It rained heavily, but rather than water, it rained snow. The snow danced around, covering the once green landscape with a thick layer that easily reached the knees of a certain child. He appeared to be running. Running from what? The surroundings were barely visible as the snowstorm raged on. A howl pierced through the blizzard, followed by the labored breathing of some creature.
The boy stopped. Although he wanted to keep running, he knew that no matter how far he ran, there was no point in continuing to flee. Resolute, he halted and turned. Before him stood a wolf. Its fur was a mottled mess, and though it resembled a wolf, its grotesque snout and bloodshot eyes made it nightmarish.
Face-to-face with this fearsome beast, Anders froze. But he quickly regained composure and reached for the knife strapped to his waist. He was a Keeran! Keerans don't shy away from danger; they faced it head-on, with a smile on their face and their lives in their hands, ready to guard or lose it and if lost, at least it was lost after they put their all in a fight.
The boy seemed to forget that moments ago he had been fleeing. Unlike his peers, he had barely received any training. He hardly even knew the world. His knowledge limited to his mother's teachings, and her pride in their race would always be displayed whenever she spoke about the Keerans.
The wolf growled, almost offended. Its prey was not supposed to retaliate, it should embrace its fate, grateful to soon succumb to the wolf's mighty jaws! The highest amount of grace any being could achieve was be in its stomach!
HOWL
The wolf lunged at its prey, claws swiping. Anders tried to dodge, but the beast's speed was too overwhelming for a mere child to keep up with. Pain shot through him as its claws tore his chest open like butter, exposing the bone beneath. The agony was unbearable; he wanted to scream but didn't. He was a Keeran! That word, that identity, became his source of strength and resolve. But it wasn't going to be enough.
Like a butcher taking their time with a prized cut of meat, the wolf toyed with him. It's claws would move left and right, leaving deep bloody gashes on him and all he'd do was grunt. Finally, he could no longer hold back his screams. The sound seemed to delight the wolf, which paused to admire its handiwork. The snow, once pristine, was now dyed red. He layed on the snow, his left arm severed and layed beside him. His hollow eyes reflected the harrowing pain.
'Is this the end?' Anders thought, as a vivid memory of his mother -wearing the same coat as him, her determined eyes looking forward into the snow- flashed in his mind. Tears slid down his face, falling onto the red snow, washing away some of the crimson to reveal patches of white.
"MY ART!!"
The wolf, enraged that it's art was partially ruined, let out a piercing howl. Its teeth glistened as guttural barks escaped its throat. It approached Anders, ready to finish the job, but suddenly froze. The air around them shifted, causing the wolf to raise its head, searching for the source of the disturbance. Then, a ray of blue light shot skyward. With a whimper, the beast turned towards the snow and ran as fast as it could.
Anders, on the brink of unconsciousness, was unaware of what had just transpired. His life flashed before hiscould, both good and bad moments playing like a reel.
Out of nowhere, a man appeared beside him. Worry was etched into his features as he hastily scooped the boy up. Just as the man was about to leave, Anders weakly spoke.
"My mom. Please help my mom."
The man felt his heart squeeze at the boy's plea, but he said nothing. Instead, he started moving, his speed blurring into near-teleportation. The blue light had been his Arcanum, sent out to detect any form of life nearby. He had found Anders, but there was no sign of Anders' mother.
..........
Dom opened his eyes but paid no attention to his surroundings. His mind was consumed by what he had just experienced. Anders' foreign emotions overwhelmed his own, making him feel exactly what Anders had felt in that moment. The fear, the pain, the sadness, the weariness, all these emotions weighed heavily on his mind as they resurfaced after the memory ended. He wanted to compose himself but was abruptly interrupted by the system.
[Replaying Daniel's Memory]
With that, his vision turned black, but only for a brief moment.
---
Rays of sunshine filled the room with warmth. The sun illuminated the neat, average-looking space, particularly focusing on the bed where Daniel slept. His raven-black hair framed his six-foot-long body, with lean muscles threatening to burst through his pale skin.
"DANNY! FOOD IS READY!!" someone shouted from outside the room, causing Daniel to quickly get up from his bed.
"I'm coming!" he replied.
He hurried into the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower before putting on his school uniform. Before leaving the room, he took a moment to admire its cleanliness. On a typical day, the room would have been messy, with clothes strewn across the floor. But he had been feeling extremely happy the day before and decided to clean up, wanting his room to match his excitement. After all, he prided himself on being an 'extremely neat' young adult with a reputation to uphold. Smiling, he made his way downstairs with gentlemanly steps.
A beautiful woman wearing an apron smiled as she saw her handsome son approaching the kitchen. Her smile faded, however, when she noticed he didn't stop to perform their usual morning ritual. Her expression shifted to a frown as he continued walking toward her, still smiling.
"Goo—"
Unable to contain herself any longer, the woman picked up a pan and smacked her son on the head. With a loud clang of metal meeting skull, Daniel fell to the floor, holding his head.
"Why did you do that?!" he cried, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
"Why haven't you greeted me? And why are you smiling like a rapist?"
"Smiling like a rapist? I was smiling with my heart! I was even about to greet you!!" He felt exasperated. How could she say he was smiling like a rapist? It wasn't his fault she couldn't recognize love. He was even about to greet her. He'd only managed to get out the "Goo" before being struck with a pan!
"Well, you should have greeted me earlier. And learn to smile like a normal human, not a deranged fellow. Hmph," she replied, folding her arms under her chest.
'How dare she try to act cute,' he thought. Whether she did it intentionally or not, he didn't care. In fact, to hell with pan. Though, of course, he didn't say it out loud. He quickly got up, grabbed his pershe - sandwich made from beast meat - and left the house. But not before walking aggressively and slamming the door with enough force to make a loud noise, though not enough to damage it.