Keigo was a good man. He just.. wasn’t the smartest. Or the richest. See, he had just stolen a valuable item from the king and queen, and now guards are chasing after him. Luckily for him, he’s the fastest man alive. Or so he liked to call himself. Placing one heavy foot in front of the other, he manages to outrun the guards into a forest, satchel slung over his shoulder. But.. not any forest. The ‘forbidden’ forest.

The forest in question has had many rumors over the years, dating back to witch trial times. Rumors like it was haunted. That it had a someone protecting it, something. Nobody dared to test the waters, the legends and stories too scary. Eyewitnesses claimed they’ve seen things, unexplainable things.

Keigo scoffed at the stories ever since he was a kid. Haunted forest? Puh-lease. Just some ghost story to keep troublesome kids from wandering off. He entered the forest, his boot touching the thick grass. He briefly peered over his shoulder to check for guards, his footsteps slowing when he didn’t see anyone. His lips curled into a grin. Another easy day for a thief.

He slipped the satchel off his shoulder and kneeled down, making sure the item wasn’t scratched— when he heard a twig snap.