[The Dead Forest – With Jin]
She vanished in front of him…
as if her presence had only been an illusion.
Jin stood still, staring at the empty space.
A long, soundless moment passed before he exhaled slowly and slid his swords back into their sheaths.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
> "Still too weak..."
He muttered under his breath.
Turning his gaze, he spotted the small wolf lying nearby—frail, frightened, hiding among the dried, rotting leaves.
Its wide, terrified eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.
Jin stepped closer, cautiously.
— "Alright, little one… looks like you need some food."
The wolf didn't move, but it didn't run either.
It was too weak to even flee.
Kneeling beside it, Jin gently reached out and patted its head.
— "Don't worry. I'm not your enemy."
He stood up again, giving it one last glance.
— "Stay here. I'll get you something to eat. Don't go anywhere…"
He turned and walked into the depths of the forest.
A forest of death—
burned-out trunks, broken branches like twisted arms.
Only darkness within darkness.
Though the sun had long vanished from this world, everyone still knew when the "true night" began.
And now… it had begun.
The silence was broken by distant whispers…
Hissing. Growling. Crawling sounds.
As if something was being born within the shadows.
Jin did not stop.
He knew what was waiting.
Then suddenly, through the trees—it appeared.
A gigantic spider, jet black, with eight glowing red eyes and massive legs that crushed the ground beneath it.
Jin stared calmly.
Without hesitation, he drew his blade.
— "This should be enough… to feed one small wolf."
And with that, he charged.
---
[Golden Capital – Winged Palace]
Inside a grand chamber with towering walls and golden curtains sealing every window, Rebecca stood silently, watching the single flame that lit the room.
A knight entered quietly, holding a black folder.
— "My lady, this is the file regarding the boy who passed through the gate."
She took it, and the knight continued without being asked:
— "According to the gatekeepers, it was his first time entering the capital. He's from outside the walls—born and raised."
She examined the cover briefly, then opened the file.
> "From outside…? And this is his first visit?"
Sparse documents. Initial observation reports. A basic physical profile.
> "No signs of starvation or exhaustion…? Yet he lived beyond the walls?"
A faint smile curved her lips—quiet but full of interest.
— "Finally… something entertaining."
She leaned back in her chair, lifting one of the pages.
> "Young… strong… raised outside the walls… never been here before… could he be one of the Ravens?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, she whispered:
— "This just got a lot more interesting."
---
[Hidden Fortress – Moon Council]
Deep within distant mountains—where no light reaches, and no feet dare tread—
a crumbling fortress hides, forgotten by time.
Inside...
a vast circular hall, ringed with stone pillars.
At its center: a massive sigil carved into the ground—a full moon.
Seated around it, cloaked in white robes, are the Moon Council.
Their faces are concealed in shadows, each of them lit only by the flickering flame of a single candle.
The silence was broken by a cold, sharp voice:
— "King of Humans… Edmund, and his Shadow Knights attacked our southern base."
— "All our brothers there… slaughtered."
A low murmuring spread through the chamber.
One member slammed his fist on the table:
— "Those heretics… how dare they kill the followers of the Faith?!"
— "This is blasphemy! They must pay!"
Another raised his hand calmly, voice steady but stern:
— "Enough. We do nothing without the Lord's command."
— "It is the Lord who punishes."
A brief silence, then another voice spoke:
— "Yes… we must not act in haste. The Lord sees all."
Voices began to echo through the hall, like a solemn chant:
— "The Lord will punish them…"
— "The Lord will guide us…"
— "The Lord forgets no sin…"
One of them stood and unrolled a scroll marked with sacred symbols:
— "We will speak to the Lord… and ask how we may bring divine judgment upon the heretics."
The flames trembled…
As if something unseen had stirred in the chamber.
As if the moon carved into the floor… had just taken a breath.
---
[Elsewhere – Edge of the Dead Forest]
Jin returned, carrying a slab of still-warm spider meat, its surface steaming in the cold air.
He knelt in front of the small wolf once more:
— "Here. Eat."
The wolf sniffed the meat… then backed away and let out a weak whimper.
Jin frowned, irritated:
— "What's wrong with you, idiot? I fought hard to get this!"
The wolf turned its head, mewling even louder.
With a sigh, Jin dropped the meat onto the ground.
— "If you won't eat… then I'll leave you here."
The wolf looked up at him in defiance… and turned away.
— "Seriously? Are you ignoring me now?"
He leaned closer, growing more frustrated:
— "You dumb beast… eat, or you'll die."
Still, the wolf remained still—silent, stubborn.
Jin stared at the meat again.
> "What's wrong with it…? Why would he refuse it?"
Suddenly, a voice—
old, calm, but weighted with centuries—spoke behind him:
— "Because he doesn't want to die."
Jin froze.
His hand shot to his sword as he turned slowly.
— "Who's there?"
Standing behind him, half-shrouded in shadow, was an elderly man with long white hair and a beard flowing to his chest.
His eyes gleamed with knowledge—and sorrow.
He smiled gently:
— "Relax. I'm not your enemy. Just… a friend."
Jin kept his hand on the hilt.
— "How can I trust someone who sneaks up behind me?"
The man chuckled softly:
— "You're right. In this world, trust is a rare thing."
He nodded toward the wolf.
— "But you tried to feed him. That says something about your heart… even if you bury it behind that cold face of yours."
Jin stared back silently.
The man's smile lingered:
— "Let me show you good faith, then. I'll tell you why he refused the food."
A beat passed.
— "Wasn't that meat from a giant black spider?"
Jin nodded.
— "Yeah."
The old man sighed:
— "That's why. It's poisoned. The meat is toxic. You weren't feeding him… you were killing him slowly."
A soft, pained sound came from the wolf.
Jin looked at the meat again—
and realization hit him like a blade to the chest.
> "I was killing him… without even knowing it."
Author
Sorry for the interruption in writing or for not replying. Two of my relatives passed away recently — my uncle and my mother's brother. I was also very sick, then the holiday season came in my country, and after that, my mother fell ill as well. That's why I stopped writing, but I'm coming back now."