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Chapter 1
"Go in the opposite direction from which you returned, for behind you come those who seek your harm."
(Prophecies of Rivyahu)
In the heart of the night, within an unfamiliar forest, I found myself in the middle of nowhere, fleeing from my hunters. I ran through the thick darkness, guided only by gaps between the trees that allowed the moonlight to slip through. The deeper I went into the shadows, the colder the air became—so much so that even the sweat on my forehead turned icy—as danger loomed around me in the form of white spheres of light galloping through the forest, searching for my whereabouts.
I could not stop; I had no will to do so. It was as if my body moved on its own, driven solely by the instinct to survive. I didn’t know why, for nothing beyond that was clear to me—only a growing urge to scream, stifled by the fear that they would find me faster if I did. I held only the faintest memory of a dreadful specter and the blood of an unknown victim staining my body.
I dodged several trunks and crashed into others scattered across the ground, concealed beneath a mist as thick as blood and as white as snow. My breath grew more ragged with each step, my heart leaping to the rhythm of its frantic music, until the sonnet was broken by the sound of footsteps behind me.
The gaps of light dwindled until the last was gone. Now it was only me against the darkness—prey against hunter. Thinking quickly, I hid behind a tree, pressing my hand against my mouth to stifle my fearful whimpers.
Silence fell. The song of my heart continued, this time uninterrupted, while the lights probed the shadows with greater intensity. That deceptive calm made my body tremble as I pressed my back hard against the tree.
I clutched the ground with force, searching for safety, and forced myself to dare a glance. Two male silhouettes, each with one hand raised and holding the lights, walked through the forest, inspecting carefully behind trees, fallen logs, and every space they encountered.
I was in danger. Those men would soon find me, and I could not begin to imagine what would happen when they did. Looking ahead, I saw a dark path, where the trees that framed it vanished into the distance.
When I turned back to watch my pursuers, a throbbing pain struck my head. At the same time, glowing green cubes appeared on the chests of those men. The cubes rose, aiming in my direction, and as they drew near, the pain inside me spread like a raging river.
Soon I could no longer move, overwhelmed by the searing fire burning through my temples. My eyes shut tight, my teeth clenched—and suddenly a light burst forth in the darkness, colliding with others like it until they fused into rays of the same color.
When I opened my eyes, the once-impenetrable forest revealed a path of shifting green hues, emanating from the trees themselves, illuminating everything. I raised my hand and saw that same color shining from it. Drawn to the glow, I rose from the ground—when suddenly, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder, followed by a voice.
—We found you —he said with a strangely cheerful tone, his face hidden in the shadows.
The reaction was instantaneous. I couldn’t explain how it happened, but the simple act of touching his chest with my hand hurled him violently several meters away, crashing against a tree.
The sound that followed revealed the severity of his wound, much like the brutal snap of a branch. One of the lights pursuing me vanished instantly. Another silhouette, glowing cube on his chest, approached and struck me across the face, sending me sprawling to the ground. A green hand slammed against the earth as I rolled through the mist. The white haze swirled beneath his feet, his arms glowing with a pale green light.
—Damn selfish wretch! —he spat, leaping at me.
I dodged with inhuman precision I didn’t recall possessing. Emboldened, I tried to strike his face, but he countered with a kick to my side. I fell, curling up from the pain that pulsed with the same intensity as before. Gasping, I spat everything inside me onto the ground.
—You dare run from us, from Naraji, to live a miserable life, denying the world its paradise?
His fury overflowed, culminating as he seized my throat and lifted me into the air, his hand glowing green once more. My end was near, at the hands of this stranger who, for reasons unknown, hated me with all his being. I closed my eyes, arms falling limp, bracing for the final blow. A memory surfaced—a face, a woman: Maia.
She must have been waiting for me in the city. I couldn’t bear to disappoint her by never returning to her side. I had to go back, at any cost, to hold her, kiss her, if only one last time. I cannot allow myself to die! With renewed desperation, I struck his forearm, trying to free myself.
—And you still try to fight?!
I felt a fist slam into my stomach, but I didn’t stop struggling. I reached for his neck, but his arms were too long. In that desperate clash, the only thing I managed to grasp was the glowing cube. I tore at it with every ounce of strength left in me, though his grip on my throat blurred my thoughts and choked away my clarity.
A green light burst forth from the cube in my grasp, blinding me. The man shielded his face with one hand. Suddenly, I found myself suspended in the air with him, still in his grasp, both of us falling slowly.
The wind rushed up against my body, chilling my cheeks. In that fleeting moment, I saw his face—just as bewildered as mine by the sudden change. Strength welled up within me, and I seized the chance, kicking him hard and breaking free as we plummeted.
I was thrown, crashing violently against the hood of a car in the middle of a road, while the stranger smashed into a building, sinking into it. Both of us had landed in an unknown place. A car screeched to a halt, my back denting its frame.
The sonnet of my heart changed, its rhythm more frantic, accompanied by skidding tires and panicked screeches. Slowly, I opened my eyes and realized I was sunken into the car’s hood. As unconsciousness threatened, I turned my head, seeing a crossroad blocked off by the accident.
Through the windshield, I saw the driver slumped over the steering wheel. The scene unnerved me—but what terrified me most was the thought that he might wake. If he did, I could not remain here to see what would happen next. I must flee. I have to get to Maia, I thought.
Drawing a deep breath, I braced for the pain to come and forced myself off the hood, collapsing onto the pavement. People began stepping out of their cars, stunned and bewildered by the scene, while I struggled to stand. Weak and aching, I dragged myself to the corner of a building, leaning against it for support.
The simple movement made my back burn. My breathing grew ragged, my eyelids drooping with each exhale. I glanced at my arms with what little vision I had left, and saw that one hung limp, riddled with wounds.
A flashing red-and-blue light fell upon my hand, each pulse casting a shadow that grew closer, walking toward me. My breathing quickened, my heart pounded, and my body tried to react, but I only managed to torment myself further, swallowing down the anguish with the last of my strength. My legs twitched, but gave no real response.
—Here you are —a voice spoke. Tears slipped down my cheeks, born of fear, helplessness, and despair. And in that state, my mind finally went dark.
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