## I. The Request for Peace
The tension in the camp was almost solid. The campfire crackled, throwing sparks that died in the cold mist of the border, while four pairs of eyes watched the darkness. The shadow that had been following them finally materialized, but not in the way they expected.
Nati emerged from among the twisted trees of the red forest. Her arms were open, palms facing forward in a universal gesture of surrender. She walked with difficulty, each step seeming like a battle against gravity itself.
Zack remained silent, his expression a mask of ice. Beside him, K, Lyra, and Mira reacted instantly. The sound of blades being drawn and auras being released cut through the air.
— What is she doing here? — K hissed, her eyes glowing with a dangerous fury. — Zack, she is the enemy! She works for Ygon! It's a trap, she's creating an opening for an attack!
K stepped forward, pointing at Nati with contempt. — I told you it was stupid to let this bitch escape! Now she's brought the war to us!
Zack didn't move. He ignored K's desperation and the bloodlust of Lyra and Mira. His gaze was fixed on Nati's face. What he saw was not Ygon's arrogant general, but a woman whose red eyes were opaque, laden with a weariness that went beyond the physical. They were sad eyes, devoid of any spark of strength.
Before any of the women could attack, the Boy broke the formation. He ran toward Nati, ignoring the warning shouts from his mothers. Nati froze when she felt the boy's small arms wrap around her waist in a tight hug. It was the same warmth, the same innocence that had disarmed her the last time.
— No! — Mira shouted, drawing her twin pistols, *Yellow*, and pointing them directly at Nati's head. — Get away from him now, or I swear I'll scatter your brains across this forest!
Zack moved with a speed that eyes could barely follow. He positioned himself between Mira's weapons and Nati, standing with his back to the wounded general.
— Lower your auras — Zack ordered, his voice low and vibrant, laden with an authority that admitted no challenge. — Control yourself, Mira.
He approached Mira, looking deeply into her eyes. With absolute calm, he placed his hands over the barrels of the pistols, lowering them slowly.
— Enough — he said, looking at the three women. — Nati is not here to fight. Look at her eyes. They are eyes of despair. She came to ask for help.
## II. The General's Fragility
Nati remained with her hands raised, trembling slightly. The Boy released her waist and looked at her with concern.
— Are you hungry? — the boy asked, his sweet voice cutting through the tense silence.
Nati swallowed hard, a lone tear tracing a path through the dirt on her face. — Yes... very hungry — she whispered.
The Boy ran to the campfire and returned with a plate of hot stew. He handed it to Nati while the rest of the group remained on high alert, but Zack only watched, his posture relaxed, yet his senses mapping every inch of the surrounding forest.
— Zack, send her away — Lyra asked, her voice heavy with disgust. — We cannot ally ourselves with a monster like that.
Zack didn't answer. He watched Nati as she ate desperately. Under the light of the campfire, the general's true state was terrifying. The Boy provided a cloth for her to lie on, and it was then that they saw the extent of the damage. Nati's body was covered in deep cuts and purple bruises that stained her black skin. Her face, once of a lethal beauty, was swollen and disfigured by brutal blows. Her short hair was tangled with dried blood and dirt.
Zack approached the Boy and stroked his hair. — You did a great job — he said softly. — Now, go stay with your mothers.
The boy obeyed, and Zack sat down beside Nati. — What happened? — he asked, his gaze cold and analytical.
— I won't say — Nati replied, trying to recover a fraction of her dignity.
Zack didn't insist. He knew she was trying to be tough, an empty shell protecting what remained of her pride. He stood up and left, returning moments later with a bucket of water, clean cloths, and medicinal herbs.
— No man touches me without my permission — Nati hissed, her eyes sparking for an instant.
Zack gave a corner smile, almost imperceptible. — And can a boy?
The question disarmed Nati completely. The Boy approached again and, under Zack's silent guidance, began to clean her wounds. Nati was left without reaction as the boy's small hands treated her wounds with a delicacy she had never known. Zack assisted, applying the bandages with military precision.
— When you are ready, I will be here to listen — Zack said, standing up. — Now sleep. Tomorrow we have a long journey.
Nati felt useless. She tried to dialogue, saying she would pay him, that she needed to pass through a certain place, but Zack didn't even care about the money or the conditions. He just left the place and went to the cabin to sleep, taking the Boy with him.
## III. The Blood Contract
Nati couldn't sleep. The dawn cold was cutting, and the pain in her bones seemed to increase with the silence. She watched the starry sky, reflecting on Zack and his group. They were too good, and that irritated her deeply. She blamed Zack for her freedom, blamed the Boy for softening her heart, and deep down, hated herself for not being able to deal with the consequences of her choices.
During the early hours, while she trembled uncontrollably, she felt a sudden warmth. The Boy had come out of his tent just to cover her with a heavy blanket. He gave a mischievous little smile and went back to the camp. Nati closed her eyes, feeling the weight of that kindness. *Did I make the right choice?*, she thought.
At six in the morning, the first rays of sun began to touch the horizon. The Red Continent was the only place on Earth where the sun and the moon could be seen simultaneously, as the mist was not dense enough to block the celestial bodies. Nati woke up with the light touching her eyes and saw the group having coffee around the campfire. They laughed and talked, a perfect unit of which she was not a part.
The pain when moving was excruciating, but she managed to reach the bucket of water to wash her face. The Boy, always attentive, took her hand and led her to the circle. He handed her bread and coffee. Nati ate in silence, feeling the hostile gaze of the other women, but Zack only gave her a nod.
— I think everything is in its proper place now — Zack said, opening a map over a stone. He pointed to a route leading to the Polyhedron Country, about twenty kilometers away.
— Have you gone mad? — K shouted. — Are you showing our route to her?
Zack ignored her. — Nati, you will be our rear guard. Your job is to take care of the Boy. Always stay with him.
Lyra and Mira jumped up. — You are crazy! How can you leave our son with this madwoman?
K let out a bitter laugh. — You're a fool, Zack. You think life is a game?
Zack began to laugh. A genuine, light laugh, as if he were enjoying the chaos around him. The Boy, seeing his father's joy, began to laugh along. Nati watched the scene, confused. Zack seemed to read her thoughts, and his gaze frequently dropped to the Black Moon on his back—the source of his power and her fear.
Zack stood up and approached Nati to change her bandages. Nati didn't question it. The Boy was going to do it, but she said it wasn't necessary and that Zack could do it this time. While he treated her, Nati confessed in a low voice: — His men have been watching us since yesterday — Nati said in a low voice. — They haven't attacked yet.
— I know — Zack replied calmly. — You brought them with you while you were fleeing. They arrived along with you.
Nati lowered her head, guilt weighing on her shoulders. — I'm so sorry... I didn't know who to ask for help. I was going to tell you that...
— No need to talk, Nati — Zack interrupted. — You don't owe me anything. I do this because I want to.
Nati began to cry silently, apologizing for bringing so much misfortune to the group. K, Lyra, and Mira, hearing the general's broken sob, felt the weight of that vulnerability and looked away, hatred giving way to an uncomfortable empathy.
Zack looked at the red forest. He could feel the hundreds of Ygon's soldiers hidden among the trees. They didn't attack out of fear—fear of the King of Horror and his elite group.
— He is coming, Zack — Nati whispered, trembling. — The Black Hand General. I feel his presence. When he arrives, this place will turn into hell.
Zack looked deeply into Nati's eyes. — Do you want to be saved?
Nati didn't answer. The silence dragged on. Zack stood up abruptly. — Let's go, everyone. Leave her there.
The reaction was unexpected. Even K and the others felt uncomfortable with Zack's sudden coldness. He began to walk toward the border without looking back. The Boy, however, stopped in front of Nati.
— Do you want to be saved? — the boy asked, repeating his father's question.
Nati lowered her head, tears falling onto the red earth. Then, with a trembling voice that carried all her despair, she shouted: — SAVE ME!
The Boy smiled and shouted to the figure walking away: — FATHER!
Zack stopped instantly. He turned around, his aura exploding in a crushing pressure that made the surrounding trees groan. He drew the Black Moon, the black blade pulsing with an ancient thirst. Zack looked at the forest, at the hidden soldiers, and then threw a gold coin to Nati.
Nati caught the coin in the air and smiled, understanding the meaning of the gesture. She threw the coin back to Zack, who caught it with a fluid movement.
— Contract made, Nati — Zack said, his black eyes glowing with a lethal light. — The Black-Eyed Hunter is hunting.
**END OF CHAPTER**