A beast but also human. A foe but also a friend. No matter the form, a creature known as Fiara will never remember who they are. Depending on their personality, they will transform into a beast resembling a wild animal. They are creatures known as disasters to many countries and here I am, Rayleth Valendrake, facing one of them in front of my eyes.

   Year of the Cursed Snake, the first day of the year, me and my twin sister named Rivelia are planning to start my first hunt for the family. Ever since my father lost his legs, my sister made herself responsible to hunt wild animals for our food at home. She awakened her inner trait at early age known as “Bloodhound” which allows her to smell and identify the creatures surrounding her. Because of this, me and my mother trusted her for the job. Unlike my sister, I’m the complete opposite. She’s tired of me being a shut-in nerd who doesn’t stop reading books all day so she decided to teach me a new lesson in life.

   “Oi, lil bro, stop eating your books and pack your things for the hunt”, Rivelia shouts at me disturbing the peace inside my room. “Also, don’t forget to dye your hair using magic. Your stinky-red hair will attract a lot of wild animals”, she added. Even though both of us were twins born wearing blood-colored hair, my so-called “older sister” still treats me like a younger sibling ever since my childhood. I hate talking and arguing so I just accepted her bullying for my entire life.

   Before leaving the door of our big mansion, our mother greeted us at the door with a big bag full of packed food. “Wait, before you go, let’s pray to our lord Valheim for protection”, she holds our hands and we started praying. “May the blood of our ancestors not leave this body until Lord Valheim claim our souls and be transported to the holy land”. After leaving the mansion for the first time, my eyes grew big as I saw the beautiful forest surrounding us while the shimmering white snow falls upon our heads.

   The Valendrake household lives in a mansion located in a very secluded area inside the forest of Aranea. My parents never taught us about the outside world except for the fact that we are the only ones living in this forest. Even though we are surrounded by wild animals, my father always says that this is the safest area for our family to live. Since I was a kid, I was very curious about life outside this forest. This pushed me to read a lot of books that my mother owns.

   “Oi!Oi! Stop whining and get a grip you turtle nerd!”, my sister disturbed me once again. After coming back to reality, I started walking slowly with a big bag on my back. Her face tells me how annoyed she was when she saw me reading another book while walking. As my sister’s temper reached the highest point, she shouted, “Can’t you just walk normally??? If you continue doing that you might die with that small book in front of you!”. To stop her rant, I hid my pocketbook inside of my pocket without saying a single thing.

   Inside the forest, Rivelia started using bloodhound to search for our prey. My body trembles from head to toe after I hear a little noise on a nearby bush. “Ready your spear nerd”, she whispered as she holds my hand. “Bu..bu..but sis, I don’t know how to fight”, I whispered back while calming down myself. Without saying a single thing, she looks at me straight in the eyes and she started demonstrating a spear stance as if she wants me to copy it. The noise on the bush got louder and it tells us that something big is coming out.

   A big wild bear came out of the bush standing with its big paws ready to smack us. “Ray, stay back!”, Rivelia rushed to the bear using her wind magic and thrusts her magic-coated spear. The bear falls to its back as my sister continued stabbing while standing on its belly. “Do it, Ray!”, I rushed to the bear’s head and used my spear to pierce its skull until it dies. After the creature met its demise, my sister came down and hugged me tight with tears in her eyes.

   I’m really shocked as I saw my sister pour her tears on me for the first time. From the look of her eyes, I can see that she feels proud of my new achievement. Suddenly, Rivelia’s cheeks went red like a tomato and she punched me in the face. She went quiet and prompted me to bring out the tools for skinning. After skinning and salvaging the bear meat, we ate our packed food and decided to go home.

   “Mom we’re home!”, Sis shouted as we opened the door of the mansion. Mom greeted us with a smile on her face and told my sister to bring the meat to the kitchen. As time passes, they finished preparing the dinner so I went to my dad’s room to carry him to his chair in the dining room. We held each other’s hands and started praying once again. “May the food on this table be blessed by the blood of our ancestors as we eat under the wing of our Lord Valheim”.

   “How’s the hunt my angels?”, my mom asked. Since I don’t like talking, Rivelia told everything to my parents from start to finish. It’s a shame that my dad also lost his ability to speak because of an unknown illness. At least right now, I can see the smile of a proud dad happy for his son and daughter. We laugh and spread happiness to one another as we finish our dinner until suddenly, an abrupt event ruined everything.

   The windows behind my parents' back shattered into pieces. In a split second, a giant fiara in the form of a sabretooth tiger jumped inside the window and wiped my parents out of existence using its sharp claws. A group of intruders wearing black suits that I’ve never seen before followed as the beast tears apart our mansion. “…….Mom”, a sudden voice filled with shock and despair came out of my sister whose face became a lot paler than the snow outside. “Get a grip idiotic sister!”, with a short opportunity in front of me, I grabbed her right arm and rushed to the door that leads to the corridor.

   Everything is getting out of hand at this point and even my only hope, my sister is getting eaten by her own emotions. While running for our lives, I raised my voice for the first time and shouted at her hoping that this time she will get back to her own feet. “Rivelia! I know we’re hopeless at this point but please…. don’t let me down and show me that you are the best sister I’ve ever had!”. “But….mom and…dad they are already dead!!! What am I supposed to do if my only hope to live is now gone???”, she answered me back with tears pouring down her eyes.

   “But you have me!”, her eyes grew big as she hears the words of her brother who didn’t even care for her in the past 16 years. It took more running and tears than I expected then finally, she came to her senses. “Phew, you are right. I will never become the best sister ever if I will show my pathetic self at this point”. After saying those words, she pulled my arms and stopped my feet from running. I know this isn’t the best moment to stop but knowing that she’s my sister, I already know that she already has a plan.

   Rivelia asked me to hold her hands and share my ectonia, the source of life with her. As the intruders came closer, we raised our arms and say the incantations, “Crearia Vanto: Piercing Spear!”. A giant wind spear penetrated the entire squad of intruders and killed them instantly. While chasing our breaths after casting a successful magic, a sudden danger appeared behind our backs. The merciless fiara attacked us once again, knocking both of us to the wall and making a loud echoing noise through the whole corridor.

   I don’t know why, but it seems like the beast isn’t planning to kill us. “Idiots. Do you really think running will do anything?”, the leader of the intruders showed up behind the fiara and started laughing. “HAHAHAHAH! Just be thankful, demon twins. Both of you will become our tools today so I can’t kill you till I milked you down to your bones”. Hearing the outrageous claims of the intruder made my sister release a violent emotion, showing hostility towards them. She didn’t hold back and shouted, “My family will never ever become tools of scums like you! Never!”.

   “Scum??? Tsk..tsk..tsk..what a very bold speech little lady. I hope you don’t regret this after I bury your whole family in your own grave”. The intruder suddenly pointed his/her fingers at us and shouts, “Gregory! My slave fiara! Kill the small boy and take the girl for me!”. Without hesitation, I stood in front of my sister and threw my pocketbook from my pocket to the head of the beast. My fate is already sealed at this point but I can’t let my sister die till my very last breath. “Rivelia! Live for me!!!”, I pushed my sister against the window leading to outside using my very last strength.

   Hmmm… I guess dying is better than staying inside my room and reading books my entire life. I just wished I got more time to bond with my family before I leave this world. Regret and despair filled my head till the very last moment. In a split second, the fiara’s claws reached my body ripping every limb. “I love you..mom……dad……..Rive-lia”

   “My child, wake up from your slumber…..”

   “Remember, this time, never let a blood drop…..”

   A sudden voice woke up my soul.