On the riverbank flanked by steep cliffs, Noah sat cross-legged on the damp ground. His fingers traced irregular lines in the mud, trying to recall the village map he had once seen.
If we follow the river... his markings grew more frantic. No, the cliffs are too high.
He rubbed his throbbing temples. His only clue was the morning sun rising in the east. His gaze shifted to Sena, and a realization struck him: That wolf was exactly like in my dream.
He approached Sena with determined steps. "We have to move," he said, offering a hand to the still-shivering girl. Her clothes were still wet, her hair stuck to her pale cheeks. "They must be looking for us. But staying here is more dangerous."
Sena nodded weakly, her cold fingers gripping Noah's hand tightly. As they stood, her grip trembled slightly—not from the cold, but from the lingering fear.
The forest ahead loomed like an open jaw ready to devour them. The morning mist hid its interior, creating a mysterious and eerie aura. Their steps left small footprints along the riverbank.
"I... I'm sorry," Sena whispered suddenly, her voice breaking. "I started all this."
Noah stopped. In his blue eyes, the shadow of the wolf was still clear—its fangs, its purple energy, the unnatural way it moved...
"This isn't your fault," he answered, suppressing the tremor in his own voice. "I believe you. This world is just strange by nature."
Sena looked at him for a long time. She knew Noah was lying. Not about the forest—but about his fear. Their still-connected hands transmitted equally strong vibrations from both sides.
"Come on," Noah hissed, taking the first step into the shadow of the trees. "We'll go home together."
…
Their steps went deeper into the forest, which felt like a dead world. Every breath they took echoed too loudly in the terrifying silence, as if breaking a taboo that shouldn't be broken.
Noah clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. Focus. Fight the wolf? Impossible. Run? It's too fast. Then—
His thoughts stopped abruptly. When I glimpsed the wolf, I felt its body seemed to be growing larger. So the way to slow it down is—!
"We have to go through that dense path," he said suddenly, pointing to a narrow gap between two old oak trees. As they walked, his eyes turned to the girl beside him. "By the way, your name is Sena, right?"
Sena nodded quickly, her messy blonde strands swaying.
Noah took a deep breath. "I'm Noah. Just call me that." His voice was deliberately flat, but failed to hide the slight tremor at the end of the sentence.
"Yes... Noah," Sena replied, her voice as small as a fallen chick's chirp. Her hand grabbed the edge of Noah's shirt, holding it tightly. "Thank you," she whispered almost inaudibly.
"Hey, shouldn't you have magic?" Noah asked, confused.
"Yes, but… I can't really control it yet."
Noah frowned. What is her magic?
Suddenly—a flash of yellow light flickered in the air, reflecting into Noah's eyes.
Noah looked up. A small, shimmering star floated in the air, forming a hypnotic circular pattern.
"That's Allen's magic…." His heart pounded. "They're looking for us!"
Sena saw it too. Her eyes sparkled at the beauty of the star pattern. A faint smile appeared on her face, and the tension in her body instantly eased.
"Allen is here!!" Noah exclaimed, almost running—
SQUELCH.
Just as he took a step, his foot sank into a thick puddle. The smell of rotten iron assaulted their noses like a slap.
"B-Blood...!" Sena screamed softly, her body immediately shrinking behind Noah. Her hands gripped Noah's shirt so tightly her fingers turned white.
Noah swallowed hard. Slowly, his eyes traced the trail of dark red puddles—
—and the world seemed to stop spinning.
Six wolf carcasses were scattered like broken dolls: one hung on a low branch with intestines dangling like rope, another's face crushed as if hit by a giant rock. All their eyes were wide open, frozen in expressions of pure terror.
The most horrifying thing—all the wounds were fresh. Black blood bubbled slowly from torn necks.
"It... killed its own pack?" Noah whispered, his voice hoarse like a thirsty person.
Noah had a bad feeling. He squeezed Sena's hand tighter; her cold skin was now sweaty. "Don't make a sound," he whispered right above her breath, "we have to move now."
They darted through the bushes, every step feeling like stepping on broken glass—slow but deadly. Suddenly, Noah pulled Sena aside.
Under the roots of a giant tree, a hidden hole gaped. Dark, narrow, but enough for two children's bodies.
Without a second thought, Noah pushed Sena in first, his hand immediately covering the girl's mouth as they curled up. His palm was wet from Sena's ragged breath.
KRRK...
The ground shook.
The wolf appeared—now 1.5 times larger than before. Its rib cage protruded like a broken cage, its hip bones pierced through its skin, and its black fur was falling out in patches. The purple light surrounding it grew stronger, making the air around it waver.
It walked slowly, its nose sniffing wildly. It stopped near another wolf carcass, growling contentedly while scraping the blood-soaked ground with knife-long claws.
Noah held his breath. His heart pounded until it hurt. Itssense of smell should be disrupted by the carcasses, he thought to himself.
For a moment that felt like an eternity, the monster finally growled and left—but its footsteps deliberately crushed a branch near their hiding hole.
"It's only a matter of time," Noah shuddered, removing his hand from Sena's mouth, now wet with tears. They breathed a temporary sigh of relief. "We have to find Allen before it finds us."
In the distance, the sound of a roar echoed again—this time closer.