The night had grown even darker. The silence of the forest felt heavier now, as if something was hiding behind every tree. Ryu walked at the front, his eyes scanning every trunk, every faint mark among the leaves. Kael followed closely, his sword gripped tightly, while Elira tried to steady her breathing, as if calming her own heartbeat.
The rustle of leaves grew sharper for a moment. Ryu stopped. His hand lifted slightly into the air—a silent signal. Kael froze instantly, tightening his hold on his sword. Elira's fingers clutched her basket even tighter.
Ryu spoke softly.
"They're here."
And in the very next moment, shadows began to shift behind the trees. A faint whistle cut through the air, and suddenly, men emerged from every direction—around ten of them—armed with knives, swords, and bows. Their leader had a long scar across his face and carried an old, worn axe in his hand.
The scarred man grinned.
"Well, boys, look what we have here… a man, a woman, and a swordsman. Luck's on our side tonight."
Kael stepped forward, raising his sword straight in front of him.
"Don't make a mistake. Turn back now."
The leader laughed, spinning his axe once.
"The mistake is yours, little hunter. We've seen plenty like you… all of them ended up as stains on these leaves."
Kael glanced at Ryu, but Ryu stood utterly calm, expressionless—as if this scene meant nothing to him at all.
Elira looked at Ryu nervously and whispered,
"What… should we do?"
Ryu turned toward her, giving a faint, cold smile.
"Just stay behind."
The next moment was too fast for anyone to process. Three of the bandits lunged straight at Kael. Kael blocked one strike with his sword, smashed another man's jaw with the flat of his blade, but the third tried to slip in from behind.
And then—
Ryu stepped forward once. His hand moved so fast it made only a whisper in the air. The bandit's arm fell to the ground before he even realized it was gone. Before he could scream, Ryu pressed a blade to his throat and silenced him instantly.
Two more bandits rushed toward Ryu, but he didn't even look at them. He caught their blades between two fingers, snapped the metal with a flick, and in the next second, both men were thrown to the ground.
The leader saw this and his face turned pale. He shouted in panic to his men,
"He's… he's not human! Kill him!"
Ryu walked slowly toward him. His face was still calm, but his eyes held a strange depth—as if he was looking from another world.
Standing right before the man, Ryu said quietly,
"You picked the wrong day."
In the blink of an eye, Ryu's hand moved, and the leader's axe hit the ground. His body fell backward silently… and the forest returned to its eerie stillness.
Kael lowered his sword, staring at Ryu in disbelief.
"What… what was that? You… you just—"
Ryu looked at him and smiled faintly.
"This was just the beginning."
Elira stood frozen, her hands trembling slightly. She looked at Ryu, and he turned toward her with a small, calm smile, as if everything was perfectly normal.
But behind that smile… another face lingered. A face silently asking itself—"Am I becoming the same as before?"
The forest was quiet again, but in the air, along with the scent of leaves, drifted something else—the smell of blood.
—
The morning sun slowly rose above the trees, though beneath the dense canopy, the air remained cool. Ryu, Elira, and Kael had traveled through the night and now stood at the edge of a small hill.
Below them lay a city—surrounded by high stone walls, narrow streets winding through, and at the center, a large marketplace where smoke and the scent of spices filled the air.
Kael adjusted his sword on his shoulder and said quietly,
"Finally, a place where we can breathe for a while."
Ryu looked toward the city, his face as calm as ever.
"Peace… let's see how long it lasts."
Elira looked at him and smiled softly, as if trying to keep herself positive.
"At least we'll get some good food here."
Ryu glanced at her and smiled faintly as they began to walk.
"Let's find out."
—
Inside the city, the marketplace was full of life. People shouted, children ran around laughing, and vendors called out loudly to attract customers. Elira's eyes sparkled as she looked around—she hadn't seen such liveliness in a long time.
She stopped by a small stall selling sweets. Ryu came beside her and glanced at them for a moment. Elira looked up at him, a little hesitant.
"These… look nice."
Without saying anything, Ryu took out a few coins from a small pouch and handed them to the vendor. Elira looked surprised.
"Ryu… you—"
Ryu handed her a small piece and started walking ahead.
"The journey's long. Something sweet is needed."
A gentle smile appeared on Elira's face.
Kael followed behind them, sounding slightly irritated.
"Perfect. Just what we needed… me playing bodyguard in the middle of a love story."
Ryu turned slightly toward him.
"Bodyguard? We'd be fine without you. You can always go back to the forest if you want."
Kael snorted and said nothing.
—
As they reached the center of the market, a faint sound echoed—like something shifting above the rooftops. Ryu stopped. His expression changed instantly, eyes sharpening.
A shadow leaped down from between the rooftops. A man dressed entirely in black, half his face hidden behind a mask, and in his eyes—a sly, dangerous smile. A small dagger gleamed in his hand.
He landed right in front of Ryu and said with a smirk,
"So, you're the one who stole my hunt in the forest last night."
Kael instantly gripped his sword, and Elira stepped back. Ryu just stared straight into the man's eyes.
The rogue twirled his dagger and bowed slightly.
"I'm Saren. I have some business with you… and maybe you have some with me."
Ryu's expression didn't change as he replied softly,
"Business? Or betrayal?"
Saren chuckled, the half-hidden face beneath the mask making him look even more mysterious.
"Time will tell."
As soon as he said that, the people in the marketplace stepped back, sensing something was about to happen. Ryu glanced once at Elira, then turned his eyes back to Saren.
That familiar calm smile returned to his lips—but his steps moved slightly forward.
TO BE CONTINUED…