The senior man began teaching the boy to read and write, with plans to send him to school outside the mountains when the boy was older.

He was concerned, though, that the boy might be bullied at school.

The boy seemed to love life in the mountains and showed no interest in going to school. He preferred hunting with the senior man over reading and writing, showing little talent for academics, so the senior man did not push him.

They lived happily, self-sufficiently in the mountains, with enough supplies from selling their game in town.

From a young age, the senior man warned the boy never to risk to the other side of the mountain where Witch Valley lay. He consistently told the boy that the valley was home to man-eating witches who would snatch up children.

This warning had a solid foundation. There once was a village at the base of the mountain between the two peaks. It was small but had several dozen residents. One day, after people from Witch Valley visited, villagers began to disappear mysteriously. Eventually, the whole village was gone.

Initially, the witches invited the villagers to visit Witch Valley.

Later, they used some kind of magic to lead the villagers there willingly.

The senior man had a friend from the village who also vanished.

Determined to uncover the truth, he explored and found human remains on the border of Witch Valley. Terrified, he fled but not before witnessing the white-haired witch conducting a ritual. Animals jumped into a blazing fire like mindless puppets, apparently under the witch's control.

Using his knowledge of the mountains, the senior man managed to escape. From that point, he made sure to stay far from Witch Valley.

He was convinced that the witches' sorcery was responsible for the village's disappearance.

One day, while hunting, the senior man spotted a witch in red. His heart sank. How could these people come to his mountain, so far from their own? His primary concern was for the young boy. He hurried home, only to find the house in chaos and his child's meal left untouched on the table.

The senior man hastily followed his child's trail to Witch Valley.

Outnumbered, he waited until night to stealthily enter. All he found was his child's clothing in a dirt pit.

At that moment, he was consumed by despair. He yearned for the witches to bring his child back, but, exhausted, he dreamt.

In the dream, his gentle, well-behaved child wept, pleading with him to leave immediately and live a good life.

Perhaps fortune favored his side, and the senior man rolled into some bushes while asleep and evaded the witches' notice. Realizing there was no hope left, he returned home alone.

Yet, the pain in his heart persisted. Now, seeing Nicole's determination to save her friend stirred memories of his own past inaction. If a young woman could display such bravery, what did he, an elderly man nearing life's end, have to lose?

After hearing the senior man's story, Nicole felt empathy but needed to convey the harsh reality. "Sir, your child might already be gone."