The Void monster slithered out of the dense forest and into a vast flower field.
The air was filled with the scent of blooming petals, and in the distance, a large village stood, barely visible. Curiosity led the creature there.
On his way, he noticed a 8-year-old girl named Mizuki Kato who lay curled up on a soft patch of grass, sleeping. Her cat ears twitched slightly with each breath.
As the Void monster stared curiously at Mizuki, she suddenly stirred and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes before locking onto the strange creature. Instead of showing fear, she said, "Are you lost?"
She playfully poked his slimy skin. His many eyes blinked in unison, fascinated by his new friend. "Whoa! You're so soft and squishy!"
He hesitated before slithering onto the girl's lap. A small tentacle emerged from his form, then stuck out as if offering a handshake. Her eyes widened slightly before she giggled. "Oh! Do you want to shake hands?"
She gently grasped the small tentacle, shaking it up and down. (That's secretly how Void monsters copy a humanoid form.) Mizuki then wrapped her arms around him and carried him home.
As Mizuki walked along the dirt path, she realized that the creature didn't have a name yet. "Hmm... you really need a name." She brainstormed for a moment before smiling. "Maybe... Garrett?" Garrett blinked twice, his eyes shimmering, before pressing a tentacle against her hand as if approving the name.
---
In the village, fear and whispers spread as the villagers stepped back in fear. "Mizuki! What even is that?! And why did you bring it here?!" Marcus said. Mizuki only tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean? He's cute! There's nothing wrong with him."
Her casual tone only made the villagers nervous instead of making them feel reassured.
A nearby villager suddenly spoke up. "It must be some kind of demon, sent to deceive us! You're going to put us all in danger!" Mizuki became sad, her ears flattening as she hugged Garrett closer. "He's... just a friend—" but before she could finish, Marcus cut her off.
"Enough!" He pulled out a musket from his back and aimed it straight at Garrett and Mizuki. "You two are going to die today!" He pulled the trigger. In a split second, Garrett lashed out his tentacles, deflecting the musket ball while they were simultaneously moving forward, piercing through Marcus.
As Marcus's body hit the ground with a dull thud, a heavy silence settled over the village. The villagers froze in terror, staring at the horrifying sight of Garrett's tentacles retracting, stained with Marcus's blood. Then, the air was suddenly filled with screams.
The villagers ran away in every direction. Some hid in their house, while others called out for hunters. "Garrett... you... you killed him." Her voice shook as she struggled to process what had just happened.
Garrett then finally speaks, "Let's get out of this place before the hunters come!" Mizuki turned toward the village gate and ran as fast as she could.
She sprinted out of the village with Garrett clutched tightly to her chest.
[The hunt begins.]