Chapter Text
The sky was painted over with a pure black, there was no moon, and the stars don’t shine, like a scene straight out of someone’s nightmare.
The wind brushes through Venti’s hair, bringing a faint stench of rust up his nostrils, a distress signal, desperately screaming for help.
The once divine God turns around and looks at the daunting forest behind him, endlessly extending towards eternal darkness. As a God, it was his duty to answer those who need help and to protect them from danger, no matter how insignificant they are.
Venti wraps his fingers tight around the hilt of his Cleansing katana “Ayazaki”, and descends towards the direction of the winds.
Sniff…Sniff…
He heard cries, faint and weak, echoing out from deep within the forest. As he comes closer to the sound of distress, the scent of blood becomes heavier. A few steps in deeper, and he starts seeing red, illustrating out a trail on the ground, leading in the same direction the wind howls.
Venti unsheaths his sword before proceeding forward, the blade of Ayazaki illuminates even the moonless night, bearing the will and power of a God.
“Sniff…Sniff…”
“!!” The God widens his eyes in horror at the sight before him.
A human child lies immobilized on filthy cold dirt. His scarred and wounded body exposed for the frosty fang in the air to devour, his blond locks scattered around his shaking figure, the light in his eyes were gone…and there was a line of red liquid running down from between his legs.
The beast marks staining all over his body were engraved by the claws and teeth of a cruel beast.
Ayazaki was dropped to the ground as Venti quickly comes forth to cover the boy’s broken body with his viridescent night coat.
“L-Let…g-g…” Unfinished syllables drop from his lips as his body shudders in Venti’s arms, refusing his touch, but he was unable to move any of his limbs or even control his faint breathing.
“I won’t hurt you…” Venti picks up the hurt child from the ground, “What happened?” The God asks, using his large sleeve to cover the smaller one’s fragile body, still trembling from the pain.
“I…I…tiger…chased me…” The boy struggles to speak, “…it…it hurts…” tears dried at the corners of his eyes, unable to roll down. His voice was too weak like they are about to fade away from this world forever.
“I’m here for you.” Venti embraces the hurt child tighter into his chest, if he was a little bit late, would this child disappear for real? Hatred courses through his veins as he laid down a kiss on the boy’s forehead, hoping that his warmth will be enough to save that failing sound of life from vanishing into nothingness.
“I’m here for you, don’t cry…” And I won’t let go, I won’t let any of them go.