[Winter, Year 308]
A week passed in a blink of an eye. The cozy cabin, hidden by snowy hills and sparse pine trees, remained isolated from civilization. The breeze was gentle and the huge snowflakes fell slowly.
It is noon, but both Mr. and Mrs. Revs are not at home. Earlier, Mr. Revs brought along a humongous wooden cart, which is used to help store and transport the chopped firewood back to the cabin. Mrs. Revs left with her husband, bringing a large basket to pick the winter berries used to bake winter berry pies. Neither Mr. or Mrs. Revs has gotten back yet from the outskirts of the darkwood forest.
While the adults are hard at work, Yuki laid belly flat on the carpet, reading a detailed book called An Encyclopedia of Animals & Creatures on Earth in front of the fireplace. Yuki's legs swung playfully in the air as she flipped the page, the crisp sound bringing a calm sense of peacefulness.
Yuki's eyes widened, once again amazed by how well and detailed the drawings were. This time, the drawing was of a giant, scary-looking dark green viper with ominous bloodshot red eyes and a distinctive crown shaped scale on its forehead.
'Whoa. Are they real??' Yuki was in disbelief.
She loved reading. There's just so much to learn about this world! But… On second thought, maybe not seeing the real thing will be for the best.
'It says this viper has an aggressive, violent nature. It's one of the strongest creatures hidden deep within forest biomes. Its home is in the darkwood forest??! That's where Mr. and Mrs. Revs went! Oh no… But they didn't go deep into the forest, so they'll be okay. Hm… If I were to ever encounter one, how would I defeat it…?' Yuki pondered, deep in thought.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"Mommm, daddd, I'm back!!" An unfamiliar voice yelled, causing Yuki's ears to ring at the sudden loud noises.
Her train of thought was broken, which made her be in a sour mood. Her legs paused, then resumed the playful kicking. Yuki ignored the person outside, especially since she was taught recently to not open the door to strangers.
"Stranger danger." Yuki muttered, continuing to read the book in her hands.
"Hello???" The stranger yelled one last time before eventually giving up, plopping on the snowy ground outside in frustration.
— — —
The boy got up when he saw two familiar figures in the distance.
"Oh, Xavier! My baby's back!!" Mrs. Revs hurried toward the boy named Xavier, placing the basket full of winter berries on the ground hastily before pulling him in for a warm hug.
"It's freezing son, why are you sitting out here in the cold?" Mr. Revs parked the heavy cart of chopped logs. He then unlocked the cabin door with a click.
"I don't have the key, dad, remember?" Xavier wriggled out of his mother's hug, running inside the second the door opened.
"? But Yuki is inside. Oh my gosh, did something happen to her??" Mrs. Revs gasped. She left the basket outside, worried that something might have happened to Yuki.
The three found Yuki in front of the fireplace, peacefully reading.
"Welcome back." Yuki glanced up, closing the book swiftly. She sat up straight, crossing her legs comfortably. She saw a boy with light-brown hair who looked just like Mr. Revs. She stared at the boy who glared at her with his dark brown eyes.
Mr. and Mrs. Revs sighed at the same time with relief, not noticing their son's hateful expression.
"You. Why did you not open the door when you're inside?? I was freezing in the cold!" Xavier growled in fury, pointing his finger at Yuki as if she committed a crime.
He angrily walked towards Yuki, retraining himself from hitting a little girl.
Yuki blinked, unsure what to say. She simply listened to Mr. and Mrs. Revs' words to not open doors for strangers. The only people she knew were her life saviors of course, why would she put herself and their home in danger for… That?
"Xavier, stop." Mr. Revs butted in, standing in between the two.
"Yuki, this is our son, Xavier. And Xavier, this is Yuki. Get along, okay? She'll be living with us for a while." Mrs. Revs explained, diffusing the argument that seemed as if it would erupt in chaos if she did not do anything.
"I. Don't. Want. Her. Here." Xavier said grumpily.
He humphed, giving Yuki one last nasty glare before running upstairs, shutting the door to his room with a bang.
The married couple sighed at the same time, shaking their heads.
"I'm sorry, Yuki. Our son does not like other people staying over." Mr. Revs said, patting Yuki's head.
"I'll go make lunch. Tonight we're having winter berry pies, so look forward to that! If there's anything you want, let us know." Mrs. Revs said softly.
Mr. Revs nodded, then went outside to pick up the heavy basket of winter berries before closing the door, helping his wife in the kitchen.
Yuki left, heading to her room with a different book, The Basics of How to Use Ivrent, by Vander A. Ivrent, in her arms.