Lucas and luna's eyes were stuck, just staring at the scene...
Destruction was spread everywhere. People were running here and there — some trying to save themselves, while others were helping others.
Luna and Lucas were shocked to see this, thinking how just a little while ago, the village was completely peaceful, and now, within moments, everything was ruined. Some people on horseback were killing others, while some were trying to escape from them, but those attackers, carrying large spears, were tearing through anyone in their path.
Seeing all this, both Luna and Lucas became terrified. They rushed towards their home, and upon reaching there, they saw Luna's father sitting, holding Luna's mother, who was half-burnt, comforting her, saying, "You cannot die now. You will not die yet. Just keep breathing."
Luna and Lucas were horrified seeing this. When Luna's father noticed them, he immediately grabbed them and hid them in a bunker under a tree. He said to Lucas,
"Lucas, this responsibility is now yours. You must save Luna, even if it costs your life. You have to protect her."
He continued, "As much as I love Luna, I love you too — though I could never express it."
Saying this, he locked them inside the bunker and left.
Inside, Luna and Lucas sat in shock, listening to the terrifying sounds outside — people screaming, children crying, everyone shouting for help. Suddenly, they heard Luna's father's voice shouting, "Why are you doing this to everyone?" — and immediately after, there was a sound indicating someone had attacked him from behind.
Hearing his final cry, Luna and Lucas started crying too. But Lucas quickly covered Luna's mouth, not wanting the outsiders to hear them, fearing they too might be found. Luna's father had entrusted Lucas with Luna's safety, and he had to fulfill that responsibility.
Both children sat there, deeply shocked, thinking how their life had been so peaceful until now, and in just one day, everything changed — their village, their family, their home, all reduced to ashes. Their memories were shattered, bottle by bottle.
An hour passed. Then two. Then three. Four hours went by, then five — and still, time kept slipping away.
The voices outside had long since fallen silent.
Luna and Lucas began to feel that perhaps morning had finally arrived.
But even then, they were too afraid to step outside.
At last, Lucas thought, "We have to face whatever is out there sooner or later."
Gathering his courage, he slowly opened the bunker door.
As they stepped out, the sight before them froze them in place.
The sun had already risen high into the sky, casting a harsh light over the devastation.
All around them lay charred remains, burnt eyes staring lifelessly into nothing, bodies scattered across the ground.
Yet, strangely, they no longer felt as terrified as they had expected.
But then —
They saw him.
Luna's father, lying there, half-mutilated, his body broken beyond recognition.
Luna collapsed where she stood, overcome by grief, sobbing uncontrollably.
Lucas couldn't bear the sight either. He turned his face away, pulling Luna into his arms as she cried.
And so the two of them sat there, holding each other tightly, their tears falling silently onto the earth.
There was no one else left.
No voices.
No survivors.
The village had been reduced to nothing — only Luna and Lucas remained.
And in that moment, Lucas knew:
"We have to leave. We must go to the forest now."
They sat silently in one spot, frozen by shock, as time slipped by until it was afternoon. Finally, they rose to their feet and began walking aimlessly through the village — wandering, lost.
But soon, the sound of approaching horse hooves echoed again. Fear gripped them, and they hid beneath the thick cover of a tree.
Lucas held Luna tightly, determined to protect her at all costs. In his heart, he resolved:
"No matter who it is, I'll face them. I just have to get Luna out of here."
As the rider drew near, Lucas and Luna looked — and their eyes widened in disbelief.
It was not an enemy.
It was their grandpa.
Grandpa dismounted his horse but could not stand; he collapsed heavily to the ground.
Seeing the ruins of the village — the broken homes, the silence, the ash — shattered him completely.
"I was only gone for a day," he thought bitterly, "just to bring new books for the children. And in that single day, everything was destroyed... Why? Why did this happen?"
As he stood there, lost in grief, faint cries reached his ears. He staggered to his feet and peered behind the tree — and there they were: Lucas and Luna.
The moment the children saw their grandfather's face, they ran into his arms. Their small bodies trembled as they clung to him, unable to hold back their sobs.
Heavy, uncontrollable tears streamed down their faces. Through broken cries, they said,
"They came at night... they killed everyone. They didn't even spare Papa... or Mama... not even the little ones... They killed everyone who begged for their lives, everyone who tried to fight back."
Grandpa's heart broke hearing their words.
He pulled them closer and said in a trembling voice,
"My dear children, don't cry now. We must leave this place. There is nothing left here anymore."
As starting of their new life ,The three of them were riding their horses through the forest as dusk began to settle.
Suddenly, Grandpa said, "Children, stop here." He dismounted and walked toward a large tree. Placing both hands on its trunk, he channeled his magical energy, and a hidden door appeared within the bark.
Luna and Lucas were stunned. The awe in their eyes made it clear—they were witnessing real magic for the very first time. Until now, magic had only existed in the stories they had heard.
Grandpa turned to them and said,
"Come, children. From today, this will be your new home."
As Luna and Lucas stepped inside, they were amazed. How could such a house exist within a tree? Yet, as they passed through the doorway, they found not just one but several rooms—a cozy hallway in the center, a few bedrooms, and even a small kitchen tucked beside them. It didn't feel like the inside of a tree at all. They were in awe.
Lucas thought to himself,
" I always knew he was the most powerful man in the village, but I had never seen him use magic before. At one point, I even believed he had grown too old and that all the stories about him were just myths."
Grandpa looked at the children and said gently, "You must be tired. Go rest in the room just ahead."
Luna and Lucas, too overwhelmed and weary to eat or drink, nodded quietly and went to sleep in the room he had shown them.
Later, Grandpa sat alone in his room, holding his head in his hands. In a single day, the entire village has been destroyed, he thought. These two children are all I have left. Their safety, their future—it's all in my hands now.
Just then, the door creaked open. Lucas stood there silently. Grandpa looked up and called him over.
"Come here, Lucas. What's the matter?"
Lucas walked in, hesitating at first, but then he spoke, his voice trembling yet determined:
"I… I want to become as powerful as you. I want to protect Luna—so that no harm ever comes to her."
Grandpa studied him for a moment. "And why do you want to do that?" he asked.
Lucas replied,
"Luna is the only one who ever made me feel truly loved. She taught me what it means to live with others, to care and be cared for. When we saw the village being destroyed, and people dying, Luna's father gave me the responsibility to protect her. At first, I wondered—why me? But now, beyond that responsibility, I want to protect her because she gave me hope. She comforted me, looked after me more than anyone else ever did. I never want to see her in danger."
Moved by Lucas's courage and sincerity, Grandpa smiled.
When he looked into the boy's eyes, he saw a spark—a radiant light that said he was ready. Ready to face anything, to do whatever it took to protect Luna.