The sun appeared on the horizon, looking weary and tired. It hovered above the trees, almost debating whether to dive down or camp there for the night. But it was exhausted—after marching across the sky all day, it would soon give in. In half an hour, it would sink into the distant edge of the world.
The trees in Kora Forest, a thick equatorial stretch at the outskirts of Kora Village, cast long shadows and gently swayed goodbye to the sun. It was nearly sunset.
And as we all know, all stories—whether terrifying or thrilling—begin after sunset.
Why sunset?
Tradition, my friend. Just... tradition.
"So, Stark. Allan. If another super-meteor hits Earth," Keith said with a grin, "I, Keith Cruz, and you—my faithful pet dogs—will rise among the most powerful beings this planet has ever seen. And when that time comes, you'll chant this song for me..."
He cleared his throat and raised his hand dramatically.
"Long live Master Keith, the most powerful super hunter!—Long live Master Keith...the most powerful super hunter!"
He chuckled. "Sounds fun, huh? But that's just fantasy. Let's drive the sheep back home before this forest gets creepy."
The time on Keith's watch read 5:30 PM.
No sooner had he stood up from the grass than thunder growled in the distance, low and menacing. He glanced up and froze—just moments ago the sky had been clear. Now, black clouds stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.
"When did all this start?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
Another thunderclap.
Lightning flashed.
A tree not ten meters ahead exploded into flames as a bolt struck it.
"What if the same happens to me?" he whispered. "I need to move."
He spotted Stark and Allan guiding the sheep toward the village, their tails alert, eyes scanning the trees. Brave little beasts. Keith smiled faintly, gathered his courage, and began to run after them.
But he hadn't taken more than three steps when it happened.
A sudden, violent gust of wind hit him from all directions—unnatural, howling, alive. It knocked the breath from his lungs and lifted him off the ground. Slowly, he rose into the air like a ragdoll, limbs flailing as he hovered toward the stormy sky.
"W-What's happening?!" he screamed, panic ripping through his chest.
He felt it then—something in the clouds watching him.
Then came the strike.
Two bolts of lightning, side by side, lanced down from the heavens and struck him dead-center.
CRACK—BOOM!!!
Keith's scream echoed through the forest. He wailed in pain, a raw, shattering sound that seemed to rip through the earth itself. Electricity surged through his veins, wrapping around his body like living chains.
His eyes rolled back and glowed, shifting from their normal color to pure white… then to a brilliant, burning blue.
Something was changing.
He wasn't just being electrocuted. He was being rewritten.
His body lit up like a power grid, currents of energy slithering across his arms and chest, sparking off his fingertips. But through it all, he was still screaming—not just from pain, but from something deeper.
Fear. Power. Awakening.
What… what is this? Am I dying?
No.
No… something's choosing me...
Then—silence. The wind vanished. The energy cracked.
A massive unseen force slammed into him from above and hurled him toward the ground.
BOOOOOM!!!
Keith's body hit the earth like a comet.
Darkness claimed him.
But this, was only the beginning.
************************
Coming up next: The Goddess of the Hunt. Let's meet Artemis, who's ready?
To Be Continued.