Rayfe and Silas stood in a small grass field away from the village, SIlas wearing his hat and coat.

  “So, what’s your name, kid?”

  Rayfe took a moment, as if recalling his name.

  “It’s Rayfe. Rayfe Evra.”

  “Rayfe… You’re a kid, and have nowhere to go. I can teach you how to use your echo. Well, if you learn fast enough, you might survive.”

  Rayfe looked up, his eyes blank except for a miniscule sliver of hope, a tiny spark of light among the dark cosmos.

  “Really? You’ll teach me?”

  Silas paused. “I’ve travelled almost the whole world now, and I’ve seen a lot of sick people… injured people… dying people. You… you have an echo. And… There's something special about you. I can’t name it, but you… you look like you have the will to survive. I see it in your eyes.”

  “The… will to survive? What do you mean?”

  “Your parents probably meant the world to you.”

  “They did. They… They still do.”

  Silas turned away from Rayfe, taking small steps and spreading his arms as if giving a grand speech.

  “I see. The will to survive… It’s something… something that you would do anything for. A goal… be it revenge, saving the world… or just staying alive. If you have the absolute drive to accomplish it no matter the cost, then…”

  Silas stared into the horizon, seeming to be in a world of his own. “You will become unstoppable.”

  “Unstoppable? What… what do you mean by that?” Rayfe asked, unable to fully comprehend the concept.

  “It means… you will stop at nothing, and make any sacrifices necessary, to achieve that goal.”

  “When my village was destroyed, my will was simple. Just to survive. I became a wandering hunter, and I got what I wanted. Now… What will you choose, Rayfe? What do you want?”

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  Silas turned back, his piercing eyes meeting Rayfe’s tentative gaze.

  “Me? I… I want to find my sister, Selene. She was kidnapped by the bandits. I want to save her… and we can live a peaceful life.”

  “Saving your sister… and peace. That’s something…” Silas mused.

  “I’ll give anything to get her back. She… she’s my only family left.” Rayfe stared at the grass, his last glimpse of Selene’s face, her desperate cries for help reflected in his mind.

  “I understand. Let us begin. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Red Goblins. You’ll need to hunt them for information on what they did with your sister.”

  Rayfe nodded, eager for any information that could help him find Selene.

  “The Goblins are categorised by the ribbons they wear. Usually it’s a bandanna, but some wear it on their wrists, their necks, or anywhere. But it will usually be prominent.”

  “Firstly, White and Black ribbons - These are the lowest ranks, white being for land bandits and black for pirates.”

  Rayfe’s jaw tightened as memories surged, of white cloth streaked with blood and flames licking the rooftops."

  “Next, the Blue Ribbons. They are the captains of small squads.”

  “Blue ribbon… The one who killed my father. He was wearing a blue bandanna.” His eyes burned with fury and desire for revenge.

  “That’s because your father had a rift-stone. Stealing and selling rift-stones - that’s their main source of income. They also traffick humans, gold and other valuable goods.”

  “They… traffick humans? Then…” Rayfe could not imagine the horrors that awaited Selene. “What becomes of them?”

  “They are sold as slaves, usually. Forced to work hard labour until they drop. When they can’t work anymore, they are killed.” Silas looked to the sky, as if reminiscing something. “Your sister… you’ll have to learn fast, to have a higher chance of saving her.”

  Rayfe’s pupils dilated as he pictured Selene, so weak and fragile, forced to help build a lavish palace, then put to death by the blade of the ones who reaped the benefits of her labour.

  “Further up the hierarchy are the Purple Ribbons. They are the regional leaders. They give commands to the squads in the specific region.”

  “Then… There are the Red Ribbons. They rarely come out, and no one sees their faces. No one knows how many there are, though there are probably very few of them.”

  “What do they do?”

  “Well… the Red Goblins are a very secretive organisation. Most people guess that they command the purple ribbons… The last time people saw a red ribbon was on the seas two years ago, sinking an envoy ship from Orthage to Xianlong.”

  “Lastly, the Vermillion King. The rumoured leader of the Goblins. Like the Red Ribbons, no one knows who he is or what he looks like, though it is rumoured he always wears a red hood and mask, and carries a black scepter. ”

  “Vermillion King… What a grand name. It… it doesn’t sound like a bandit leader’s name at all.”

  “You’re right. It doesn’t sound like a bandit at all. From my travels, some villages have oral records of masked figures in red hoods and carrying black scepters passed down from many generations.”

  “There are many powers that can extend lifespans… Some people can even live hundreds of years. But my guess is… The Vermillion King isn’t a person. It’s a title… and the next ‘king’ inherits the hood, mask and scepter. Though the current king seems to want to stay unknown.”

  Rayfe fell silent, deep in thought.

  “Silas…”

  “What, are you scared of them now?”

  “N-No, It’s just that… Even if I save Selene… Even if we find peace… There’ll still be other people terrorised by them, won’t there? There’ll be other kids like me… who lose everything because of the Red Goblins… because of those bastards.”

  Rayfe took a steadying breath. He looked at Silas with pleading eyes.

  “Silas. My will… I want to save my sister… I want peace… but now, I want to put a stop to the Red Goblins. I won’t truly be able to enjoy peace if… if I know that out there, there are kids like me who have no family, no home, and no hope for the future… I want to help them. Help me, Silas. You said your own village was raided. Don’t you want to help them? People like you?”

  Silas looked at the horizon for a long while, giving no response.

  “You’d better start learning now, then.”