The insistent chirp of Sparrow's alarm clock dragged him from a restless slumber, a symphony of dread and determination swirling within him. Wednesday. Classes. And then, Canary's bad premonition about Zeenara and the Lushwood Forest.
Sparrow groaned, slapping the snooze button. Despite everything he recently experienced, he was still a university student, ostensibly immersed in the world of academia. Yet, much of the revealed knowledge about the supernatural world he dived into weighed heavily on him, a persistent knot in his stomach.
Next door, Canary was already up, her movements a flurry of youthful energy as she prepared for her own day at high school. Sparrow could hear the faint strains of her newest pop song seeping from under her door. Despite the daunting task ahead, Canary's unwavering optimism was a beacon in his own internal storm.
"Morning, Birdbro!" she chirped as he stumbled into the kitchen, already fortified with a bowl of cereal.
"Morning," he mumbled, pouring himself a cup of strong coffee. "Have you done your History homework?"
Canary winked mischievously, her green eyes twinkling under the morning sunlight coming into the opened window. "It's done. Not exactly the best essay I've ever written... but it was fully completed."
Sparrow gave a teasing smile. "That bad? Wow, I kind of feel sorry to your teacher."
"Meh! It doesn't matter," Canary said dismissively. "I won't be a historian after all. Already finishing the essay should already exceed her expectation."
"Whatever," Sparrow conceded. "Listen, Tweety! After classes, at about three, I'll pick you up. We need to go to MIST Union HQ. You know... digging up anything we can about Lushwood Forest."
"Got it, Birdbro." Canary quickly agreed. "I'll ditch the gymnastic practice. Zeen's safety is way more important."
...
The day crawled by, an agonizing procession of lectures and problem sets. Sparrow found himself sketching grotesque creatures in the margins of his notes, his mind a whirlwind of possibilities and anxieties.
Finally, the dismissal bell rang, a sound usually greeted with elation, but today it was simply a signal to transition from one form of stress to another. He raced to the parking lot. And then, the engine of his monstrous, heavily modified, ADV motorbike roared to life as he sped towards Canary's high school.
He found her waiting outside, backpack slung over her shoulder, a determined glint in her eye.
"Let's go, Birdbro!" She said simply as she hopped on to the motorbike and sat behind Sparrow.
"Hold on!" Sparrow replied, immediately hitting the gas.
...
Several minutes later, the Soragant MIST Union Headquarters, a sprawling, yet rather unremarkable grey structure, loomed before them.
The siblings entered the camouflaged building and navigated its labyrinthine corridors, presenting their identification badges at the checkpoint. The sterile atmosphere inside this building was a stark contrast to the primal wilderness they were about to investigate.
They went to the research archives, a vast, brightly lit room filled with rows upon rows of organized files and humming computer terminals. Sparrow and Canary each took a section, diving into the digital records with focused intensity.
Minutes melted away as they sifted through reports, incident logs, and archived missions related to Lushwood Forest. The air crackled with the hum of the servers as they searched for anything that could help them understand the potential dangers.
"Birdbro, I think I've found something!" Canary called out, her voice tinged with urgency. Sparrow hurried over to her workstation, his heart pounding in his chest.
"What is it?"
Canary pointed to a file on the screen. "Active Mission: Extermination of Vicious Surreal Entity. Code name: 'Evil Hermit'. Operating in Lushwood Forest. Look at the date... it's posted two months ago, but it hasn't been completed."
Sparrow scanned the report, his blood running cold. "Slippery, dangerous entity," he read aloud. "Possesses enhanced camouflage, master level stealth, and enhanced physical abilities. Considered high-risk."
"Look at the estimated area of activity. It includes the area Zeen is going to be camping in!" Canary exclaimed, her voice trembling slightly.
"And get this," Sparrow continued, scrolling further down. "Mission status: Active. Assigned to… 'Wild Hunters'."
"Wild Hunters? Seem familiar. Who are they?" Canary asked, tilting her head in confusion.
Sparrow chewed on his lip. "They're on Li'l Aunt's profile books, I think. She evaluated them as highly secretive, incredibly effective team specializing in hunting surreal entities in wilderness zones."
"So, they're already on it? That's… good, right?" Canary said, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
"Maybe," Sparrow said cautiously. "But it also means this 'Evil Hermit' is considered a serious threat. And if the Wild Hunters are involved, the situation must be dire. We need to do more research. Anything that can help us prepare if things go south."
Canary nodded, her initial relief replaced with a renewed sense of determination. "Right. Let's dig deeper. Maybe we can find some intel they missed. Zeen is counting on us."
The weight of the responsibility settled heavily on Sparrow's shoulders. They were racing against the clock, facing an unknown enemy in a dangerous forest. But as he looked at Canary, her eyes shining with unwavering resolve, he knew they wouldn't back down. They had a friend to protect, and they would do whatever it took.
---ooo---ooo---ooo---
That night...
The hands of the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed a late hour, its melodic clang barely audible through the closed bedroom doors. Inside, draped in the comfortable oblivion of sleep in each of their room, lay Sparrow Night and his younger sister, Canary. It was Wednesday night already, time for another access to the Secret Library Dreamworld.
As their physical bodies rested, their minds, tethered by a bond woven from siblinghood and shared destiny, slipped away from the mundane reality and coalesced in the ethereal expanse of the secret library dreamscape.
The library, a magnificent construct of mysterious otherworld civilization, shimmered into existence around them. Towering shelves, mostly were still empty, stretched into the infinite. The air hummed with the quiet energy of untold stories waiting to be documented.
Sparrow, even in his hazy dream form, retained a quiet serenity. Canary, on the other hand, exuded a restless energy. Both of them were sitting very close to each other, reading the same page of the book, a page from the Power Wielder Database Volume 2... complied by their aunt, Autumn Elheart. The page was... about the mystery agent team: Wild Hunters.
Just as they were about to discuss their findings, the quiet rustle of turning pages heralded the arrival of their aunts, Autumn Elheart and Raven Hood. Two blurry figures almost simultaneously appeared in the silent hall of the dreamscape library.
"Row! Ree!" Autumn greeted, her voice a warm embrace. "I hear you've been busy."
"We've told you part of it on the phone, Li'l Aunt," Sparrow said, his voice serious. "Tweety had a premonition... a bad one, about her friend. We assumed it was the work of the new passive skill of her talent, Awakened Premonition."
"Anything specific?" Autumn asked seriously.
Canary took a deep breath and shook her head. The premonition had been vague and unsettling for her, a dark hazy ripple in the tapestry of the future.
"I just somehow know that Zeen is in danger," she began, her voice laced with worry. "When she told me her plan, her outbound activity with her club next weekend, I just felt that... something will happen. Something bad."
Autumn's aura turned even more serious. "What kind of danger? Can you be more specific?"
Canary shook her head again. "It's hazy. I just feel a sense of dread, but no clear picture. I just know that she's at risk."
The blurry image of Raven came closer and bluntly asked, "Do you find anything in Soragant MIST Union?"
The siblings exchanged a look. Sparrow replied in subdued tone, "We found information about a Vicious Surreal Entity, code-named 'Evil Hermit'. It seems to be the only one in the possible vicinity of the area... assuming that Tweety's premonition is accurate, and the possible incident is in the target area, Lushwood Forest."
Autumn tapped the conference table with her blurry fingers. "The Evil Hermit. A nasty piece of work that one. My team tried to hunt it last month but we failed. He seemed to be able to sense and avoid us. I heard the Wild Hunters Team is supposed to be assigned to hunt him. I'm not sure about the accuracy of that news though."
"It's true," Sparrow said. "We also found evidence that the Wild Hunters are supposed to be dealing with it. But the mission is still active, so they might not be successful yet."
Autumn ran a blurry hand through her hazy short hair. "I have the contact information of the Wild Hunters. I'll reach out to them, get an update. But, they are professionals, best at wilderness hunt. I'm pretty sure they could hunt that Evil Hermit pretty soon."
Canary remained unconvinced. "I still feel uneasy. I can't shake the feeling that Zeen is in imminent danger."
Sparrow looked at his sister, his eyes filled with determination. "Then we just need to protect her." He turned to his aunts. "We'll see if the mission is completed on Friday. If it is not completed yet, Tweety and I can follow her and her club members secretly when they depart on Saturday. Keep a close watch, intervene if necessary."
Autumn considered his idea. "That's a risky move, you know? And if the Wild Hunters are already on the case, you could complicate things."
"But what if they fail?" Canary countered, her voice laced with desperation. "What if Zeen gets hurt? I can't just sit back and do nothing."
Autumn sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I wish I could join you. But I'm stuck out of town this time, special mission from MIST. Our mission there won't be completed soon." She offered a regretful smile.
Raven, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "I can accompany you. My schedule is quite flexible."
Sparrow and Canary exchanged a look. They both appreciated Raven's offer, but they knew the responsibilities she carried.
"Thank you, Big Aunt," Sparrow said, "but we can't ask you to do that. You've been retired. Besides, you have to take care of Little Jasmine."
Canary quickly added, "Don't worry, Big Aunt. We're strong. Even if we can't defeat that surreal thing, it won't be a problem for us to survive."
Jasmine, Raven's young daughter, was a whirlwind of energy and curiosity, a bright spark in her world. Raven wouldn't leave her for anything unless it's absolutely necessary.
"They should be able to handle this and return safely." Autumn agreed, choosing to trust the siblings' capability.
Raven nodded, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "You're right. But be careful. Don't be as reckless as you do in a realmgate. Any surreal entity in the real world is not to be trifled with. And this Evil Hermit seems to be even worse."
"We'll be careful," Sparrow assured her.
Canary added, "We'll be careful, Big Aunt. We promise."
Autumn clapped her hands together, a spark of her usual enthusiasm returning. "Alright then, it's settled. I'll contact my source within the Wild Hunters, make sure they're aware of Canary's premonition and are taking the necessary precautions. You two keep a close eye on Zeen and her club members. If you see anything suspicious, don't hesitate to act."
"And don't forget to keep us informed," Raven added, her voice firm. "We need to know what's happening."
Sparrow and Canary nodded in agreement. They knew this was a dangerous undertaking, but they were determined to protect their friend.