Prologue - Void Heart

Quote of the day: Nobody understands another's sorrow nor another's joy.

Meaning: Do not assume to think that you know another's feelings. Sometimes, feelings are more than meets the eye.

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Edited (9/8/18)

An unusually coloured young Absol shot out his claw, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Crimson dives in for a super effective strike and-"

"Now, now, Crimson. Shouldn't you be asleep?" A large shadow fell on the young Absol, startling and cutting him off.

"Oh, mother-" Crimson started before tripping over his paws, tumbling forward clumsily. "Ow."

Hastily, the red Absol stumbled to his paws and grinned sheepishly at his mother. "I was just practicing my attacks, mother! When I grow big and strong, I can protect father, as well as you!"

Chuckling, the female Absol headbutted Crimson gently. "Go to sleep. You father and I will be out on a mission, so we can't be with you tonight."

Crimson widened his eyes in awe. "Awesome! When I'm big and strong, I can follow you, right?"

"Yes, Crimson. Yes, you can," the larger Absol purred, giving him a lick on his cheek. "Goodnight."

He waved his tail goodbye to his parents, his eyes sparkling in excitement. My parents are the best! I hope I can become as brave and noble like them when I grow up.

He settled himself in his nest, letting his eyes droop. As he readied himself for sleep, he noticed the wind howling fiercer than it usually does, and snow splattering down, hard, cloaking his vision of outside the den. They often received snowstorms, but they were usually light and gentle. They'll be fine.

Loud barks of thunder startled the red Absol, and he curled himself into a ball to comfort himself. Something's wrong... I can feel it. Calm down, Crimson. Remember what your parents taught you.

"Retaliation breeds regret. Morality is virtue. Help the weak, support the strong. Never greed for more than justice, for the balance will tip over to injustice. Only then, will there be balance," Crimson muttered, relaxing.

After a moment, he exhaled and dug his claws into the ground anxiously. But something's wrong.

His heart was hammering against his chest painfully and his fur bristled instinctively. Without thinking, he darted up from his nest and dashed out of his den. There's trouble.

His paws sank into the soft, marshmallow-like snow as he ran, occasionally stopping to taste the air. "Where did they go?" Crimson muttered under his breath.

Wind whipped his fur unpleasantly, making him shiver. Despite that, he continued tugging through the snow. He glanced up at the already dark sky as it lit up briefly with another flash of lightning.

There!

A faint scent of his parents wafted into his nose. Wasting no time, he changed his course and headed towards the scent. Please let nothing bad happen to them!

Warning signals were going off in his head, telling him that there was a threat ahead. He skidded to a halt when he detected the presence of not only his parents, but foreign creatures. He swiftly hid himself, crouching low to blend in with the white snow. He huddled as low as he could, as he was aware that his red features could be easily seen far away. Sneaking a peek, he saw the creatures facing his parents; they were fluffy and round from the fur coats they were wearing.

"If I recalled correctly, mother said that those are humans wearing thick fur coats to protect themselves from the cold because they don't have their own coats," Crimson breathed, his eyes large with wonder. "Isn't it troublesome and obstructive?"

He quickly flattened himself again when he heard sudden screeches and barks from both his parents and the humans. What's going on?

Bang!

The sudden noise startled Crimson as he instinctively shot up from his hiding spot. The sight that greeted him was an ugly sight.

"M-Mother? F-Father?" Crimson stuttered, his blood running cold.

Red dotted the white snow and his legs screamed at him to back away. In the middle of it, laid the limp bodies of his parents. In the hands of the humans, they held weapons that smelt pungent and offensive to him. Dread drained colour from his fur as he stared blankly at the scene before him.

The humans were too busy talking excitedly amongst themselves to notice Crimson. "This is our lucky day! Two catches!"

Run.

Crimson's eyes locked with his mother's lifeless eyes. He recoiled and ran towards the direction of their den, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. She wants me to live. I must escape.

Once he was safe within the confining walls of his den, he let out an anguished cry, his heart squeezing tightly in his chest. I'm sorry.

His parents were dead, and he could do nothing to bring them back.