As soon as they both reached the car, Helek's car—a white, shining vehicle—looked brand new even in the dark.
Keroli glanced around the deserted road. Blood was splattered everywhere, and pieces of human bodies were scattered about.
Everything else remained eerily unchanged. The buildings stood silent, as if abandoned.
Keroli couldn't shake the memory of the skinwalkers standing in large numbers below their building just moments ago.
"Where did they suddenly go?" Keroli mumbled to himself, worried that the skinwalkers might be hiding, waiting for the right moment to attack.
Helek quickly opened the car door, ushering Keroli inside before climbing in himself. Once seated, Keroli said,
"Please close the windows." His fear was palpable; he suspected the skinwalkers could attack from anywhere.
Helek complied, closing all the windows. No sooner had he done so than the skinwalkers appeared, slamming against the glass.
Keroli froze in terror at the sight of them. Yet, oddly, he also felt a measure of safety, perhaps trusting that Helek would protect him.
Helek wasted no time starting the car and sped away, plowing through the skinwalkers in his path.
Keroli's attention was fixed on the scene outside. He found himself oddly fascinated by the way Helek crushed the skinwalkers under the car.
However, every time a skinwalker charged at them head-on in the darkness, Keroli felt a surge of panic.
The lack of light made it impossible to tell how many were ahead or where they might appear.
He thought, Helek must feel the same fear as he do. But when he glanced at Helek, he was taken aback by the strange, almost eerie smile on his face.
They drove on at high speed, their destination unknown. Breaking the silence, Helek asked, "Where should we go now?"
Keroli replied, "Let's head to the military camp."
Helek nodded and asked, "Do you know the way?"
Keroli hesitated; he didn't know where the camp was. "Just take me somewhere safe," he said.
Without replying, Helek focused on the road and continued driving.
Hours passed. Keroli eventually fell asleep. When he woke up, Helek was still driving, showing no signs of resting.
Keroli wiped the drool from his face, sat up straight, and lightly touched Helek's hand. The moment he did, Helek flinched and shivered.
"Please don't touch me," Helek said. "We're almost at our destination."
Keroli looked out the window. They were speeding toward a forest, and though the night lingered, the faint promise of dawn glimmered on the horizon.
"Why are we going into the jungle?" Keroli asked. "What if those monsters are hiding there?"
Helek's reply was calm: "My villa is in the forest. I can't stand crowds and noise, so I live away from everyone."
Keroli thought, He must be an introvert, based on his words.
As they drove deeper into the forest, a large, beautiful villa came into view.
Its lights were on, suggesting someone might be inside. Helek stopped the car in front of the villa and turned to Keroli.
"Don't come out until I tell you. I'll check if it's safe first," Helek instructed.
Keroli nodded silently. Helek got out and began scanning the surroundings. Moments later, an average-looking young man stepped out of the villa.
The two began talking, but Keroli couldn't hear their conversation. He sat in the car, waiting for Helek's signal.
Finally, Helek returned, opened the car door, and gestured for Keroli to step out.
Helek opened the car door, extended his hand to Keroli, and said,
"You can come out now." Keroli took his hand, stepped out, and carried his bag with him.
As soon as they both exited the car, the boy from earlier silently took the keys from Helek's hand, got in the car, and drove away without a word.
Keroli, puzzled, asked Helek, "If we need to leave this jungle, how will we go? That boy just took the car!"
Helek smiled, gently stroking Keroli's head. "Don't worry," he said.
"That boy will be back soon." With that reassurance, they both walked into the villa.
Keroli wanted to ask who the boy was, but he held back. What right do he have to ask such personal questions? he thought.
Silently, he followed Helek inside and sat down on the sofa.
"Consider this your home," Helek said warmly.
"Make yourself comfortable. You can explore the house if you'd like while I prepare something to eat."
Keroli nodded. He figured exploring the villa was better than sitting idly, so he headed upstairs to have a look around.
The upper floor had several rooms, and Keroli inspected each one. All of them were spotless.
Maybe the boy who took the car cleaned these rooms, he speculated. The entire house was eerily quiet—likely because it was just the two of them.
While the rooms themselves didn't particularly catch his attention, Keroli discovered a swimming pool behind the villa. The view captivated him.
Beyond the pool lay a dense forest, a stark reminder of their remote location. For a moment, he forgot about the dangers outside and admired the tranquility.
After finishing his exploration, Keroli returned to the living room.
To his surprise, a delicious meal was already laid out on the dining table. The aroma made his mouth water, but Helek was nowhere to be seen.
He must have cooked this, Keroli thought. But it feels wrong to eat without him. Feeling it would be rude to indulge alone, Keroli decided to look for Helek.
He searched the villa but couldn't find him. He even stepped outside, scanning the surroundings, but Helek was nowhere in sight.
That's when he heard a sound coming from the side of the house.
At first, fear gripped him. What if a monster attacked Helek? What if it's waiting for me now? The sound, however, wasn't what he expected. It wasn't a growl but something softer—moans.
Keroli tiptoed toward the source of the noise, his heart pounding. Peeking around the corner, he froze.
Helek had the boy pinned against the wall, their bodies pressed tightly together as they kissed passionately. Their lips moved hungrily, rough and desperate.
Keroli's cheeks burned with embarrassment as he quickly turned and ran back inside the house, his mind racing from what he had just seen.