Life had begun to settle into a peaceful rhythm for Kin Ouren and Vixen Sature.
Their newly rented home—quiet, tucked away in the shadows near the military camp—felt almost like a sanctuary. Days passed with soft laughter, shared meals, and moments of warmth.
But peace in ZEMURA was always an illusion.
And that illusion was about to shatter.
That evening, a sudden message arrived from the military camp. Vixen Sature was needed immediately for an emergency briefing.
He kissed Kin's forehead gently before leaving.
"I'll be back soon, love. Please don't open the door for anyone."
Kin smiled. "Take care," he whispered.
And then he was alone.
The house grew too quiet.
To distract himself, Kin brewed a hot cup of coffee, grabbed his phone, and stepped out onto the balcony. The night air was unnaturally cold—even for ZEMURA. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale, silvery light over the woods nearby.
Kin sat on a wooden chair. The breeze whispered through the trees. Somewhere in the distance, a dog howled.
He scrolled through his phone lazily, sipping the warm drink.
Then suddenly—
He froze.
A heavy presence loomed behind him.
He felt it.
The breath.
The eyes.
Something was standing just inches away.
Slow. Still. Watching.
Kin held his breath, refusing to look back. "It's just my imagination," he murmured, placing the coffee cup down on the side table.
But the next moment—
BANG!
A violent force slammed into his back.
He crashed to the ground, the chair toppling over with a loud creak. His coffee cup flew out of his hand, shattered into sharp pieces—and one jagged shard slashed across his palm.
Blood dripped.
Kin hissed in pain, clutching his hand.
The scent of iron mixed with the chill of the night.
As he tried to sit up, his eyes caught movement in the shadows beyond the garden gate.
A pale, disembodied hand—waving.
Not frantically.
Not friendly.
Luring.
It beckoned.
Kin's eyes widened in horror. But his feet… moved on their own.
Like he was in a trance.
Like something had crawled inside his mind and whispered:
> "Come… Come back… You thought you escaped…"
As he descended the stairs from the balcony, blood still dripping from his hand, the cold wrapped around him like chains.
He couldn't stop walking.
Couldn't speak. Couldn't scream.
He walked toward the trees… toward that hand…
toward something waiting with ancient, cursed hunger.
Behind him, the door to the balcony creaked open again—on its own.
And somewhere in the dark, a voice whispered:
> "This time… no one can save you."
Continue.....