Drips of viscous liquid descended on the back of Hezekiah's tongue. The familiar scent of iron reminded him of the work he was involved in.

  These bastards, after everything I did for them!

  “Damn, even with a concaved skull you’re still breathing?” A man stood before him had a metal bat resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t help but let a chuckle escape his lips. “They didn’t call you Tank for nothing, but I guess it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll die here in this forest.”

  Thunder roared above them as the man's drenched clothes squinched against one another.

  “Don’t—don’t tou—”

  Hezekiah attempted to speak but could only cough up the warm liquid clogging his throat.

  Though the man with the bat was wearing a silver mask, his gaze remained sharp regardless.

  “You’re still worried about her? I’m sure the Boss will treat her quite well. After all, he greatly values his possessions. You should know that better than anyone.”

  Hezekiah’s train of thought blacked out for a mere moment. If his arms didn’t feel disconnected from his body, he would’ve bolted off the ground and torn out the man’s tongue.

  But even if that were possible, he knew it wouldn’t change the fact that he was responsible for this. He knew his sister always sought a thrill—from stealing candy bars from gas stations to deliberately speeding in front of police officers, initiating a pursuit.

  But he never considered that she would betray their organization for the same rush.

  Falina, you maniac.

  “What’s wrong? The brain damage finally kicking in?” the masked man mocked after seeing Hezekiah silent. He then shook his head and released a deep sigh.

  He had never once seen this man defy or question any orders. But who knew all it took was a relative to change that?

  Everyone’s weak to their daughters or sisters.

  Was that the saying? The masked man wondered.

  With a swift motion, he raised the bat into the air, raindrops cruised down its shiny surface.

  “Since you protected her, then be delighted to take her place.”

  As Hezekiah saw the bat descending at a blurring speed, snippets of memories played through his mind like a silent film—from witnessing his sister graduate from college with a Master’s in chemistry, to him winning the high school kickboxing tournament while his family boasted on the sidelines.

  Those were the times, were they? Where did it all go wrong?

  Tears departed from his eyes before the pounding of flesh haunted the forest, frightening the mice and other critters to scatter.

  A few moments passed. The masked man finally exhaled when he noticed Hezekiah’s eyes stop jittering, as if they were frozen in time.

  “What a shame to lose such a valuable tool. But what good is it, if it refuses to serve its purpose?”

  He swung the blood and brain matter off the bat and casually made his way out of the forest.

  Many cycles of the sun and moon went by after that day. Even the vultures and ants were still reaping their grand harvest.

  As they were enjoying their meal, a black flame appeared out of thin air above the corpse, immediately disintegrating all forms of life within a dozen meters. Whether insect or grass, nothing was spared—except for the corpse that had already been defiled by the natural wildlife.

  The flame twisted and morphed, occasionally dancing in a way that could make one question the laws of physics.

  But before a minute had elapsed, it shifted into a shape that resembled a pen—pitch black, coated with red engravings.

  The point of the pen hovered millimeters above his heart. In the blink of an eye, it punctured through his chest and nestled deep inside his heart. The wounds closed instantaneously, and every ounce of blood was erased.

  Hezekiah’s eyes shot open. A large gulp of air swarmed his lungs.

  “Wh-what!”

  Hezekiah couldn’t resist frantically patting himself over his body. But what perplexed him even more was how he was able to move at all. He knew his arms were broken, and the dent he felt on his head was as if it never existed in the first place.

  Was that all a dream? No... there’s no way for a dream to feel that real. I definitely...

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  In the midst of his thoughts, he noticed he was entirely surrounded by charred soil, creating a perfect circle. The vegetation was completely cooked and decimated. The sharp smell of acrid smoke lingered in the air.

  “Was I abducted by aliens or something after I died?” he whispered. Bombarded by one thing after another, he pushed all those thoughts aside. As much as he wanted to know, he couldn’t waste time playing detective.

  Rising to his feet, he felt an awkward ache in his chest. But being accustomed to this feeling, he didn’t think much of it.

  The moon lit his path as he navigated through the dense forest.

  Damn, how far did he drag me out?

  This is definitely Ragoll Forest. If I travel east, I should be out in no time.

  Hezekiah paused and gazed at the stars for several minutes. Confirming their rotation, he knew he was heading in the right direction.

  As he continued his walk, the snapping of a twig raced past his ears. His shoulders sharpened as he quickly checked behind him.

  But he was only met by forestry and the chirping of crickets. He squinted through the dimly lit moonlight, hoping to find the source of the sound.

  “I’m letting you know in advance—you wouldn’t be the first life I’ve taken,” Hezekiah warned. But that didn’t hide his sweat glistening in the moonlight.

  As if on cue, a deer dashed out from beneath the bushes, almost making his heart jump. But as he took a closer look, something was off about it.

  His hairs crept the more he observed it. His instincts told him to run, but his mind warned him otherwise.

  The deer halted a couple of meters before him. Its hooves had speckled drops of red—lots of it.

  But that’s not what stole his attention. The deer before him... was smiling—from one end of its mouth to the other. Its teeth were coated with the same substance as its hooves.

  Hezekiah had a pretty good guess what it was, even if he couldn't understand it. The deer didn’t move an inch, its pitch-black eyes locking onto Hezekiah’s. He gulped.

  He was aware of strange disappearances in this forest, as reported by news stations. There were no bodies ever retrieved—only samples of the victims’ blood. He assumed they were standard kidnappings, but a pattern always found by the victims' bodily fluids were deer tracks.

  This deer—no... whatever this thing is—it’s after me. Outrunning it is impossible. Especially in this forest.

  But what else am I supposed to do? Kick it?

  With little to no options, he bolted. Ducking tree branches and skipping over pits. The scuttling of hooves sounded as if they were right behind him.

  His eyes had long adjusted to the dark, but it simply wasn’t enough. After a minute passed, he noticed a light in the distance.

  Help? A hunter maybe? Maybe he has a gun.

  “Hey! Get ready! I’m bringing it to you!” he bellowed. He picked up his pace despite his lungs screaming. His legs began to feel like jello, but that didn’t stop him from pouring every ounce of energy into one final burst.

  I should’ve done track and field instead of this stupid kickboxing shit.

  As he got closer to the light, he could tell it was coming from inside a cave. Knowing he might trap himself in a dead-end, he couldn’t think that running past the only guy who could help would be any better.

  The moment his foot crossed the threshold of the cave, his legs finally buckled, causing his knees to scrape against the rough dirt.

  His eyes soon landed on a man with a poorly shaved beard. The man’s muddy clothes reeked. But that wasn’t enough to suppress the smile of relief when Hezekiah’s eyes landed on him.

  “Hope you got a gun with you,” he cackled while attempting to catch his breath.

  The bearded man glanced at Hezekiah for a few seconds and casually lifted his hands to the fire, not speaking a word.

  “Hey! Are you deaf, old man? That thing is right behind me!” Hezekiah shouted. But he quickly realized nothing had happened yet. In fact, he was sure the deer was right behind him a second ago.

  The bearded man dug in his ears before flicking whatever he found into the fire. It appeared to breathe more life into the flames, causing them to burn more brightly.

  “If you’re worried about the little old fella, don’t be,” the bearded man finally answered.

  Hezekiah saw the flames burning more fervently and tried to rationalize everything that had been happening. But as it stood now, this man might know what was going on.

  “What was that thing? Deers don’t eat people the last time I checked. And why did it stop chasing me?” Hezekiah eyed the man, his gaze hoping for answers.

  The man formed a half-smile. But instead of answering, he asked a question of his own.

  “Have you ever heard of the Abnas?” The man met Hezekiah’s gaze and picked up a stick with a piece of meat skewered through it.

  Hezekiah shook his head with a shrug. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

  The man gave a raspy laugh before taking a bite out of the meat he roasted. “I figured as much. It’s a pity. If your kind wasn’t kept so much in the dark, maybe there wouldn’t be as many disappearances,” he commented.

  “Do these Abnas have anything to do with the deer?” Hezekiah was seated by the fire, occasionally glancing toward the cave’s entrance. He found the man’s words a bit strange, but he was more concerned about his current situation.

  “I’d personally say no. But the Unity Council disagrees. I say they too should be responsible for the missing victims.”

  The more Hezekiah listened, the less he was able to make sense of the man’s words. Not only might the Abnas not be connected to the deer, but he still hadn’t answered Hezekiah’s initial questions.

  But before he could speak, a piercing plea echoed from deep within the cave.

  “Help!!” a man’s voice cried from its depths.

  “Is someone there!? Get us out!!” a young woman’s voice followed.

  “Just let me be next! I can’t wait anymore!” another called.

  Hezekiah’s back straightened. His eyes swung toward the darkness cloaking the inner regions of the cave. The hairs on his arms rose in response to the sudden screeches and cries. Clatters of metal and chains could be heard below.

  “There are other people here!?” Hezekiah said, a trace of anxiousness in his voice, though his expression remained firm.

  First Kiann with his stupid bat, the man-eating deer, and whoever the hell this psycho is. I can’t catch a break.

  The calls for help sounded desperate—probably willing to do anything to be set free.

  “If the Unity Council weren’t so secretive, then people would at least be better prepared for beings like us. I find it so unfair... just because they’re not Abnas. For this reason, I’ll close the gap for all species.”

  Hezekiah’s chest began to grow hot. For a second, he thought it was the adrenaline kicking back in. But he realized that wasn’t the case.

  In that moment, like a card appearing from a magician’s hand, a black sheet of notebook paper suddenly appeared before his eyes, floating in the air, containing red lettering:

  — You’ve been chosen by The Rule of Suffering

  —Provide Instructions for Location: Hyonda’s Cave

  —Time Limit: 1:59:57

  —Satisfaction: 0%

  – Rules for Hyonda’s Cave –

  1.

  2.

  3.

  ...

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