“Welcome to the midnight hour, little owl.“
“There was once a boy who lived in a village at the edge of a great, dark forest. His family had always been revered as heroes and protectors of the village. They had fought beasts, driven away nightmares, and sacrificed themselves for the greater good. When the boy came of age, he believed it was his duty to follow in their footsteps. He took up his father’s sword, put on a mask, and entered the forest to slay whatever darkness might lurk there.
At first, the boy was fearless and brave beyond reason. He encountered all manner of terrible things: wild beasts with gnashing teeth, twisted wizards bent on chaos, and even bloodthirsty cannibals who feasted on the weak. He fought them all, just as his father had. Each time he returned to the village, the people would cheer, praising him for his bravery, for continuing his family’s noble legacy.
But there was one thing the boy could not face. One figure, hidden in shadow, who haunted his dreams and whispered from the depths of the forest. The boy’s old mentor, the man who had taught him everything he knew, had warned him: ‘Do not venture too deep. Some truths are best left undiscovered.’
The boy, driven by pride, ignored this warning. He pressed on, determined to uncover every dark secret the forest held. And then, one day, as he ventured into the heart of the forest, he found what he had been avoiding all along.
It wasn’t a beast or a monster that awaited him, but a man—his father. A father he had been told was long dead, having died in battle to protect the village. But no, here he was, alive, hidden away in the dark corners of the forest. The boy, shocked and confused, demanded an explanation.
The father, with a cruel smile, revealed the truth. He had faked his death, abandoned his family, and left the village to rot. His sacrifices were a lie, his noble image nothing more than a mask. He had played the hero, just as the boy was doing now, fooling everyone. “You see, son,” the father said, “being a hero isn’t about saving others. It’s about making them believe you’re saving them.
The forest is deep, little owl, and you’re already lost. You may have found your father to be anything but the hero you believe, but all is not lost.
There are more secrets to be uncovered. More lies to be revealed. The truth of your mother exists within these darkened woods and the question remains, when you find out what truly happened, will you remain a hero, or slink off into the same oblivion that your father did? Either way, I’ll be here in the woods too. Feel free to seek me out, Destructo Boy.
We’ll have a hoot.”