FOREWORD

Hello everyone! I'm here to let you know that I am re-making the story I once did, which is "The Call of Fate." I am deleting the story, and replacing it with this. I hope I will finally be able to finish the story, and again, I would like to hear from you. Thank you so much for understanding! J

Chapter 1:

It all started a few days after Arisa's 20th birthday. She was still a few months fresh from being a first-year university student; but she was chosen as representative for the inter-school Science Quiz Bee. A few weeks before the event, she decided to review at the library for a change in preparation for the quiz bee, which would be held at her university. She didn't notice the time and it was already dark when she left the school grounds. On her way home, a group of drunken men suddenly chased after her. What's worse is that there were no city lights on the path towards their home – since it is located in a forested area. She never went to the forest all the days of her life, but at that time, she suddenly went there to hide.

She thought that she had lost them, but still, they followed her. Her adrenaline was pumping as she continued to run towards the forest. She glanced back and much to her surprise, they were already catching up to her.

Tch, persistent bastards!

She kept running and running, until she stumbled into something wooden – almost like a well, but it was too late. She fell on it, making her scream. And during the course of her fall, the men peeked into the well, but they didn't follow. Suddenly, there was a bright light behind her back, and then she went unconscious.


Arisa woke up to the sound of chirping birds and she quickly got up.

"It's morning already…!?"

She noticed the few vines which had crept down the well, and she immediately used them to climb up. Upon getting out, the tall trees and occasional flowers on the grassy land greeted her. A few butterflies flew around gracefully, and the birds continued to chirp.

"Wow. I can't believe I never went to visit something as natural as this…" she mumbled.

She was still wearing her college uniform - a pair of long-sleeved light blue blouse with a checkered necktie and black pants. Taken by the tranquility of the said area, she decided to sit down for a while on the grassy land, until…

"Shit…! I can't be sitting pretty like this! I'm going to be late for school!" she shouted as she stood up and ran towards the deeper part of the forest.

If I remember correctly…it was here…I think…

She kept running but it seemed like she was never reaching the end of the forest, and it made her worry a little.

The path I took last night wasn't this long…or did I take the wrong one?

Either way, she continued running, until she caught something white in her peripheral view. It piqued her curiosity, so she glanced at it and it seemed like someone who was just resting under a tree. She knew she could've just left the figure behind, but somehow – she felt that she had to go and see it.


As Arisa drew near the figure, it turned out to be a man wearing a white kimono with armor. A very long, fluffy scarf hung onto his right shoulder, all the way down to his feet. On his hips was a sword. He was tall, and he had long, silver hair. He had remarkable marks on the side of his cheeks, and he had a crescent moon tattoo on his forehead. She had a hunch that he had beautiful eyes, even though his eyes were closed. He generally looked like a man from the ancient times…but still, she admitted that he was actually good-looking.

However, she was surprised at how the man had sensed her presence when she was still a few feet away from him. He glared at her in rage, much like a wild dog, with his eyes red as if he was about to transform into something monstrous. It was a sign that she should stay away from him, or else.

"Eeek!"

She quickly hid behind the tree beside her, and calmed herself down. His behavior made her panic, but she thought that maybe it was some kind of defense mechanism.

Wait…if it's like that, then…!

She did not hesitate this time and approached the man, and there she saw that he was indeed injured. His left sleeve was bloody, and it looked like it bled for a long time.

"Ahh! Your arm…! Wait here, I'm going to look for some medicinal herbs."

But the man only smirked.

"You need not concern yourself." He bluntly told her.

"Oh be quiet…! Now's not the time to act high and mighty!" she answered back, then went on her way to search for some herbs nearby.


Arisa was surprised at herself on how she was familiar with the plants around her.

I have knowledge about Biology but…we did not specifically discuss detailed topics about medicinal herbs. Oh well. Maybe this is stock knowledge from the past.

"…did I just say, past? Oh dear. I must be dreaming."

After gathering the necessary plants, she went back to where the man was resting. She saw how he was staring up at the sky, and he looked like he was deep in thought. Nevertheless, she slowly went over him and knelt beside his injured arm. She carefully folded his sleeve and noticed that his arm was cut, and it horrified her.

"…woman. What do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm patching up your wound."

"Hmph. Do not associate me with human weakness."

"You say that, but you look like you're in real pain, though."

This time, the man did not answer and she continued preparing the mixture. Only then did she notice that she didn't have any bandage, and so she decided to use her handkerchief that she always carried.

"Aw, this was a precious gift from my mother…but, it's alright." She murmured, and used it anyway.


"There, it's done!" she softly exclaimed as she carefully lowered his sleeve. At the same time, she secretly took a glance at him and noticed more of his features. He really had beautiful eyes, with golden amber pupils. He had pointed ears and sharp, pointed nails. Based from this and his other unusual characteristics…she could only say one thing: he was not human. It suddenly scared her to the point that she was already devising a means to escape. But then, her thoughts were interrupted by the man's deep voice.

"Stop staring at me."

"O-oh! Sorry."

Again, the man smirked.

"…pathetic. I let a mere human woman tend to me."

Slightly annoyed at how he addressed her, Arisa finally spoke up.

"What is so wrong about a mere human woman helping you?"

"Leave, before I kill you."

There was a serious tone on his voice – and it made her actually feel scared, but the irritation she felt had reigned over her.

"Ugh! Fine, since you're looking a little better than before. I can't believe I even considered helping an awful dude like you!" she shouted back at him, but he didn't seem to care. And it's all the more reason why she quickly stood up and walked away from him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX