On the lonely rural outskirts, deep within a forest where twisted trees choked out even the moonlight, the eerie brown house stood in silence beneath the night sky. Its roof was traced by harsh black lines, and its walls looked as if they had been molded from wet earth and roots. Bare branches curled around it like skeletal fingers, while the forest stretched endlessly in every direction, ancient and still.
Huff… huff… huff…
"Ah—damn it…!"
A boy, no older than sixteen, dragged himself across the dirt path toward the house. One hand clutched his stomach while the other clawed desperately at the ground, his hair hanging over his face and sticking to his skin as his body trembled and his vision faded in and out. With what little strength he had left, he forced himself forward inch by inch, leaving a dark trail behind him.
"W-Where am I…? What the hell was that…? Damn it… it hurts…"
His breathing grew weaker as he reached the foot of the stairs. Every movement felt heavier than the last, but through pure desperation, he pulled himself up to the front door.
Knock. Knock.
The sound was barely louder than the whispering wind.
With the last of his strength slipping away, the boy let his hand fall against the door and collapsed into darkness.
Creeeak.
A few seconds later, the door slowly cracked open, spilling a faint yellow light into the forest gloom.
From the doorway stepped a strange creature, its body unnaturally thin, like twisted branches woven into the shape of a living being. Dark bark-like skin wrapped around its limbs, moss clinging to its shoulders and neck, while delicate insect-like wings shimmered faintly behind its back. Its legs bent backward in an animal-like way, giving each step an unnatural, predatory grace.
Its narrow face tilted downward, glowing crimson eyes widening as they landed on the unconscious boy. Above its eyes, set in the center of its forehead, was a thin vertical slit that remained tightly closed.
"Hm…?"
The creature crouched beside him, its backward-bent legs folding neatly beneath it as it poked the boy's cheek with a twig-like finger.
"What a strange little animal."
Its claw brushed through the boy's hair once before tracing the sleeve of his shirt.
"No bark… no fur… no scales."
It leaned closer, fascinated by the blood soaking through the wound.
"And it's leaking."
The creature's vine-like hair shifted as it looked back toward the inside of the house.
"Father! Come here! There's a weird animal at the door!"
A moment later, slow, heavy footsteps echoed from deeper within the house.
A much taller figure emerged from the darkness. His body was long and skeletal, like ancient roots forced into humanoid form. Thick moss draped across his shoulders, and larger wings folded behind him with a faint rustle. His own legs carried the same backward bend, though his movements were slower and far more imposing. Above his glowing crimson eyes rested the same closed slit in the center of his forehead.
"What now?" the father asked, his tone edged with irritation.
The younger one pointed eagerly.
"Look at it. Have you ever seen an animal like this before?"
The taller fairy crouched, his bent legs folding with eerie precision as one claw lifted the boy's chin to inspect the face, the clothes, and the wound.
"…No fur. No scales. Strange shape."
His gaze lingered for a moment longer.
The younger fairy tilted his head.
"Then… is it some kind of rare species?"
The father was silent.
"…Perhaps."
He let the boy's head fall back onto the porch and stared at the limp body for another moment, clearly debating whether it was worth the trouble.
"Can we keep it?" the younger one asked, glowing eyes shining with excitement.
The father narrowed his crimson gaze, weighing mild curiosity against inconvenience.
"…It's troublesome," he muttered.
"But it's rare," the younger one pressed. "I've never seen anything like it."
Another long pause followed.
Then, with visible reluctance, the father bent down and grabbed the unconscious boy by the arm.
"…Fine. We'll keep it for now. It can stay in the storage room."
As the father dragged him inside, the boy's body slid limply across the wooden floor.
"I wonder if it bites."
The father's expression remained unreadable as he stepped back into the warm yellow light.
"If it does," he said coldly, "we'll teach it not to."