I CARRY BAD LUCK AROUND LIKE HOUSE KEYS

Silence.

It was the only thing hanging in the atmosphere as the carriage made way to what Ravan believed was a slavery shelter.

'The old man is capable of selling me off, I'm sure of that.'

'I'm also certain I was probably sold for a mere 50 copper coins, or even given away for free.'

That's how Ravan's father viewed his son, as some useless individual whocan even be sold off to the same price as bread.

The man in the carriage gazed at Ravan as soon as Ravan let out a chuckle conerning his old man being a cheapskate. But the man didn' say a word but rather returned his gaze out the window observing the trees as they passed by.

'This kid, Zahirr said he was weak but at the look of it, he seems healthy atleast,' the man couldn't help but think stroking his beard.

'I can feel I'm being gazed at, my body is getting uncomfortable,'Ravan said inwardly as he let out a shudder.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" Ravan finally broke the silence, feeling increasingly uneasy under the old man's intense gaze. It was as if he was being scrutinized right down to his very organs.

To be certain, Ravan glanced down to check that he was indeed wearing clothes.

'I thought I was naked for a second.'

"How well would you say you are conversant in the use of mana?" the man asked pulling Ravan away from his thoughts.

'Mana?'

'I've heard father mention it a couple of times, if I was certain I was sure the old man said I lacked it.'

"To be honest, I myself aren't sure if I even have it,"Ravan said as if finishing his thoughts with a word of mouth.

"That's absurd, how can one lack mana even the slightest," the old man said raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't the old man tell you that's how useless I am?" Ravan uttered as if taunting the man who didn't even flinch from what the young boy said.

"You mean to say your father called you weak," the man said, his arms still crossed.

"But lacking mana is peculiar. Even a newborn rabbit has a small amount of mana passed down from its parents."

"Sure, but for me, I'm lucky just to be breathing and able to eat," Ravan said, his voice tinged with a mixture of bitterness and resignation.

He leaned back against the seat, trying to find some semblance of comfort as the carriage jolted slightly, its wheels hitting a rock on the path.

The movement made him grasp the edge of the seat to steady himself. He looked out the window, watching the rain-soaked landscape blur past.

"Most people take their health for granted, but every breath, every bite of food—it's a reminder of how fragile my existence is," he continued, his eyes reflecting the somber thoughts swirling in his mind.

The old man listened silently, his expression unreadable, while Ravan's words hung heavily in the damp air.

"I want to see for myself," the man said, his voice firm and authoritative.

"I will measure your mana capacity."

With a deliberate motion, he reached into the folds of his drenched, tattered cloak and pulled out a small orb, no larger than an average pearl. The orb glowed faintly, its surface swirling with a subtle, mysterious energy.

"Hold this in your right hand," the old man instructed, extending the orb towards Ravan.

Ravan hesitated for a moment, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Nevertheless, he reached out and grasped the orb as instructed.

The cool, smooth surface of the orb felt almost otherworldly against his skin.

As Ravan held the orb, it began to react, the faint glow intensifying slightly before dimming again.

The old man's eyes narrowed, watching the orb closely, his expression a mixture of curiosity and scrutiny.

"Interesting," the man muttered under his breath, still observing the orb.

"Just as I thought. There is a faint trace, but it's almost imperceptible."

Ravan looked up, his expression a blend of frustration and resignation. "See? I'm practically devoid of mana. It's as if I was born with nothing."

The old man nodded slowly, his face thoughtful.

"It's rare, indeed. Even the weakest creatures possess some mana inherited from their parents. Your condition is highly unusual."

'Of course I'm weaker than the average horned rabbit,' Ravan thought.

Ravan sighed, the weight of the old man's words pressing down on him.

"I've lived with this my whole life. Always feeling like I'm less than everyone else, unable to meet their expectations."

The old man tucked the orb back into his cloak, his eyes never leaving Ravan's

"This is not just a matter of strength or weakness. It's a unique situation, one that requires deeper understanding."

"But it is safe to say that you are as useless as your father claimed," the old man remarked coldly, his words cutting through the air with a chilling indifference.

He didn't flinch or show any sign of discomfort as he delivered the harsh judgment to the 15-year-old boy.

'As expected,' Ravan said inwardly, he was far much used to this statement being directed to him as he looked out the window.

The carriage continued its journey, the rhythmic clatter of wheels on the path the only sound as Ravan pondered the old man's words.

The rain outside had begun to lighten, but inside the carriage, the atmosphere remained heavy with contemplation and the unspoken questions that lingered between them.

...

'What's that noise?' Ravan thought.

Suddenly, an intense ringing filled Ravan's ears, starting as a low hum and quickly escalating to a deafening roar.

The tone shifted and fluctuated wildly, creating a cacophony of noise that seemed to pierce his very soul.

"UUGH.."

The pain was unbearable, and Ravan's vision blurred as he instinctively clutched his ears, trying to block out the overwhelming sound.

The relentless ringing caused him to lose his balance, and he collapsed onto the floor of the carriage, writhing in agony.

The old man hesitated, a look of confusion and concern crossing his weathered face.

"What's the matter with you?" he demanded, his voice harsh.

"Quit your whining and get up."

Ravan didn't respond. He remained on the floor, his body trembling as he pressed his hands tighter against his ears, hoping to find some relief from the tormenting noise.

Realizing that Ravan wasn't getting up, the old man finally moved to help him, his earlier impatience giving way to a begrudging sense of responsibility.

"Alright, alright, let's see what's going on," he muttered, kneeling down to examine the boy.

Just as the old man reached out to Ravan, there was a sudden, violent crash.

The roof of the carriage was obliterated in an instant, shattered wood raining down upon them. Splinters and chunks of debris showered the interior, covering both Ravan and the old man.

The force of the destruction sent them both reeling, their surroundings now exposed to the elements.

The old man shielded his face with his arm, blinking through the debris to assess the situation. His concern for Ravan deepened as he saw the boy still lying on the floor, his hands desperately covering his ears. The intensity of the situation was palpable, the ringing in Ravan's ears continuing to wreak havoc on his senses, while the old man tried to regain his bearings amidst the chaos.

'What the hell just happened?'the man thought as he acted in accordance of the current situation they were in by taking off his cloak reavealing a body only a body builder would have.

His body was then suddenly engulfed by a yellow aura as it burned brightly and then suddenly dissapearing.

In the dim light of the rain-drenched forest, a beast emerged, its grotesque form sending shivers down the spine of anyone unfortunate enough to witness it.

It had a single eye, a glaring orb that seemed to pulse with malevolence. Its two long arms ended in razor-sharp claws, each twitching with anticipation, ready to rend flesh from bone.

With a sudden, savage motion, the beast lunged forward, its target clear. The driver of the carriage stood no chance as the creature's claws sliced through the air, snatching his head clean off his shoulders.

Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, splattering against the carriage door as the driver's lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

"Leonard!" the old man shouted still remaining close to the boy.

Ravan looked up as the ringing had stopped, his ears were bleeding a resort of the ringing's intensity.

His eyes widened at the sight but he felt something was off.

"I've gone deaf...."

But the horror was far from over. As the beast's belly split open, revealing a gaping maw filled with rows of jagged, serrated teeth.

With a sickening crunch, it devoured the severed head, swallowing it whole before tossing the rest of the body into its cavernous mouth.

The grotesque sight was accompanied by the sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing, echoing through the forest like a macabre symphony.

As quickly as it had appeared, the beast's belly closed back up, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Its single eye darted across the clearing, scanning for its next victim. Finally, it locked gazes with the old man, a look of hunger and malevolence gleaming in its monstrous eye.

"Shit!"