The crimson forest moaned under the weight of silence. The canopy above whispered like a thousand quiet warnings as Jack trudged forward, spear clenched tight in his calloused hands. Behind him, the giant crimson wolf padded softly through the undergrowth, its fur rippling like liquid fire beneath the scattered sunlight.
Lys walked in the center of the group, light and effortless, as though her boots never truly touched the ground. Two wolf pups rested in her arms, their eyes flicking nervously at every shadow. Rigel followed to her right, sword lazily resting on his shoulder, while Siora walked at her left, scanning the trees with wary eyes.
Jack glanced back every few steps. Each time, he found Lys's face the same calm, unreadable, her pale eyes focused somewhere far beyond his understanding.
How powerful are they? he thought, chest tight. The crimson wolf, that monster that could tear through ten hunters with a single swipe, followed her like a tamed dog. Yet its gaze burned with silent fury, its muscles tense with instinctual rebellion.
The air around them shimmered faintly. Even the forest seemed reluctant to touch them.
---
Inside Lys's mind, a voice hummed softly through the telepathic link.
"Kyle here," it said calm, composed, and curious. "What are you planning to do with the wolf?"
Lys blinked once, her lips barely moving as she replied silently, "To observe. Monsters reflect the world's structure. Studying them helps us understand it."
A pause. Then, the voice in her mind chuckled.
"You captured them because they're kinda cute fluffy, didn't you?"
Lys's expression didn't change. The silence that followed was her only answer.
Kyle sighed somewhere far away. "Lys…"
Still nothing. Her eyes drifted briefly toward the wolf pups, who had begun to yawn in her arms, before she returned her gaze to the path ahead.
---
"We're close," Jack muttered, breaking the quiet. His voice trembled despite his effort to sound composed. "The village is just beyond that ridge."
Before Lys could reply, movement flickered among the branches ahead. Two men dropped down from the trees, both clad in red-stained leathers, the mark of the Red Band burned into their armor. Spears glinted in their hands, their grins sharp as knives.
"Well, well," one sneered. "Look what we've got here. A stray hunter bringing home… gorgeous guests?" His eyes darted to Lys and the others and froze when he saw the massive crimson wolf. "What the hell..."
The other guard took a step back, gripping his weapon tighter. "Jack, who are these people? And why is that thing with you?"
Jack hesitated, his mouth opening but no words coming.
Siora sighed and stepped forward, arms crossed. "We're here to collect your civilians," she said flatly. "Or to put it simply, we're taking all your villagers."
The two Red Band men blinked and then burst out laughing.
"You? You're taking them?" one mocked. "You're funny, beautiful girl."
The laughter echoed through the trees.
And then came the thuds one, two, then many more. Fifteen more Red Band soldiers dropped from the branches, encircling Lys's group with predatory grins.
"Well, this is interesting," Rigel murmured. "Seventeen total. That's good enough for a practice."
"Shut it," Siora hissed.
One of the Red Band officers, a burly man with a scar over his mouth, lifted his hand. "Call the captain," he ordered. "Tell him we've got some fancy cute little trespassers here."
The youngest of the group turned to run and never made it three steps.
Rigel raised a hand, two fingers extended lazily.
The soldier's body jerked mid-sprint, legs kicking uselessly as an unseen force yanked him backward through the air. In an instant, he was caught, Rigel's hand now clamped around his throat.
"Where you running off to?" Rigel said softly, tightening his grip. The soldier choked, clawing at his wrist, but his strength meant nothing.
The Red Band men tensed, weapons lifting, but none dared move.
Jack's breath caught as Rigel's eyes shifted toward the giant crimson wolf.
"Eat" Rigel asked it with a smile.
The wolf tilted its head, muscles twitching. It didn't understand.
Rigel sighed, rolling his shoulders. "No? Let me help you then."
He pointed his free hand toward the wolf, and its head jerked not by will, but by force. It growled, low and confused, as Rigel dragged the struggling soldier closer, his telekinetic control like invisible chains.
The man's feet kicked against the dirt. "W-wait—"
Rigel didn't wait.
"Eat," he ordered.
The wolf froze.
Rigel's fingers twitched. "I said… eat."
With a horrifying crack of bone and muscle, the wolf's jaws snapped open and lunged. Teeth like crimson blades sank into the soldier's torso. His scream tore through the forest, raw and agonized. Blood sprayed across the dirt as the wolf bit down, confusion and instinct twisting into frenzy.
Jack stumbled back, eyes wide in horror.
"Y-you monster!" one of the Red Band soldiers shouted, charging forward. "You fucking bitch!"
Rigel raised his hand lazily, pointing toward the sky.
The attacker's body jerked violently upward, soaring through the canopy with a faint whoosh. The sound faded until nothing remained but silence and the flutter of falling leaves.
Every Red Band soldier froze.
Fifteen now. None moved.
The air was heavy, oppressive and then it shifted.
A faint click echoed. Lys flicked her finger.
No one even saw the movement.
Wind screamed through the forest as invisible force tore upward like a storm. One by one, the remaining soldiers were ripped off their feet and hurled skyward. Their bodies spiraled into the crimson canopy, vanishing from sight.
Silence fell again. Only the faint rustle of leaves remained.
Rigel blinked. "Well," he said slowly, "that's one way to clear the road."
Siora frowned. "My Lady... You could've let me handle some."
Lys didn't answer. Her gaze lingered briefly on the blood-soaked soil, then turned back toward Jack. "They were not worth the time," she said simply. "Lead the way."
Jack didn't hesitate this time. He nodded sharply, his voice trembling. "Y-yes, my lady."
He turned and began to walk again, heart pounding. Every step he took felt like walking beside gods... or demons.
Behind him, Rigel wiped his hands and chuckled. "You really don't do half measures, do you?"
Lys didn't reply.
Siora sighed. "We should hurry on lessening their numbers, if they noticed us too early they may gang up on us."
"Let them come," Rigel muttered. "We could use the exercise and determine how powerful this world is."
The crimson wolf pup growled softly, its fur bristling, but Lys reached out and brushed a finger against its muzzle. Instantly, it went still. Its pupils dilated, and a quiet whimper escaped its throat.
Jack watched, barely breathing.
He had thought he'd seen monsters before, goblins, beasts, Red Band torturers. But this… this was something else entirely.
Humans who could crush men with gestures. Humans who commanded monsters. Humans who walked through a cursed forest as though it were their own domain.
As they continued forward, the faint light of the hidden village began to shimmer between the trees, oil lamps glinting off wooden walls and crimson leaves.
Jack swallowed hard.
He didn't know if he was leading salvation into his home… or something far worse.
And behind him, Lys walked silently, white hair swaying in the red wind, her eyes like fading moons, her armor glinting with both grace and quiet death.