Chapter 3 — The Forest and the Red Eyes
The gunshot cracked through the night like the sky had split in two.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXnhCdAu2U
Her brother’s head snapped back — and then he was falling, collapsing into her arms.
“No… no, no, no… please…”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvLyVSBlfu
Her voice broke as she caught him, blood warm and sticky against her hands.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMNJYGxxhQ
“Wake up… look at me!” she begged, shaking him gently. “You said you’d always protect me… you can’t leave me now…”
His lips trembled like he wanted to speak — but no sound came.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWTHb9jYjH
“You’re my light, brother… and they’re trying to take it away… please… open your eyes…”
But his chest rose once… twice… and then was still.
The leader of the robbers stepped forward with a cruel smile.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLHhAwIP9z
“That’s enough. Take her.”
A gun pressed against her head.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VY1H27nh6
Her uncles froze — fear choking whatever love they had left in their hearts.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNHaVc4zcs
The old woman tried to block their way. “Leave her! Please, take me instead!”331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiplSFST5S
But they shoved her aside.
Her tears fell faster, but she wasn’t crying for herself — only for the brother she’d just lost.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1MGnR2Elm
They dragged her away, and her last sight of him was his still, bloodstained face under the dying glow of the fire.
The train’s chaos faded behind them as they entered the forest.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUu6YATjXy
Branches clawed at her dress, the moon barely piercing the thick canopy above.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XCCbhydz1
Every step took her deeper into a place where even the wind seemed afraid to breathe.
The leader walked ahead, his boots crunching on leaves.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmUgdrMW0o
One of the men snickered beside her. “You’re lucky… boss likes pretty things.”
She kept her head down, heart pounding, silently praying for something — anything — to stop them.
That’s when the night changed.
The air grew colder, the shadows stretching unnaturally long.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoEPPfZSdz
The robbers slowed, glancing around.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFASp48IAlN
“What’s with the fog?” one muttered.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPrbgYlXQL
But there was no fog. Just… darkness, thicker than before.
And then — a voice.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY5izOY7WX
Low. Calm.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKsU52ScM1
“Leave the girl.”
They all spun toward the sound.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHzEdhekKG
Nothing but trees.
“Who’s there?!” the leader barked.
The voice came again, closer.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk7YLhk4YB
“I said… leave her.”
The leader laughed harshly. “Or what? Boys—kill him.”
No one moved.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3oRZdI4uj
Because from between the trees, a figure emerged.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Out650AEF
Tall. Cloaked in black that seemed to drink the moonlight.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQ8nDg1hRy
And where a face should have been… only two burning red eyes.
The robbers’ hands shook on their guns.
The leader snarled, trying to keep control. “Shoot him!”
They pulled their triggers —331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvitdSRNJne
But every bullet stopped midair.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3SXTbgh6d
Hung there. Spinning slowly like insects caught in invisible webs.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWVoJeXfXc
Then, one by one, the bullets dropped harmlessly to the ground.
The ghost stepped closer without a sound.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOM2v9b641
“You’re done.”
The men stumbled back. One dropped his weapon entirely.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tN96MdGm3
The leader’s voice cracked. “What… are you?”
“Your last mistake.”
The trees whispered like they knew what was coming.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgteormHx1
And without touching a single one of them — without raising a hand — the ghost’s presence pressed down so heavily that the men fell to their knees, gasping for air as if the darkness itself was crushing them.
The girl could barely keep her eyes open.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK132Dyz88
Her knees gave out, the world tilting.331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKO11wrPifo
The last thing she saw was the shadowed figure turning his burning eyes toward her…331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLW8mc3zMj
before everything went black.
and then Add to home screen.