Chi-Long at the front.
Ha Joon carrying Eun Byol on his back.
She led the way.
Ha Joon slowly turned.
Looked back one last time at the ridge behind them.
Then faced forward.
Kept walking.
---
Eun Byol's eyes were open.
Not fully seeing.
Taking things in slowly.
The trees.
The different types of green surrounding them.
The different layers of brown mixing with the dirt beneath their feet.
The blue sky above.
Then his face.
Ha Joon.
Black hair mixed with blood, different shades of black now bleeding into each other.
His eyes stealing a glance at her.
An unfinished smile passing between them.
---
Ahead, Chi-Long walked.
Calm.
Collected.
The wind picked up slowly.
Her ponytail began to dance.
Slow at first.
Then faster.
Then the smell came.
Burnt flesh.
Burnt tree.
A small rain of ash appeared in the air around them.
Eun Byol's eyes moved back to the ponytail.
Followed it.
Then saw past it.
A warrior ant.
Giant.
Winged.
Or what used to be winged.
The smell of it roasted.
Black like the others.
But cooked.
Her eyes slowly widened.
She looked around.
More.
More and more of them.
Bodies upon trees.
Embedded in the earth.
Black blood painting everything.
The green and brown slowly disappearing beneath it.
Some trees still burning.
They were walking through a graveyard.
Neither of them spoke.
The realization arriving at the same moment for both of them.
Their eyes met over his shoulder.
No words needed.
*She killed all of them.*
*How.*
*When.*
*How many.*
Their eyes moved back to her.
Walking ahead.
Calm as morning.
Their eyes found each other again without a word passing between them.
*What is she even human.*
They kept walking.
Each previous ant sliced open.
Insides spread across the earth.
Body parts disappearing into the dark soil.
---
Then Chi-Long stopped.
The mountain became more visible ahead.
Black smoke underneath it.
Explosions like fireworks clashing against the darkness.
The battle still burning in the distance.
Chi-Long spoke without turning.
"You passed the test. And you made good time."
A pause.
"Lord Ash will arrive soon. We must prepare for the meeting."
---
Ha Joon's eyes went somewhere else.
A chair.
Green fabric.
Torn armrest.
Ash sitting in it.
Small.
Wearing darkness like clothing.
Another monster inhabiting a child's body.
*Greatness.*
---
Eun Byol slowly rose up closer to his ear.
Whispered.
"This Ash character. I've only heard her mention him. Some kind of Lord. Some kind of Master. I don't know what he looks like. Who he is. But he must be something else for someone like her to give such praise."
A pause.
"And you. You're the reason we're even doing all of this in the first place."
The words poured out of her quietly.
"Lord Ash. What type of person is he? Is he like her? Scarier than her? What should I expect?"
Ha Joon smiled.
Small.
Just a little.
"He's not someone you can put into words. He's just someone you have to meet to understand."
A pause.
"Well. Sort of."
"You'll see."
Eun Byol's eyes passed forward.
Settled on Chi-Long's back ahead of them.
"Okay."
A breath.
"I guess I get to meet this Lord Ash."
The mountain drew closer.
The black smoke beneath it rising endlessly.
And Chi-Long walked forward.
Never slowing.
Never stopping.
Leading them toward whatever came next.