CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 24: SOME PEACE

Inside the lake, Oliver was racing back and forth with Lemur.

They jumped and splashed water around before running toward the slippery grass.

Then they leapt back into the lake again.

Not far away on the shore, the one eyed man emerged from the water.

Droplets ran down his body and hair.

He walked over and sat beside the sage, who looked completely exhausted.

The old man clutched his stomach, trying to stay upright despite the pain clear on his face.

The one eyed man smirked.

"You look terrible, sage."

The sage raised his head, then covered his mouth with his hand.

"Maybe. But at least I still have both eyes, unlike you, Maron."

Silence fell for a moment before Maron sighed deeply, his single eye staring into the lake’s surface.

"How do you think the world looks out there now?"

The sage leaned against a tree trunk.

"I don’t know. But we’ll find out as long as we stay alive and get out of this cursed forest."

"And what will you do once we’re out? You won’t be treated as a sage there, will you?"

"I’ll do anything. It’s not like I ever liked the title anyway. It was more of a burden than an honor."

In the distance, little Mariana stood beside her mother, silently watching Oliver and Lemur playing in the water.

Her wide blue eyes hid a deep, buried fear.

She still hadn’t fully recovered from the memory of her father’s death right before her eyes and the horrors that followed in the village.

Her mother was trying to look strong, fighting back exhaustion and grief for the sake of her daughter.

Oliver noticed the girl’s distant look and stopped playing. He stepped out of the water and walked over, trying to convince her to join them.

At first, she refused, hiding behind her mother. But the woman gently pushed her forward.

"Go on, sweetheart. It’s alright."

Mariana hesitated, then stepped forward until her toes touched the water.

Oliver and Lemur joined her, and soon the three of them were laughing and splashing each other playfully.

From afar, her mother smiled faintly.

The place fell quiet afterward.

The breeze rustled the trees softly, and the gentle sound of water filled the air.

...

After a while, everyone packed their things and prepared to continue the journey.

The masked man stood at the front. His gaze was hard, showing no warmth or ease.

They moved forward under his lead.

He gripped his weapon tightly this time, his finger close to the trigger, eyes scanning every movement between the trees.

Oliver noticed the tension and walked closer.

"Why do you look so tense?"

The masked man didn’t turn.

"Go back."

"What? Why?"

His tone rose slightly.

"That’s an order. Fall back, now."

It was the first time Oliver had ever heard that sharp, commanding tone from him.

He stepped back as the masked man continued forward cautiously, scanning every direction.

The rest of the group didn’t sense anything wrong and kept walking calmly behind him.

But suddenly, without warning, a shrill screech echoed from behind them followed by a terrifying roar.

A massive creature burst from between the trees, its body covered in black fur, eyes glowing red.

Before it could reach anyone, the masked man spun around, raised his gun, and fired a single shot.

The beast vanished between the trees before the bullet could hit, but everyone froze in place.

The masked man shouted,

"Form up around me, now!"

They hurriedly gathered around him, fear plain on their faces.

The creature circled them, its heavy steps echoing between the trees.

The masked man turned in place, tracking the sound with his gun.

Then, suddenly, the monster lunged out from the shadows.

It was tall but lean, with thick black fur and glowing red eyes.

In that instant, the masked man reloaded quickly, sliding a golden bullet into the gun and aiming steadily at the creature’s head.

A flash of golden light exploded through the clearing as the bullet struck.

The beast hit the ground hard, its body twitching.

Everyone stepped back in shock. Even the sage retreated, while the masked man approached the corpse cautiously, gun still raised.

He knelt beside it.

The monster was enormous its limbs twisted and covered with thick black hair, its long fangs hanging from its mouth, its features more like a thin, distorted bear.

He nudged the body with his boot, then pressed the gun barrel against it.

Oliver watched and asked,

"What is that thing?"

The masked man replied without looking up,

"A stalker."

"A stalker?"

"A kind of creature that hunts by stealth. It watches its prey from afar, then strikes when it’s weak or distracted."

Oliver grimaced at the corpse.

"Is it dead?"

The masked man raised his gun toward it again.

"No."

He fired several more regular bullets into the body.

Gunfire echoed through the forest, and the stalker let out a piercing, dying scream a sound so hideous that some covered their ears.

Lemur, however, stared at the masked man in awe.

Once the creature finally stopped moving, the masked man holstered his weapon and continued walking forward.

The group followed hesitantly, fear still clinging to their faces.

After a while, Oliver caught up to him.

"Why did you use that golden bullet first, then switch to regular ones after?"

The masked man didn’t answer, just kept walking in silence.

Then Lemur spoke up.

"Commander, can I ask you something?"

The masked man turned to him.

"Commander?"

"Yes, commander of the group. May I ask a question?"

Oliver looked surprised not by Lemur’s words, but by the fact that the masked man seemed to understand him.

"You understand his language?"

The masked man didn’t answer Oliver. He looked at Lemur instead.

"Ask."

"Can you teach me how to become stronger?"

"No."

Lemur’s shoulders slumped instantly, disappointment washing over his face. He fell back quietly.

Oliver kept staring at the masked man, still puzzled.

"How can you understand his language?"

The masked man didn’t respond. He just kept walking, silent as ever.