You cannot change your destiny. However, you can rise up to face it.

Your group was a true force of nature, driven by an energy that seemed inexhaustible. Despite your shyness, you found yourself surrounded by friends who shared the same curious and adventurous spirit. Each of them had a unique characteristic, but together they formed an inseparable team of explorers. The neighborhood was already accustomed to the sound of laughter, the sounds of hurried footsteps and the voices calling to each other as they explored every corner of the city. These children transformed any scenario into a new adventure. Old abandoned factories became mysterious castles; forgotten train tracks became secret passages to distant kingdoms. Ruins covered in moss and rubble acquired new stories in their imaginations. Whenever the sun began to set, marking the end of the day, you would return home dirty, out of breath, but with your eyes shining with excitement for what you had discovered... Or invented. You were the link between your friends. As shy as you were, your energy and enthusiasm for discovering something new were contagious. You had a little notebook where you would write down the places you found or draw maps for your next explorations. Often, you would lead the group, without even realizing it, letting your natural curiosity guide you into the unknown. It was something you all loved: the mystery, the unknown, the controlled danger of venturing into places that others avoided.

But despite all that energy, you lived in a quiet village in the countryside, surrounded by forests and fields. It was the kind of place where everyone knew each other, where the adults liked to tell old stories to scare the children – stories that, more often than not, only increased your desire to explore even more. That day, after another long class at school, the group left in a hurry, eager to find something new. And as always, you had an idea in mind: the densest forest in the region, where rumors spoke of an abandoned tunnel that led to a forgotten theme park. This rumor had been circulating among the children for months, but no one had actually had the courage to go deep into the forest until then. That was your spirit, the unity and courage to transform a local legend into your next great adventure. But that was the day that your calm and predictable world turned upside down. Until that moment, you had been surrounded by the cheerful laughter of your friends and adventures that always seemed to find a safe end, even if they began dangerously. But when you saw your friends transformed into grotesque creatures and the tunnel that had led you there filled with water, you realized that this place was not just strange. It was dangerous, mystical, and completely alien to what you knew. Sitting behind the small house, the shadows of the night stretching around you, you sobbed softly as you tried to understand how things had gone so wrong. The echo of the laughter from before seemed to mock the silence around you. Resting your head on your bent knees, all you felt was despair. The gentle hills and vegetation that surrounded you seemed like a universe apart, at once oppressive and too vast to offer comfort.

Then came the sound: light footsteps on the grass. Something made you look up, although still without much hope. When your eyes focused on the figure in front of you, you were completely taken aback. The boy was different. He didn’t just look like an ordinary person who could be there by coincidence. No, he carried with him a strange aura, as if he belonged to the place as much as those fantastic hills and the sky that was now beginning to take on a deep dark blue, punctuated by emerging stars. Everything about the boy seemed meticulously defined, from the symmetrical cut of his hair to the calm that emanated from his presence. He wasn’t threatening. In fact, there was something comforting about him, as if, even in that chaos, he represented the promise that everything could be okay. But, on the other hand, his distant and serious expression carried an enigma. He seemed to absorb all the tragedy written on your face and, at the same time, study you as if trying to decide what to do. Time seemed to have stopped between the two of you, the surroundings plunged into a deep silence, only interrupted by the sound of the gentle breeze moving the tall grass and the light rustling of leaves in the distance. Although still insecure and distressed, you felt strangely connected to that moment. As if that encounter was something destined to happen. As you looked at the boy, tears still flowing silently, you noticed a curious detail. He seemed to belong there, but not exactly as part of the scary things you had seen. No, he was different. Between the mystery and the charm, a spark of hope seemed to emerge. Although your heart was still tight with fear and confusion, the presence of that strange boy carried an implicit promise that, perhaps, you were not as alone as you imagined. You thought about trying to start a conversation, even though you didn't have the strength to do so. But it wasn't necessary, because the boy himself did it for you.

"Hey, you seem lost... You fell into this world alone, didn't you?" The boy asked, and his voice sounded strangely comforting. He approached you cautiously, sitting next to you and moving a strand of hair that was covering your face.

He slowly extended his hand, showing that he had caught a small grain between his fingers. He brought it to your lips, encouraging you to eat. "I know you've never seen me, but you can trust me. I'm a friend, and I won't hurt you. But if you don't want to disappear, I need to ingest something from this world."

He tried to argue, but he could see the clear fear in your expression. He carefully put his other arm around your shoulder, trying to offer comfort, and then said again. "I promise you that this won't hurt you anything, but I need you to eat so I can get you out of here."

The boy smiled for a few seconds, and then, with a gentle voice, he added. "I'm Haku, by the way. What's your name?"