Chapter Text
„Okay Lumine. You know the mission.“, Aether says while handing her a basket and her red hood.
Rolling her eyes Lumine answers: „Of course I do, brother. It’s not my first time travelling through the woods to bring some cake to grandmother‘s house.“
Her brother still looks concerned. Always worried, never believing she could handle things on her own. As if she would one day go and never come back.
„It’ll be fin-“
Aether frowns and interrupts: „I know you think everything will be fine but it’s really important that you remember the rules for going into the forest!“
He points to the list hanging on the door. It reads:
1. Never stray from the path.
2. Never talk to the Wolf.
3. Never accept flowers picked by claws.
4. Never trust the Wolf.
5. Never follow the Wolf.
6. Never help the Wolf if it’s hurt.
7. Never fall for the charm of the Wolf.
8. Never forget these warnings.
Lumine pulls her hood over her blonde hair. Every child in their village knows the rules. How could she ever forget them?
„I know, Aether. I’ll be extra careful. I bet I won’t even see a glimpse of that infamous Big Bad Wolf.“
With that she waves her brother goodbye and steps into the dark deep woods.
As the forest closes in around her, hungry eyes start to trace Lumine‘s every step.
[…]
The forest is eerily quiet. Silence where there should have been sound.
The leaves do not rustle. The birds do not sing.
The woods themselves seem to hold their breath in anticipation of something inevitable happening.
Lumine tightens the grip on her basket and mentally traces the path winding through the forest.
First opportunity turn left. Then follow the path deeper into the woods. When the trees seem to block out all sunlight, turn to the right. Directly around the corner should lie a bridge. It is old and creaks with every step you take. So cross it fast. After that it’s maybe a fifteen minute walk to grandmother’s house. It stands on a clearing and you cannot miss it.
Lumine just has to make it there, bring her the cake and Mondstadt‘s famous Dandalion Wine. Then she can go back home.
Away from the forest.
And far, far away from the Wolf.
Lumine starts humming a little tune. She would be home in no time. This wasn’t as dangerous as her brother always said. He was just overreacting when it came to his sister‘s safety.
When Lumine finally reaches the fork in the road, she turns left.
Farther away from her home and deeper into the forest.
The light gradually leaves the place. Darkness settles between the trees and the forest is still far too silent. It becomes more and more difficult to see the path beneath her, but Lumine finds the corner and turns right.
There it is: the bridge…
Or at least there it should be.
The water runs in the river, creating waves and slamming against the confines of the riverbed.
The bridge is gone.
What remains are some wooden planks falling into the water below.
Lumine freezes and stares in shock.
This can’t be.
Sure the bridge was old and you were always afraid it would break away under your steps. But in the end it never did.
Okay… maybe it was inevitable that the bridge collapsed at some point. But does it have to be now?
It’s the only way leading to grandmother’s house.
The only path you can walk in the woods.
Lumine looks around her. She could go back. But that would mean leaving grandmother all alone in the forest.
No. She couldn’t and wouldn’t risk that.
Maybe there was another way to cross the river.
It would mean straying from the path… but one time couldn’t hurt. And besides: Lumine had never even seen the Wolf. Maybe he didn’t really exist. The Wolf could just be a made up fairytale to scare children so that they followed the rules. These woods probably weren’t as dangerous as the people of the village always said.
And so Lumine pulls her red hood tighter and steps of the path into the lurking forest.