willing to put my own life on the line to protect my friends. Oliver stood in front of the troll even though he knew there was nothing he could do to defend Amelia. Meanwhile, Amelia frantically cast a healing spell on Oliver, knowing full well that it might be her last, considering the blow she was about to take. If I can't give everything I have to save them, I will not be able to look them in the eyes again.

As I ran and adrenaline pumped through my veins, an idea occurred to me. I know I can't win against a troll, but I plan to buy time to get away. Oliver is ****, and Amelia is not very fast, so our only way to escape is to immobilize the troll.

The troll always raises his arm high before striking, giving me just enough time to prepare my counterattack. I quickly grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, ready to use it as my weapon. As the troll's arm came down, I threw the dirt straight into his eyes. The impact was immediate, causing him to stop in his tracks and shake his head vigorously. He tried to wipe his eyes with his massive hands, but the dirt had already done its job. This was my chance.

I took a deep breath and swung my sword with all my might towards the low part above the ankle where the leg was thinner. My blade sliced through the flesh and bone, almost cutting the leg in half. The troll let out a deafening roar of pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his wounded leg.

I stood there, panting heavily, as I watched the troll writhe in agony. It worked! Wasting no time, I ran back, prepared to carry Oliver and escape from this place.

"Amelia, we have to run!" I yelled at her.

"DARX, BEHIND YOU!!" Amelia yelled with an expression of utter panic.

"Eh?"

As I turned around, the troll was behind me, ready to strike me. I-I will not be able to avoid it...

"Paralyse!"

Amelia tried to stop the blow, but her magic was not strong enough to stop the troll.

I felt a strong blow on my side that broke my arm instantly, as well as more things inside. The blow sent me flying near the direction where Oliver was. Just one strike from the troll was enough to leave me all bloody and unable to move.

"D-DARX!! HEAL!!"

As my body begins to shut down, I can hear the sound of Amelia's mournful cries echoing in my ears. She's desperately trying to heal me, but the injuries I've sustained are far too severe for her spells to make any difference. It's as if my very being is slowly slipping away, leaving behind nothing but a shell of what I once was. Despite her efforts, I can feel myself slipping further and further away from consciousness, my senses dulling with each passing moment. The pain is unbearable, but somehow I manage to hold on, but as the darkness closes in around me, I know that my time is running out.

"Darx! Please! Hold on!"

"R-Run..." I try to say.

The blood on my face begins to blur my vision, but I can figure out Amelia standing between me and the troll.

"Please...run..."

"Darx..., Darx...''

I can hear Amelia's crying voice calling me. Please run, please... run!

"HYAAA!!"

"HRROOGA"

"STAY BEHIND ME!"

What? A voice that I don't recognize ... who ... Ame ...

Before losing consciousness, I was able to see that someone had appeared, putting himself between the troll and Amelia. But who? Who...

...

I am again I find myself trapped in the confines of this pitch-black space, looking at a woman I cannot distinguish calling for me. However, this time I feel like I should be doing something else right now. An inexplicable sense of restlessness gnaws at my insides, urging me to leave this place and go do something. But what? I can't remember. Abruptly, a beam of brilliant sunlight pierces through the darkness and jolts me awake, my body slick with sweat. The same old nightmare haunted me once again. I really hate this dream!

''Aouch!''

While trying to get up, I felt a lot of pain throughout my body.

"Darx, thanks to Imris, you finally woke up." I hear my mom.

Next to me was my mother sitting in a chair, looking at me with wet eyes.

"AH? W-what happened, Mom? Why am I covered in bandages? O-Ouch"

"Don't move! You have a broken arm and several broken ribs." My mother answered me while helping me to accommodate my pillow.

"What...?"

Then I suddenly remembered we were in the forest when a troll attacked us. Wait ... Amelia and Oliver, what happened to them?

"What happened to Amelia and Oliver? Are they fine? Where are they?"

"Calm down, son! They are fine. Don't move too much if you don't want your wounds to open again."

"Are they hurt? When I lost consciousness, the troll was about..."

"I know. Please relax!" My mother told me, trying her best to calm me down, "Amelia told me about everything. Oliver has some bruises but nothing serious. His shield saved him, and Amelia is perfectly fine. Nothing happened to her."

"Really!?"

"Yes! You guys were lucky that Mr. Enzo's son was passing by, and he heard the noise of the fight. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't arrived on time."

Despite feeling completely shattered, the mere thought of Oliver and Amelia being safe and sound is enough to lift my spirits. Though I may be all broken, their well-being brings me immense relief.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.

"...Today is the fourth day."

"W-Wait. What? I was asleep for five days!?"

"You received a pretty hard blow to the head," My mother said with an anguished expression, "Seriously, how many times have I told you not to leave the village? That it is dangerous outside! Once you are better, I will make sure to punish you properly."

"O-Okay..."

"Well, rest for now. We can talk about it once you recover," My mother said while getting up from the chair. "And be sure to thank Amelia, she has been coming every afternoon to see you."

"Sure..."

The morning passed in a blur as I was lying in bed, engrossed in my books. Being immobilized wasn't as bad as I had initially thought. I could read for hours without anyone scolding me for being lazy or unproductive. As I turned the pages of my latest read, my mind wandered to Mr. Enzo's son. He must be a brave and strong adventurer to take on a troll. I made a mental note to thank him later for saving us.

As the day progressed, the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the surroundings. Suddenly, I saw Amelia running towards me with tears streaming down her face. Without a second thought, I opened my arms wide and embraced her tightly.

"Darx, I'm so happy you woke up. I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you." Amelia said, hugging me tightly with tears in her eyes.

"Ouch! I-I'm fine, just not so strong, please."

"S-Sorry, I couldn't contain myself. How long have you been awake?" Amelia asked me.

"Since this morning. You look fine. I'm glad nothing happened to you."

"I'm fine, Darx. Don't worry about me. We were lucky that Kase helped us. Without him, I don't know what would have happened to us."

"Kase? Is that the name of Mr. Enzo's son?" I asked.

"AH, Yes! Kase came from the capital to visit his father when he heard the noise of the fight and ran to help us. It was pretty brave of him." Amelia said with a big smile.

So we were close to the main road, after all. That makes it more confusing what the heck a troll was doing in those areas.

"Kase must be a high-ranking adventurer, then. I want to thank him for helping us." I reply to Amelia.

"Nothing of that! Kase is still not an adventurer. In fact, he is the same age as me. Kase told me that the reason for visiting his father is that he will take the next adventure ritual, and since he will not have time afterward, he wants to spend time with his dad. Actually, he decided to join us in the training with Jax."

"Is that true? How could a normal person deal with a troll?" I asked, feeling surprised.

"I'm not sure," Amelia replied, "But despite not being an adventurer, Kase is still quite strong and has been helping me these days to improve my magic."

Amelia seems to have become close with Kase in this short time. I suppose that the saved us had a lot of influence on that. Now I feel more curious to meet Kase. I wonder what kind of person he is.

I smiled and continued, "Amazing, I didn't think someone without rank would be capable of dealing with a troll. Kase must be an excellent guy."

"Yes, he is someone quite unique!"

As time passed by, Amelia and I found ourselves engrossed in a conversation. We talked about everything; however, for some reason, the discussion always seemed to come back to Kase. It was strange how his name kept popping up, almost as if the universe was trying to tell us something. Despite my attempts to brush it off, a gnawing feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. It was as if something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I wonder why it feels like something is wrong.