CHAPTER 320: CHAPTER 320 HOW COULD I BE THIS CARELESS?

"Just two vines per person," Bran whispered. "That’s enough."

They all nodded.

But just as he turned to hand Ruby one last vine, his body stiffened.

"Wife...?" Julian whispered softly, noticing Bran’s sudden stillness. Ruby followed his gaze and her breath hitched.

Something was crawling near Bran’s foot.

A long, slimy creature with thin yellow limbs and tiny thorns moving like fingers was slowly slithering out from under the rocks. Its body was slick, almost transparent, with dark veins running under its skin. Its head looked like a worm’s but it had tiny holes that hissed steam as it crawled.

"Don’t move," Bran whispered, sweat beading on his forehead. "That’s a burrow bitter..."

Everyone froze.

Ruby’s fingers clenched around the vine in her hand. Even breathing felt dangerous now. The bitter was slow, but its movements were deliberate, like it knew where its prey was. It stopped right at Bran’s boot and raised its upper body slightly, the steam holes on its back opening like flower petals.

Screeekkkk—!!

The creature’s body shot up like a whip. Its hiss turned into a furious screech, and it jumped toward Bran’s leg, thorns extended.

"RUN!" Ruby shouted, grabbing Bran’s arm and yanking him away. Everyone bolted.

The forest burst into echoes of buzzing.

Julian grabbed Ruby’s hand and pulled her through the trees. Branches snapped behind them as more Bitters burst out from their hiding places. Their screeches echoed like broken glass. Sora nearly tripped, but Maira caught her. Nini ran with her eyes shut, tears flying from her lashes.

Ruby didn’t look back.

She just kept running—her hand tight in Julian’s and heart pounding like a drum in her ears.

They could see the break in the trees—the way back to the car.

Just a little more.

Just a little more—

But just as they reached the clearing, a sharp buzzing flew right past Ruby’s face, slicing through a strand of her hair.

She gasped and stumbled forward, falling into Julian’s chest as he caught her.

"We’re almost there—just GO!" Bran shouted.

But just when she thought they were almost safe, the buzzing grew louder.

More of them.

From behind the trees, under the stones, from the cracks in the cliffs—they poured out like a flood of yellow horror.

Julian froze. "W-wife..." he whispered, and Ruby turned.

Her breath left her chest.

They were surrounded.

And one of those yellow biters—one with a particularly large back and a red-tinted stinger launched itself forward with a terrible hiss.

Ruby ducked but felt something slice past her head.

A handful of white strands floated into the air.

She gasped. Her eyes widened in horror as she touched her head and saw the hair falling onto her palm.

"NO!" she shrieked, shaking it off like it was poison. "My hair!! I took care of it for MONTHS!! YOU UGLY LITTLE INSECT—"

Another screech. Another strand cut.

"JULIAN!!!" Ruby screamed, clutching her head, nearly in tears. "They’re—THEY’RE BUTCHERING ME!"

Julian grabbed her hand, trying not to laugh in fear. "Wife, your hair is still there! I swear—just RUN!"

But Ruby didn’t listen.

In her panic, she remembered something.

The pouch.

The disgusting, rotten-smelling pouch Old Bran had forced them to wear like a necklace. Ruby had hated it from the start, but now she snatched it and crushed it in her hand, flinging the herbs into the air around her like a madwoman.

The effect was instant.

Several of the creatures shrieked and writhed, backing away violently like they’d been slapped by a god. Their soft, fleshy bodies curled inwards as if the smell physically hurt them.

One of them exploded into a puff of yellow mist.

Bran’s voice echoed behind them. "YES! That’s it—throw the pouches!! The stink drives them mad!"

Nini tossed hers too. Maira screamed and threw hers while covering her nose. Even Sora, usually composed, threw hers so hard it hit a Bitter mid-air and knocked it off course.

Julian flung his pouch like a grenade. "Get away from my wife’s HAIR!!"

The clearing filled with the smell of crushed herbs, pungent and nearly unbearable. The Bitters wailed in high-pitched screeches and vanished one by one into the forest mist.

And then—

Silence.

Only the sound of Ruby’s furious breathing remained as she stood in the middle of the clearing, clutching her frizzed hair.

"My hair..." she whispered.

Julian gently walked over and held her by the shoulders. "It’s still beautiful," he said sincerely, trying to calm her after the bug attack.

Ruby didn’t reply, only nodded, brushing her fingers through her hair with a soft sigh. Her eyes shifted down toward the forest floor. The yellow bitters that had fallen dead or escaped left behind trails of slime and broken wings. It looked disgusting—sticky yellowish guts smeared over red stones, crushed bodies twitching. Ruby made a face.

"I don’t want to look at this anymore," she muttered. "Let’s go and grab vines again."

At her words, Maira took a step back and grabbed Julian’s sleeve like a nervous child. "I... I don’t want to," she whispered. "I feel scared. What if they come again?"

Ruby turned to her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "It’s alright. You’ve done enough," she said calmly. Then her eyes shifted to Old Bran. "You too, Bran. You should sit in the car. You look tired."

The old ghost looked like he’d been through five lifetimes of stress. His robes were wrinkled and his face pale. He didn’t even argue—just nodded and muttered, "I’ll... guard the car."

Julian and Sora, however, weren’t planning to stay behind.

"I’m coming too," Sora said firmly, her tall figure stepping beside Ruby.

"I’ll go as well," Julian added, but Ruby held up her hand.

"No," she said firmly. "There are still too many Yellow Bitters in that area. If something happens again, I need you close to the others. Sora, you too—stay here and keep them safe."

Julian hesitated, clearly wanting to protest, but the way Ruby looked at him–it was firm, with warmth and trust made him nod slowly.

"Be careful, okay?"

Ruby smiled. "Always."

And so, after checking the herb pouch once again, Ruby set off—this time alone, holding bag. The mist had thinned slightly now, and with most of the creatures gone, there was nothing but the sound of her shoes against the soft, mossy trail. The trees swayed gently above her, their red leaves shimmering under the cloudy sky.

The further she went, the more she could see of the Mistvine.

Carefully, she stepped forward and used a blade to cut clean sections of the vines.

Surprisingly, the area felt safe now. Only the buzzing of distant insects and the occasional rustle in bushes made her pause but nothing came close. One by one, she placed the vines into large bag, feeling the strong, fibrous texture beneath her fingers.

"This better be worth it," she whispered, though she already knew it would be.

With the bag almost full, Ruby stood up, holding the bag.

Mistvine gathered, hair slightly ruined, clothes dirtied but her eyes sparkled with success.

She had what she came for.

Ruby stepped away from the vines and began walking slowly toward the way she came. The forest was oddly silent now, only the faint rustle of dry leaves and distant insect hums could be heard. She adjusted her pouch of smelly herbs again—just in case and looked down to watch her steps.

But then... she stopped.

Her breath hitched.

Just a few feet away, near a broken fallen log, something was crouched.

Ruby’s eyes widened as she slowly backed behind a tree, hiding herself. Her heartbeat quickened.

The creature in front of her was not normal.

It was eating.

Its strong, muscular body hunched over a torn bird carcass, blood smearing the stones below. It had strange orange fur almost glowing under the filtered light and its back flexed with each movement, powerful and terrifying. Two twisted horns curled from its head like a wild beast. Its claws were long, sharp, and covered in feathers and flesh.

Ruby covered her mouth with her hand.

The creature snarled lowly, tearing another piece of flesh with its teeth. Its eyes were glowing pale green. For a second, Ruby thought it might smell her. The pouch on her hip swayed slightly with a breeze.

Don’t move... don’t move... she told herself, slowly pressing her back against the tree. Her other hand gripped the knife at her waist, just in case.

She didn’t know what this thing was but it wasn’t from the usual forest stories.

And it wasn’t supposed to be this close to the trail.

I have to get out... she thought, swallowing the rising panic in her throat.

But just as she turned to leave—a twig snapped under her foot.

Snap.

Ruby froze in horror. Her eyes widened.

"Oh shoot..." she whispered under her breath, barely audible–her heart slammed in her chest. Why didn’t I check the ground?!

The creature’s head jerked up.

Its glowing green eyes turned directly toward her hiding spot. Blood dripped from its mouth, staining its orange fur. It sniffed the air once, twice... then let out a deep, rattling growl.

Ruby instinctively backed away.

"Crap, crap, crap," she whispered, cursing herself. How could I be this careless

—To be continued...🪄