The Valley of the Goddess
As the sun began its slow descent, the dying embers of twilight draped over an ancient, decaying settlement known as the Village of the Goddess Valley.
The heavy, rhythmic thrum of a gong suddenly shattered the evening silence.
Villagers who hadn't even begun preparing their dinner rushed from their homes, swarming toward the village gates.
Something was wrong; something dire.
Had someone's wife fled?
Had a husband been gored by a boar while hunting?
Or had government officials arrived to drag men away for forced labor?
Tension hung thick in the air as the crowd gathered at the village square.
There, they found a woman bound tightly to the trunk of a jagged, dead tree—a tree that had perished years ago.
Her face was strikingly beautiful, but her clothes were in tatters and her hair was a matted mess.
Her pale features radiated a primal, overwhelming terror.
She babbled incessantly in a foreign tongue that no one understood.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy of whispers.
"Isn't that the wife the eldest Meyer son bought a few days ago? Why is she tied up there?" someone remarked, recognizing her instantly.
"You haven't heard? She's a traitor. Tried to slip away under the cover of darkness last night, but the neighbors caught her and dragged her back here."
"Tsk, she's just asking for trouble."
"Exactly! We may be poor, but once you're here, you accept your fate. Did she really think she could escape? The girl the Sam family bought last year tried the same thing. They caught her before she even cleared the mountains. The Sam men hung her and beat her until she drew her last breath before dawn."
"Women like that deserve to be beaten to death—"
"Such a waste of a pretty face, though. Look how ghost-white she is..."
Mila stared in horror at the mob surrounding her.
Her mind was a fractured blur.
Wasn't I just killed in a car accident?
Why am I tied up here?
Who are these people pointing and whispering at me?
She screamed for help with every ounce of strength she had, begging to be released.
But the people only pressed closer, shouting things she couldn't comprehend.
From the malice in their eyes and the sharp edge of their voices, Mila knew her life was hanging by a thread.
"Look, she's awake. She really is a beauty."
"Beauty is useless now. She'll be swinging from a rope soon enough. Any woman brave enough to run from Goddess Valley meets only one end: death."
Suddenly, a stout, dark-skinned woman grabbed a handful of rotting vegetables—meant for pig feed—and hurled them directly into Mila's face.
The square ignited.
Others followed suit, spitting at her, pelting her with gravel, while two bolder women stepped forward to pinch and bruise her arms.
"No! Get away! Who are you? Let me go!" Mila shrieked.
The physical pain was beginning to overtake her terror.
She watched them with wide, confused eyes.
These people looked uncivilized; their clothes were archaic, resembling the historical dramas she used to watch on TV.
A moment later, an old man with a stern expression approached, shooing the women away.
"What is this commotion? Get back!"
"Village Head, we're just angry! A woman like this needs a lesson," one of the women shouted enthusiastically.
"Are we hanging her now, or should we just drown her in the river?"
The Village Head glared at them.
"Move. This is for the Meyer family to decide." He turned to a burly man standing behind him.
"Sam, where is Erik? I told you to find him, but he's nowhere to be seen."
Sam chuckled, his eyes trailing over Mila with a lecherous glint.
"The Meyers are all up in the mountains searching for her. Only Dante was left at home. I've sent word for them to return immediately."
The Village Head frowned at the darkening sky, then looked at Mila with pure disgust.
Sensing the old man held authority, Mila pleaded,
"Grandpa, please let me go! Let's talk about this. I don't know what I did wrong, but if you release me, I can give you money... I'll compensate you for anything!"
"What is she even saying?" the Village Head asked Sam, his voice laced with irritation.
Sam shrugged.
"Who knows? Don't listen to her."
Mila's heart sank.
No one would listen.
Even the man in charge turned a deaf ear.
What will they do?
Burn me alive?
The cold mountain wind began to bite into her skin, making her shiver violently.
She was too weak to scream anymore.
Growing impatient as the Meyers failed to appear, and with the crowd's bloodlust rising, the Village Head took a deep drag of his cigarette and stood up.
"Sam, do what the people want. Hang her. If she dies, bury her in the back mountain tonight." He felt something was 'off' about her.
When Sam had brought her in earlier, she had looked dead—yet here she was, alive and raving in tongues.
"With pleasure, sir!" Sam smirked.
He uncoiled a rope from his waist and stepped toward Mila.
"What are you doing?" Mila's skin crawled.
The look in this man's eyes was pure evil.
Sam didn't need to understand her words to see her terror.
To him, Mila looked far more alluring when she was afraid.
It was a shame to let her die so soon.
But he had a plan—he would pretend to hang her, then return after the crowd dispersed to claim the 'corpse' for himself.
"Get away! Don't touch me!" Mila screamed hysterically.
The crowd only cheered louder.
"Hang her! Hang the wretched woman!"
Roughly and swiftly, Sam looped the rope around Mila's neck and yanked it tight with both hands.
Mila's breath was instantly cut off.
The coarse hemp seared into the skin of her throat.
The pain was agonizing.
Am I going to die again?
she thought bitterly.
Twice in one day?
Wasn't the car accident enough?
"STOP!"
Just as Mila began to lose consciousness, a thunderous roar shook the square.
A large, towering man sprinted toward the tree, tackling Sam to the ground with brutal force.
Two other young men followed, raining blows and kicks upon Sam.
The villagers gasped.
"Zayn, Kai! What is this? Stop!" the Village Head shouted in panic.
"Enough." Erik, the tall man, immediately began loosening the rope from Mila's neck.
Once he confirmed she was still breathing, he signaled his brothers.
Zayn and Kai stopped their assault.
Sam lay groaning on the dirt.
"Village Head, look at them! They attacked me for no reason! Do something!"
"You deserved it!" Kai kicked Sam one last time.
"How dare a piece of filth like you lay a hand on our woman.
Are you looking for a grave?"
"Kai!" the Village Head barked, his face tightening.
He looked at Erik with displeasure.
"Erik, explain yourself. What is the meaning of this?"
Erik ignored him.
He remained silent, focused on untying Mila's bonds.
Once she was free, he scooped her up into his arms without a single word.
"Erik!" the Village Head tried to block his path, but Zayn stepped in between them.
"Village Head, this is all Sam's fault."
"Meaning what?" the Head demanded, watching Erik walk away with the girl.
Zayn looked at Sam with pure loathing, then raised his voice so the whole village could hear.
"This woman was bought legally by my eldest brother. You know how hard our family worked to save enough for a wife. Yesterday, Erik and Dante took her to the mountains to pay respects at our parents' graves. Erik stepped on a jagged branch and couldn't walk. Since Dante is small and couldn't carry him, he ran back to get us."
Zayn continued, "She's an outsider; she doesn't know these mountains. She got lost while waiting for them. We've been searching for her all day, only to hear that she was kidnapped by Sam and was about to be lynched."
The villagers began to mutter and nod. It made sense.
An outsider would easily lose their way in these peaks.
Without a guide, running away was a death sentence.
"Is that so?" The Village Head turned his sharp gaze to Sam.
"What kind of mess have you started now, Sam?"
Sam scrambled up, wincing.
"I'm not lying! She ran like a frightened rabbit when she saw us! If she was lost, she should have asked for help, not fled! Besides, she was carrying a bundle of food and money. She was clearly running!"
"Where is the bundle?" Zayn and Kai stepped closer, their eyes burning.
Sam went silent.
He had already hidden the bundle out of greed; if he admitted to it now, he'd be branded a thief.
"Hmph," the Village Head snorted.
"You bastard! The Meyers worked themselves to the bone to buy a wife, and you almost killed her! Get out of here!"
"Wait," Zayn said coldly.
"Village Head, our wife is now traumatized and injured. If she dies, we don't just lose a wife—we lose years of our life's savings. You must be fair."
"This is extortion!" Sam yelled.
"Ozi and the others were there too! Besides, you were the one who told me to hang her!"
"Shut up!" the Village Head shouted, flushing with embarrassment.
"Sam, this is on you. You and Ozi will each pay half a bundle of cash in damages. I'll add another bundle myself. Zayn, take this and buy medicine."
Zayn nodded, satisfied.
Kai gave Sam one last death glare.
"You got lucky today."
Sam fumed, his heart heavy with resentment.
Not only had he lost the woman, but he was also losing money.
But he dared not argue, especially with Kai looking ready to tear him apart.
He retreated into the shadows, bitter and defeated.
The crowd, seeing the show was over, began to disperse with a sense of disappointment.
The Village Head turned to Zayn and Kai, his voice low and serious.
"Did your brother truly buy that woman?"
"Of course," they answered in unison.
The Village Head was skeptical, but he simply sighed.
"Then take care of her. Don't let there be any more trouble."
As the Head walked away, Zayn and Kai shared a long, silent look before turning to follow their brother home.