They walking through the forest, searching for beasts. It felt like forever, and they were getting tired. Lila suddenly stopped when she heard something
"Water," she said, pointing ahead. "Let's go there."
They followed the sound and soon reached a stream. By the water stood a beast, like the one they had seen earlier—a large, zebra-like creature. Its stripes glowed faintly, and sharp horns curved back from its head. Around its neck hung a yellow marble, shining like a pendant.
Lila crouched behind a bush. "Seojun, climb that tree. Andrew, circle around the other side. Make sure no one else is here," she whispered.
Seojun nodded and climbed a tall tree. Andrew hesitated but followed her instructions, moving quietly through the bushes.
A few minutes later, Seojun climbed down. "No one's here," he said calmly.
Andrew returned from the other side. "It's clear. Let's grab the marble now!" he said, stepping forward.
"Wait," Lila said sharply, pulling him back. "What do you know about this beast? Do you think it's just going to let you take the marble? We need to know what it can do first."
Andrew looked embarrassed. "Uh… I didn't think about that."
The woman in the group spoke up, her voice a little nervous but confident. "I know this beast! I read about it before."
Everyone turned to her, listening carefully.
"It's called a Lumizorn," she said. "It's a magical beast. Its stripes glow for a reason—they can blind anyone who gets too close. If it feels threatened, it might use its glowing light to disorient us."
Lila frowned. "Blinding light? That's bad."
The woman nodded. "That's not the only thing. It's very fast. If it gets scared, it'll run, and we'll never catch it. And…" She paused, thinking hard.
"And what?" Lila asked, crossing her arms.
"The horns," the woman said. "I think they can shoot beams of light or energy. I'm not completely sure, though. I didn't read everything about them."
Lila sighed. "Great. So it's fast, can blind us, and might attack with light. Anything else?"
The woman shook her head. "That's all I know. Sorry."
Seojun nodded. "It's still useful. At least we know some of its strengths."
Lila thought for a moment, then looked at the group. "Okay, listen. We need to be smart about this. If we scare it or let it attack, we'll lose the marble. Move carefully and be ready to act fast."
Everyone nodded, their faces serious. They prepared to follow Lila's lead to get the marble safely.
Lila crouched low behind the bushes, her sharp eyes fixed on the Lumizorn drinking from the stream. The yellow marble glinted around its neck, dangling like a prize waiting to be claimed.
"Here's the plan," Lila whispered, gathering the group close. "We need to keep the Lumizorn calm and distracted. If it panics, it'll run or attack us. Seojun, you'll circle around and climb a tree near it. Andrew, stay hidden on the other side, ready to move if it starts running. I'll approach it slowly and try to grab the marble."
The woman hesitated, her hands trembling slightly. "What about me and my brother?"
"Stay back and watch for any other groups. If someone shows up, warn us," Lila said firmly.
Her brother frowned but nodded, He thought that it's better this way so if something happen he can immediately run with her sister. "Got it."
Seojun gave a small nod and silently moved to climb another tree close to the Lumizorn. Andrew crouched low and slipped to the opposite side of the clearing, his movements surprisingly quiet for once. The siblings stayed hidden behind a large rock, scanning the area nervously.
Lila took a deep breath. "Alright, here we go," she whispered to herself.
She stepped out from behind the bushes, moving slowly and carefully. Her steps were light, her posture non-threatening. The Lumizorn lifted its head, its glowing eyes locking onto her. For a moment, Lila froze, keeping her hands visible.
"Easy… easy…" she whispered softly, trying to keep her voice calm.
The Lumizorn sniffed the air, its ears twitching, but it didn't move.
Seojun watched from above, ready to signal if anything went wrong. Andrew gripped a small rock, prepared to throw it as a distraction if the beast bolted.
Lila crept closer, step by step, her heart pounding. When she was close enough, she saw the marble clearly. It was tied with a thin, glowing string around the beast's neck.
"Seojun, do you see anything?" she asked softly without looking away from the beast.
"Still clear," Seojun replied quietly from the tree.
Lila reached out slowly, her fingers brushing the glowing string. The Lumizorn flinched, and she froze, holding her breath.
"Careful," Andrew whispered from his hiding spot, his voice tense.
The Lumizorn sniffed again and then went back to drinking from the stream. Lila's hand moved carefully, loosening the string around its neck. Her fingers worked quickly, though sweat dripped down her forehead.
Suddenly, the Lumizorn lifted its head again, its ears twitching. It sensed something.
"Lila!" Andrew shouted,
Lila tugged the string free, the marble slipping into her hand.
"Got it!" she whispered triumphantly.
But the Lumizorn let out a sharp snort, its body tensing. Its stripes began to glow brighter, and the light around it shimmered.
"It's about to run!" Andrew shouted.
Lila stumbled back, clutching the marble. "Run!" she yelled.
The Lumizorn reared up, its hooves slamming into the ground as it prepared to dash away. Seojun leaped down from the tree, landing gracefully beside Lila. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the bushes.
Andrew threw the rock he had been holding, aiming to distract the beast. It hit the ground near the stream, making a loud noise. The Lumizorn turned its glowing eyes toward the sound and bolted in the opposite direction, disappearing into the forest.
The group huddled in the bushes, breathing heavily.
Lila opened her hand, revealing the yellow marble. "We did it," she said, a small smile breaking through her usual serious expression.
Andrew grinned. "Nice! We got our first marble easily!"
The siblings peeked out from behind their rock. "Is it gone?" the woman asked, her voice shaky.
"It's gone," Seojun confirmed, brushing dirt off his clothes.
Lila tucked the marble safely into her pocket. "One down. Two more to go," she said, already looking around for their next challenge.