Doppelgänger

08. Quiet District One

[ZACK'S POINT OF VIEW]

What would you do if you accidentally got the chance to explore the forest alone? For those who are cowardly, they will immediately reject this opportunity, they will choose to stay in a comfortable room for one whole day instead of having to spend time doing something that they think is not important.

But some people with the soul of an explorer will feel pleased. If they get the opportunity, they will explore further and take advantage of this opportunity to find more information while adding to the trip experience. Some will also capture every moment they can see as a symbol and a form of memory that they have gone there.

I am one of the types of people who also like to explore. I want to look at nature, lying on the grass while gazing at the vast expanse of the universe through my irises. It's always been like that, I usually would go to the hills if I were feeling annoyed after school because of bullying by my friends. After moving house from the city, I also enjoy exploring the forest. Usually, I would leave at dawn and be back before evening.

You must be wondering, what do I do?

I don't know, I always do things without a plan, following my heart's desires. I once just walked around and then when it felt that I was too far away, I would return soon before I got lost, there was also me chasing a deer because I was too curious to see them up close. Then there was a story where I went around the forest to look for some different types of mushrooms.

It all just happened, but somehow I like it.

But now it feels different, exploring the forest is no longer my hobby but a starting point for a mission for me to survive.

I don't know how long I walked through this forest, I can't count how many hours I spent to get to the city. I'm tired, but I know that I can't stop. If I stop now, only two things will happen: I get caught by those groups or die from being eaten by the beasts. To be sure of the two options, neither can benefit me.

I've found a lot of things since earlier. I had time to hide and speed up my steps when I accidentally saw wild animals, I also had time to stop and sit on a fallen tree trunk to rest, I also heard the howling sounds of dogs and wolves, which sometimes made the hairs on my neck prickle. But of all the things I've found tonight, there's only one nocturnal animal that caught my attention, I even stopped for a moment when I accidentally discovered them.

The animal is a firefly.

I know that fireflies are usually found in the forest or places that are not easily accessible to most humans. The fireflies flew with the light on their tails. It looks tiny from my point of view, but it is beautiful. Their radiance pulls me out of the darkness and accidentally makes me realize that I'm not alone, some accompany me, giving me a glimmer of enthusiasm and hope through a light.

The fireflies can only light their tails all night. When the sun comes to hit their house with its light tomorrow morning, the fireflies' lights will go out forever. Just die and leave voluntarily. But they never complained about such a short fate. They never cry over such a harsh fate. Even though they knew that tomorrow would be gone, they still cheerfully flew across the forest. Turn on the lights on their tails. Gives light to the surroundings.

Then after realizing it all, I felt smaller than the firefly. Unlike those who never complain about providing light for free for a whole night, I have complained about a trip that only took a few hours. Fireflies also never objected to their very short fate, again different from me, who had lived my life for twenty years but often wanted to give up on my fate, let alone this journey… if I may, I want to give up right now.

Being a human is indeed troublesome, in my next life, I want to be reincarnated as a firefly.

But I'm still grateful to these little animals. Thanks to them, I am enthusiastic about continuing my journey towards the city centre. Those who accidentally lead me and give me a glimmer of light as a guide. Very useful for me, who was scared because I was alone in this vast forest.

After spending a lot of time travelling from my house to the city, I could finally see the light from the city lights. It's still quite a distance away, but it can make me a sigh of relief because I know I'm close. The sky was getting light and I was sure that dawn would soon come, I had to find a hiding place before sunrise quickly, the group couldn't see me, or I would be caught immediately.

I pulled behind the trees and looked around, ensuring the road was clear. Remembering one piece of information from my father that said that the group's hunting time in the city would be different from the village hunting time, I could deduce that currently, the group was visiting remote villages in district one because I didn't see anyone. They are near me at the moment.

That information was also why I left in the middle of the night, because at the same time, I went to the city, at the same time the group was doing a village hunt, so the town was quiet now. There must only be a few people on guard here and it just so happened that the point I had come from had escaped their notice.

While looking around carefully, I suddenly realized that I knew this path. In the past, when I was little, I often went into the forest to look for my pet dog, which often disappeared, I suddenly remembered that this road was the road that I often walked when I wanted to go into the forest. I realized that my father had made this road on purpose for me to go through now, because my father wanted me to hide in our old house, which until now has not had any new residents.

I only needed to pass one house to get to my old house, and then without thinking, I started moving slowly. My two eyesight keep an eye on my surroundings. At the same time, my steps move quickly, minimizing any noise that might arise from all my movements, making me extra careful every time I take a step or do something.

It didn't take long for me to get to the house, the front door must be locked, so I tried to enter through the secret door at the back of the house my father and I had made together. Previously the door was used for me to hide while playing hide and seek with my parents.

It didn't take long for me to get into the house finally.

I quickly went into the front room to peek at the street in front of the house one more time through the curtains, making sure that the group of people were not in the vicinity of the place so I could breathe easily for a moment.

But after looking around, I don't know if this is just my hunch or because the dawn hasn't greeted yet, but why does District One look so calm, like there are no residents when those in black robes are everywhere?