Zen had seen death. In the slums, it was common. Children starving in the gutters, bodies left to rot in alleyways, illnesses taking people without ceremony. But this... this was different.
The guard's death wasn't quiet or pitiful -it was vicious. The sickening crack of bone, the splatter of blood painting the dirt, and the utter coldness in the girl's expression sent chills down Zen's spine.
For a moment, there was silence. Then the other guards snapped to action.
"You bitch!" one roared, drawing his sword. The others followed suit, blades gleaming under the faint moonlight. They spread out, their boots crunching on frosted leaves as they surrounded her.
The black-haired girl didn't flinch. Her cold black eyes swept over the men with an almost lazy indifference. Her sleek frame didn't suggest brute strength, but the way she carried herself made it clear: she was a predator.
One guard lunged with a wild swing, his blade slicing through the air. She sidestepped effortlessly, her movements fluid as water. Before the man could recover, her hand shot out like a viper, gripping his wrist. With a sickening snap, she broke it, forcing the sword to clatter to the ground.
She caught the falling weapon mid-air and, in one seamless motion, drove it through his chest. The man's scream was short-lived, gurgling into silence as blood poured from his mouth.
The others hesitated, exchanging nervous glances.
Two men charged simultaneously, one aiming for her head, the other for her legs. She ducked under the first swing, letting the blade pass harmlessly overhead. As the second sword came for her knees, she leapt, twisting mid-air. Her sword slashed down, carving through the attacker's neck with a wet crunch.
Blood sprayed like a fountain as his head rolled grotesquely, attached by a mere strip of flesh. His body collapsed, twitching.
The second guard hesitated for a fraction of a second-a fatal mistake. The girl spun on her heel, her blade arcing in a deadly sweep. The steel cleaved through his torso, splitting him open from shoulder to hip. His scream echoed in the cold night as he crumpled into the dirt, blood pooling beneath him.
Zen's stomach churned, his wide eyes unable to look away.
"Shit, she's a demon!" one of the remaining guards shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Another man rushed her from behind, thinking her distracted. She didn't even turn. With a backward thrust, her sword plunged into his gut. She twisted the blade viciously before pulling it free, the wet sound of tearing flesh making Zen flinch. The guard stumbled, clutching his stomach as his intestines spilled out in a grotesque cascade. He fell, his dying screams barely audible over the pounding in Zen's ears.
A sharp click broke through the chaos- a gun.
One of the guards had drawn a pistol from his belt, his hands trembling as he leveled it at the girl.
Before he could pull the trigger, she moved. In the blink of an eye, she was on him, her blade flashing under the faint moonlight.
The man's eyes widened in shock as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Looking down, he saw the sword buried deep in his gut, the steel glinting wetly with his own blood.
"Who are you working for? Tell me, or we'll find out after making a soul pact," she asked, her tone cold as she pointed toward the silver-haired girl who hadn't moved since the start of the fight. The girl stood motionless, her gaze fixed on the ground, as though the carnage around her didn't even exist.
The man opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He gasped for breath, his body trembling violently before collapsing to the ground. He exhaled a final, shallow breath before going still.
The remaining guards and the drivers, struck with overwhelming terror, turned and ran into the forest. Panic drove them, but their escape was futile. The black-haired girl pursued them, her blade flashing in the dark, cutting down each one in brutal efficiency. Their screams echoed through the cold night, fading into silence as their lives were snuffed out.
Zen sat quietly in the back of the carriage, watching the massacre unfold with a strange detachment. He didn't know what to do—what could he do? There was no point in running; she'd catch him in moments.
His gaze wandered to the starry sky as the screams died down. The night felt too beautiful for a massacre.
-------
After the hunt ended, she returned, her sword dripping with blood. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the faint rustle of the wind. The road was littered with bodies, and only two people remained: Zen and the terrified pickup driver.
He glanced toward her, she met Zen's gaze, her cold eyes locking onto his.
"Would you believe me if I said I'm not one of them?" Zen asked, trying his best to smile politely, though it came out more as creepy in the grim situation.
For a moment, she held her stare, as if weighing his words, before she turned away. "You can go."
"Huh?" Zen's confusion was palpable. 'Go where?' He looked around 'Into the forest? Or does she think I'll just walk back to Sector 9?'
Before he could say another word, the two girls climbed into the pickup, leaving the carnage behind. The stillness of the road was almost suffocating.
"Let's go," she ordered, her tone flat.
"Y-yes, miss," the driver stammered, his voice barely a whisper as he started the engine.
Zen knew he had no chance of surviving alone in the forest so he just stayed in his seat, as the vehicle pulled away. It was better to stay in motion than to face the unknown alone.
---
The vehicle's engine roared, breaking the silence that had settled over the road. Each minute dragged on for Zen, who sat at the back with nothing but the vast, empty road ahead and the chill in the air. He glanced around warily, his eyes darting to the shadows looking out for creatures.
'Not causing a mess, being a good guide my ass, That jinxed bitch ' he cursed, thinking of Sia.He regretted ever agreeing to this shit.
"Screeech!" The sudden noise of the tires screeching tore through his thoughts, followed by the jarring halt of the vehicle. "Ah, fuck!" Zen's head slammed into the cold metal of the pickup, pain radiating through his skull.
He quickly stood up, rubbing his head. His expression darkened as he looked ahead, his brows furrowing. In the middle of the road lay the bodies of the people, the same people that the black-haired girl had killed. Not just a few, but all of them, scattered across the pavement.
"Don't stop, move," came the cold command of the silver-haired girl. Her voice was sharp, an order more than a request.
The driver, his face pale with horror, looked at the bodies and then back at her, his eyes wide.
"Didn't you hear?" the black-haired girl's voice rang out, a chilling edge to her tone "What she said."
The driver, shaking, muttered an apology and slammed his foot on the accelerator, the vehicle surging forward. The tires crushed the bodies under the wheels, the sickening sound of bones breaking filling the air. Drive grimaced,but the vehicle moved on, leaving the mangled bodies behind.
The pickup sped down the road before coming to another screeching halt. Zen, barely holding his balance, looked up again.The same bodies, The same gruesome scene, all scattered like discarded dolls in the road.
"Click." The sound of the gate opening echoed through the night. The black-haired girl stepped out of the truck, her brow furrowed.
Before Zen could react, the world around him blurred. His head spun, his vision blacking out, and everything went dark.
When he awoke, a familiar scene unfolded before his eyes—people in black robes, all heading in the same direction, their destination clear—the cathedral.
"Am I... sleeping in the middle of the forest?"
He ran a hand through his hair, a mix of confusion and disbelief flickering across his face. "Wait… I can control my hands?" He reached down to touch his legs.They moved, He jumped, his body responding to his commands.
I can control my body ?
"W-What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a voice broke through his thoughts, sending a jolt of fear through him. The terrified voice of came from behind him, sending chills down Zen's spine.
Looking behind what greeted him was the driver's face filled with horror. The white-haired girl stood beside him, her expression twisted in a mix of confusion and disgust, clearly screaming without words, 'Are you stupid?'.
The black-haired girl, however, remained still, scanning the surroundings with an unreadable expression. Her gaze was cold, calculating, as she seemed to analyze the situation, trying to figure out what's going on.
'What are they doing here?' Zen just stood there, utterly confused.