As I walked toward home, my eyes wandered for a moment—and that's when I saw it. A rabbit darted out from the depths of the forest, moving fast. Lia was still beside me, unaware of what had caught my attention. I stopped abruptly, reached for my bow, and nocked an arrow, aiming at the rabbit in one swift motion.
Lia continued to glance around, still oblivious. I took a deep breath, focused, and released the arrow. It flew through the air and struck the rabbit cleanly in the head. The small body shook and collapsed onto the ground.
She hadn't realized what happened. I quietly walked toward the rabbit. The arrow had pierced through and lodged into a tree behind it. Blood trickled slowly onto the forest floor. I took a few more steps forward, waiting for Lia to notice and ask.
I gently picked up the rabbit, but Lia hesitated behind me, her expression uneasy.
"Rowan, I... I don't understand what you're doing," she said. "Killing an animal... why?"
I stayed silent for a moment. To me, the rabbit was simply a meal, but seeing her discomfort made me feel like I had to explain.
"What, should I skip dinner?" I replied with a hint of sarcasm, though my tone stayed light. "Sometimes you have to do things like this to eat, Lia."
She let out a slow breath, still clearly bothered.
"But... killing a creature..." she murmured, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"You'll have to get used to it," I said calmly. "It's not easy, I know."
We walked in silence for a while, the rabbit still in my arms. Lia's unease remained written all over her face—but I understood. This was a normal part of life for me, living this close to the forest. But her world was different.
"You'll have to get used to it," I said again, this time more seriously, though I didn't want to hurt her. "This is how life works. It's part of nature. I've grown used to it. You will, too."
As we walked slowly, Lia seemed to calm a little, though her thoughts still lingered.
"I guess... I'll get used to it in time," she said. "But it's still hard."
We continued toward the village, each step feeling longer than the last. I could feel her listening to me, but also sense her distancing herself, unable to shake her discomfort. Maybe I could help her understand in time—but I knew it wouldn't be easy.
After a while, we returned to our usual back-and-forth banter, pretending like I hadn't just killed the rabbit. Lia still carried her silent questions about the necessity of taking a life, while I tried to keep the mood light.
But something inside me felt uneasy.
It wasn't just the tension with Lia—this was different.
Then, I saw them: a massive flock of crows in the sky, flying fast, in a tight formation. A strange hush settled over everything. The only sound was the beating of wings in the open air. Lia noticed my distraction and followed my gaze upward.
"Do you see them?" she asked, a trace of worry in her voice. "So many crows... I've never seen that many all at once."
I nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the sky.
"Neither have I," I said, but something about it stirred an unfamiliar tension deep inside me. The crows weren't just flying—they were heading somewhere, with purpose. I had no idea where.
Lia looked more nervous now.
"Why would they all be flying together like that? Where are they going?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The crows soared overhead, indifferent to our presence. The sound of their wings mixed with the wind, brushing past our ears. They disappeared into the distance like shadows, fading into specks on the horizon.
My eyes followed them until they vanished. The sense of unease inside me only grew. Something felt wrong—deeply wrong. Lia sensed it too. We kept walking, but now the silence felt heavier, thicker.
She tried to break it.
"Do you think... something happened?" she asked softly.
I didn't answer. My eyes were still fixed on the spot where the crows had disappeared. Something was happening—I could feel it. A shift, subtle but unsettling.
Lia glanced at me, waiting, but I remained silent. Slowly, we kept walking toward the village.