Dum!

  Dum!

  Dum!

  Under the crimson moonlight, Eclipse stood by himself in front of the cottage, both of his fists smeared in blood as he threw punches after punches at a large oak tree, as the heavy branches shook and shredded leaves with each strike.

  The tree had a large hole where Eclipse pummelled over and over again, and rivulets of blood trickled down the trunk. Despite this, his face remained ironclad, and there wasn't even the slightest hint of pain in his expression.

  As Eclipse raised his fist to punch the tree once again, a hand appeared out of the darkness and grabbed his wrists.

  "That's enough!" Duozian said sternly.

  Eclipse scowled and glared at him. "Let go!"

  Duozian didn't respond to him. He pulled out a sachet of herbs from his pocket before smearing them on Eclipse's fist, "This would hurt so bare with me..."

  As he smeared the herbs, a look of sadness flashed across Duozian's eyes. Not because of what he had been doing this late at night, but how he didn't show the slightest expression of pain. He then looked into Eclipse's darkened eyes and spoke gently, "I don't know why you do... nor do I know what you went through. That's why I don't ask why you do this to yourself... but don't you think it's about time you stopped hurting yourself like this?"

  Eclipse didn't respond. The midnight wind fluttered past them, sending his scruffy hair fluttering in the wind. Seeing as how Eclipse wouldn't respond, Duozian let out a sigh and wrapped his hand with a small bandage.

  "I... can't," Eclipse muttered, looking far into the distance, into the mountains which stretched on for hundreds of kilometres known as the Nether Pinnacles. It stood gigantic and menacing under the bask of the crimson moonlight. "It's the only way I can feel at least something, even though it's painful. Happiness, sadness, and joy... I can't feel them, and my insides start to boil up. Punching a tree like this is the only thing that even makes me something... "

  Duozian's old eyes quivered at his speech, and he immediately dropped his little bag and clutched Eclipse in his arms, "seeing you like this brings me even greater pain, Eclipse. This sadness, which you can't feel right now, is what I feel when you hurt yourself like this."

  Eclipse didn't have a reaction getting hugged by Duozian, but his eyes grew lighter ever so slightly.

  "Come with me tomorrow, Eclipse... I'll take you somewhere."

  A hopeful whisper echoed in the depths of Eclipse’s mind. It was faint, hazy, and didn’t even feel like his own words.

  ‘Shall I…?’

  The next day

  Eclipse trudged along under the canopy of emerald. The sun was at its highest, and the temperature was warmer than usual. Beads of sweat trickled down Eclipse's face, and his cheeks were flushed with fatigue. Slightly in front of him, Duozian led the way, a backpack held over his shoulder. Despite the heat, his face didn't show the least bit of tiredness. However, under the fa?ade of this indifferent composure lay a deep sea of sombreness and gloom.

  The mountainous pathway constantly had a change in inclination, which made it rather difficult to walk, and the rough pebbles underneath didn't do much to help either.

  "Old man, how much longer till we get there?" Eclipse asked, clearly trying to catch his breath.

  "Just around half an hour," Duozian replied, ignorant of the fact that Eclipse was calmly observing his odd behaviour from the corner of his eyes.

  Duozian led the way through the complications of the forest shrub. After a while, he walked through an opening within a lock of vegetation and stepped inside. Eclipse followed.

  As soon as he stepped inside, a blissful utopia unfolded before him.

  The sun veiled the greenery like a blanket. The crimson leaves of autumn spread across the delicate earth like sparkles. The air had a gentle trace of both warmth and coolness, as though it were in preparation for a new season. On the ground lay the wetness of a recent rain-shower, and crystal-like morning dew clung to each blade of grass.

  Shrubs had surrounded the entirety of the lush garden, which was roughly five kilometres across, as if it were protecting it from the impure outer world. Within the garden lay a myriad of different types of exuberant trees, and an entire fraction of the land was dedicated to vibrant flowers which danced along the caressing momentum of the wind. Along the far right lay a river that cascaded peacefully along the stretch of land. Under the influence of the sun, it looked like a ribbon of turquoise; this was a utopia.

  What the two did not notice was a certain black gloom which hovered at the edges of this garden. After all, this was still the Bloodmoon region. Wilted flowers edged along the borders, and it was as if the innermost parts of the garden were in a completely different dimension.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Eclipse's eyes widened with praise as he took a couple of steps forward. "I've never seen nature look this beautiful..."

  Duozian smiled, "Right? This is called the nature garden. This originally belonged to the Elville Tribe, but they’ve long since abandoned it."

  Looking confused, Eclipse asked, “Why abandon something like this…?"

  "Because they had to migrate away. Thirty years ago, due to constant pressure from the Dracoferus Tribe, they were left with no choice but to retaliate against them, but they suffered a lot of damage. The tribe then decided to migrate somewhere far away when they realised they were going to be wiped out. The Dracoferus Tribe then took the village they had built from themselves, but they were unaware of the Nature Garden which the Elville Tribesmen had cultivated over tens of years. No one has found it yet because they kept it so well hidden… hey, are you sleeping?”

  A snot bubble popped on Eclipse’s nose, and he groggily opened his eyes, “Hm… yeah. What were you saying?’

  “You’re the one who asked for the explanation, you brat. How are you falling asleep?” Duozian’s smile twitched, then he shook his head, "Now, why don't you go explore this garden. You like it, right?"

  Duozian didn’t need to tell him twice. Eclipse had already wandered off into the distance. Duozian watched the boys back until he turned into a silhouette, after which he finally retracted his gaze and closed his eyes. A light breeze washed over him, causing his aged hair to sway from side to side. He stood in place, his muscular arms crossed, before he slowly opened them once again, his water-blue pupils revealing a determined glint.

  As Eclipse walked through the nature garden, the exquisite and bright plants waved at him. Although his face remained stoic, inside, he truly felt at peace being here. Living in a remote village, the only way Eclipse got to truly experience the beauty of nature was by gazing into the Nether Pinnacles, a set of mountains stretching off very far into the distance, hence why he spends his time in the most isolated areas of the village, and takes advantage of the peace to observe the mountains.

  He had truly thought that there was nothing more awe-inducing than the outlines of the Nether Pinnacles until Duozian brought him to the Nature Garden. Eclipse manoeuvred through the exotic plants in his way, as if he thought the slightest misstep would damage them.

  Eclipse finally came to a stop near the sparkling stream. He took a deep breath in and imprinted the beauty onto his mind. Observing thoughtlessly, the tranquil cascade of the water reminded him of one of Duozian's artworks. An idea flickered into his mind as he picked up a rock and then positioned it atop a solitary piece of log standing vertical, which was once a tree that had been cut down, not far from the stream.

  Eclipse walked up to the log, then carefully analysed the scenery once again before he drew away on the log with nothing but a fairly sharp stone. When his hand moved over the wood, it was almost like the picture in front of him was directing his hand subconsciously. His hand moved instinctively to the right spot, building a new picture with every stroke of his hand.

  Being absorbed into his own world, the flow of time gradually lapsed; nothing but the cascading of the waterfall and the tweeting of the birds permitted into the air.

  After he finished, he stepped back to admire his work, but a bitter smile emerged on his face. The drawing was just too out of proportion. When he compared it to the scenery, the natural patterns forged by the occasional rocks didn't match those that he had drawn one bit. It was inferior to Duozian’s paintings by far. Then again, it was his first attempt, so it can't really be called a proper drawing.

  "This picture looks brilliant." Duozian beamed from behind. Hearing the sudden voice of another person, Eclipse got startled so much that he fell face-first onto the moist earth.

  "Where the hell did you come from?!" Eclipse asked, flustered at Duozian’s sudden appearance.

  Duozian chuckled, "Did I startle you? When a person enters the flow state, their perception focuses solely on the thing they are concentrating on, so it's natural you didn’t feel my presence."

  "Right, yeah. Whatever." Eclipse replied before taking his gaze back to the drawing, then frowned, "But... is this picture really good?"

  Duozian smiled, "Of course not. I lied."

  "Ehh?" Eclipse turned around, glaring at a smug Duozian.

  He then knelt and brushed his hands over the drawing, "Since it's your very first attempt with a rock as a pencil... What else can I say? But the thing I'm more surprised about is how you've taken an interest in the beauty of art."

  Eclipse let out an exasperated sigh, ‘Does this old man ever stop talking?’

  Duozian rummaged through his bag and bought out a canvas and a set of brushes along with quite a large set of natural colours.

  "Now, why don't you recreate this same artwork but with actual equipment. I'll see how you get on."

  Saying that, Duozian stepped back while Eclipse engaged in the canvas once again. After what seemed like half an hour, Eclipse once again stepped back to admire his work, except this time, a smile of satisfaction emerged on his face.

  The tone of the painting was no longer simply smooth, and rather, it carried an unsettling depth beneath its elegance. Though the colours were still drawn from nature, they seemed drained and dark, as if something had quietly corrupted them. It was incredibly artistic, but with its own cold, dark, and sinister style.

  "Not bad, kid. Hah… not bad at all," Duozian murmured, his pride mixed with something like caution as he picked up the canvas and closely appraised it. “You’ve… adopted a heavier tone. Didn’t expect you to shift to something this haunting so quickly. Why don’t you draw a few more canvases of this place?”

  Eclipse nodded and walked to a different part of the waterfall. He then whipped out a paintbrush, and it danced on the canvas to the melody of Eclipse's mind...

  From afternoon to sundown, Eclipse had drawn five or six canvases, each one darker and more unnerving than the last. Where light should’ve been gentle, they were painted by dying embers. Where flowers should’ve bloomed, their shapes looked as though they were recoiling from some unseen presence. After he finally finished his painting of the Nether Pinnacles, which in Eclipse’s painting seemed jagged, distant, and shrouded in a faint, dark haze, he exhaled a sigh of relief.

  "Again… a heaven-defying masterpiece," Duozian said from behind, though this time his grin wavered, his eyes lingering on the shadows Eclipse had woven into every corner.

  A sudden thought struck Eclipse's mind as he stated, "Hey, old man, is it possible to make money off of them? We're quite short on money nowadays, right?"

  Duozian's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Don't you want to keep them?"

  Eclipse shook his head, "I don't have any interest in keeping these, so I think it is better if we're able to sell these off. That's if anyone thinks these are good."

  Giving it a thought, Duozian smiled then nodded. "Let's go to the market tomorrow."

  Saying that, the duo headed back to Grapefruit Village.