Hazel

Hazel

He was only four years old when his parents left him in the woods. They couldn’t afford to feed a third mouth. They never gave him a name, for they knew they would become too attached if they did. Upon waking up, he desperately cried for his mom and dad. With every step he took, the rigid ground of the woods struck at his fragile feet. He screamed until his throat grew sore. He cried until he had no more tears to spare. Besides his parents, nobody knew him. He was destined to die.
He found a soft bed of foliage and passed out for the night.
By next morning, he awoke on a crudely made bed to the sound of distant children’s singing. He was put in a tent, and his injuries healed. Now, only hunger rattled him out of dormancy. Confused, yet strangely warm and comforted, he stepped out of the tent in a pair of moccasins that sat before the bed. What besieged the boy was a fairytale: a lush forest, lit only by yellow, glowing particles that drifted around. He stretched an arm out, catching one of the golden specks in his palm.
At this point, the residents of the hamlet finally noticed the newcomer. They were all children, the oldest being around 12-years-old. The younger ones ran and crowded around him, first, talking over their questions with their own words. Then came the others, all looking eager and curious about him. He took a step back, overwhelmed by their excitement. It wasn't until the leader of the group, the oldest boy named Cedar, silenced the group. He appeared with a warm smile, asking the newcomer of his name. He said he did not know.​ That he did not have one. ​ "Then, Hazel," Cedar answered, almost instantaneously. "Because your eyes are Hazel."​ ​ "Hazel," he echoed. For the first time in days, he smiled.​
They called themselves the Lost Boys, and they welcomed him with open arms, fulfilling an empty gap within Hazel: a need for love and affection. They named the mystical part of the forest Neverland, where fae dust sprinkled from the treetops.
As the day neared an end, Cedar helped Hazel find a hut to live in. He gave him all the comforts he could have asked for; the ones he didn't know he needed until he had them. Cedar created clothing to replace his torn rags. He cleansed him of the dirt and filth in seconds. It was the first time there were people who cared about him. ​ Hazel took in Neverland's “mystical properties” with more excitement than shock. The Lost Boys were left to their peaceful lives across the whole island. It was as if time had slowed in Neverland. Cedar showed the ecstatic Hazel his powers. How he could talk to the flora and fauna and ask them to do whatever he wanted them to. He explained that they needed to be treated with kindness, just like everyone else in the world. In Hazel's eyes, he was perfect at everything.​ ​ So when Hazel begged and pleaded to learn how to master those same powers under Cedar's tutoring, he was elated at how quickly he agreed. The matter of Hazel learning under Cedar was made public to the rest of the Lost Boys, and they applauded for them. They congratulated Hazel for being special, even giving their homemade presents to the boy. It was a child's dream come true, being respected by everyone and to become “special.” However, he felt their praise was unnecessary and misguided. For being able to learn the magic, he felt it didn't mean others should idolize him.​ ​ Even so, he did not comment on their over-the-top respect for Cedar. He didn't want to rain on their parade, or ruin anything for the leader of the group. He loved Cedar just as much as everyone else. ​ Cedar taught him everything he knows to this day. From what kind of magic he was capable of and the use of his staff. It took Hazel three years to be able to use his spells on a whim, and another three years to excel in them. Each day was spent training and having fun with the rest of the Lost Boys. Every minute in Neverland was filled with fun.​ ​ One evening, though, deep into Hazel's training, he found Cedar sitting at the edge of Neverland, watching the sunset past a clearing in the forest. It was that day he confided everything to Hazel. The reason no one else was learning with Hazel was because of Cedar. He lied to the other Lost Boys. They, too, wanted to learn his skills, and he knew they had potential. Cedar told them only a select few were able to learn magic, and people like himself could tell if anyone was suitable just by looking at them. He told them that every time they used magic, they drained Neverland of its magic capacity. He told them they weren’t capable of learning. In truth, he was certain it would break the relaxing balance they had. He felt they would abuse their powers and drain Neverland of its “magic,” despite it not having any. Not that he told Hazel. "I'm selfish," he said to Hazel with a solemn smile. "I'm selfish for keeping myself as the best. For wanting them to always stick around me. I didn't let them be the best as they could have been..."​ ​ "That's not true!" Hazel shouted. "You did that because you didn’t want Neverland to lose its magic. You didn't want this mystical place to fade away... And if that was true, then why did you teach me everything?"​ ​ Not everything. "You felt... special, Hazel. I felt I could trust you. You're not like everyone else I've seen. You're not like me. You're not selfish."​ ​ Four years passed, and Hazel was now 14 years old. The Lost Boys were still the same as they had always been, albeit more mature like Cedar was at their age. They still saw new appearances and other inhabitants of Neverland to liven up their days. Hazel became just as adept at Cedar, and everyone threw a festival to celebrate his success.​ ​ Cedar, however, had plans he could not even tell Hazel or any of the Lost Boys. Nearing the end of the festivities and the excitement, he handed his staff to Hazel. There was a brief silence among the crowd, and everybody assumed this was a thing between master and student. Instead, they quickly learned it was a farewell gift. “I told you, Hazel... and I'm sorry... I'm selfish…” Tree roots enshrouded him, dragging Cedar beneath the ground. In seconds, he vanished, traveling below ground; out of Neverland. ​ Cedar spent the majority of his life in Neverland; a haven he created for himself to replenish everything he’d lacked for so long. After years in his self-made utopia, regret and guilt ate him inside out. He wanted it to continue on, though, so when Hazel arrived, he entrusted him to take his place. He wanted to experience the actual world again. He wanted to escape from the place he felt became his luxurious prison. He felt there was something more waiting for him. And so, after leaving it all to Hazel, he used his magic as an exit while everyone called his name.​ ​ It was too late. Cedar was gone, leaving everyone with a new feeling: dread.​ ​ However, Cedar’s subterranean exit left a path in the ground. Thus, Hazel organized the Lost Boys to form a desperate search and rescue party. None of them knew or remembered what the real world was like, but they were all willing to take the risk to bring back their dear friend. They packed their belongings from the huts, gathering together for one more time. Then, at last, all the Lost Boys ventured out of Neverland. They looked back at Neverland as if it were alive, and promised to return with Cedar.​ ​ But what was beyond the woods was astounding to them all. After so long in Neverland, they were used to the mystical properties and mythological creatures that roamed the land. The real world had become the fantasy. Carriages dashed across paved roads. Adults walked in fancy attire. Buildings scaled ten times higher than the biggest tree in Neverland, and there were so, so many people.​ ​ The Lost Boys became like kids in a candy store, running around lost and towards anything that caught their eye. Hazel tried corralling together, but was met with a faint response or none at all. They each dashed in opposite directions, making it impossible for Hazel to gather them. However, it wasn’t long before he too was enthralled by the alien society. There were so many new things, it was impossible for none of them to captivate the Lost Boys.
But by the end of the day, he never forgot his goal. Hazel was to find Cedar and bring him back home to Neverland. However, he was already separated from the entirety of the Lost Boys. And searching for Cedar proved to be a near impossible task. Hazel wandered around the labyrinthian kingdom, having to sneak past the walls up past the different districts. He asked everyone he came across about Cedar. All that earned were confused scowls of strangers and the ire of those wanting some peace and quiet.​ ​ Days of searching turned to weeks. Weeks to months. Months to a year. Hazel relearned many of the things he felt centuries ago: hunger, fear, loneliness. He believed the other Lost Boys had given up and returned home, but he wanted to surprise them by bringing Cedar back, too. Hazel became a vagabond, scrounging for food and making his own comfortable hideouts. He trekked to places he thought Cedar could be, but never found any sign of him.
The last time he ventured back to Neverland, he was 18 years old. Fae dust still rained from the treetops, and it was just as serene as he remembered. But, in contrast to the decade he’d spent, it was far more silent. He couldn’t find the same happiness there that was present back then. Cedar was right; as soon as the Lost Boys learned of the outside world, the magic of Neverland disappeared. He failed the position entrusted to him.

A wandering boy who only goes by the name of Hazel. He goes where the wind takes him, without care or a purpose. All anyone knows of Hazel is that he grew in the forest. Raised by people he found—and soon lost.

View Character Profile

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Age

19

Current Residence

Anywhere

Gender

Male

Eyes

Hazel

Hair

White

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tanned

Height

5'7 (180 cm)

Weight

152 lbs (69 kg)