Boundless Evolution: The Summoning Beast
Chapter 37: Conversation with Hazel

Chapter 37: Conversation with Hazel

Boy sat alone at the ridge that oversaw the village, watching the day come to a close.

The sky had dimmed further as hues of orange and purple casted elongated shadows across the ground.

However, unlike the day which was coming to a close, the village below was alive with movement, a stark contrast to the ruin that nearly befallen it earlier.

Survivors worked tirelessly as they worked to clear the debris that littered the streets while salvaging anything useful from what they could find.

A great fire was being lit- not of destruction, but of warmth, as small groups gathered wood from the nearby wooden wreckage and anything burnable as they hastily built a giant campfire right in the heart of the village while sharing what little food remained.

The soft sound of voices shattering, the clang of hammers against wood, and the occasional laughter of children playing, keeping themselves occupied create a strange symphony of resilience.

Boy, on top of the ridge, watched it all unfold but his mind was elsewhere. Lost in thought, he barely registered the life returning to the village, his gaze distant as memories and emotions churned within him.

He let out a long and slow exhale as his golden eyes locked onto the distant horizon.

The emotions he had felt earlier still gnawed at him. The warmth of gratitude, the weight of sincerity in their voices- he didn’t know how to handle it.

Those warm, seemingly heartfelt thanks collided with the false warmth and compliments that he had received from the people of his past human life, deeply conflicting him as his head subconsciously made him see all the villagers in the same light as Lady Elaria.

It was easier to ignore, to push it away instead of forcing it to settle inside him. Even if he wanted himself to accept it, he did not know at all how to take away these thoughts from his head.

The rhythmic sounds of distant voices, the soft crackling of lingering embers, and the cool evening breeze all contrasted the turmoil inside his mind. He found that looking at the peaceful landscape undisturbed and alone was able to help him calm himself or at least, paused all thoughts.

Soft footsteps crunched against the dirt and dried dead leaves behind him. Boy’s ears flicked but he didn’t turn, already sensing who it was.

The girl from earlier- the one he had saved first and came into the village with the feline summon- walked towards him.

Unlike others, she did not rush, nor did she hesitate at the sight of his still, silent form. Instead, she carefully sat down next to him at the edge of the ridge, allowing her legs to fall off as she took in a peaceful deep breath.

For a while she said nothing. The only sounds between them were the distant crackling of still-smoldering wood, the occasional rustle of the wind and the distant chatters of villagers down below.

"I come up here every now and again," she began, "my dad was part of the village’s hunting team and he took me here when I was a child."

A sense of melancholy filled her voice as she continued while staring at the beautiful landscape in front of them, "He used to say that from this ridge, you could see the whole world if you just looked hard enough. He made me dream of seeing more than just this village."As she said this, tears began to flood her eyes as she recalled fond memories of her father.

Her voice trembled and grew more wistful, "But when the raid happened today, he died protecting me and my mom... sniff... He told us to run while he tried to stop the invaders who stormed into our house... and I... never got to say goodbye. *sob* I never got to tell him *sob* that I wanted to be like him... *sob* someone who could protect others."

As she said this, tears began to pour out of her eyes as she recalled fond and painful memories of her father and mother. But as she finished speaking, she seemed to steel herself as she wiped at her tears, but nevertheless, her voice still trembled, "Sniff... I never got to thank you but from the bottom of my heart, I am eternally grateful to you for saving me. My name is Hazel, Hazel Harkin."

She let the silence settled once again between them for a moment as they watched a flock of birds flying past.

The girl let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting toward a village below, where the remnants of the day’s battle were slowly being cleared away.

Among the villagers, a lone figure sat beside the large fire- the girl who Boy had left, hunched forward, her arms wrapped around herself as her body language showed no signs of positivity and instead just exuded sadness.

Her father was sitting next to her, speaking in low, comforting tones, but she barely seemed to hear him as her eyes were distant and hollow, staring blankly into the flames.

"Her eyes look lost, doesn’t she?" Hazel murmured, "Like she doesn’t know what to do with herself. No. Not just that, it’s like she can’t do anything."

"She lost her mother a few weeks before the raid today," she sighed, her fingers clenching slightly around her sleeves, "she was struggling a lot even before today, barely talking to anyone."

Her voice grew softer, "I can’t imagine how she must feel now. Losing her mother, nearly losing her father... It’s like everything was crumbling around her, and she doesn’t know where to stand."

Boy’s gaze lingered on the girl by the fire. He hadn’t known that part of her story. But now, as he watched her, he saw something deeper in her vacant stare.

He had been avoiding looking at her ever since he saw her, ever since that uncomfortable sense of familiarity twisted inside him.

The girl beside him hugged her knees to her chest, "I think I know how she is feeling now."

She exhaled, her voice quieter now, more vulnerable, "back then, when my parents were getting killed, I felt... like I was just there... I wasn’t strong enough to fight, not skilled enough to rebuild anything..."

"I wasn’t able to wield a weapon to defend against the bandits like the hunters or your warriors..." she spoke with a wistful tone, "As it stands now... I feel like I am just another mouth to feed, another body taking up space... Maybe things would be easier for everyone else if I just disappeared."

Boy’s ears flicked at her words.

She gave a short, hollow laugh as she shoo," Sorry... It’s not the kind of thing people want to hear but I can’t help these thoughts."

Boy remained silent but his tail twitched as he slowly turned towards her, his gaze meeting hers as she smiled, small and sad, "These are the thoughts that I have... Look at her."

Their gazes and simultaneously shifted towards the girl, still cowering near the fire, "You know that you saved her father right? Without you, she wouldn’t have anyone left."

Boy stiffened slightly as he found himself turning his gaze back to Hazel

Hazel’s eyes turned sad as a tingle of envy appeared in her eyes, "You didn’t just save people, you saved families. You saved futures."

Boy lowered his head slightly, his claws pressing into the dirt. He had never thought about it like that.

The girl by the fire shifted slightly, rubbing her arms as if cold. This was immediately noticed by her father who reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, then hesitated, and finally, almost reluctantly, leaned into his warmth.

Hazel exhaled, stretching out her legs, "I don’t think you understand how grateful she must have been when she thanked you earlier... Her only family, one that she thought she had lost, was saved. You are the first person she talked to outside of her family ever since her mother died. Your reaction really hurt her..."

Boy stared down as his paws as a pang of guilt struck him.

He had never considered the consequences of his actions beyond himself. He had never thought about the lives that continued because of what he had done. It was always to kill the bad and get rewards, the act of saving was simply something that he found himself doing.

For the first time, something deep inside him shifted.

He wasn’t sure what it was. But he could tell that something was there.

All this didn’t go unnoticed by Hazel as she observed Boy carefully, staring at his eyes which displayed his conflicting thoughts before she finally spoke, "You don’t like being thanked, do you?"

At this, Boy nodded his head slightly, ears twitching as he allowed himself to listen.

"You nodded..." she commented as her eyes sparkled in wonder, "so you can understand me."

"I don’t know what happened to you for you to dislike being thanked," she began, "but that kind of thinking isn’t going to help you... You did amazing things today. Even if you don’t think it means anything, what you did today- It mattered very importantly to the history of this village and to us."

The wind rustled the trees behind them, blowing upwards from the village, carrying the scent of charred wood and earth.

Hazel’s words reverberated in his head as he began to consider things in a wider aspect, in the perspective of others. Something he had never done before.

Next to him, Hazel studied him for a moment longer, as if searching for something- some kind of change in his expression but Boy looked truly lost in thought.

She sighed softly, "I hope that one day, you will believe it."

Then, with a small nod, she pushed herself to her feet, "I’ve cleared up my head now. Thanks for listening to my rambling. I’m gonna head down and help out."

After she said this, she turned and walked back towards the village, her footsteps fading into the quiet night.

Boy remained still, his mind a tangle of thoughts. He should have been relieved that she left, that the conversation was over, but instead, he found that there was something new lingering inside him instead.