A man with a silver hair wearing a medium length, grey robe with two short swords strapped on each side of his waist was standing in front of an old house. The said house exterior was decayed and dilapidated; years of neglect left it with a rustic, mildewed charm. It was just a single storey house that was made with stones and woods. It had one single-knob door and two windows at the front in-between the door.

“So it’s here.”

The man looked at a piece of paper that was on his hand. What was written on that paper was the direction to this house.

The man looked again at the house as he put the paper inside his robe, momentarily shut his eyes and started to walk towards the house.

Reaching the door, the man tried to open the door but it jammed as he twisted it.

Taking a step back, he then walk to the window on his left side and peeked in.

There were broken furniture’s and the floor looked decrepit and fragile. It was too dark on the ceiling so he couldn’t see anything clearly. He involuntarily shuddered.

He sighed as he recalled his ‘graduation’ day.

--

Near the east mountainside of Sirelus Mountain, located a solitary, stone house amongst the trees and inside lived two men who had a relationship of master and apprentice.

“Zecruix, congratulation, you have learned all there is you need to know in this sacred duty.”

Zecruix, was in the middle of rearranging the books on the bookshelf. He looked curiously at his black-haired master, Kravstor who was sitting solemnly on a chair that was near the fire place.

“Master…?”

“I believe it is time to pass the torch, just as every demonhunter of every generation, I acknowledged that you are now sufficient enough to succeed.”

“What…?”

Zecruix, stopped rearranging and faced towards his master.

“Now, Zecruix, your belonging has already been packed and the road that every demonhunter had journeyed awaits you.”

“What! Why is it my belonging packed?!!”

Zecruix was bewildered. He looked at where his master had pointed with his index finger at one of the corner of this room. His large bag pack looked fully packed.

“Master… If I’m not mistaken, I have two more years to go before I succeed you.”

“…”

“Master…?”

The old Kravstor, who had reached the age of 48, suddenly got up from the chair with a speed unbecoming of his age, punched Zecruix in his stomach, grabbed and carried him with his right arm, went to the corner to grab zecruix’s bag with his left. He kicked the door opened and the way outside wide open. He tossed Zecruix and his bag out and promptly shuts the door. This all happen in five seconds.

Zecruix, who had his face and his body facing the ground for two seconds, was shocked. He recovered from the shock and quickly got up. He trotted furiously towards the door and banged it repeatedly.

“Master, damnit open the door!”

“LOVE, ZECRUIX, LOVE!! I’m doing this for that. My missus is coming today, so we can’t have a grown boy on the cusp of manhood staying here if she going to live here with me. Sure my master back then had given me ten years of training but ten years or eight years, there isn’t much difference and also…”

Kravstor sighed behind the door.

“Look Zecruix, it doesn’t matter whether it’s too earlier or on time but at this point, you’re ready. There is nothing else I can teach you. The only thing you need now is guts.”

Kravstor cheerfully said it from the inside to Zecruix, who was cupping his left ear on the door, listening to Kravstor muffled voice.

Zecruix made a dubious face as he took a step back. It was ridiculous.

He banged the door with double the force than the first time he did.

“SERIOUSLY, YOU PUT THE SACRED DUTY BELOW A WOMAN!!?”

--

After an hour, he got tired and partially accepted his fate. Slinging the bag on his right shoulder, he began walking and hiked down the Sirelus Mountain. Four hours afterward, he made his way to the village-Adinanum- which was located at the base of the mountain where they usually get their supplies.

He went to the place of the highest authority, the village chief since he was quite familiar with him. The village chief gave him a warm welcome because they were acquaintance due to Zecruix and Kravstor interaction with the village. Seeing that he has no place to sleep and with a little denurs, the village chief offered him his first job as a demonhunter, which was to investigate an abandoned house on the outskirt of this village as compensation.

Although he was reluctant at first, he eventually accepted it with a stoic appearance but inwardly, he was stirring with anxiety because if there is one main weakness about Zecruix, it was that he is naturally ‘afraid’ or to put it bluntly, he is a coward.

Thus, here he was standing with unsteady legs that were shaking with controlled intensity in front of an abandoned house, the debut of the newest Demonhunter in Xylesia, Zecruix Valvren.