Morning in Pine's forest was always the same—soft light filtering through branches, thin mist drifting lazily, and birds that sounded half asleep themselves.
Volow woke with Suki curled beside him, breathing weakly but peacefully.
He gently stroked Suki's fur.
"You're getting better," he whispered. "Just a little more…"
The cat didn't respond. But its tail twitched, just barely.
Volow smiled.
Small victories were still victories.
Pine had given Volow three tasks to repeat every day, without fail:
1. Collect firewood before noon.
2. Clean the house—especially the shelves.
3. Cut vegetables quietly while Pine wrote.
Volow didn't understand why the third rule existed.
But Pine insisted on silence while writing.
So Volow obeyed.
But the old man… he was strange.
He'd write furiously for an hour, then suddenly throw his pages across the room.
"Trash. All trash," he'd mutter.
"Words aren't behaving today."
Volow would pick up the papers later only to find beautiful illustrations on the margins — mountains, symbols, tiny drawings of cats that weirdly looked like Suki.
Sometimes Volow caught Pine watching him from the corner of his eye.
Not suspicious.
Not threatening.
But thoughtful.
As if studying a piece of a puzzle he still didn't understand.
In the evenings, Pine would sit outside, cane across his lap, staring up at the sky.
He didn't talk much.
Volow appreciated that.
One night, after a long silence, Pine finally spoke.
"The moon is late today."
Volow looked at him.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
Pine shrugged.
"The moon has a mind of its own. You'll learn that."
Volow blinked.
"…Okay."
Another night, Pine pointed at a group of glowing insects dancing among the branches.
"They come out when the forest feels safe."
Volow watched them, the golden lights flickering like tiny stars.
"It feels safe… even after everything?"
"Forests are like people," Pine said, leaning back.
"They can be wounded. But given time… they grow around the wound."
Volow didn't know if Pine meant the forest or him.
---
On the fourth morning, Pine tossed him a long wooden stick.
"Carry this," he said.
Volow caught it awkwardly.
"What is it for?"
"Balance."
"I already have good balance."
Pine smirked.
"No, you don't."
For the rest of the day, Pine made him walk across fallen logs, jump between rocks, crawl under branches, swing the stick at tree trunks—all without explanation.
Volow grumbled.
"This feels stupid."
Pine tapped his cane once.
"Everything feels stupid before you understand why you're doing it."
"…So what am I preparing for?"
Pine ignored him and kept walking.
Suki, tied in a soft cloth beside Volow's chest, meowed with mild annoyance every time he stumbled.
Volow laughed a little.
"Sorry, Suki…"
---
Volow began noticing small oddities.
Every night, a faint silver glow seeped from the ring on his finger—barely visible, but undeniable.
When he touched it, the glow vanished.
He didn't tell Pine.
Another time, near midnight, Suki suddenly stood on shaky legs, staring at the window as if sensing something outside.
Volow checked.
Nothing.
Just trees.
Just wind.
He reassured himself.
But Suki kept staring.
---
One afternoon, as Volow gathered firewood deeper in the forest, he stopped suddenly.
The leaves rustled even though the wind had died.
He heard something—soft, faint.
Almost like…
Whispering.
He froze.
His heart raced.
He waited.
The sound faded.
He shook his head.
"Just my imagination," he murmured.
But as he turned to walk back, Suki meowed sharply at his chest, fur standing.
Volow swallowed.
"…Let's go home."
---
At dinner that night, Pine watched him a little longer than usual.
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
Volow poked at the roasted roots.
"Nothing important."
Pine hummed.
But Volow noticed the old man's eyes drift briefly to the ring on his finger.
Only for a second.
Then Pine returned to chewing loudly, breaking the tense moment as if it never happened.
Volow tried to relax.
Tried.
---
That night, Volow couldn't sleep.
His mind replayed Cardbill's ashes.
Thod's laugh.
Melon's smile.
Suki's weakening heartbeat.
He curled around Suki protectively.
"I'll figure everything out," he whispered.
"I'll keep you safe. You're all I have."
The ring pulsed softly.
Volow didn't notice.
---
Near dawn, just before sleep finally claimed him…
He heard it.
Footsteps.
Soft.
Slow.
Circling the house.
Not Pine's.
Volow sat up, breath sharp.
He looked at the window.
Nothing.
Silence.
Then—
A branch snapped outside.
Volow froze.
Seconds ticked by.
The footsteps moved away…
And disappeared.
Only the quiet forest remained.
Suki crawled weakly closer to him, pressing its head against his chest.
Volow held him tight.
He didn't wake Pine.
He didn't move.
He didn't breathe.
He waited for the sun.