I can hear birds chirping.

  That’s the first thing I realize.

  My eyes crack open slightly, greeted by the warm glow of sunlight filtering through the leaves above. I’m lying face-down in the dirt, surrounded by trees—a forest.

  My body feels heavy.

  Numb.

  With a weak groan, I push myself up a little, my arms trembling faintly before giving in. I slump into a sitting position.

  Blankly, I scan my surroundings.

  I don’t know this place.

  Nothing looks familiar. Even the air smells different—cleaner, sharper. Foreign.

  After a moment, my head tilts back, my gaze drifting upward.

  It’s quiet.

  Only the occasional breeze whispers through the trees. Leaves rustle softly, brushing against one another. The sky above is bright and blue.

  No trace of the usual red hue it always carries.

  It’s colder here. Not freezing—but unmistakably cold.

  I slowly cross my arms over my chest.

  My head lowers again.

  My eyes fall to my clothes.

  They’re filthy—stained with dirt and dust. As I turn my sleeves, I notice small red dots… splatters.

  Blood.

  I stare at them blankly, confused.

  Then—

  Memory crashes down on me.

  Flashes of everything that happened flood my mind.

  My eyes widen.

  They tremble.

  A violent wave of nausea hits me. I try to breathe—but my stomach lurches instead.

  I fall forward onto all fours, retching helplessly. My hands claw into the dirt as I throw up, my body convulsing.

  Tears well up as I struggle to keep myself upright.

  What happened…?

  Why am I alone?

  This morning felt normal.

  Peaceful.

  This has to be a dream.

  I’ll wake up any moment. I have to.

  My nails dig deeper into the soil, desperate for pain—anything strong enough to wake me.

  But I don’t.

  This isn’t a dream.

  It really happened.

  Every image burning into my mind is real.

  I try to hold back a sob.

  Then another.

  And another—

  Until I can’t anymore.

  I cry.

  Loud.

  Broken.

  Frustration boils over as I slam my fist into the ground.

  Again.

  And again.

  As if the earth itself could undo everything—

  reverse what happened—

  and give me back that peaceful life with Father.

  A long time passes before my red eyes can’t cry anymore.

  Slowly, I force myself to stand.

  My knees tremble violently, barely holding my weight.

  I look around once more.

  Only trees.

  Only silence.

  After another moment, I begin to walk.

  I don’t choose a direction.

  I just move.

  Step by step, I stumble forward, each movement heavy and strained—like my body is resisting the idea of going on.

  A faint glimmer catches my eye.

  The pendant.

  Still hanging around my neck.

  My gaze lingers on it for a moment—

  then my hand shoots up and grabs it tightly.

  Before I can think, I rip it free and hurl it into the dirt.

  It doesn’t feel right for me to have it.

  After everything that happened…

  I get to walk away alive—

  with the only thing that was left for me?

  It’s not fair.

  I didn’t survive.

  I ran away.

  There was nothing I could do.

  No one I could save.

  All I managed was to freeze in fear—to be a burden to everyone who cared about me.

  I hurt Nyra.

  And Scarlet even—

  My thoughts stop abruptly, as if my mind itself refuses to go any further.

  None of this is fair.

  I take a few more steps—slow, forced, unsteady.

  I don’t get far.

  My foot catches on a tree root I’d been dragging myself over, and I fall forward, slamming hard onto my stomach.

  The numbness dulls the pain—but only slightly.

  A searing agony tears through my gut.

  Right…

  That’s where Ajax kicked me.

  I lie there, unmoving.

  My thoughts alternate between racing wildly…

  and going completely numb.

  Over.

  And over again.

  A few more moments pass before I manage to grasp a coherent thought again.

  My throat feels dry.

  I haven’t had much to drink today… and the last time I ate was before meeting Nyra.

  …I hope she’s okay.

  Father too.

  My nose twitches faintly as I try to pick up the scent of nearby water.

  But—

  I don’t feel like drinking.

  It doesn’t feel like something I deserve.

  Once more, I push myself up.

  As I roll my dirt-stained shirt up slightly, red and blue bruises are revealed—angry marks where the attack struck me.

  I let the fabric fall back down.

  Slowly, I turn my head and glance over my shoulder—

  toward the pendant lying on the ground behind me.

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  Then I look forward again.

  And keep walking.

  Leaving it behind.

  The day drags on endlessly.

  Every minute feels like an eternity.

  Step after step, I move forward, hoping—

  hoping that sooner or later, this path will lead me home.

  Back to the people I know.

  The people I love.

  Before I realize it, the light begins to fade.

  The sun sinks somewhere far in the distance.

  It grows darker.

  Quieter.

  Eventually, I can’t walk anymore.

  My feet ache.

  My legs feel unbearably heavy.

  And the path ahead blurs into shadow.

  At the side of the trail, I spot a tree—its base hollowed just enough to offer shelter.

  I hesitate…

  then slowly make my way toward it.

  With great effort, I sink into the small hollow, my body screaming in protest.

  Just as I manage to tuck myself inside—

  A drop hits the ground in front of me.

  Then another.

  And another.

  Soon, rain begins to fall.

  At first gently—

  then harder, until it crashes down around me in heavy sheets.

  A low rumble of thunder echoes in the distance.

  I flinch.

  Every time it sounds, images flood my mind—

  Ajax.

  Scarlet.

  Father holding him back.

  Lightning flashes.

  I squeeze my eyes shut as tightly as I can.

  Scarlet falling.

  Her body hitting the ground.

  I clutch my head, trembling, desperately trying to block out the memories.

  The night drags on endlessly.

  The thunder grows distant, the flashes of lightning becoming fewer and farther between. Little by little, I manage to relax—just a bit.

  I pull my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around them.

  Blankly, I stare at the rain falling in front of me.

  What am I even doing?

  What am I supposed to do?

  I don’t know where to go.

  I don’t even know if I’m walking in the right direction.

  I have no idea where the path home is—

  not a single sign, not a single clue that could lead me back.

  Rain continues to fall around me.

  Occasionally, a few drops slip through the leaves above, landing on my skin.

  What if… that really was the last time I saw my home?

  The last time I saw anyone I cared about?

  Each time the thought surfaces, my arms tighten around my legs.

  All I have left are my clothes.

  The clothes that remind me of home.

  Of Father.

  Of everything I lost.

  My clothes… and—

  My heart clenches painfully.

  The pendant.

  It’s the only other memento I have of home.

  Father kept it for me.

  He wanted me to have it.

  And I threw it away.

  A sharp pain shoots through my chest.

  I threw away something he entrusted to me.

  Before I can think any further, I scramble out of the hollow, nearly slipping as I hit the wet ground. I turn back toward the path I came from and start running.

  I have to find it.

  It has to be here somewhere!

  Throwing away what he left for me…

  What kind of son does that make me?!

  Rain lashes against my face as I sprint down the dark path, desperately scanning the ground.

  It’s too dark.

  I can barely see where I’m stepping.

  Where is it…?!

  I run for several minutes, heart pounding, eyes searching wildly through the rain.

  Desperation claws at my chest as I keep looking.

  My eyes scan the ground and the nearby bushes in panic.

  It has to be here somewhere.

  It has to be.

  But why can’t I find it?

  How could I have been such an idiot to throw—

  My thoughts are cut short when something yanks hard at my leg.

  I crash forward, slamming into the muddy ground as the air is knocked from my lungs.

  Pain shoots through my chest.

  Groaning, I force myself to look back at my foot.

  It’s caught on a thick root jutting out of the earth.

  “…!”

  Frustration boils over. I slam my fist against the ground before my fingers claw into the wet dirt.

  Tears well up in my burning red eyes again.

  I can’t stop them.

  No matter how hard I try to hold it back, exhausted sobs escape me as I collapse onto all fours, my forehead pressed into the cold, muddy ground.

  I don’t know how long I stay like that.

  I don’t know how many times I call out for Father to help me.

  But nothing answers.

  Only the silence of the night…

  and the steady rhythm of rain striking the leaves and earth around me.

  After what feels like an endless flood of tears, the exhaustion of the day finally overtakes me.

  Slowly—

  my consciousness slips away into the dark embrace of sleep.

  For a long time, there is nothing.

  No dreams.

  No thoughts.

  Only darkness.

  Then—

  …warmth.

  A faint crackling sound drifts into the empty haze surrounding my mind.

  Crack… pop…

  My brow twitches.

  Something warm brushes against my face.

  The faint scent of smoke lingers in the air.

  Slowly… painfully… awareness begins to return.

  My fingers twitch against the damp ground beneath me.

  A weak groan slips from my throat as my eyelids flutter open.

  Orange light flickers in my blurred vision.

  For a moment, I simply stare at it in confusion.

  Fire…?

  My thoughts move sluggishly, like they’re still trapped somewhere between sleep and reality.

  I push myself up slightly, my body protesting with a dull ache.

  The rain has stopped.

  In front of me, a small campfire crackles quietly, its gentle flames dancing in the darkness.

  A stick has been driven into the ground beside it.

  Skewered on it—

  a strip of meat slowly roasts above the fire.

  The scent drifts through the cool night air.

  My stomach tightens faintly.

  My gaze drifts downward.

  And then—

  my breath catches.

  Resting neatly on a large green leaf in front of me…

  lies the small pendant.

  Clean.

  Untouched.

  Placed there carefully, as if someone had deliberately set it where I would see it.

  My eyes widen.

  Quickly, my head darts around, searching for whoever made the fire and returned the pendant.

  But around me there is nothing but the pitch-black forest.

  “H-Hello?”

  No answer.

  “Is anybody here?”

  Still nothing but silence.

  I hesitate before turning back again.

  Quickly, I grab the necklace and slip it back around my neck, clutching it tightly with one hand as I release a deep breath of relief.

  The sudden growl of my stomach interrupts the moment.

  My eyes slowly drift toward the meat roasting above the fire.

  Once more, I glance into the darkness around me.

  “Would it be okay for me to eat this? I’m sorry… I’m just really hungry.”

  Of course, no one answers.

  Why did I expect otherwise?

  A few moments pass before my stomach growls loudly again.

  After another long minute of hesitation, I scoot closer to the fire and grab the stick holding the meat.

  I feel bad for taking it without permission…

  but my hunger has grown too strong to ignore.

  The smell of roasted meat makes my mouth water.

  I take a large bite.

  And another.

  And another.

  Before I know it, I’m devouring the food eagerly, my entire focus fixed on the warm meal in my hands.

  It barely takes five minutes for me to finish.

  The feeling of warm food in a full stomach is something I didn’t realize I could miss so quickly.

  I’m not sure what time it is.

  But judging by the darkness around me, it must be the middle of the night…

  or perhaps even the early morning.

  Maybe staying here for a while and waiting for whoever made this fire is the right choice.

  After all…

  I should thank them for the meal.

  I stretch my hands toward the fire, letting its warmth soothe my cold, aching body.

  Time passes.

  But no one appears.

  It’s as if someone simply prepared the food and fire for me… and then vanished into the forest.

  But why would someone do that for a stranger like me?

  I shift slightly, leaning back against a nearby tree stump.

  Just a little more rest.

  Someone will surely show up eventually.

  I just need…

  a little more…

  rest…

  And with that, sleep takes me again—

  this time a little warmer than before.

  The next time I open my eyes, daylight is already filtering through the leaves above me.

  The fire in front of me has burned down. Only a thin trail of smoke still rises from the ashes.

  It must have been burning not long ago.

  But I slept for hours…

  and I never added any wood to it.

  Did someone keep it alive through the night?

  I rub my blurry eyes, trying to focus.

  Slowly, I push myself to my feet and take a long look around.

  Still no one.

  And yet—

  It feels like someone was watching over me.

  “Hello? Is anybody there?”

  Just like the night before, only silence answers.

  As I turn my head away, a faint rustling sound comes from nearby bushes.

  I quickly look back, searching for the source.

  But all I see is an endless forest—trees and bushes stretching in every direction.

  No sign of anyone.

  “I don’t know if you can hear me.”

  My hand closes around the pendant at my chest.

  “But thank you… for returning this to me. And for the food. And the fire.”

  I don’t know why.

  But something inside me feels certain that whoever helped me heard those words—even if they chose not to show themselves.

  As I scan the forest again, something else catches my attention.

  This doesn’t look like the place I wandered through yesterday.

  The trees are different.

  The ground feels different.

  Whoever helped me must have carried me here.

  But why?

  Another faint sound interrupts my thoughts—a twig snapping somewhere deeper in the forest.

  Carefully, I move toward the direction it came from.

  Through a gap between bushes, I notice something.

  A narrow trail.

  Did the person who helped me leave this… as a hint?

  I turn around one last time, looking back at the cold remains of the fire.

  “Th-Thank you… for everything.”

  Then I push through the thick bushes and step onto the small forest trail.

  I still don’t know where to go.

  And I still don’t know if I can even find my way back home.

  The only real option I have is to find someone… and ask them for directions.

  Maybe that’s why whoever helped me pointed me toward this trail.

  But one thought refuses to leave my mind as I walk deeper along the narrow path through the forest.

  What happens if I do make it back?

  Won’t they just finish what they started?

  Won’t they just kill me?

  Even Scar—

  A sharp pain stabs through my chest as my thoughts wander there.

  I take a few deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down.

  Even she said we wouldn’t stand a chance against someone like Ajax.

  And if he was strong enough to make her say that…

  Then the other one must be far beyond anything we could ever reach.

  So if I went back…

  I would only be throwing my life away.

  My steps slow… then stop.

  Is that what the armored figure meant?

  Not to throw away my only chance?

  My chance to live?

  Slowly, I begin walking again.

  But what am I supposed to do now?

  Just forget about my home?

  Forget everyone who lived there?

  Another dreadful thought creeps into my mind.

  Am I really the last of my kind…?

  Luckily, I don’t have much time to dwell on that terrifying possibility.

  Up ahead, the forest begins to thin.

  The dense trees slowly give way to open space.

  And then I hear something.

  Voices.

  Movement.

  My heart begins to race.

  I quicken my pace.

  Faster.

  And faster—

  until I nearly break into a run.

  As I step out of the forest, I finally see it.

  At the edge of the trees lies a small village.

  Finally… a chance to ask someone how to get home—

  But just as I’m about to run toward the village, a single thought stops me cold.

  Do they hate my kind too?

  After all, Claw-Demons like me were considered the filth among demonkind.

  The only reason people tolerated me in my hometown was because of Father.

  But this isn’t my home.

  They won’t know who I am.

  To them, I might look like the same kind of filth Ajax saw.

  Walking in there without thinking would be a huge risk.

  What if they want to kill me too?

  My mind begins to race again.

  Endless possibilities play out in my head, each one worse than the last. My heart pounds violently in my chest.

  A storm of emotions swirls inside me.

  A chance to find my way home.

  A chance to survive.

  But also—

  a chance of danger.

  A chance of death.

  Instinctively, I step back and slip behind a nearby tree, careful not to be seen.

  My back presses against the rough bark as I slowly sink down.

  One hand claws at my chest as I try to calm my racing heart.