After bidding goodbye to Shen Seizan, Vixen Sature typed a message to Kin Ouren:
> "Are you feeling better now?"
Moments later, another message followed:
> "This time, I want you to stay with me. I'm planning to rent a house near the military camp so you can be safe by my side."
Kin Ouren replied with a soft refusal.
> "You don't have to arrange all that for me, Vixen. I'm fine here at Little Kenny's house. Everyone takes good care of me."
But Vixen wouldn't give up that easily.
> "No, Kin. I want you with me. You will stay by my side. I'm coming to see you soon."
And with that final message, Vixen started walking toward Kenny's house, eager to meet Kin in person.
The road was quiet.
The sun had already dipped behind the hills, casting long shadows through the dense forest that lined the path. A faint breeze rustled the leaves above, but the silence beneath was unnerving—almost unnatural.
As Vixen passed a narrow stretch bordered by thick woods, his steps slowed.
There, between two twisted trees, he saw it.
A hunched figure—its body crooked, spine unnaturally bent, limbs trembling—stood just off the road in the shadows.
At first, Vixen thought it was a beggar or maybe an injured man. But something about the stillness… the breathless silence surrounding that figure… felt wrong.
Curious—and cautious—Vixen stepped closer into the trees.
The moment he neared, the figure lifted its face.
And Vixen froze.
Its skull was partially exposed—scalp peeled back like torn paper.
The man's eyes were gone, replaced by gaping, oozing sockets that bled thick streams of blackened blood, pouring like tears.
And yet…
The creature was smiling.
A slow, cracked smile stretching far too wide, as if the jaw itself had forgotten its limits.
Then, in a flash—it moved.
The creature darted toward Vixen, its limbs flailing, body jerking unnaturally with every step.
Vixen stumbled back, heart racing, shoes scraping against gravel. Without hesitation, he released his alpha pheromone—potent, commanding, divine.
The moment the scent filled the air, the creature let out a horrific screech—not human, not animal. A sound that tore through the trees like glass shattering in a thunderstorm.
And then—it vanished.
Not faded.
Not ran.
Vanished—like smoke in the wind.
The air stilled again. The forest seemed to breathe a sigh of silence.
And it was as if nothing had happened.
But Vixen knew what he saw. He felt the evil seep into his bones.
Still shaken but steady, he resumed his walk to Kenny's house, reaching quickly.
He greeted Kin with his usual warm smile.
But said nothing about what had just happened on the road.
Continue.....