Perytos shivered slightly. The shadows bent a little, flickered just when nobody was looking. Tall trees with twisted trunks and sickly yellow leaves loomed over the makeshift cobble road, cutting off most of the natural light.

  Every time a twig broke or a leaf rustled Perytos flinched, expecting danger. When nothing came he felt relief, a momentary sense of peace lingering just long enough to instill hope; in seconds the feeling vanished, enlarging the feeling of a pit forming in his stomach.

  It had already been a month since they entered the Tremor Woods. He heard that they were not far from the exit, but the scenery looked exactly the same as at the beginning, no exit in sight.

  Soon the danger would be over, but that didn't stop his instincts. His gut feeling, honed after many hunts in much safer woods recoiled. It screamed at him "watch out!" every single day for many weeks. It wore on the poor teen in more ways than one. His skin lost much of its luster and black bags started to appear under his eyes, his body tired after endless worrying and self-doubts.

  He felt his mother squeezing his hand, probably smiling. She tried to reassure him constantly but day after day it failed.

  Perytos knew his mother well. The smile on her face was just a facade meant to calm him down, even when she held the same doubts. Like when he needed new shoes, because the old ones were more patchwork than leather. Turning his head, the same smile came, the one that always appeared when they were missing flickers for food.

  "I know I know… I just want to be helpful, to protect you". Perytos murmured, feeling his mother's insistent gaze. He knew his mother well, but she was far more experienced at reading people than him.

  "I know honey", her gaze softened for a moment. "But you won't be able to help anyway, not until you unlock your System access." Her voice turned stern, lecturing. All Perytos heard was the same conversation about to replay all over again. He just said: "That's the problem, I'm too weak" and turned to other pursuits.

  He pulled out his pocket knife, a compromise, and his current project: a statue of a sitting wolf.

  Before the trip he viewed arts and crafts as boring. Not something heroes and adventurers did. When he was forced to sit and do nothing for weeks on end, he changed his mind quickly; the now familiar action of whittling a piece of oak offered comfort to his tired soul. The same process done hundreds of times, each needing to be done with precision and care. It was better to hone his craft, getting better at something, than ponder possible realities.

  He glanced at his tool of choice absentmindedly: the pocket knife was in good shape. He polished and sharpened it every occasion he had after all.

  Along the handle small engravements were written down, comforting words from his parents. This way a piece of them was always close by to offer encouragement. When he got the knife as a gift, he was overjoyed, eyes committing every incision and groove to memory.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  His actual project though? It wasn't that impressive, not to the scale the tool carving it was. Just a rough outline of a sitting canine donned the tough hunk of wood. It was inspired by the tales of the Lykani, creatures of myth and legend.

  Despite his lack of success Perytos was determined to get better. Just have to whittle away at it, one piece at a time.

  System access…. He mulled the phrase over his head. The System was an integral part of reality; there was nothing that wasn't governed by it. The source of all power in the world, whether it were miraculous skills or spells and charms.

  All living beings had access to it, deer, humans hell even insects could benefit from it! There was just one little snag- You had to earn it. This was done by doing something significant, in relation to race, age and many different factors. No one knew the exact details, but the picture was clear- he was just too young to unlock it; time spent achieving significant deeds was limited. Despite that he was close, perhaps a few months away, he could feel it. I could become a craftsman then.

  His head swam in yet another direction, still whittling the wood lazily: His dream and goal of being a master craftsman, hacking away at wood and metal, was not unfounded. He wanted to do it all to provide for his parents, to keep them and himself alive. Safe behind the walls of the capital, away from the chaos of this dying world.

  Perytos heard many things. That it was the city of dreams, a place with infinite options. Where buildings reached the sky and city walls kept even the strongest beasts at bay. We will see if it's just as impressive as the stories tell.

  His daydreaming was stopped by a smooching sound. His mom was holding his dad close, showing her love. He knew she worried about dad's nightwatch; ever since they decided on the journey, both turned way more affectionate. I suppose it's their way of showing worry. The realization didn't stop his discontent at being pulled into a bear hug.

  "Perytos you brat, I always get to see you so little and even when I'm here we don't talk!" The manly voice got to him from above.

  Perytos didn't reply, since he was too busy gagging at the smell. Quickly pulling away, he said in a deadpan voice: "You should probably wash more; that shirt absolutely stinks. I don't know how mom tolerates it."

  His father grinned. "Love can overcome any obstacle." A voice coming from beside quickly proved him wrong: "Maybe you really should wash up, he has a point." Now it was mother's turn to grin mischievously.

  It shocked Perytos how much he needed this, the constant worry was dissipating in real time. He gave a one over at the scene, committing it to memory:

  A dark-haired woman with brown, sparkly eyes was giggling; Beside her a tall muscular man hugged her dearly. His beastly heritage showed- his eyes had vertical slits and a sharp, yellow coloring. Maybe they looked scary to others, but to him they were always filled with love and affection.

  The scene warmed his heart. Maybe they would be fine, maybe they would make it out of the forest safely and without incident. He smiled while looking at the horizon, no longer afraid.

  The part of him Perytos ignored kept shouting, screaming. Why didn't he listen?! It pleaded and begged, but no one heard it, just treated as noise.

  Death loomed just around the corner, no one noticed. It prayed to the Lord protector, wailing for mercy, but nothing noticed. If only the boy listened, he would have been better prepared for what was coming. If only he noticed…