The moment the man crushed the slimy thing named Selementh's core, I ran.
I didn't look back.
I didn't think.
I just ran.
I pushed through the trees as fast as I could.
My heart was beating so hard it hurt.
My legs felt heavy, but I kept going.
Behind me, I heard the man laugh.
A slow, scary laugh.
Like he already knew he would catch me.
I hid behind a fallen tree and covered my mouth.
My whole body was shaking.
I tried to stay quiet.
His footsteps came closer.
Slow.
Calm.
Like he was playing with me.
"Boy…" he called.
"You can't hide."
I ran again.
I ran with everything I had, breath breaking, chest burning.
Then something flew past me.
A dagger.
It cut my cheek.
Warm blood ran down my face.
I didn't stop to check.
I didn't even turn around.
I just ran.
Screaming.
Like a scared dog trying to escape.
The forest blurred around me.
I didn't know where I was going.
I didn't know if I was safe.
But the man was still coming.
And I knew he wouldn't stop.
Jaden knew running wouldn't save him.
His legs were shaking, his cheek was bleeding, and the man was getting closer.
He hid behind a broken wall, breathing hard.
I have to do something, he thought. If I keep running, I'll die.
Jaden looked around fast. He saw a weak wooden plank and remembered the deep pit nearby. A quick plan formed in his mind.
He placed the plank over the pit and covered it with leaves and dirt. Then he climbed a short tree and waited.
The man came forward, looking for Jaden like a hunter hunting prey.
The moment he stepped on the plank, it broke.
CRACK.
The man fell straight into the pit, hitting the ground with a loud thud.
He didn't get up again.
Jaden slowly walked to the edge and looked down.
The man wasn't moving.
Jaden's heart dropped.
His hands started shaking.
I… I killed him.
He had never killed anyone before. His stomach twisted, and he felt like he might throw up.
But he knew he couldn't leave the body there.
He climbed down, dragged the man out with trembling hands, and buried him under the dirt and leaves.
Every handful of soil made him feel worse.
His mind kept repeating one thing:
I killed a man… I killed a man…
After he finished burying the body, he whispered shakily to himself, "I… I didn't have a choice."
But the man's last words stayed in his head:
"You deserve to die. If you live… your power will destroy the world."
Jaden looked for an exit from the forest.
His legs were shaking, his chest tight, and his mind still filled with shock from what he had just done.
He walked for a bit, but his vision slowly went dark.
He fainted.
---
When Jaden opened his eyes again, he was in a bright hospital room.
His mom sat beside him, tears running down her face.
His dad stood at the end of the bed, worried but trying not to show it.
His aunt was there too, holding his hand gently.
His mom hugged him tightly.
"Don't ever scare us like that again," she cried.
His dad's voice was firm:
"Why did you go out after night? What were you thinking?"
Jaden couldn't answer.
He couldn't tell them anything about what happened in the forest.
Not the house, not the man… nothing.
Then his parents started talking about taking him back to their hometown.
They said he needed rest.
They said he wasn't safe here.
But Jaden refused.
"No… I'm not leaving," he said quietly but firmly.
"I just got into this school. It's the best school in the country. No one goes back after getting in."
His parents looked troubled, but they didn't argue.
Jaden lay back down, staring up at the ceiling.
He didn't know how he survived.
He didn't know why everything felt like a nightmare.
But he knew one thing:
He wasn't going anywhere.
I stepped into the metro early to find a seat.
A big, tall man grabbed me and shoved me out of the train.
"What's your problem?" I asked.
"Let the people inside go out first. You lack manners, kid," he said.
I didn't want trouble. I kept my mouth shut and walked away.
---
From outside, a car waited.
The big man climbed in and left.
Later, he arrived at a hidden building on the edge of town.
Inside, an office lit by dim lights, two people waited.
"Sir Derious," one of them said. "It has awakened."
Derious studied the report. He closed his eyes for a moment.
"After all these years," he murmured. "I wonder who that person is."
Clara looked serious. "We must kill that person for the sake of the world. Our leader ordered it."
Derious nodded. "Very well. Send Mali for this mission. She will be perfect."
Clara left to arrange it.
Derious stayed, thinking.
Outside, the city moved on, not knowing what had started.
Mali walked through the dark alley, her steps quiet, almost like a shadow.
She was tall, lean, and moved with a grace that made her seem untouchable.
Her eyes were sharp, scanning everything around her.
Nothing escaped her notice.
Even the smallest sound made her head turn.
She carried a small bag, but it wasn't ordinary.
Inside, weapons and tools she had mastered over years of training.
Clara met her at the entrance of the secret building.
"Sir Derious has sent you," she said.
Mali nodded without a word.
Her lips barely moved.
Her eyes were cold, calculating, and full of focus.
"I know my mission," she said softly.
Clara nodded again. "The target… it has awakened. Be careful. This one is unlike any other."
Mali's lips curved into a small, almost invisible smile.
"Don't worry," she said. "I always finish what I start."
With that, she stepped into the shadows, disappearing into the night.