No name

Inside an abandoned building, in a bathroom, a strange noise begins to come from a toilet.  

The sound, persistent, lasts for a few minutes, when something emerges from it. With some difficulty, a small rodent leaps from its edge.  

Right after falling to the floor, it walks through the abandoned room toward the door. Leaving there, it enters a long corridor.  

On one side, shining brightly, the sunlight indicated the building’s exit. On the other, the corridor led to the interior of the structure, shrouded in darkness.  

Choosing a path, it turns toward the interior of the building when a faint odor envelops it.  

Intrigued, it shifts its route, traversing the wide corridor in search of its source.  

The odor seems to come from outside the building, for the closer it gets to the exit, the stronger it grows, but, upon nearing a door, it notices that the trail shifts into a room.  

Though it is near the building’s entrance, where the sun shone brightly, the room, without any windows, lies plunged into the deepest darkness.  

The rat, sensing the sound of heavy, slow breathing coming from there, stops.  

For a moment, it considers turning back, but, detecting the sweet aroma wafting from there, it presses on.  

Silently, it moves toward the darkest part of the place, dodging some obstacles. As it draws closer and closer, the scent guiding it begins to confuse it.  

While wandering the area, it ends up stepping in something wet. Upon licking it, a marvelous taste floods its palate; this is where the smell originates.  

But, even though it spreads across a wide area, the rat, ignoring this, starts seeking its source.  

Walking over that puddle, upon reaching a wound, it bites it.  

The creature, waking up, tries to crush it.  

Upon striking where the rat stands, the floor, unable to withstand the force used, breaks into several pieces, followed by a loud crash.  

With quicker breathing, though still heavy, it keeps its hand sunk into the ground for a few moments.  

With difficulty, raising its hand, the creature checks if it has killed it.  

Taking advantage of this, the rat escapes.  

*** 

Near the heart of a vast abandoned city lay a wide clearing. It was encircled by towering buildings that, despite nature’s encroachment, stood firm as memories of a bygone era.  

There were places where destruction had taken hold, but looking at the city as a whole, it was striking that so many buildings still stood for a place so forgotten.  

At the center of that plain, in a spot lower than its surroundings, rested a large lagoon. Though the vegetation there didn’t rise above an adult’s knee, it was different there.  

Along its banks grew vegetation over two meters tall, composed of thin, lofty plants, but, since they were so numerous, it blocked any view through them.  

Beyond those plants, also near the lagoon, stood another, unlike anything around it.  

I wonder how this formed…  

Right ahead of Sete stood a strange tree.  

Though it might have seemed young due to its size, the marks on its gnarled trunk suggested otherwise. Like the skin of an elderly person who had performed hard tasks for years under harsh weather, it was deeply wrinkled and rough in appearance.  

Moreover, there was a large formation of roots that, clashing with its small canopy, had grown above the ground, forming a broad structure around the tree.  

The roots weren’t much different from the trunk; they too bore a weathered look, though it was possible to see some newer ones beneath the older ones, showing the plant still had vitality and was growing.  

Climbing onto it, he began to walk.  

Even though he had seen that tree before, he had never paid it much mind, as he was more interested in the lagoon, treating it as just another plant, but, looking more closely, he realized how distinct it was.  

It seems ancient, truly ancient. I wonder if it was here when the city was still inhabited…  

Sete had always lived in that city with his family, at least as far back as he could recall, so he knew the place had been abandoned for a long time. From what he understood, even when his parents arrived in the city, it was already like that.  

While thinking, upon stepping on one of the roots, he felt it give way under his weight.  

Stopping, with a troubled expression, he looked around.  

That mass of roots unsettled him: if he stepped in the wrong spot or slipped, he’d end up jamming his leg into the tangle and getting hurt. Since they weren’t tightly knit, there were numerous gaps between them.  

Some of those spaces, being so large, looked like small tunnels burrowing into the mound.  

Though they weren’t wide passages, they could easily shelter a small animal seeking refuge.  

He didn’t want to climb onto it, but there was nowhere else to go but there. Choosing the roots he stepped on carefully, he approached the trunk.  

The tree’s canopy was low, with Sete having to dodge some branches as he slipped beneath it. It was also small, with everything crowded close together, but, since most of the leaves were already yellowed and some branches were completely bare, it didn’t feel stifling.  

This should do…  

Using one of the branches as an makeshift clothesline, he hung some pieces of clothing.  

Finishing, he started heading back to his sister.  

Far from the lagoon, Isis sat on a large rock, drying off in the sun. Absentmindedly, she watched her younger siblings work when a strong gust of wind swept across the plain.  

Quickly wrapping her arms around herself, she tried to stay warm as it passed.  

What a cold wind!  

Besides still being wet, the clothes she wore were light, turning any gentle breeze into a freezing gust.  

Finally, after a few minutes, it subsided.  

“— Achoo!! —”  

I don’t want to get sick…  

Noticing something approaching, she heard Sete’s voice.  

“I’ve laid out your things; I think they’ll dry soon.”  

“… I hope so…”  

Shivering, Isis began rubbing her hands on her forearms to warm up before the next gust came.  

As she did this, turning her attention to the lagoon, she saw Mia going in and out of the vegetation, carrying herbs and stashing them in the backpacks.  

Sete’s not going to help her?  

Quickly glancing sideways, she saw Sete standing there.  

Ever since she fell into the lagoon, he had helped her by laying out her clothes and checking if anything she carried in her pockets had fallen out, but now, even though he had finished, he stayed by her side.  

Since only his sister was carrying while Leon and Victor gathered, she seemed overwhelmed.  

“You—”  

As she turned to him, a piece of clothing flew into her face.  

Startled, she exclaimed:  

“What?!!”  

“You’re cold, aren’t you? Put it on, or you’ll end up catching a cold.”  

As Isis held the shirt, Sete noticed her hands trembling a lot, even though she had tried to warm them. 

“But what about you?”  

The clothes he wore weren’t much different from hers; though they weren’t wet, they were still light.  

“No problem, I’ve never gotten sick.”  

With a proud smile, he flexed an arm.  

“…”  

With a faint smile, Isis accepted.  

“Thanks.”  

After she finished putting it on, Sete asked:  

“How did you fall into the lagoon? Did Leon scare you?”  

Sete didn’t know exactly what had happened; as soon as he got there and saw his sister in the water, he prioritized getting her out, since it’d be dangerous if she fell ill.  

“What?”  

“If that’s the case, even if it was an innocent prank, I need to call him out on it, because it wasn’t the time for that. Even if you didn’t get hurt, ill-timed jokes can cause a lot of trouble.”  

“No, that’s not what happened; that wasn’t his intention. When I saw him, I was surprised at first, but I didn’t get scared. I quickly realized it was him and that he wanted to show me something…”  

As she spoke, Isis gradually lowered her voice.  

“… I thought it was the helmet, but out of nowhere, he opened his jacket…”  

It was a pretty strange helmet.  

It was some junk he’d found amid the vegetation, already quite worn out. When he saw it, right after pushing through the plants, he was so startled by its appearance that he began readying his bow.  

Though it was an interesting piece, Sete wondered if he should reprimand Leon for putting something in that condition on his head.  

But as he got lost in his thoughts, he noticed something odd.  

Wait, why would opening his jacket make her fall into the water?  

“But how did you fall into the lagoon?”  

Isis, slightly flushed, took a moment before continuing.  

“… the frog jumped out of it toward me, and to keep it from touching me…”  

Hiding her face between her knees and chest, she fell silent.  

“— Oh.”  

She had thrown herself into the water.  

Being at the lagoon’s edge, there weren’t many places to dodge, so she’d rather jump into the water than let the frog touch her.  

Though it hadn’t made much difference in the end.  

“Hmph!”  

“Are you laughing?!”  

“Well, it’s funny to think you’d rather throw yourself into freezing water than let a frog touch you…” 

Flustered, Isis tried to justify herself.  

“I thought it was gross! It could’ve been slimy even with scales, like a real frog!”  

“No problem, if that’s what you preferred!”  

Picking up some twigs and small stones, she tossed them at Sete.  

“Why do you keep laughing!?”  

Angry, Isis fell silent.  

“Sorry, sorry, I’ve stopped…”  

Seeing she’d stay sulky, Sete tried to apologize, though he still had a faint smile on his face.  

During this time, surprising them both, another gust of wind blew through, much stronger than the first.  

Sete, feeling the colder wind, shrank a little.  

“Wow! It looks like winter’s coming early this year.”  

Isis, quickly wrapping her arms around herself, braced for it, but, unlike before, she didn’t feel cold at all.  

“Warm…” — Isis murmured —  

“Hm? Did you say something?”  

“…”  

“Oh. Aren’t you going to help them?!”  

“… I can’t; I have to keep watch.”  

“Couldn’t… I keep watch in your place?”  

“Well…”  

Within the group, Isis was second in command after Sete. She’d also been taught to use a bow and lead if needed, but she wasn’t used to it, since Sete always took charge whenever they left home, even though she was older than him.  

“You can’t.”  

In a dejected tone, she asked:  

“… Why not?”  

“You’re still drying off; since you’re missing most of your clothes or boots, if something happens, you wouldn’t be ready to face a threat.”  

The clothes they wore weren’t just for warmth; they were thicker to protect them if something attacked. Keeping watch wasn’t just about observing—it also meant being the first to confront a threat to shield the others.  

“But won’t leaving them on their own end up taking too long?”  

Even though leaving it to the younger ones could be tricky, Sete knew they were responsible and wouldn’t get distracted easily.  

Though they were young, they were all more responsible—they had to be; the world wasn’t like the books they read at home anymore.  

“I think—”  

“Come back here!”  

Leon, emerging from the vegetation, began chasing the frog. Right behind him, Victor came out to help.  

With a smile, Isis watched the scene.  

Placing a hand on his head and letting out a sigh, Sete finished:  

“— It might take a while…”  

Encircling the animal, Victor tried to catch it by leaping at it, but it slipped away.  

The frog, with a head resembling a snake’s and covered in small, striking red scales, kept escaping the two while Mia watched them.  

“That’s a beast, isn’t it?”  

“Yeah, a small one, but still a beast.”  

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous to let them play with it? It looks pretty colorful; since it seems like a mix of a frog and a snake, isn’t there a risk it’s venomous?”  

“No, given its size, it’s harmless… it might bite, but there’s no risk of it being venomous or even poisonous.”  

From what he knew, beasts didn’t have venom, though some, like that one, had snake-like traits.  

If there were a classification for the threat it posed, it’d be based almost entirely on its size and diet.  

Something so small, even if odd, posed no danger.  

“Got it!”  

Leaping at it, Leon finally caught it.  

“Why does it keep trying to escape?”  

“No idea, maybe it’s cold?”  

Nearby, Leon and Victor chatted, but they were interrupted.  

“Don’t dawdle like that; we need to finish soon!”  

“Yes!”  

Hearing Sete, both returned to work. As he went back, Leon quickly slipped the animal into his clothes and closed them.  

Seeing this, Isis froze for a moment before asking:  

“He… isn’t thinking of taking it home, is he?”  

Besides the beast, it seemed he also wanted to take the helmet he’d found, which sat beside his backpack.  

“I hope—”  

Stopping mid-sentence, Sete turned sharply toward the buildings.  

What was that sound?  

Though faint, something like a snap or rumble had echoed from the city.  

Isis, noticing her brother’s sudden pause, turned to him, who, with a serious expression, stared at the wall of buildings encircling the plain.  

Seeing that look on her brother made her heart skip a beat.  

“Did something happen?”  

Still focused on where the sound came from, he waited a while before replying.  

“… It’s nothing; you don’t need to worry…”  

It must’ve been a piece of a building falling…  

…  

With the group gathered again, Mia, Leon, and Victor stood in a line, their backpacks right in front of them.  

One by one, Sete was checking them.  

They’d filled them all.  

They were stuffed with so many plants they’d gathered that he struggled to close some of them.  

But even though it was a large mass of greenery, Sete knew it wasn’t much; it’d still go through a long process that would reduce most of it to the final product, yet even so, it’d be enough to last until the next fall.  

With this, I think we’ve gathered all the medicine…  

During the fall, most medicinal plants were ready for harvest, making it the time they had to venture farther from home to collect them.  

“Brother…”  

Hearing Leon call him, he snapped out of his thoughts. Closing the last backpack, he looked ahead.  

Seeing that scene, he let a small smile slip.  

His siblings, visibly eager, couldn’t stay still in their spots as they watched him.  

It wasn’t hard to read that look.  

Checking the sun’s position, he calculated how much time they had left.  

As he observed, he voiced a slight dissatisfaction.  

It took a bit longer than I expected…  

Though he believed he could give them a little over thirty minutes, Isis not being able to help had slowed the harvest.  

Even if it bothered him, he knew there wasn’t much to be done. Since Isis’s fall into the lagoon had been an accid—  

“…”  

— … it wasn’t Leon’s fault; they’d had to handle it the best they could.  

Anxious, his younger siblings awaited an answer.  

“You’ve got twenty minutes.”  

“Woo-hoo!”  

The three shouted in unison, already running off while laughing.  

Splitting up, they went to explore different spots.  

Leon, curious, started with the tree and its tangle, checking tunnel by tunnel, even the smallest gaps between the roots. Meanwhile, the other two headed toward the lagoon, wading into the vegetation.  

Before they scattered further, Sete gave them a warning.  

“Don’t mess with Isis’s clothes or things, and don’t stray too far!”  

“YES!!!”  

Isis, watching her siblings drift off, climbed down from the rock and approached Sete as he noticed her.  

“Are you dry yet?”  

“Not completely; some of my clothes are still damp.”  

The still-damp pieces were the pants, made of thicker fabric, which wouldn’t dry so easily, and the light shirt she wore under Sete’s jacket, which, despite being made of thin fabric, hadn’t dried yet.  

But some pieces were already dry, like the boots she wore, though they were few.  

Isis, even as she watched her siblings having fun, wore a worried expression.  

“Are you sure we have all this time?”  

“Yes, less than before, but we still do.”  

For a moment, Isis was about to say something, but, stopping halfway, she changed her mind.  

“… I see.”  

“Could you help me keep an eye on them, since your clothes are drier now?”  

After an initial surprise, Isis quickly agreed.  

“Yes.”  

Though subtle, her reply carried a hint of joy.  

“Keep an eye on Victor and Mia; I can’t track them through that brush.”  

Sete was worried that one of them might get too close to the lagoon’s edge and fall into the water by accident.  

Heading off, Isis went after them.  

As she moved away, Sete muttered:  

“Honestly…”  

Though he said nothing aloud, he noticed she remained uneasy about being near the center. But it didn’t bother him.  

“You don’t need to worry; I didn’t set a strict time limit. I’ve got a safety margin in case something comes up.”  

At least, that’s what he could’ve said, but he knew it wouldn’t help much.  

You’ve been through a lot…  

“Brother!”  

Near the tangle, Leon was calling him.  

“There’s some animal in the roots!”  

“Animal?”  

Isis, about to enter the vegetation, stopped at that and turned to Sete.  

Reaching Leon, Sete tried to spot it.  

“Where’s it hiding?”  

“Here.”  

Pointing through the roots, he indicated a tunnel entrance where, deep inside, something stirred in the darkness.  

Isis, having changed course, approached him cautiously.  

“What is it?”  

“I don’t know…”  

Even though gaps between the roots let in light, they couldn’t make out what it was. All they saw was a shadow moving.  

It wasn’t big, seeming a bit smaller than a small boar.  

It doesn’t look dangerous…  

Bow in hand, Sete nocked an arrow and aimed at the creature. Seeking a good spot to hit, he tried to pinpoint a vital area.  

Finding an opening, he loosed the arrow. Flying toward the shadow, it seemed to strike, with the animal pausing for a moment.  

But suddenly, darting out of the burrow, the animal lunged at Sete.  

Startled, he landed a reflexive punch, sending it flying while he dodged back.  

Hitting the ground, he quickly turned to the animal.  

You!  

A white rabbit, which, after being struck, tumbled across the ground for a bit before starting to run.  

As Sete tried to stand, he felt his hand slip on the grass; checking it, he froze.  

Blood?!  

But he quickly realized it wasn’t his. Recalling when he’d fired the arrow, he understood he’d grazed it.  

“Isis, take the others to the nearest passage!”  

“What?!”  

Surprised, she didn’t grasp why he’d ordered this.  

“Leon, you’re with me!”  

Obeying without question, he ran to grab his backpack.  

Climbing the root tangle, Sete reached the trunk and grabbed his sister’s jacket hanging there.  

Still damp, but it’ll have to do!  

Leaping down, pulling it on, he started running.  

“Wait, Sete!”  

Pausing for a moment, he looked at his visibly confused sister.  

“Sorry, Isis, but I can’t let it get away! Not this time!”  

“What? Let what get away?!”  

Though she was lost in the situation, Sete knew Isis would get them safely to the passage.  

“We’ll meet there!”  

With that, he began chasing the rabbit across the plain toward the buildings, alongside his brother.  

As he pursued it, his suspicions proved true.  

The rabbit was slow; despite starting to run earlier and being naturally faster than them, it struggled to pull ahead.  

Not only that, but little by little, the two were closing in on it.  

If he’d been wrong, he would’ve given up quickly and returned to his sister, but with this chance, he wouldn’t let it slip away for anything.  

I’ll finally catch it, sister!