“Father, will you tell me more about grandpa and grandma? I miss your stories,” a boy, seven summers, with sparkling hazel eyes stared at his father’s eyes in wonder. He hoped to become a man like his father once he grew as tall as him. His dream was to help and become a leader like his father was. Most importantly, he admired his father’s tales of heroic chivalry and the supernatural world of fairies and werewolves.

“I have something to tell you, my boy.”

“Once when I was a child, I also thought that the things that we could see with our naked eyes are the things that only exist. With that said, I want to tell you a real story that I had never told anyone. I swore to myself that I will only share that story with someone that was close to my heart. Now, I will share it with you. Would you like that, son?”

“Yes, father! I love you.”

“You are precious too.”

“Now, remember that this happened when I was also a boy. It occurred when I was living with my parents. It was in those days when everything was full of hope when they were still alive.”

“What happened, father?”

“My father, your grandpa, was a shepherd. I would always help him with our sheep. We lived in the vast plains far away from here. It was very far. My hometown could be found beyond the mountains and the seas.”

“What was seas?”

“You haven’t seen one, huh.”

“The seas held vast amounts of salt water, son. Do not fret, I promise that someday, I will take you beyond the same seas towards our hometown. I will show you the green and healthy grass and trees. They are vibrant green in colour and the sky in light sky blue. Unlike the murky and grey skies, we have here, my- our hometown was more vibrant and colourful.”

“Thank you, father. Then?! Then, what happened?”

“We are so much alike when we were young. Just like you, I was a pleasant and lively boy. And just like us, the protagonist in my story was also a joyful lad. He lived in the same plains of tall, vast, wild green grass. His father was a shepherd and long to inherit his father’s work.”

“One day, while guarding their sheep, the boy fell asleep. Amidst that time, he did not notice that one sheep separated from the herd and dwelled deeper in the forest. At that time, his parents always told him about the danger inside the forest. They told him about wild beasts, animals, and plants. Despite that, because the boy was as wise as us, he eventually realized that his parents were merely giving him false stories.”

“It was a time when the lad was still unaware of the real dangers surrounding him. The stories about the beasts eating and hunting for human flesh might be exaggerated, nevertheless real. However, the most terrifying monster that lived in the forest wasn’t a beast but a monster as his father always told him.”

“That same day, when his father arrived, he was gravely reprimanded. His father learned that he lost one of their sheep. He saw the broken fence around the entrance of the forest. He almost laid a hand on his son.”

“Oh, no... His father was scary, father.”

“Yes, he was a very scary man. However, he loved his son deeply and apologized after that. Son, that was where everything started. The boy was gravely scared and disappointed at himself. He knows that the sheep was very important to his father and he lost it because he carelessly fell asleep.”

“Do you know what he thought to have his father’s forgiveness? He swore that he will do everything that he could to bring the sheep back. He said that fairies or any magical beings couldn’t possibly exist because he never saw one with his own eyes. He said that his parents were merely trying to scare him from entering the forest, but now that he was already at thirteen summers, he could handle the forest by himself.”

“Fairies does not exist father.”

“One night, the boy escaped and bravely entered the forest through the broken fence. Do you know what he saw? The owls’ eerie hoots filled the forest. It was dark and suspiciously silent. As soon as his feet entered the forest floors, he immediately felt like eyes were watching him. It seemed like the forest was aware of each move he made. Throughout his journey, he saw life that he never saw before.”

“There were magical creatures that he never thought even exist. Their bodies were so different than humans. As he walked deeper into the forest, he saw a world that changed his life forever.”

“What did he see?!”

“Glowing life! Enticing! Wonderful! It was hidden, beautiful, but out of reach. Life! He saw life, existence! He saw his future! They lived!”

“I am afraid, I do not understand father…”

“You’ll soon learn what I meant when you grew as tall and as strong as your father.”

“Promise?”

“I am certain. I promise.”

Since he could remember, his father would enter his room. They cuddled each other while he listened to his father’s calming tone, narrating his life of wonder and bravery. When his father left home for his work, the boy missed how his father’s presence comforted and protected him.

“How about me? Did you also miss me, son?” the man stared at his son with a grin. Whenever he stared at the only one person that he cherished with all his heart, he could see himself. The naïve child version of him, dreaming and hopeful about everything the vast outside world had to offer. However, it would leave a deep sting in his gut when he would see a glimpse of the man that he deeply admired when he was a child, his father.

“Of course, Father!” they shared a sheepish grin as they wrapped their hand around each other. At that moment, there were only two of them against the world. “I was patiently anticipating for your arrival. Mother told me that you wouldn’t appreciate it if I behaved wrongly when you were not around.”

“Shall we continue my story in your room?” the boy blinked at his father before averting his eyes towards the figure beside them. His mother silently stood with her head bowed down. He pursed his lips in nervousness as he brought his gaze back at his father’s unusual but warm eyes.

It was only brought into his attention when he grew up, when he finally understands a little, of how the adults moved around him. He knew how his mother adored and admired his father. He loved her mother for that. They often shared their own experiences with each other that involved the man.

However, he slowly noticed as they share their stories, whenever one talked about another, the other was missing. His mother’s stories did not contain his presence, while his stories didn’t include his mother. The boy realized that the three didn’t really interact with each other as much. He could remember himself playing with his father, but he couldn’t remember whether his mother was present. This time, he swore that they would spend time with each other as a family.

“How about mother? When will you tell her your stories?” He smiled at his father, expecting him to smile back and nod before leading them in his room.

He was mistaken. He watched as the light in his father’s warms eyes clouded. A frown replaced his father’s smile. The boy was taken aback. Did he say something wrong? He discreetly glanced at his mother for help, but he was also surprised by her expression. The woman gaped at her son. She clenched her apron in her hands. She was clearly surprised by her son’s words.

“Fathe-?”

“Son, will you go ahead in your room? Marion and I have something to discuss. Be a good lad for me, son. On your way, boy,” the boy almost frowned at his father. The smile returned in place, but it didn’t feel the same. As his father brushed his hair, he didn’t feel the usual warmth and comfort from his large hands.

He nodded before turning around. “I never saw father like that,” he thought. Mid-step, the boy halted. Slowly, his head peeked from the corner. His eyes widened in surprise, and his heart thudded loudly.

He saw. Inevitably, instead of seeing his father and mother talking, he saw something that changed his perspective forever. The man he called his father stood proudly and straight, looking down on the ground. And, there, on the floor, was his mother, kneeling. Tears of confusion sprouted in the corner of his large eyes. The woman that he loved, and loved him, knelt on the floor, with her head below his father’s feet. The boy’s chest clenched at the sight of his mother quietly crying as his father stepped on her head.

He would never forget the cold expression filling his father’s face and the heart-wrenching state of his mother. Slowly and inevitably, his life changed from that point in time until now.

A sudden hitch of breath disturbed the silence inside the room. His eyes slowly opened in the darkness. His limbs ached, and his temple throbbed. His body was warm and stiff. How long was he laying here? When his eyes opened, he noticed the unfamiliar room. The scent of herbs filtered through his nose.

Using his unstable arms, he pushed himself from the cot, slowly sitting. “Ugh,” he groaned, feeling his parched throat. He blinked for a couple or two, adjusting from the lighting. He immediately scanned his body.

“Who…?” he muttered under his breath. His knuckles securely wrapped in bandages while some of his shallow wounds covered in salve.

At first, he noticed nothing else in the room beside his cot and an oil lamp. He started to move his hands and legs in a stretch. Besides the usual ache of lying for too long and the temporary sting of his small wounds, nothing seemed to be amiss. Or so he thought…

“Grrgghh!” he almost stumbled out of the cot when he heard a low growl from below. Ignoring his heavy arms, he pulled the thin sheet from his body and saw the most unexpected thing. A large wolf jumped from under the cot.

“What…,” he stared at the wolf’s eyes. He lowered his hands on his lap in recognition. It had fur in the shade of umber and dark red and had stunning silver-grey eyes. The wolf’s ears straightened in attention like its furry tail. He silently watched as the wolf’s hackles rose.

“Come here, boy,” he whispered, patting the small space between his legs. “You look familiar.”

A grin formed at the corner of his lips when the wolf took a step forward. In a split second, he was lying on the cot, after the wolf jumped and pushed on his chest. One of its paws rested on his pectoral while the other pinned his left shoulder. The wolf asserted dominance.

The wolf leaned closer to his face with its jaw wide open. He could see its canines glistening in saliva. After taking a deep breath, he grabbed the fur on the wolf’s nape and pulled.

“Down!” he hissed, menacingly. His knee pushed down the wolf’s neck, pressing its stomach on the cot. He tightened his grip on its fur as it struggled. “Stop… struggling.”

When the wolf produced a high-pitched sound, he thought that it would escape his hold, until he felt the struggle underneath him cease. Once the wolf started whining, he further tightened his grip. In his current state, he couldn’t defend himself from a challenged wolf.

“Listen, if you misbehaved once more, I will stop being kind. For my sake, and yours, stop struggling,” he sneered. “What would your master do if they knew that you almost bit the man that they saved?”

Slowly, he released the wolf. After a few minutes, Maximillian whined while apologetically licking the man’s hand.