Mara ran breathlessly toward Pasito. When he reached there, the sight in front of him shocked him. Pasito and Atura were standing face to face. Pasito was perched on a tree branch, holding a broken piece of wood in his hands. His eyes had turned a strange shade of brown, while Atura stood on the ground staring at him.
Mara suddenly became calm. He felt as if his hands had turned stiff and heavy. In a serious tone he said to them,
"Fighting is not something you two can handle."
Suddenly Pasito slipped and fell from the tree. Mara rushed forward to catch him, but he failed. At the same moment, Atura also collapsed to the ground unconscious. Seeing this, Mara panicked. Fear rushed through his mind.
He thought anxiously,
"What should I do now…? What if something happens to them…?"
After a few moments, both of them slowly opened their eyes. Mara sighed in relief. But the very next moment, the two of them started laughing loudly.
Mara angrily asked,
"What are you guys doing?"
Pasito laughed and replied,
"Relax, we were just joking."
Mara frowned and said,
"Is this the time to joke?"
Pasito then asked curiously,
"Alright, leave that. Did you hunt anything? Did you find a soul?"
Mara paused for a moment and replied,
"I'm not sure… I found the soul of a lion. But that lion was already dead. When I touched it… it suddenly disappeared."
Pasito said,
"Yes, really. I also shot an arrow at a monkey… but it suddenly disappeared."
Atura added,
"The same thing happened to me. I shot an arrow at a beehive… but that disappeared too."
Mara looked surprised and asked,
"You guys brought arrows with you?"
Pasito laughed and replied,
"No, we made the arrows ourselves."
Mara became serious and said,
"My thread feels a little tight… I think it's a sign of danger. And look… the sunlight was already weak, but now it's getting even darker. It feels like sunset is near."
Pasito nodded and said,
"If that's true, we should leave quickly."
Atura agreed,
"Yes, we should go."
The three of them started running. After a while, they reached the tree where they had left Vasuki sitting.
But when they arrived, they suddenly stopped.
Around Vasuki, there was a strange green substance spread on the ground.
Mara looked up toward the tree. It seemed like the substance might have come from something on the tree. But even then… the place felt very strange.
The two boys supported Vasuki by placing his arms over their shoulders and slowly moved toward the castle. Atura walked ahead of them, clearing the bushes and branches that blocked their path. Step by step, they finally reached the castle.
When they arrived, they saw that a boy was already sitting inside one of the small chambers of the castle.
Mara carefully helped Vasuki sit on the ground. But at that moment, Mara felt something strange. Vasuki's body was extremely hot, as if he had a burning fever. His skin felt almost like fire.
Suddenly, small particles began to rise from the ground. The particles gathered together in the air and slowly formed the shapes of three people.
Mara looked shocked and said,
"That's Alpha Sir and Jeron Sir!"
Pasito looked closely and added,
"There's also a ma'am with them."
The woman stepped forward and said,
"My name is Kamino Vilina."
At that moment, Alpha Core spoke in a hurried and worried tone,
"Listen carefully! I have received urgent information. Some criminals who escaped from prison have come to the Red Moon to hide. We must gather all the children immediately."
Hearing this, the children looked at each other nervously.
Mara said anxiously,
"Ma'am, Vasuki has fainted. Please take him to the hospital quickly. His condition doesn't look good to me."
Alpha Core spoke seriously,
"Mara, go toward the east direction and bring back any children you find."
Jeron Sir then looked at a boy and asked,
"Boy, what is your name?"
The boy replied energetically,
"Sir, my name is Pasito. Tell me what I should do."
Jeron Sir said,
"You go toward the west direction and bring back whoever you find."
Meanwhile, Alpha Core noticed a quiet boy standing nearby. He gently asked him,
"What is your name?"
The boy calmly replied,
"Yunsa."
Alpha Core nodded and said,
"Then you go toward the south direction."
Jeron Sir then turned toward Atura and said,
"And you go toward the north direction."
Atura silently nodded his head. In his mind he thought,
"So, sir didn't even think it was necessary to ask my name…"
Alpha Core suddenly turned around and walked toward a dark basement inside the castle.
Mara thought to himself,
"Vasuki has a high fever… I hope he will be alright…"
After a few moments, Alpha Core returned from the basement. This time, however, he was carrying six wooden swords in his hands.
With a faint smile, he began handing one sword to each of the children, except Kamino.
After giving everyone a sword, Alpha Core spoke in a serious tone,
"These swords are made of sandalwood. You will have to fight the wandering spirits outside with them. It is dangerous, but it must be done. These swords carry positive energy. A strike from them can grant liberation (moksha) to any spirit."
He paused briefly and then added,
"But remember… these swords are not very strong. Use them carefully. Jeron Sir and I will take Vasuki to the hospital and return shortly."
Atura examined his sword and said,
"This sword is shining a lot…"
Alpha Core replied slightly angrily,
"Stop staring at the sword and move quickly!"
Mara, Atura, Pasito, and Yunsa immediately began to run. They rushed out of the castle and soon started heading in different directions.
Yunsa stopped outside the castle and quietly said,
"Maybe I should go behind the castle… yes, that might be the right way."
And he slowly walked into the darkness.
Now we will see how these four will try to save the others.
But a question still lingers in my mind…
Can't the other competitors simply look toward the Earth and say "rest chamber" to return?
Or… is there something on the Red Moon that is preventing them from leaving?