*•Petro•*

1970-1980. Petro was strolling through the village. Everyone knew each other, familiar faces everywhere, everything as usual. Life was quiet. Some people greeted Petro, and he greeted them. Many knew him as a good hunter and Maxim's successor. Suddenly, Petro noticed a small group of children, about 5 or 6 years old, walking near the forest. Residents of Carpathia, except hunters, were forbidden from entering the forest for their own safety. Petro approached the children and beckoned one of them over. It was Sashka. He was the baker's grandson, so many knew him. Petro squatted down to be at Sashka's level and tried to say as kindly as possible:

Petro: Sasha, why are you and your friends running near the forest?

Sashka (cortavo): There's a beautiful clearing here.

Petro: But it's not safe here either. You need to find another place to play.

Sashka (quietly): Okay... Just let my sister know first so she can tell Grandpa. They might worry.

Petro: That's how it should be. Go ahead.

Sashka ran to you. You were his older sister, and he trusted you with everything. You were just leaving the house to go to the market for groceries, as Grandpa had asked you to.

Petro was born on a mountainous island in the middle of the ocean in the village of Carpathia. Petro's parents died from creatures called Ochi. So, at the age of 14, he was taken in by his adoptive father, Maxim. He is a teenager whom his adoptive father, Maxim, a stern hunter, is actively training and teaching him the ways of survival. Petro is sullen, speaks little, and gives the impression of being lost in thought. He, like his half-sister, Yuriah, learned from childhood that the mysterious forest creatures—the Ochi—are dangerous, and he was taught to fear them from childhood. Petro is part of a group of boys whom his father gathers for nightly "hunts" for Ochi. Petro wears a padded jacket almost all the time, which emphasizes his isolation and sternness. Petro has dark, curly, thick hair, brown eyes, fair skin, and a thin build. He is Maxim's favorite. He is now 17 years old. His close friends are Gleb, Ivan, Mikhail, and Roman. Petro is the oldest of the hunting boys. Many in the village know him as a very good hunter, and many girls know him as an enviable guy.