The forest air grew denser as the group advanced among the tall trees. The sun, filtered through the branches, cast long shadows on the leaf-covered ground. Alex, EMI, and Aria moved in silence, their senses alert. They had been following the trail of the mysterious woman who had terrorized nearby villages. Some said she was vengeful, capable of disintegrating anything she touched; others claimed her eyes glowed with a deadly intensity. In any case, the mission was clear: find her and stop her before she caused more harm.
Aria, as always, appeared cheerful and excited about the adventure. Despite the seriousness of the situation, her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
—"I can't wait to find her! They say she has incredible powers. This is going to be an epic battle!" —she exclaimed, smiling as she looked ahead.
EMI, in contrast, walked with a furrowed brow. Although her face remained calm, her tense body reflected a growing concern.
—"Aria, don't underestimate the situation. We may not be prepared for what awaits us. This woman has destroyed everything in her path, and her magic…" —EMI paused, glancing around. The atmosphere was becoming more and more ominous— "We must be ready for anything."
Alex, walking beside EMI, noticed how the tension in her grew. It was clear the mission was affecting her more than she let on. He didn't know much about magic, but he had learned to trust his instincts and those of his companions. If EMI was worried, there was a reason for it.
As they advanced, the signs of the woman became more evident. Footprints on the ground, trees with strange marks, and fragments of disintegrated objects scattered along the path. The forest's silence was broken only by the crunch of leaves underfoot. The atmosphere grew thicker, and an unsettling feeling settled over them.
Suddenly, a red glow lit up the air. A flash in the distance—and in the blink of an eye, a figure appeared before them.
It was the woman.
Her presence was overwhelming, as if the forest itself had bowed around her. Her long dark hair fell like a waterfall, and her eyes glowed with an almost supernatural intensity. But what stood out the most was the magnetism she radiated—an energy that seemed to envelop EMI in a way no one could ignore.
EMI, used to keeping her composure, froze for a moment, her eyes fixed on the woman. It wasn't fear she felt, but an inexplicable fascination. The woman smiled gently, and EMI couldn't help but feel unsettled by the instant connection that seemed to form between them.
—"Who are you?" —the woman spoke with a soft voice, but her tone was authoritative, as if she already knew who they were without needing to ask.
Aria, noticing the look the woman had directed at EMI, frowned, feeling a pang of jealousy. But she said nothing. Her energy was focused on the danger the woman radiated.
Before any of them could respond, the woman locked eyes with Alex. In that instant, her expression changed. The warmth in her face vanished, replaced by a mix of contempt and fury.
—"You… you're one of them," —she said, her voice low and filled with hatred. Her eyes burned with intensity as she pointed at him.
Alex, confused by her words, tried to speak.
—"What do you mean…?" —he began to ask, but he didn't get the chance to finish. The woman grabbed him with surprising speed, her hands wrapping around him with inhuman strength. Without another word, she lifted him off the ground and dragged him into the forest at a speed that left EMI and Aria paralyzed.
—"Alex!" —Aria shouted, taking a step forward, but EMI stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
—"We can't go after her. She's too dangerous. But we have to follow." —EMI whispered, her eyes full of determination. Despite her concern, she knew they had to move carefully.
---
The woman finally arrived at a cave hidden among the trees—her lair. The air inside was cold and damp, but the woman showed no signs of discomfort. She dropped Alex to the ground with a rough motion, watching him closely as she sat on a nearby rock.
—"Who are you really?" —Alex asked, still confused by how quickly he had been captured.
The woman stared at him for a long moment, then, with an unsettling calm, began to speak.
—"I was deceived. A man, someone I thought was a hero, promised to save me. But instead, he handed me over to a group of men who used me as their toy. When I finally escaped, I swore I'd take revenge on all men, because they're all like him." —Her voice cracked at the end, revealing the deep pain that still marked her.
Alex, though shocked, couldn't help but feel confused. He knew that the hatred and pain she had suffered had consumed her—but something didn't add up. The woman couldn't be the whole story. Something else was at play.
At that moment, a small figure appeared behind the woman. A girl, no older than ten, with an innocent and curious face. Her eyes sparkled with a clarity untouched by the suffering her sister had endured.
—"Who is he?" —the girl asked, looking at Alex with interest.
Alex smiled gently, trying to reassure her.
—"Don't worry, everything's fine." —he said calmly, though inside he felt a growing unease. The girl didn't understand the gravity of the situation.
The girl took a few steps closer, but the woman raised a hand—firm, but not violent.
—"Lina, stay away from him. Don't go near."
—"But he doesn't seem bad…" —the girl murmured, lowering her gaze, slightly disappointed.
—"That's what they do," —the woman snapped, glaring at Alex— "They hide behind soft words and kind faces… until it's too late."
Alex didn't respond immediately. His hands were still bound, but his mind wouldn't stop working. There was something about this woman—a constant contradiction. A mix of genuine hatred and a fierce protective instinct shown only toward the girl. Was she truly monstrous… or just broken?
—"I'm not like him," he finally said, breaking the silence. "I don't know who that man was who betrayed you, but I'm not him. Not like him."
The woman laughed, dry and joyless.
—"You think I haven't heard that before? 'I'm not like them.' Everyone says that. Until they show their claws."
—"And what will you do?" Alex asked, voice low but firm. "Will you kill me in front of her? Will you teach her that justice is born from hatred?"
That made her fall silent. Her gaze faltered for a moment. Then she snapped at the girl:
—"Go inside. I told you not to look."
Lina hesitated, glancing back at Alex one last time, then disappeared down a stone passage deeper into the cave.
Alone with him, the woman stepped closer—about a meter away. Her eyes no longer glowed with fury but with something darker: hopelessness.
—"She's all I have left. The only good thing. If you… if any of you touch her, I swear I'll set the world on fire with my own hands."
—"And why would you believe I'd do that?" Alex asked sincerely. "I didn't come here to hurt anyone. I was dragged here."
The woman didn't respond at once. Instead, she whirled abruptly and, without warning, grabbed Alex by the arm and dragged him to a hidden side chamber in the cave. The passage narrowed and darkened, ending in a cramped room barred off with roots and rusty metal. She shoved him inside without care, sealing a heavy stone gate behind him.
—"You'd better pray your lie is good," she said coldly before departing.
Minutes later, footsteps echoed along the corridor. One by one, women entered the outer chamber where a dim firelight illuminated about ten faces. Some wore ragged clothes; others, light armor covered with moss and tanned leather. But all, without exception, bore visible scars from their past: burns, wounds that ran deeper than skin.
—"Is this the prisoner?" asked an older woman, an eyepatch over one eye and a spear crossed on her back.
—"Yes," answered the woman who had captured him. "I found him in the forest. He wasn't alone. He was with two girls—a purple-haired one and another with black hair and golden eyes."
Alex jumped up, clutching the bars.
—"That's true! I'm not here to hurt you! I came with my companions, EMI and Aria. We were sent to investigate reports of attacks on noble men between the duchies of Alaric and Shenseng!"
A murmur rippled through the group. Several women tensed. One of them, young-faced but with dim eyes, stepped forward.
—"So you came to hunt us…? Like so many others."
—"No!" Alex exclaimed. "Listen to me, please. The order was to investigate, not execute. No one even knew if the reports were true. We only knew a man-hunting woman was attacking merchants and nobles! I came with EMI, my childhood friend, and Aria, a warrior from the duchy. I have no intention of harming anyone."
The women looked at him in silence. Some hesitated; others clenched their fists. The eyepatched woman was first to speak.
—"And yet, here you are. Why did you follow a lone woman into the forest? Why were you armed? Why didn't you cry for help when you were captured? Because you knew you didn't come in peace."
Alex swallowed hard. He had no answers that could soothe that kind of anger.
—"Where are your friends, then?" asked another woman, her voice trembling but steady. "If they truly came with you, why aren't they here?"
—"I'm sure they're searching for me," he replied softly. "EMI… she wouldn't stop. She wouldn't leave me."
—"EMI?" repeated the captor, raising an eyebrow. "The one with golden eyes?"
Alex nodded quickly.
—"Yes. That's EMI."
The woman frowned, as if trying to recall something buried.
—"I saw her. Not far from here. And the other one, too. They looked determined… and dangerous. Perhaps more dangerous than you."
—"Then let me speak with them," Alex begged. "Let me prove we're not your enemies."
But the eyepatched woman shook her head.
—"No. We've been deceived before. And we won't let it happen again. If they come, they'll be captured too. But you…" she turned to the others— "…you will be an example."
A young woman, perhaps the group's youngest, spoke up shakily:
—"What do you mean?"
—"He can't stay here," another interrupted. "The girls… they shouldn't see him. They're already asking about him."
—"Then it will be tonight," declared the eyepatched woman. "We'll sacrifice him on the new moon. Let the forest judge his soul. May his blood soothe those who still cry."
Alex recoiled, stunned.
—"You're making a mistake!"
But no one listened any longer. The women began leaving one by one, leaving only his captor. She stared at him for a long moment. Fury seemed to have faded from her face, replaced by deep sadness—as if a wound in her heart had never healed.
—"If you're lying, we'll know. And if not… then I'm sorry you came to the wrong place."
Then something shifted in the air.
Suddenly, a crash shook the hideout. A group of men burst through the entrance. They were mercenaries—ruffians armed to the teeth. They mocked the woman and Alex, watching the scene with contempt.
—"So you took another man to try and avenge yourself on men just because you couldn't save yourself?" the leader sneered, pointing at Alex, who stood upright though worried.
The woman, furious, stood to strike—but before she could, a magic barrier sprung up around her, blocking her moves. The mercenaries laughed at her frustration.
—"Your magic can't work here, dear. We're invincible." the leader joked.
He stepped toward Alex, and seeing the duchy seal on his armor, his expression shifted slightly.
—"Well, seems we have something valuable here. Maybe we can get a nice reward for this boy." He signaled his men to seize him—and the women too.
Alex, trapped and uncertain of what would happen next, could think of only one thing: EMI and Aria still hadn't arrived. And he needed them to come soon—before everything fell apart completely.
The mercenaries began pouring into the cave, pushing women aside, binding or imprisoning them like trophies. Some tried to resist, but the magic barrier nullified their abilities. Desperation filled the air.
The woman who captured Alex roared in frustration from within her arcane prison.
—"Cowards! Face me without your damned tricks if you dare!"
But her voice was met with more mocking laughs.
—"We like to win, not play fair," one mercenary jeered, striking a young woman who lunged to bite his hand.
Alex, still bound, was yanked by two burly men who stripped part of his armor off, searching for hidden weapons or marks. The leader knelt before him, roughly grabbing his chin.
—"Tell me, noble boy… how much do you think your duke will pay to have you back?"
—"Less than what it'll cost to find your bodies," Alex retorted, staring deep into the mercenary's eyes.
The punch came swiftly— the backhand slap sent him crashing sideways. Blood dripped from his lip, but his expression remained firm. He knew he had to hold on… just a little longer.
---
Far off in the forest, not too distant from the cave, EMI stopped dead. She had felt something: a magical disturbance in the air. Her hair rustled with an unnatural breeze.
—"Did you feel that?" Aria asked, gripping her spear.
—"Yes…" EMI answered, her golden eyes shining fiercely. "A magic-suppression seal just activated. That's not her doing… someone else is there."
—"Do you think they've captured him?"
—"If they hadn't before… now they have. And if we don't hurry… we may never see him alive."
Both women rushed forward, racing through the trees like swift shadows.
Back in the cave, Lina hid behind a tapestry, her wide eyes filled with fear. She had watched her sister imprisoned, saw how those beasts dragged some women away, laughing, screaming, destroying everything in their path. But their steps were not heavy nor clumsy. They moved with purpose. They sought more than chaos.
Alex lifted his head from the ground, trying to spot her. He didn't see her… but he knew she was there—observing, learning how cruel the world could be. He couldn't allow it.
—"You!" he rasped toward the mercenaries. "If you're really after gold or a ransom, you're making a mistake! You don't know the women you're dealing with!"
The leader looked at him, amused.
—"Oh really? And what will you do? Shout a lot?"
—"No. But you're underestimating them. She…" he looked at the woman trapped in the barrier, "if she breaks free, you won't escape. And if my companions arrive first… none of you will walk away alive."
—"Then we better hurry," said the leader, standing. "Raise the fire. This cave will be a tomb for all but us."
And as they began preparing a large pyre at the center of the refuge— with Alex and several women marked for sacrifice— a cold breeze traced through the cave entrance…