The warm breath of dawn was giving way to the cool morning. The forest was still shrouded in the morning haze, but the silence was suddenly broken. The ground beneath Naru trembled, giving off a dull vibration. She woke up abruptly, hardly realizing where she was. My heart immediately started pounding faster.
"what is it?.. "What is it?" she whispered, listening.
A loud scream cut through the air, bringing back the alarm. There was a crackle of branches from the side. She got to her feet, looking around. A tall man with disheveled hair and bloodstained clothes jumped out from behind the trees. His gaze was full of tension and determination.
"Run!" He shouted and rushed towards her.
Before she could react, the man grabbed her arm, hugging her to him and abruptly staggering to the side. There was a low, booming sound from behind, like the footsteps of something huge. Naru raised her head in horror — a dark silhouette appeared between the trees. The creature towered six meters tall, its outlines were lost in the fog, but the footsteps shook the ground.
"Darwin, I have a bigger problem here!" the man, breathing heavily, raised his hand, and the air in front of him trembled, as if responding to a magical impulse. His voice echoed in the void. "I picked up some girl from the woods. There's nothing here without you. I'm already at my limit!"
His hand flashed with blue light, and magical energy rang in the air. There was a light pop behind them as a young man in black clothes appeared. Naru could only see his back. The guy remained standing in place without saying a word.
The man, still holding Nara in his arms, ran some more distance to get away from the monster. Only when they reached the old tree did he stop. He couldn't breathe. He exhaled noisily and gently lowered her to the ground, leaning heavily against the trunk himself.
"Are you out of your mind?" he exhaled, turning to Naru. "It's dangerous in this forest even during the day! What are you doing here alone? Who are you?"
Naru was silent, clutching her backpack to herself. Her head is all messed up—she didn't even know what to answer. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her gaze slid over the trees, as if she expected something to jump out of the shadows. She wasn't going to tell the truth.
"The name. " The man clenched his fist, radiating a magical aura. His voice became even tougher, and Naru felt as if the air around them had shrunk.
"Naru" she replied reluctantly, looking away. "I just need to get to the city."
"Has." The man grinned after introducing himself. "Well, Naru. You've just made things very difficult for me."
In front of the Bunk stood a tall man, whose appearance immediately attracted the eye. His dark green hair hung loosely to his shoulders, slightly tousled, as if after a long chase. Her long bangs almost covered her eyes, and two particularly long strands on the sides fell below her shoulders, emphasizing her sharp facial features.
Khas's eyes were a deep purple— cold and penetrating, as if they could see right through him. On his head, in the tangled strands of hair, rested gold glasses. The left-hand window was cracked, but he didn't seem to care. It seemed that the glasses served more as a talisman than a necessity — the man rarely put them on his face.
A black long jacket wrapped around his figure, and beneath it was a torn turtleneck sweater — the fabric was torn in several places, exposing the skin on his chest and arms. The damage marks clearly spoke of a recent fight. A leather belt passed through his chest, securely fastened, but its purpose remained unclear.
His whole appearance was a combination of danger and tired determination. It seemed like every element of his appearance held a story he wasn't going to tell.
"You said you were heading to the city?" What for? Has's voice became colder, as if he knew that this meeting might not be accidental.
"To learn magic" she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her voice faltered, but Naru immediately tried to hide her vulnerability.
"So you're a Fier?" Has narrowed his eyes, studying her carefully. A spark of realization flashed in his gaze.
"So what?" Naru replied stubbornly, clutching the straps of her backpack. "Does it change anything?"
The man's face darkened. In the next second, he reached out his hand, and an invisible force closed around her neck. The cold metal of the shackles touched his skin, but after a moment it disappeared, leaving only a faint tingling sensation.
"What are you... Naru staggered back, but couldn't take a step. An invisible force seemed to hold her in place."
"You won't escape now," Khas said calmly.
"Let me go!" Naru shouted, stupidly tugging at her backpack. "My father will find you!"
"Oh, you spoiled girl" chuckled Khas and, pulling on an invisible chain, jerked her towards him. His face was dangerously close. "If you don't shut up, you'll regret it."
Naru froze. She was shaking, but the words stuck in her throat. Fear gripped every cell of his body.
"Darwin!" Has sent the magic pulse into the air again. "Where are you? I won't last long!"
A guy finally came out from behind the trees. He was calm, but there were traces of a magical struggle on his clothes. Darwin's gaze swept over Has and Naru.
"Are you okay?" "What is it?" he asked, but his face remained stony.
Khas tried to smile, but immediately swayed. The long jacket was open, and the fabric underneath was soaked in blood.
"Has! Darwin rushed forward."
The man lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Naru stood motionless. She still couldn't believe what was happening. Darwin wasted no time in giving her a quick glance.
"I'm sorry, baby" he said. His fingers shone with a soft blue light.
Before she could realize what he was doing, consciousness left her.
Silence returned to the forest again, as if nature itself was frozen, waiting for something. But this silence was deceptive — in its depths there was an unknown, hidden noise, like a harbinger of future events. The forest, which seemed peaceful and calm, concealed a threat that was ready to awaken at any moment.