"COME BACK HERE!" shouted one of the legionnaires at the young girl, who was now running away from them.
The leader clenched his jaw, feeling a violent urge to tear her apart. Because of her, they couldn't use their powers, making it difficult to capture her. Once they did catch her, he wouldn't let her off easily—he would torture her until she passed out.
Meanwhile, the girl's face was streaked with tears, her hair tangled like a bird's nest. She was breathing hard, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest. She had been running for so long, trying to escape the five legionnaires chasing her. She was confused.
Who were they? And what did they want with her?
She cried out when she suddenly tripped, sending her glasses flying onto a rock. Tears smeared her face with dirt, and the once-clean girl was now covered in grime.
She sobbed as her knees throbbed in pain. Why was she experiencing all of this? Wasn't it enough that people already avoided her? And now, strangers were chasing her for reasons she didn't understand. Was her life really this cursed? She needed her parents! She wanted to see them and hug them tightly.
"Mom... Dad... Help me, please." She cried out, imagining her parents' faces.
Moments later, she stopped sobbing when she heard footsteps. Her eyes widened, and she instantly thought of who it could be. She had to get up and run again.
"There she is! Let's catch her before she escapes!" one of the legionnaires shouted as he spotted the girl.
Even though her knees were still aching, she quickly stood up and tried to walk faster. Her eyes widened further when she heard them shout her name. She didn't recognize these people, but somehow, they knew who she was. What did they want from her?
She couldn't help but scream and call for help, hoping someone would come to her rescue. But they were in the middle of the forest, and only the shadows seemed to hear her desperate cries.
Looking to her right, she saw a path leading to DEATH FOREST—a feared place in Bonum. Before she entered, she swallowed nervously. Even though she knew it was dangerous, she stepped inside. She'd rather risk facing dangerous creatures than be captured by these men from Malum's legions.
Once again, fear gripped her as she entered the dreaded forest. A shiver ran down her spine, her legs felt weak, and her stomach churned. She could feel the strange magic in the air, filled with hatred. She regretted entering this place.
Meanwhile, the five men stopped at the forest's edge. They hesitated, unsure whether to enter. One of them looked at their leader. "She went in there!" He pointed to the path leading inside.
The others exchanged uneasy glances. "Are we really going in there?" one of them asked.
All but the leader hesitated. Even in Malum, the Death Forest was infamous. It was home to many monsters, including terrifying SS-Class creatures.
"We have to!" the leader replied.
"Didn't you hear the rumors about that place?" asked the third legionnaire. Their leader shook his head dismissively. "They say strange creatures live there, and their leader is terrifying."
The leader raised an eyebrow. "Who are you more afraid of? The monsters in there, or our leader?"
The four men swallowed hard. Even though they dreaded entering, they feared their leader more than any creature in Magikē. In the end, they followed him into the forest to capture the girl.
-
On the other side...
"Where is she?" asked the leader of the group, directing his question to a goblin.
"She's over there... sitting by the enchanted tree. And she's crying—crying!" the goblin replied.
The leader glanced at the goblin, his brow furrowing. How was he sensing five sources of jādu? Other creatures in the forest had told him five people had entered, but who was this goblin referring to?
"Let's go. They're bold for entering here," he responded firmly.
-
AFTER running for several meters, the young girl realized she had escaped their sight. She felt a wave of relief. She looked around but couldn't see well in the darkness; the silence around her was deafening. She seemed to be in the middle of the forest.
She decided to rest. Taking a long breath, the girl sat beside a tree—which looked rather eerie to her. The old, thick trunk was twisted into a circle, forming a large hollow in the middle.
She leaned her head against the tree. She desperately hoped they wouldn't find her. She just wanted to go home and see her parents.
The little girl looked up at the sky, wondering why those soldiers were chasing her. Could it be because of her strange powers? What did they want with her? People had always avoided her because of her abilities, which were uncontrollable and would sometimes emerge on their own.
Her parents were the only ones who understood her and her powers, but they weren't here now. She felt lost, fearing her powers might take over.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the forest leader approaching. He tapped her on the shoulder, startling her. She whirled around, afraid he was one of the soldiers after her, and in that moment of fear, her jādu began to surge.
The leader quickly stepped back, feeling the ominous power radiating from her. Her jādu was potent—strong enough to harm him. He tried to speak, but his jaw was tense with fear.
Her jādu filled the air, wrapping around the leader and causing his body to ache. It wasn't supposed to hurt this much, but something about her power was different.
As her jādu pulsed, the leader felt it seep into his veins, paralyzing him. He stared at her glowing golden eyes, helpless against the overwhelming force.
With his last bit of strength, he managed to whisper, "Why... why do you have... such power?" His voice was barely audible, a faint rasp as he slumped down, knees buckling, his face etched with a mix of awe and fear.
The girl's gaze softened slightly as she realized what was happening, but her power was beyond her control. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the leader fall to the ground, his body trembling as her jādu consumed him.
"No... I didn't mean to—" she choked out, her voice cracking as guilt flooded her. Her power finally receded, pulling back like a wave returning to the ocean, but it was too late. The leader lay on the ground, his eyes unfocused, a faint smile frozen on his lips.
Before he could lose consciousness completely, he muttered something under his breath, an ancient spell. "Soinefasyr... adigarfyr..." With those final words, his body began to crumble into golden dust, scattering in the air as the last remnants of his life faded away.
The girl collapsed to her knees, staring at the spot where he had been, horrified by what she'd done. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to… please forgive me," she whispered, voice trembling with regret.
Just then, the golden dust drifted toward the ancient tree, causing it to glow and hum with energy. The bark shimmered, forming a swirling portal that pulsed with light, beckoning her forward.
Behind her, she could hear the voices of the soldiers approaching, getting closer with every second. She had no time to hesitate. Taking one last, sorrowful look at the remains of the leader, she whispered, "Forgive me," and then stepped into the portal, disappearing into the unknown.