The familiar scent of wood smoke and herbs filled the air as Shu, Ri, and Ash returned to their small cabin. They had just finished tending to the injuries of the three strange boys – Raven, Fang, and Jihu – a task that had left them drained, yet strangely invigorated. As they settled down, Shu broke the silence, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Are you telling them the truth, Ri?" he asked, his voice low. "We promised each other we would never reveal this secret of ours. How did we, despite being human, gain this healing spiritual power?"
Ri, never one for needless worry, shrugged. "They saw us heal them, Shu. What else could they think? Besides," she added, her gaze meeting Shu's, "if they tell us their secret, then we don't have to tell them ours. It's like…" she paused, searching for the right words, "a trade. Nothing else we can do, that's the way things are, isn't it?"
Shu sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah, that's right. What can we do? But… what do you think they are? Demon? Something else entirely?"
"I don't know about that," Ri admitted, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. "But I think they have some great power, I can feel it. Especially when I was healing them."
Ash, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up. "When I think about their power… I told you guys, I think Raven is a vampire."
Shu's eyes widened. "Why do you say that? Why do you think Raven is a vampire?"
"Yeah, you know, he's so cold-blooded, and when he's angry… he's like a bomb about to blast!" Ash shuddered, remembering the raw energy that had pulsed from Raven during the fight.
Ri, however, had a different perspective. "I think Fang is a pure and innocent type of creature. I don't know what he is, but he's always so cheerful."
Shu nodded, leaning back against the wall. "Ri, don't mind but Jihu is a good person, but sometimes he looks very cunning, like a fox. You know, the way he speaks right to your face with those sharp eyes."
Ri shot up, indignant. "Why would I mind that? What the hell are you talking about?"
Shu backed away, hands raised in surrender. "Okay, okay, sorry babe, I was just joking! Let's forget it. We have so much work to do. Let's get it done and then sleep; I'm exhausted after so much cultivation." He yawned, suddenly feeling the weight of the day. "I'm going to my room. Bye."
With that, everyone retreated to their rooms, the questions about the strange boys swirling in their minds.
On the other side of the cabin, Fang woke up shortly after Jihu, his head still throbbing slightly. He found Jihu sitting up, his brow furrowed in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" Fang asked, his voice still raspy. "Did you have enough strength left to heal us so quickly? Where was all that strength during the fight?"
Jihu turned to him, his eyes bright with excitement. "You know I'm not the healer, bro, I'm the fighter!" He grinned, flexing his still slightly aching arm. "I didn't heal you. Ri, Shu, and Ash did."
Fang blinked, confused. "Bro, we know we had a big fight, but you're kidding me, right? How can they heal us? They're humans! They don't have spiritual power, bro."
Jihu's smile faltered. "I know they're humans, but they definitely have spiritual power to heal us. I saw it. I saw them… helping you and Raven in my mind. I saw it clearly." He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "But yeah, Ri said something when she was healing me… she said if we share our secret, they'll share their secret too."
Fang stared at him, his eyes wide. "So… what do you decide? Are you really going to share our secret with them?"
Jihu shrugged. "I haven't thought about it yet. Let Raven wake up first and see what he says. Then I'll think about what to do." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Forget it. Let's have some rest. Yeah, we are healed, but we're also tired. Just help me carry Raven to his room, then we can both go get some rest."
Together, Jihu and Fang carefully helped the still unconscious Raven to his room and laid him on the bed. Then, they retreated to their own rooms, exhaustion finally claiming them. The secrets they all held, human and otherwise, lingered in the air, waiting to be revealed.
The house was more than just a dwelling; it was a shared space for three distinct souls: Shu, the pragmatic artist; Ri, the quiet observer; and Ash, the ever-vigilant protector. It was a kaleidoscope of personalities, each adding a unique hue to their combined existence.
The morning sun was barely peeking over the horizon when the doorbell shattered the peaceful quiet. Shu, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, opened the door to find Fang Jihu, the usually boisterous raven, standing on the porch. A flicker of surprise crossed her face before she ushered him in with a warm, "Come in, come in."
The sound of the doorbell and Shu's voice drew Ri and Ash from their respective rooms. Ri, ever the cautious one, peered over Shu's shoulder, her gaze fixing on the unexpected guest with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Ash, always ready for action, stepped forward, his eyes narrowed slightly in a silent assessment.
"Jihu?" Ri's voice held a note of surprise. "What brings you here?"
Ash immediately took over, his voice laced with concern. "How are you now? Are you okay? Is there anything wrong?" He scanned Jihu for any sign of lingering ailment. "If you have any problems, please let us know."
Jihu shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. "Can't we visit a friend's house without something being wrong?"
Ri quickly backtracked, her cheeks flushing slightly. "No, I didn't mean it like that! Sorry."
Shu, sensing the tension, interjected, her tone playful, "So, Raven, is it your poison infection acting up again?"
Raven's voice trembled slightly as he responded, "No, no, I have no problem."
Shu laughed, her eyes twinkling. "Or did you come to share some secret with us?"
Jihu's arrival, it seemed, was prompted by his recent revelation to Fang and Raven. He had been excitedly recounting how Shu, Ri, and Ash had miraculously healed them, marvelling at their seemingly inherent spiritual powers and their ability to halt the effects of troll poison. And then there was Ri's playful suggestion - if the boys, Jihu, Raven, and Fang, were to reveal their own secrets, then the girls, Ri, Shu, and Ash, would reciprocate, unveiling the source of their strength.
Jihu stepped aside, as Raven, ignoring Shu's light teasing, turned directly to Ri. "How did you get your spiritual power?" he asked, his voice laced with an eagerness that betrayed his curiosity.
Ri's gaze sharpened. Her response was firm, "The deal was that if you share your secrets with us, we'll share ours with you. First your secret, then ours."
The journey back home had been filled with hushed whispers and excited speculation. The boys had decided they would, indeed, tell the girls everything. Jihu took a deep breath and plunged into the narrative.
"We are not really human," he declared, his voice tinged with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. "I am a nine-tailed fox, Raven is a vampire, and Fang is a fairy. And we are not from this world." He paused, letting the words sink in. "We came from another world on a mission. When we first came to live next door, we came to rebuild our lives. But now… this time we have truly come on an important mission – a mission important to us and to your world."
Raven, his voice trembling slightly, picked up the thread of the conversation. "So, we told you our secret. Now tell us how you three girls got your spiritual power."
Shu's voice was calm as she began. "Three years ago, we went to a tribe in Africa for our research and they told us some of their secrets because we helped them with some of their research. At first, we didn't really care about this because we didn't believe it, but then when they showed us examples of it, we saw it with our own eyes. They had the power to heal people with spiritual power. They shared this spell with us and after about six months of hard work, we can achieve this. You can say this is how we got our power."
Fang, ever curious, asked, "Why haven't you used your power for so long?"
Ash spoke then, her tone firm and resolute. "The most important thing is that we are human beings, so we wanted to live like humans. We didn't want to get into all these things. Since you guys came to us, we felt that we should help you. And we helped you," her voice dipped into a low growl, "except for what your friend Raven did to Shu, last."
The revelation hung in the air, heavy and poignant. The room was filled with the weight of shared secrets, of realities far removed from the mundane. A strange stillness descended upon the room, the silence stretching for what felt like an eternity. No one spoke, no one moved. The air, thick with unspoken thoughts and emotions, had frozen, the unexpected truths having created an invisible, impenetrable wall between them all. The comfortable camaraderie of the morning had vanished, leaving behind a profound silence that seemed to swallow the light in the room.
The air in the room hung thick and heavy, the silence a tangible thing after the revelation of everyone's deepest secrets. It was a silence born not of peace, but of shock and the raw vulnerability of exposed truths. Finally, Raven's voice, rough with remorse, cut through the quiet.
"I know what I did to Shu was wrong," he said, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I shouldn't have hurt Shu. I'm so sorry for her. And I want to tell you the reason." He took a shaky breath. "I used to hate humans, for so long. I thought that the reason my mother's life was fading day by day was because of them. But we all, even Jihu and Fang, we were wrong. We were…misled."
Jihu, his shoulders slumped slightly, nodded in agreement. "When Raven has said everything, I think I should also tell you the truth. Twenty years ago, there was an attack in our world. Many people died, and many were injured. Among those who died was my mother, and Raven's mother was gravely hurt. That injury is why her condition is so serious now."
Shu, her eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and hurt, asked, "You said you were misled into thinking that humans were behind this conspiracy. But if not humans, then who is behind it?"
Fang, his brow furrowed, stepped in. "Trolls and Minotaurs. I know it's complicated for you girls; you don't know about them. I will explain…"
Before Fang could delve into a monster mythology lesson, Ash interrupted, "We know. We know what trolls and Minotaurs are, Fang. Just get to the main point. We'll understand."
Jihu's head snapped up, surprise etched on his face. "You really know about trolls and Minotaurs? But…how? They are not creatures of your world."
Ri, with a calm that belied the intensity of her words, explained, "After acquiring our spiritual powers, we returned from Africa. But since everyone in the world says there's no magic, when we see things like this with our own eyes, we become more curious about it. So we did some research and found out about these things. We have a vague understanding."
Shu, her mind still reeling, asked another question that had been nagging at her. "Why were you both boys – Jihu, Raven, Fang – in such bad shape yesterday? Did you come from somewhere injured? Did someone fight with you?"
Raven grimaced, the memory clearly painful. "Yes, we had a fight with trolls yesterday. We went to investigate, completely unprepared, and didn't realize they would be so aggressive. We didn't find any Minotaurs, though."
Fang added, "I think the Minotaurs are pulling the strings, using the trolls as a front, so no one notices them."
Ri's gaze sharpened. "Jihu, you said earlier that your world is suffering because of this conspiracy, and a shadow of danger looms over our world because of it. Are you saying that trolls and Minotaurs want to destroy our world as well? Is that true?"
Jihu's expression was grim. "Yes. We are telling you the truth. It's possible that Earth is their next target, and we can't ignore that possibility." He hesitated, then added, "I didn't mean to ask this, but I will anyway…girls – Shu, Ri, Ash – will you help us? We're asking for your help because of your healing power. But don't misunderstand us."
Raven's head snapped to Jihu, his eyes wide. "Jihu, are you crazy, bro? What are you doing? It's not safe for them! I know they have healing power, but they are still humans. They didn't sign up for a troll attack!"
Fang agreed, "Yes, Jihu, I don't think it's a good idea. It's incredibly risky."
Ri, however, held up a hand, silencing the panicked objections. "Ash, Shu," she said, her voice firm and unwavering, "if you both are with me, then we can enter this war. What do you say? I know the path is not straight; it will be very difficult, but we will overcome it."
Shu and Ash exchanged a quick look, then nodded their agreement. "Ok," they said in unison. "Done."
Ri turned to Jihu, a determined glint in her eyes. "We agree. We will stand by you and stop this conspiracy."
For the next hour, they spoke, hashing out the tangled threads of the conspiracy, trying to piece together the puzzle of the trolls and Minotaurs. The air shifted from shock and fear to a strange mix of trepidation and resolve. They agreed to meet again the next day to finalize their plans. Then, as the moon climbed higher, casting long shadows across the room, they went their separate ways, each burdened with the weight of the knowledge they had shared, and the uncertain future that lay ahead.