Alice stared at Hairo, her eyes wide with shock.
"What are you talking about!? Shit…!!"
Before he could answer, a strange smell drifted in from outside. Blood. It grew stronger with every passing second. Then came the sound screams, distant at first, then closer, sharper, filled with fear.
Hairo's body trembled.
"I-it's… them… I think…" he said, his voice shaking as he cried.
Then A knock on the door.
Heavy. Sudden. Unwelcome.
Alice's expression changed instantly. Fear disappeared, replaced by something cold and focused. Slowly, she reached behind her back and pulled out a hidden blade.
The knock came again. Louder.
She moved toward the door carefully, her steps silent. Her grip tightened around the blade.
In one swift motion, she opened the door and attacked.
The blade flashed forward without hesitation.
Before anyone could react, she slammed the door shut again, blocking the entrance.
She turned quickly to Hairo and grabbed him firmly.
"Listen to me," she said in a low, urgent voice. "When you reach the border of Creyog, there will be an attack. You must not be scared. They will help you. Remember that, do"
CRASH.
The door burst open, wood shattering across the floor as Creyog soldiers forced their way inside.
One of them stepped forward slowly, a cruel smile on his face.
"Bitch…" he said, almost amused.
Another spoke impatiently, "Kill her already. We want the boy nothing more."
The first soldier looked at Hairo, then at the blood on him. "So this kid… he's the one who killed our two?" He smirked. "They deserved to die."
Alice didn't reply.
Instead "RUN, HAIRO!!!"
Her voice cut through everything.
She threw her blade.
It spun through the air and struck the first soldier, killing him instantly.
Hairo froze.
He had never seen his mother like this. Not weak. Not afraid.
Strong. Deadly.
He stood there, trembling, tears falling uncontrollably.
"L-let go of my hand…" he whispered, barely able to speak.
A figure stepped in front of him.
Neler.
"Where do you think you are going?" he said calmly. "Don't you want to see your mother?"
"STOPPPP!!!" Hairo screamed.
But it was too late.
The soldiers attacked Alice together.
Steel clashed. Movement blurred.
And then She fell.
Injured.
Still.
Hairo's world broke in that moment.
The soldiers grabbed him and dragged him away.
He didn't fight back.
He couldn't.
The road out of Bugo was rough, uneven, and stained with the marks of war. The soldiers dragged Hairo forward without care, their grip tight, their movements harsh. His feet stumbled against the ground again and again, but they did not slow down.
Hairo said nothing.
His eyes were open but empty.
The image of his mother falling replayed in his mind, again and again, refusing to fade. The sound of steel, the moment she hit the ground, the silence that followed it all echoed inside him, louder than the soldiers' voices, louder than the world itself.
"Move faster," one of the soldiers snapped, shoving him forward.
Hairo nearly fell but caught himself weakly. His body hurt, but the pain felt distant… unimportant.
"Pathetic," another muttered.
They laughed.
Hairo didn't react.
Not to the words.
Not to the pain.
Nothing.
Time passed, though Hairo could not tell how much. The forest slowly thinned as they moved closer to the border. The air felt different here colder, heavier, as if something unseen was watching every step they took.
Neler walked at the front, silent, his eyes scanning the path ahead.
"Stay alert," he said without turning. "We're close."
The soldiers tightened their formation slightly. Shields shifted. Hands moved closer to weapons.
Hairo noticed
For the first time since they took him he noticed.
Then A sound, Sharp, Fast.
An arrow cut through the air.
It struck the front soldier in the throat.
He dropped instantly, choking, collapsing before anyone could react.
For a heartbeat No one moved.
Then everything broke.
"AMBUSH! Shields up!"
Another arrow followed, slamming into a shield with force, cracking it. A third struck clean another soldier fell.
Panic spread through the group. Formation wavered.
"Where are they!?" someone shouted.
From the rocky ridge ahead, figures began to appear.
Dark silhouettes against the fading light.
Silent. Still. Watching.
Then they moved.
Fast. Controlled. Precise.
Neler drew his sword instantly. "Close ranks! Protect the boy!"
Two soldiers grabbed Hairo roughly, pulling him back. He stumbled, breathing unevenly but his eyes…
His eyes were no longer lost.
He was watching.
One of the figures dropped from above, landing behind the last row of soldiers. A single, clean strike and a man fell. Before anyone could react, the attacker rolled away into the shadows.
"They're everywhere!" a soldier shouted, fear rising in his voice.
Another figure slipped between shields, striking quickly before disappearing again.
One fell.
Then another.
Within moments, three soldiers were down.
Neler blocked an incoming strike, steel clashing sharply as he pushed the attacker back.
"Stand your ground!" he shouted. "Do not break!"
The soldiers regrouped, forcing their shields together, trying to rebuild their formation.
For a moment… it worked.
The attackers struck again but this time, the soldiers were ready.
A spear thrust forward.
One of the shadows fell.
Another rushed to pull him back
An arrow pierced his chest.
He dropped beside his ally.
Silence crept in for a brief second.
Everything slowed.
The clash of steel faded into the background.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Then A sharp whistle echoed across the ridge.
Clear. Commanding.
Every shadow stopped.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
They pulled back instantly.
Smoke erupted across the road, thick and blinding, swallowing everything in seconds.
The soldiers coughed, swinging blindly into nothing.
Neler grabbed Hairo firmly, holding him in place.
"Stay still."
Hairo didn't resist.
He didn't speak.
He just listened.
Slowly…
The smoke began to clear.
Shapes returned.
The road…
The soldiers…
The silence.
They were gone.
Every single one of them.
Only bodies remained.
Three of them.
No symbols.
No armor marks.
No sign of who they were.
One soldier looked toward the ridge, unease clear in his voice.
"Sir… they could have taken the boy."
Neler wiped his blade clean, his expression unreadable.
"No."
He looked toward the hills, eyes narrowing slightly.
"They wanted us to know they were here."
The wind began to move again.
The march resumed.
But something had changed.
No one spoke.
No one relaxed.
And no one felt safe.
Because somewhere beyond the ridge Someone was still watching.