I slowly regained consciousness.

  My vision was completely green—fuzzy images of grass and bushes filled my sight.

  It was cold, unbearably cold.

  The wind sliced against my skin like a blade, sending shivers all over me.

  Sleeping in the middle of a forest had dropped my body temperature to the point of discomfort.

  "Oh, you’re up!"

  A voice called out, breaking the eerie silence.

  It wasn’t Rose’s voice, there was no splash of cold water involved, so this wasn’t one of her wake-up calls.

  And since there was no water, this wasn’t a dream either.

  "I’m..." I mumbled, struggling to sit up.

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, nothing I can’t push through."

  "Good. Then care to explain?"

  "Explain what?"

  "Are you seriously asking that question?"

  "I am. There’s so much that needs explaining, I don’t know where to begin."

  As my vision cleared, I saw Ms. Pearl standing over me, holding a lantern so bright it nearly blinded my newly opened eyes.

  I squinted as my vision adjusted to the light and turned my head toward Rose and Angel to check if they were okay before responding to Ms. Pearl's question.

  Sure enough, the real Angel, the one I had carried out of the mansion, was still asleep by the tree where I had left her.

  Next to her was Rose, who was still unconscious from earlier.

  I let out a sigh of relief.

  They were both safe.

  "I know I’m asking a lot from someone who just woke up, but I need answers."

  Ms. Pearl wasn’t letting up.

  "Go ahead, I’ll answer as best I can."

  "Where were you yesterday? Why are you sleeping in the middle of the forest? And most importantly..." she paused, stepping aside to reveal someone behind her.

  "Why are there two Angels?"

  "!?"

  I gasped as another Angel emerged from behind Ms. Pearl.

  So, she didn’t disappear like Maid did.

  The fake Angel stared at me with an anxious expression, clearly waiting for my reaction.

  If she was as powerful as Maid, she didn’t need to wait.

  She could erase our memories or kill us outright.

  But she isn't doing anything.

  Is she giving us a chance to play along?

  I can't tell.

  "Well, you said you were going to answer my questions. I’m waiting." Ms. Pearl pressed.

  Should I tell the truth?

  Or should I play dumb?

  "Tsk. You don’t have to think so hard, I can’t do anything. I’m powerless." The fake Angel suddenly said, breaking the tension.

  "Angel?!" Ms. Pearl exclaimed, her confusion evident.

  Powerless?

  So, you’re nothing but a defenseless little girl right now?

  Why would she reveal that? Was she trying to earn my trust?

  Or was she just an idiot?

  Whatever her motive, if she was truly powerless, there was no reason for me to delay my answer.

  "Ms. Pearl, she is—" I began, but the fake Angel cut me off.

  "My name is Hazel," she said.

  "I was living in this village just like you before I died or rather, before I was killed by those savage monsters you call Unuts."

  She continued, her tone calm but with a hint of bitterness.

  "I created a replica of your daughter's body and placed my soul in it. I just wanted to live again, even if only for a short while."

  Ms. Pearl’s eyes widened, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.

  "I don’t understand. Is this some kind of joke?" she asked, looking at me as though hoping I’d laugh and tell her it was.

  "Look at us, Do we look like we’re in any condition to be joking?" I replied, gesturing to myself, Rose, and the real Angel.

  "No, I just... I just find all of this so hard to believe." she admitted, her voice faltering.

  I couldn’t blame her for that.

  I found it hard to believe too everything that had happened, was happening, and likely would happen.

  And yet, here we were.

  On the other hand, now we had yet another poor soul tied to that cursed mansion.

  How many were there?

  How many sick experiments had been conducted in that place?

  Based on the notes and entries we’d read earlier, I could estimate dozens.

  *Sneeze*

  My own sneeze brought me back to reality.

  "Let’s talk later, For now, let’s start a fire and warm you up before you catch something serious." Ms. Pearl said, her tone softening.

  "I agree."

  Hazel remained calm and didn’t seem likely to lash out anytime soon.

  It was best to prioritize survival before we froze to death.

  "I’ll gather some dry wood, You stay here, Ms. Pearl, and keep an eye on her." I said.

  Ms. Pearl hesitated, then nodded.

  "Alright, but please be quick."

  I wandered through the area, picking up dry branches and piling them together.

  Once I returned, Ms. Pearl used the candle from her lantern to light the fire.

  I carried some large stones for us to sit on near the flames, and together, Ms. Pearl and I moved Rose and the real Angel closer to the fire.

  I took off my jacket and draped it over them to keep them as warm as possible.

  Throughout all of this, Hazel sat silently, her gaze fixed on the fire.

  "So, can we talk now?" Ms. Pearl said after a while, breaking the silence,

  "Sure."

  I recounted everything that had happened in the mansion—how we got trapped, our confrontation with Hope and his death, meeting the maid, and the twisted experiments we’d discovered.

  I told her about the ritual we conducted and how we saved Angel from eternal sleep.

  Ms. Pearl listened without interruption, but her expression gave nothing away.

  I couldn’t tell whether she believed me or not.

  After I finished, silence hung in the air, heavy and oppressive.

  After a while, it was broken by certain someone.

  "Eternal sleep? You’re exaggerating! I was going to wake her up!" Hazel said.

  "You were going to wake her up? Were you the one who put her to sleep?" I asked, my tone cautious.

  "No, that wasn’t me, but I know for a fact no one would willingly put themselves into eternal sleep. I planned to wake her up after a few days."

  "If Angel wakes up, you’ll disappear too, right? Why would you want that?"

  "Disappear? No, This body would vanish, but my soul would simply return to where it came from."

  "That’s strange, The maid we met at the mansion disappeared after we took Angel out of there. So why are you still here?"

  "She disappeared? That’s probably because she wanted to be left alone, She might have just retreated to her room in the other realm."

  "So what she said was true, then, there—"

  Ms. Pearl abruptly cut me off.

  "I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m trying to wrap my head around this." She turned to the fake Angel.

  "Are you confirming that you’re not actually Angel and that everything he just told me is true?" Ms. Pearl asked.

  "I can’t confirm everything he said, I wasn’t at the mansion with them. But what he said about the ritual and Angel being a gate to another realm is true. I can’t elaborate much more, though."

  "Then is it true that you don’t know when Angel will wake up?" Ms. Pearl asked, her voice trembling with worry.

  "I’m sorry, I don’t know. She inhaled that blue flower’s scent for far too long." Hazel said.

  "And you just let her sleep there, knowing this would happen?!" Ms. Pearl’s voice rose, sharp with anger.

  "I’m sorry," Hazel repeated, lowering her head.

  "Sorry? Is that all you can say after letting a child fall into a coma?!"

  With that, Ms. Pearl grabbed Hazel by the neck and shoved her against a tree.

  "She’s in a coma because of you!"

  I quickly stepped between them, grabbing Ms. Pearl’s arms and pulling her back.

  "This isn’t the time to fight her! She might be able to help us wake Angel up."

  Maid couldn’t wake Angel up, but maybe Hazel could.

  After a few firm tugs, I managed to get Ms. Pearl to release her.

  Hazel fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

  "I’m sorry *pant* That’s not possible."

  "Not possible right now, maybe, But if you get your powers back—" I pressed.

  "It’s still not possible, My abilities are limited outside of that place."

  She slowly stood, brushing dirt off her borrowed body.

  "I’m sorry," she said again, her voice tinged with remorse.

  "There’s no excuse for what I’ve done. I just wanted to live again, even if only for a short while." She added.

  She continued, her tone quieter now.

  "I used to live in this village, not long after it was first established. Back then, there were hardly a dozen people living here."

  Here we go. It sounded like she was about to tell us a tragic backstory about her life and death.

  "As you know, because of the endlessly regenerating forest, the Unuts wanted to establish a village here.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  They made the villagers harvest resources and send them to their castle for processing so they could sell them at higher prices."

  That much was common knowledge around here.

  "But they offered no help with the process. We had to cut the trees, build our homes, and even hunt for food ourselves."

  That sounded rough. We still did those things today, but with the growing population, it was easier to manage.

  "So, when the Unuts announced they would hire a live-in maid from the village, I couldn’t resist. I jumped at the opportunity. But then they—"

  "You don’t have to tell us the rest, We understand."

  Hazel’s expression darkened, but she forced a pained smile.

  "I was even younger than you when I died, You must understand my will to live. But where I am now, I can do anything except find peace.

  Something is always watching me. I don’t have a single moment of relief." she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

  "Is it like having a picnic while bears are watching you?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

  "Bears? Hah! Even dragons would tremble at the sight of that thing," Hazel retorted with a wry grin.

  She seemed like a more easygoing person compared to that other certain dead individual.

  But beneath her demeanor lay a painful story, dying so young, burdened with so many regrets.

  Her desire to live again was understandable, even if it came at the cost of putting someone else’s child in a coma.

  Though she hadn’t caused Angel’s condition directly, she bore the guilt of inaction.

  Would Ms. Pearl ever forgive something like that?

  "Now, imagine if you—or your child—were in my position, Would you blame her for wanting to live?" Hazel said, her tone soft but cutting.

  Ms. Pearl fell silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  It wasn’t a fair question, bringing Angel into this argument.

  Yet, in a twisted way, Hazel’s point lingered, stark and undeniable.

  I anxiously awaited Ms. Pearl’s response, but Rose stirred, breaking the tension.

  "What’s going on? Huh? Ms. Pearl? What are you doing here?" Rose’s voice cut through the quiet as she sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily.

  "You’re awake!" I said, relieved.

  "I am," she replied, slipping out of the jacket draped over her and wrapping it snugly around Angel instead.

  She stood and began walking toward us, her movements slow but steady.

  "Huh. The fake Angel’s here too!"

  "Her name’s Hazel, Another victim of the Unut's experiments." I corrected.

  "So that wasn’t a dream?" Rose murmured, her brow furrowing.

  "Wish it was," I muttered.

  "So why are you all here? Did you come looking for us?" she asked, glancing between Ms. Pearl and Hazel.

  "Actually, I was chasing after Ang— Hazel." Ms. Pearl interjected,

  "Chasing her?" Rose asked.

  "I don’t know, She just started to run out of nowhere, heading this way." Ms. Pearl admitted.

  "That’s because I felt my power draining, I was heading here to check if something was wrong with the gate." Hazel explained.

  "Weren’t you asleep, Ms. Pearl?" How did you even notice her running off?" Rose asked, puzzled.

  "No, I couldn’t sleep, Not with everything that’s been going on." Ms. Pearl confessed, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

  "I see." Rose replied.

  "Didn't you realize we were missing?" I asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into my voice.

  "I did, I was planning to form a search party in the morning. I’m really sorry, it’s not that I wasn’t worried about you.

  It’s just... we don’t have the resources for a proper search right now. We’ve already lost more people to those strangers, so I’m truly relieved to see you both alive and well."

  "Lost people? What exactly happened?" I pressed.

  "While you were gone, some villagers volunteered to head north to the city beyond the forest to seek help. But one of them returned with news that they were ambushed by those green-clothed strangers."

  "They’ve really put us in a cage, There’s nowhere left to run." I muttered, frustration bubbling up.

  "All we can do is hope the tax collector arrives soon. Maybe then, we can ask for their help," Ms. Pearl said, her voice heavy with uncertainty.

  "I really chose the wrong time to come back to life, huh? Just my luck," Hazel chimed in with a sarcastic chuckle.

  I ignored Hazel’s remark, my thoughts racing.

  the tax collectors hadn’t arrived yet.

  Wait—the list! How could I forget?

  "Ms. Pearl, what happened to the list?" I asked, urgency creeping into my tone.

  "The tax records? I left it back at the camp. Why?"

  "We need to get it—fast, I need to erase my name from it." I said, feeling a sudden rush of anxiety.

  "Huh? Why would you need to do that?"

  I hesitated.

  While recounting the events of the mansion earlier, I intentionally skipped over the part about me being a descendant of the Unuts.

  Hazel didn’t know my story, and even if I told her, it was unlikely she’d believe me.

  More importantly, if she ever regains her powers...

  My past could put me in danger.

  Deceased people with grudges are problematic.

  "I can’t explain right now, But we must hurry before the tax collectors see it. You can settle your score with Hazel later." I said, dodging her question.

  "Fine. Let’s head back. But you better explain yourself soon." Ms. Pearl frowned but nodded.

  "Huh? What's the hurry?" Hazel asked, tilting her head in confusion.

  Rose seemed to catch on to my reasoning immediately.

  "Ms. Pearl, we need to erase his name from that list before the tax collectors arrive, or we’re in serious trouble!"

  I turned back toward Angel, calling out,

  "C’mon, I’ll carry her!"

  Just as I took a step forward—

  *Tat!* *Tat!* *Tat!*

  A sharp, repetitive noise filled the air, cutting through the silence.

  *Tat!* *Tat!* *Tat!*

  It sounded like something pelting down from the sky, a relentless rhythm coming from the direction of the coast.

  *Tat!* *Tat!* *Tat!*

  The sound stirred something in me.

  It felt oddly familiar, like a memory I couldn’t quite place.

  "What’s going on?!" Hazel asked, her voice tinged with shock as she came up beside me, followed by Rose and Ms. Pearl.

  "What is that sound?" Rose asked, her eyes darting toward the distant noise.

  Ms. Pearl stood silent, her expression dark and serious.

  And then, echoing through the forest, came distant screams—shrieks of men and women alike.

  "It’s best if we don’t go there just yet," Ms. Pearl said firmly.

  "I agree with you on this," Hazel added, nodding as her gaze lingered on Ms. Pearl.

  Rose and I exchanged a hesitant glance, both of us uncertain of what to do.

  The memory of my own helplessness flashed through my mind of standing frozen as that moving castle crushed my friends, powerless to stop it.

  Even if I rushed toward the commotion now, what could I possibly accomplish?

  But was it really right to just sit here and wait while people could be in danger?

  The thought gnawed at me, and then it hit me, a memory, or rather, something I’d nearly forgotten.

  The gift.

  The strange gift from that maid.

  "Rose, the brush!" I exclaimed.

  "Huh? Oh! Right!" she said, hurriedly digging into her bag.

  "What brush? And how’s a brush supposed to help in a situation like this?" Hazel asked, crossing her arms.

  "Trust me, it’s more useful than you," I shot back without thinking.

  "Why you little—!"

  After a bit of rummaging, Rose pulled out the invisibility brush, holding it up triumphantly.

  "Found it!"

  "Great! Let’s—"

  "What exactly is that brush?" Ms. Pearl interrupted, her brow furrowed.

  "It’s a brush that makes whatever it paints invisible. We got it from the maid," I explained quickly.

  "You didn’t mention this before," Ms. Pearl said, her tone questioning.

  "I forgot! But we can use it to scout ahead without being seen."

  "Does it actually work? Have you tested it?" Hazel asked skeptically.

  "Huh? Why wouldn’t it work?" Rose replied.

  "You got that from a ghost who literally took your eyes on a whim. She could’ve made something that explodes in your hands for all you know." Hazel retorted.

  "Fair point. Sounds like something she’d do." I muttered.

  "So, I suggest you test it on something first before painting yourselves with it," Hazel said with a smirk.

  "I’ll try painting this tree," Rose said, pointing to a random tree nearby.

  Wait, were we going to need dye for this to work?

  Rose walked over and lightly touched the tree with the brush.

  In an instant, the tree vanished.

  We all stared in awe.

  Ms. Pearl approached cautiously, reaching out to touch the now-invisible tree.

  "It’s… it’s really invisible," she said, her voice filled with disbelief.

  So, the maid hadn’t lied about the brush.

  Honestly, knowing her, I half-expected it to explode or curse us somehow.

  But this time, she’d actually helped us.

  "At least it works." Hazel admitted grudgingly.

  "Could you have done something like this if you had your powers?" Ms. Pearl asked Hazel, glancing at her.

  "Piece of cake." Hazel replied, a confident grin spreading across her face.

  "Wait, how do we make it visible again?" I asked.

  "Try touching it with the brush again," Hazel responded.

  Rose tapped the tree with the brush once more, and it reappeared before us.

  "Okay, now we know how it works." I said.

  "Let’s go scout, then."

  "Actually, I think you should stay here with Ms. Pearl and Angel."

  "Huh? Why is that?"

  "Well, we can’t bring Angel along now that there’s danger ahead. Someone needs to stay and take care of her, and I doubt Ms. Pearl wants to leave her comatose child alone."

  "So what? You’re going alone? That’s not happening, just so you know."

  "Then will you go instead?"

  "Sure, I’ll go. You stay here."

  "And I’m not allowing that either. You just woke up—it’s best you rest."

  "Oh? And who gave you the right to decide what I can or can’t do?"

  Hazel cut in, raising her hand,

  "How about I go with him?"

  "You know you’re in a child’s body, right?" Rose snapped.

  "So what? I’ve got the mind of an adult and the running speed of a kid. I’m unstoppable."

  "Frankly, I think it’s best if you stay, Rose," Ms. Pearl interjected.

  "But why? We don’t even know what Hazel is planning, she might be trying to lure him into a trap!"

  "I highly doubt she has the power to do that," Ms. Pearl said with a smirk.

  She had a point Ms. Pearl had overpowered Hazel earlier without much resistance.

  Besides, the further we were from the gate, the less likely Hazel could use any hidden abilities.

  "But I want to find my mother too," Rose protested.

  "We won’t be gone for long. We’ll scout the coast and come back, I’ll also look for Aunt River along the way."

  "What about that boy? I wanted to give the lungs to his father so they can perform the ritual."

  "That can wait until it’s safer." Ms. Pearl reassured her.

  "See? The odds are against you. Just wait here."

  "Tsk."

  Rose crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.

  She is out of arrows to shoot now.

  "We’ll be quick, I promise," I said.

  "Fine. Go, then..." She sighed.

  "Can I borrow the brush?"

  "Why? We can just make you invisible now."

  "How am I supposed to talk to your mother if she can’t see me?"

  "Fair point." Rose handed me the brush without further protest.

  "Off we go, then!" Hazel chirped, clearly eager.

  "Be safe, both of you," Ms. Pearl called after us, waving.

  "Be careful," Rose added, her reluctance evident.

  I nodded, then turned to walk, Hazel following silently beside me as we headed deeper into the forest.

  After a while, I broke the silence.

  "So, what’s your plan?"

  "Plan?" Hazel raised a brow.

  "There’s a reason you wanted to come along, right? Spill it."

  "I don’t have a plan."

  "Huh?"

  "I just wanted to help."

  "Aha, and then you’re going to ask for a price, right? What is it this time, an eye?"

  "An eye? What are you even talking about? I’m nothing like that maid!"

  "Then what are you after? What do you gain from helping us?"

  "You really like asking questions, don’t you? But no, I don’t have some deep reason for this."

  "I don’t get it. Why would you help with something that doesn’t concern you?"

  "It does concern me. I stole this girl’s identity, so the least I can do is help."

  "So, you’re doing this out of guilt?"

  "Partly, yes. But I told you already,I want to live, even if only for a short while. And what’s life without a little danger?"

  "...You’re weird."

  "Rude."

  As we neared the end of our conversation, I realized we were close to my house.

  "We should use the brush now; we're getting closer," I said.

  "Okay."

  The silence was unnerving. No more screams, no more of that strange tat sound.

  We had to be careful. It was time to hide ourselves.

  I took the brush out of my pocket and touched it to my left hand.

  I should be invisible now.

  "Hey, am I visible?"

  "Nope! Uh... we’ve got a problem!" Hazel said, her voice tinged with concern.

  "What is it?"

  "I can still see the brush!"

  I quickly put the brush back in my pocket.

  "It’s gone now!" she confirmed.

  "Glad we figured that out. Now let’s make you invisible too."

  "Sure."

  I pulled the brush out again and lightly touched it to her forehead.

  "You’re invisible."

  "Oh... uh, we’ve got another problem."

  "We won’t know where the other is unless we speak." I said.

  "Yes."

  I slapped my forehead, the sound echoing.

  Why didn’t we think of this before?

  This complicated things.

  "Hey, are you okay? I heard a loud sound." Hazel asked, genuinely concerned.

  "Yeah, I’m fine, I’ve got an idea. I have some rope in my house. Let’s grab it real quick." I muttered.

  "You’re going to tie us together? That could work."

  "Exactly. Let’s go."

  "Where’s your house?"

  "This one right here. You can’t miss it; it’s the only house around."

  We walked as we talked.

  "Why do you live so isolated? And this place looks like some kind of workshop." Hazel remarked.

  "I live and work here. I’m a carpenter. The elder gave me this place, though I have no idea why he chose this spot for a building."

  "Interesting, Under calmer circumstances, I’d ask more about your story, but we’re in a hurry."

  "Yeah, we are." I replied.

  As we approached the door, a small wave of relief washed over me.

  After everything I’d been through, I was finally standing in front of my own home.

  But, sadly, I knew I’d have to set out again soon.

  Without wasting time, I unlocked the door and let Hazel in.

  After checking to make sure we were alone, the first thing I did was use the brush to make us visible again.

  I quickly touched her with the brush as she entered.

  "Huh? What happened?" Hazel asked, confused.

  "I don’t want you snooping around in my home, so we’re staying visible." I said firmly.

  "I’m not going to steal anything!" she protested.

  "Just like you didn’t steal Angel’s identity?" I shot back.

  "That’s..."

  "*Sigh* Just don’t move around too much. I’ll be right back."

  It didn’t take me long to find the rope. It was exactly where I’d left it.

  I grabbed a long enough piece of rope, in case we needed to tie multiple people together.

  If we had to hide again after returning to where Rose was, it was better to be prepared with a longer rope.

  I turned back toward Hazel and noticed her eyes wandering over my tools.

  “What are you looking at?” I asked.

  “Oh, I was just curious about your equipment.” she replied.

  “Just some tools and whatnot for making furniture.” I said, shrugging.

  “I can tell. I was just looking.”

  “Sure, you can look all you want after we make sure everyone is safe.”

  “Hmmm? Isn’t that rope too long? Don’t you have something shorter?”

  “Just in case. We might need to tie more people together.”

  “What if it gets tangled on a tree or something?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll just carry the extra length on my arm.”

  “Okay, let’s go then.”

  I handed Hazel one end of the rope, waiting for her to tie it securely around herself.

  Then, I left enough slack to allow for comfortable movement and tied my own end around my waist.

  Lastly, I carefully wrapped the extra length around my arm.

  Once we were set, I used the brush to turn us invisible again.

  “Listen, if we need to run, follow the direction I’m going.” I said,

  “Why is that?” Hazel asked.

  “Since you’re faster, if I try to follow you, I might trip and fall.”

  “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  With everything ready, we stepped outside.

  I took one last glance at my home before closing the door behind me.

  A pang of longing hit me, I missed my bed, the familiar walls, and the little bird that used to nest outside my bedroom window.

  I wondered if it was still there or if it had flown away.

  But there was no time to dwell.

  I turned my back on the house, and we started walking.

  The sun was now fully up.

  What little light had guided us earlier had turned into the brightness of morning.

  Another sleepless night.

  As we walked toward Rose’s house, Hazel broke the silence.

  “Hey, what’s with the tents? Are you all hiding from those green-clothed guys?” she asked.

  “Yeah. They’ve attacked us several times and even killed our horses.” I said bitterly.

  “Who exactly are they?”

  “No idea... Wait! You don’t have Angel’s memories, right?”

  “Right. Why?”

  “Then how did you know Ms. Pearl was Angel’s mother? When we first met you, you jumped on her, calling her ‘mommy.’”

  “Don’t remind me, that was embarrassing. Now that you mention it, I have no idea how I knew she was Angel’s mother.” she admitted, looking puzzled.

  “Then how—”

  “It’s just... I had a feeling she was my mother. I also have a feeling I can trust you and Rose.”

  “Maybe you inherited Angel’s feelings? The maid told us her memories were off-limits, but what about her emotions?”

  “But all I did was create a replica of her body and put my soul into it. It’s not like I took anything from her.”

  “When you create something, doesn’t it have to pass through Angel as a ‘gate’? Maybe something happened there?”

  “Could be... I didn’t really think about it.” Hazel admitted, scratching her head.

  “Can’t you be more aware of the things happening around you?”

  “Hehehe.”

  “Don’t laugh at me!”

  We fell quiet as Rose’s house came into view, surrounded by tents.

  Some people had been staying inside, while others camped outside.

  It was supposed to be a defense, but now I wasn’t so sure.

  Putting everyone in one place might not have been the best idea.

  “What the—?” Hazel exclaimed.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Look at the ground!”

  I lowered my gaze, and my stomach churned.

  Blood. Blood everywhere.

  The tents were slashed open, riddled with holes, as if the people inside had tried to flee from something.

  “Aunt River!” I gasped.

  “What?”

  “We need to check on Rose’s mother! Hurry!”

  I rushed through the puddles of blood, pulling Hazel along with the rope.

  The silence was deafening, no voices, no movement, just the grim evidence of what had happened.

  When we reached the mansion, the front door was wide open.

  “Either someone went in recently, or the people inside managed to escape.” I whispered.

  “Let’s hope it’s the latter.” Hazel said, her voice low.

  “We have to check inside.” I whispered.

  “It’s clearly dangerous.” Hazel replied, glancing around nervously.

  “We have to make sure Aunt River is safe.” I insisted.

  “Fine. We’re invisible anyway.” she relented.

  We entered the mansion cautiously.

  The lack of blood inside gave me a small sense of relief, but the eerie emptiness kept my guard up.

  We checked each room methodically.

  The kitchen and living room were empty.

  People should have been here, but there was no sign of anyone.

  “Hey, look at the windows, They’re broken, from the inside.” Hazel said, pointing.

  “So that’s a sign they left in a hurry,” I said.

  “The question is, why?”

  “Must be those green-clothed strangers.”

  “Just what are they?” Hazel muttered.

  Suddenly, a shout echoed from outside, unintelligible:

  “Si enoemos ereht!”

  “What?” Hazel whispered, frowning.

  Then, we heard footsteps approaching the mansion.

  I tugged the rope twice to signal Hazel.

  Silently, we crept toward the entrance hall.

  There, standing in the doorway, was one of the green-clothed strangers, holding a strange black stick.

  And then it hit me. That was the source of the tat sound.

  I’d seen it in my dream while searching for the elder.

  The rapid tat sounds were this stick. And in that dream, they used it to kill Elder and Pickle.

  The blood outside, the destruction, the screams, it all made sense now.

  They’d been here. They’d done this.

  “Si enoemos ereht!” the man repeated, his voice cold and mechanical.

  He lowered his head, examining something on the ground,our footprints.

  The blood from the puddles outside must have clung to our soles, leaving a clear trail.

  My pulse quickened as he began scanning the room, his eyes sharp and calculating.

  It was clear he wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

  When he entered the kitchen, I leaned close to Hazel and whispered,

  “Take off your shoes and hold them. They’re leaving footprints. We’ll sneak out through the broken window.”

  “Got it.” she whispered back.

  I quickly slipped off my shoes and waited for her.

  “Done,” she said softly.

  “Okay, let’s walk slowly toward the window.”

  Carefully, we approached the shattered window, making sure not to make a sound.

  One by one, we climbed through, landing outside as quietly as possible.

  Once we were clear, we slipped our shoes back on.

  Hazel sighed,

  “So, do we go back now?”

  “No. We need to find out what happened here.”

  “Seriously? It’s obvious what we’ll find, dead people! I’ve had enough of death for two lifetime.”

  “You should’ve stayed behind if you were scared. You’re the one who said, ‘What’s life without a little danger?’”

  “I’m not scared! I just think this is stupid. It’s like poking a lion with a stick.” she hissed.

  “Alright, alright, We’ll check the coast, then we’ll return.” I relented.

  “*Sigh* Fine.” she muttered, clearly not convinced.

  I tugged the rope to signal her, and we began walking.

  The blood-soaked ground eventually turned into a gruesome trail leading toward the coast.

  The streaks were uneven and chaotic, as if multiple people had been dragged while bleeding profusely.

  It wasn’t just one or two, there were many.

  Hazel was right.

  What we were about to find wouldn’t be anything but more death.

  “What the hell are they doing at the coast?” Hazel asked, her voice trembling slightly.

  “We’re about to find out.” I replied.

  We followed the blood trail in tense silence.

  Each step felt heavier than the last, the air thick with dread.

  When we reached the coast, the sight that greeted us was nothing short of horrifying.

  “What in the name of God is this?!?!” I muttered, my stomach churning violently.

  “Ugh!” Hazel doubled over, retching loudly.

  I wanted to throw up too, but my stomach was already empty from everything I’d endured.

  All I could do was stand frozen, staring at the grotesque scene before us.

  Dozens of bodies—people from our village—were piled haphazardly along the shoreline.

  Their lifeless eyes stared blankly, filled with frozen fear.

  Those bastards were pouring a substance over the pile, and as it coated the bodies, their flesh began to dissolve.

  A sickening, acrid smoke rose into the air as their remains melted into an unrecognizable sludge.

  “They’re burning them.” I whispered, horrified.

  My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

  My people, my village reduced to this.