The sun had already set, but Lily and I kept running—our breaths sharp and heavy, vanishing into the cold air of the northern forest beyond Komo Village.
Our father had given his life to protect us, but the two soldiers were still relentlessly pursuing.We couldn't run forever.We'd have to make a stand.
"In the forest, we'll have the advantage," I whispered to Lily.
Familiar with this terrain, we decided to fight back with guerrilla tactics.The soldiers' heavy boots pounded against the earth, echoing through the night.
"Damn it, where did you two hide?" one of them snarled.
"Just a pair of rats. We'll find them eventually," the other growled confidently.
I held my breath, crouched on a tree branch, watching… waiting.Then I saw him—standing with his back to me, completely unaware.
I didn't hesitate. I jumped down, sword raised.
"Block this! Phong Sát Kiếm!"
The blade flashed through the dark, but something felt off.The slash was too shallow!Before I could pull back, he spun around—eyes blazing with fury.
"You little brat!" he roared, swinging his sword at me.
I raised mine to block, but he was far stronger.The impact sent me flying. My back slammed into a tree trunk—pain exploded through my spine, and my vision blurred.
"You idiot, Noah!"
A figure burst from the bushes—Lily!She lunged forward with frightening speed, slashing through the soldier's sword arm.
Blood sprayed into the air.
"AAAAAARGH!" he howled, clutching the stump in agony.
But Lily didn't stop.With precision and fury, she drove her sword into his chest.His eyes went wide—then dim.He collapsed. The forest floor soaked in red.
The scream had already alerted the second soldier.He charged at Lily without hesitation.
They clashed—steel ringing sharply in the dark.His strikes were brutal, forceful, and fast.But Lily met him blow for blow. Her movements were fluid, graceful—dodging, countering, never backing down.
I stood there, watching.My heart twisted.
Why? Why is she always stronger than me?Why am I always the weak one?If only I had been better…Maybe Father wouldn't have had to die.
"No… I can't keep being like this!" I gritted my teeth, tightening my grip on the sword.
But Lily was starting to wear down.Agile as she was, she was still just a ten-year-old girl.Her stamina was fading. Her strikes slowed.
Seizing the chance, the soldier swung hard and knocked her to the ground.
"Lily!" I shouted.
I grabbed a nearby rock and hurled it at his head.
"You tired of living, brat?!" he snarled, turning on me.
That was our chance.
The moment he turned, Lily vanished into the trees.When he looked back at where I stood—I was gone too.
He'd taken the bait.
"Just as planned."
He chased after us.But this time—I wasn't the burden.
"Watch this! Juda!" I cried out, shifting into the sword stance Father had taught me.
My strike was powerful—enough to startle him.He stepped back. But quickly, he recovered and pressed forward again.
I needed another move.
Suddenly, I remembered the hunting traps scattered around the forest.I began luring him toward one—step by step.He had no idea what he was walking into.
I faked a stumble—made myself look vulnerable.
He took the bait.
STOMP—SNAP!
"GRRRAAAAAH!"The trap clamped shut around his leg, its metal jaws biting deep.
His face went pale.
"Lily! Now!"
Before he could even react, Lily burst from behind me.Her blade flashed once—clean and cold.
His head hit the ground with a sickening thud.His eyes stared blankly at the sky, as if still in disbelief that two children had bested him.
Blood soaked the forest floor.It covered us too—but we didn't care.
We stood there in silence, breathing hard.And yet… we both understood.
We survived.
Lily looked at me and smiled.It was soft, but full of meaning.
For the first time—I felt it.Strength.
"We did it," I whispered.
"Yes… but this is just the beginning."Her eyes gleamed with fierce resolve.
Yes.Just the beginning.
I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly.I swear—I'll never be weak again.
Even if we returned to the village now, we would only be captured again.The soldiers were probably still waiting.
To go back now would be to spit on everything our father died for.
So we chose to keep going.As far away as we could.
But each step grew heavier.After that life-or-death battle, our bodies were almost spent.
"Tired… so tired…" I mumbled, my breath ragged.
"Shut up! It's only been a while and you're already whining!"Lily frowned, shooting me a glare—but her voice wasn't as firm as usual.
Ugh… Ugh…
But her stomach betrayed her louder than words.
"Th-this is…"Lily blushed, trying to explain with forced dignity.
"You're actually kind of cute, you know?" I teased, managing a tired smile.
BOOM!
"Immmmmmmm!!!"
Just as Lily raised her fist to beat me senseless, a powerful aroma hit us like a thunderbolt.The mouthwatering scent of grilled meat, tinged with smoky wood, drifted through the air.
"That smell…!"
Like a hungry beast catching the scent of prey, Lily froze, nostrils flaring. She sniffed again, her eyes lighting up like stars.
"That way! Let's go, Noah!"She pointed to a distant flicker of fire dancing in the darkness.
We sprinted forward, our stomachs screaming, praying that whoever was by the fire would be kind… and generous with food.
— Somewhere else —
Anward raised his mug high, surrounded by his crew, the fire casting shifting shadows over their grinning faces.A feast was spread before them—roasted meat, steaming stew, and loaves of bread.
"To our victory! Let's celebrate!" Anward roared, his voice cutting through the night like a blade.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with platinum hair tied loosely behind his back. A long scar carved from his forehead to his left cheek gave him a fearsome edge, and his cold, gray eyes gleamed like sharpened steel. Wrapped in a tattered black cloak, he gave off the aura of a man who had survived countless blood-soaked battles.
"You cleaned up today, boss!""Thanks to you, we're swimming in coin!"
"Boss! Long live the boss!"
The praise flowed easily. Some flattered with words, others with drinks, hoping for a bigger cut.
But then the mood shifted.
One of the men leaned forward, voice dropping to a low murmur.
"So… what about the little girl?"
"We sell her. That'll bring in a fat purse." One sneered.
"She's too pretty to sell off right away… feels like a waste," another added, grinning lecherously.
Grumbles turned to arguments—some wanted gold, others lusted for something darker. Voices clashed and tensions rose.
BAM!
Anward's hand slammed down on the table, silencing the camp.His steely eyes swept over the group, killing all noise in an instant.
"Shut it."His tone was quiet, but it cut like a blade.
A cruel smirk twisted his lips.
"I already have a plan. You think I'd waste a prize like that?"He leaned back, voice dripping with malice."We enjoy ourselves first. Then we sell her for double. Kill two birds with one stone, eh?"
The men erupted into raucous laughter.
But one man hadn't laughed, hadn't spoken—sitting silently in the corner with a shadowed expression.Don Shelby. The new recruit.
He finally raised his voice:
"Boss… have you ever heard of the legend? The one about the 'Forest Demon'?"
"Huh?" Anward arched an eyebrow.
"They say… no bandits make it out of these woods. That a monster lives here. A blood-soaked beast with glowing red eyes. A demon that hunts anyone who dares enter."
The others exploded in laughter.
"You've got guts, rookie!""What a fairy tale!""The Forest Demon?! What's next, talking squirrels?"
They roared with amusement, brushing off the warning like dust.
Anward waved his hand dismissively—
—Back to Noah's point of view—
"Lily… they're bandits. If we show ourselves, we might not just go hungry—we could be captured or sold."I whispered into her ear, my voice trembling slightly.
"I know. That's why we wait until they're asleep."
Time crawled by. The fire began to die down, and one by one, the bandits drifted into snoring slumber.
"While they're sleeping, I'll take them out. Quietly. You just keep watch."
I hesitated.
"But… is it really okay to kill like this? It feels wrong. I'm scared…"
"Didn't I just kill two soldiers earlier?"She glanced at me, voice quiet but cold."Besides, these guys are bandits. Bad people. It's us or them."
She was right. I nodded slowly.Then I watched as Lily crept through the shadows, her blade glinting faintly in the dying firelight.She moved with a predator's grace—silent, efficient, merciless. One after another, the men stopped breathing.
A strange feeling stirred in my chest. I didn't know what it was exactly. Admiration? Envy? Or just a desperate desire to not be left behind?
I clutched my sword and crept toward a nearby bandit. But my hands were shaking—I was too nervous, too clumsy. My blade swerved slightly off target.
"Ouch! Who the hell—?!"The man jolted awake, but instead of lunging at me, his eyes widened in horror.
"W-Wood Demon…? Oh god, no! I-I'm sorry! I just joined today! I haven't done anything bad yet!"He dropped to his knees, voice quivering like his limbs."Please, I have sick parents at home… I'm only twenty-one! I haven't even had a girlfriend yet! Spare me!"
I stood frozen, blinking at him.
He didn't seem like a bandit. More like a frightened villager who'd taken the wrong turn in life.
After a long pause, I sighed, pulled out some rope, and tied his hands.
Lily walked over, arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed."So you thought we were forest demons and that's why you're crying like this?"
"Y-Yes! Look at yourselves! You're covered in blood, eyes glowing like beasts, and it's pitch black out here—anyone would freak out!"
I glanced down at myself. My clothes were torn, soaked in dried blood, and my arms and legs were a mess of cuts and bruises. Lily didn't look any better—her hair matted with sweat and dirt, her knife still dripping red.
Yeah… we really did look like demons in the dark.
"Fair enough." I mumbled.
The man—Don Shelby—gulped and added:"I… I didn't want to be a bandit. I was forced into it."
He introduced himself as a poor boy from a remote village in South Alexandria. He'd come to the capital to seek a better life, but with no skills or strength, nobody would hire him. Hunger cornered him into choosing the life of a bandit.
"So robbery's just easier money, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He dropped his head."Yes… Easier than breaking your back for coins that don't feed you. Robbery just means… following orders. Carrying stuff. Maybe killing."
This morning, he'd been dreaming of easy money. Now, he was tied up and trembling before two bloodied children. Life was cruel like that.
I grabbed a piece of roasted meat from the fire and bit into it. The flavor was heavenly—rich, smoky, juicy. But just as I chewed a few more times…
—Creak…—
A faint sound came from the direction of the wagon.
I froze mid-bite, eyes narrowing. Lily and Don immediately noticed too. All three of us fell silent, ears straining in the dark.
Something was moving inside the wagon.
"Ah… that's the girl we captured earlier," Don mumbled, looking visibly uneasy.
After being untied, a girl stepped cautiously out of the carriage.
She was beautiful—no, breathtaking. Golden hair framed her face in soft waves, her deep blue eyes shimmering like a still ocean under the moonlight. Despite her disheveled appearance, she carried herself with a quiet strength, her presence both elegant and commanding. The black one-piece dress she wore clung gently to her form, embroidered with delicate patterns that shimmered faintly in the firelight. She looked like someone out of a storybook—distant, noble, untouchable.
"Um… thank you… kids?"Her voice held a note of disbelief as she took in her rescuers—two bloodstained children, no older than ten. But instead of mockery or suspicion, she bowed her head.
"I am Anna Grand, daughter of Robert Grand, a nobleman of the Kingdom of Alexandria. While traveling through this region, I was ambushed by that group of bandits."
She sat down beside the fire, voice steady but quiet as she recounted her story.
In truth, this journey had been her escape—from suffocating rules, rigid schedules, and endless expectations. She had fled the royal palace in secret with a few loyal servants, hoping to taste freedom. They had traveled for five days, from the capital to Bezek… never expecting to fall into the hands of cutthroats.
"Without my guards, we stood no chance. The bandits struck fast. My servants… they were all killed."She looked into the fire, her voice tinged with pain."If Don hadn't intervened, I would be dead too."
I frowned and turned to Don."You helped her?"
Anna gave a faint nod, her gaze complicated."When Anward raised his sword, Don stepped in. He said… someone like me would fetch a high price."
Lily nearly choked on her meat."That's what you call help?"
"Hey, she's alive, isn't she?!" Don protested, waving his hands frantically.
I glanced at him, somewhere between skeptical and reluctantly grateful. Regardless of his motives, the fact remained—he'd stopped the killing.
Anna let out a soft sigh."He's not a good man. But he isn't entirely bad either."
"I've changed!" Don insisted, clasping his hands together. "I swear—I'm done with banditry. For real this time!"
No one responded. The fire crackled softly between us, casting flickering shadows over our silent faces.
Then Don broke the quiet.
"What about you two? Why are a couple of kids wandering around a cursed forest in the dead of night?"
Lily and I exchanged a glance.
And then, slowly, we told him.
There were no tears. No trembling voices. Just cold, clear words that cut deeper than any blade. We told them about the betrayal. The slaughter. The silence of a burning home. The way the world had turned its back on us.
Anna bit her lip. She couldn't find the words to ease that kind of pain. Instead, she stared into the fire, her thoughts churning.
And then… she spoke.
"If you two have nowhere to go… would you consider coming with me?"
We looked up, unsure, guarded.
"I can give you shelter. Food. A proper education. But in return… I want your protection."
Lily clenched her fists."We're just kids. Commoners. Will your father even allow it?"
Anna smiled softly."It's fine. I'm a princess. If I say you belong by my side, no one will question it."
Don's expression shifted. He blinked, then frowned."Wait. Princess? I thought you said you were just the daughter of a noble."
The air grew tense.
Anna froze. For a moment, guilt flickered across her face. Then she lowered her head.
"…I'm sorry."Her voice dropped to a whisper."I lied. I had to. The kingdom is searching for me—if word got out, it would've put you all in danger."
She lifted her head, her eyes meeting ours.
"I am Anna Alexandria, youngest daughter of King Vitor Alexandria IV."
We stared at her in stunned silence.
The fire popped softly. The wind stirred the trees. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.
An orphan.A runaway princess.A reluctant bandit.
Three lives—twisted, broken, and thrown into the same fire.
What would rise from it?
Hope?Or a tragedy waiting to unfold?