Chapter 1
The gate at Fireheart Castle was about to open.
Raiders clad in black armor gathered around the gateway, preparing to send off the newly joined recruits.
For the recruits, this was their very first mission.
The gate opened.
It was not as massive as they had imagined, but it was wide enough for several people to pass through side by side. They moved forward into a bottomless radiance, stepping one after another into the unknown.
The gate at Fireheart Castle opened random passages to the southern regions of the Other Realm.
Those who passed through could be transported anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand miles away.
It was now the turn of Recruit Group Thirteen.
Behind them stood other three-person teams, at least a dozen more recruits waiting their turn. They stepped toward the gate.
When the group emerged on the other side, it was night.
For a few minutes, they scanned their surroundings, trying to make sense of where they were. Eray quickly reached into his pocket and placed a small compass on the ground.
He infused it with a bit of mana.
The compass shimmered, then pointed toward the nearest active gate with a bright mark. Their mission was simple: survive for three months and report everything they observed. The most logical choice was to head toward the next gate that would open and spend their time in its vicinity.
The three rookie raiders stood side by side.
Their pitch-black armor nearly swallowed the light reflected from the compass.
Eray surveyed the area once more.
Before them stretched a vast forest, seemingly endless. The plants and trees were unlike anything from their own realm, strange in both form and color.
Eray spoke calmly.
"Entering an unfamiliar forest at this hour isn't a good idea. We should camp here and wait for morning. Looks like we were sent to an unlucky location."
Varen, the oldest among them, appeared completely at ease. He paid little attention to Eray's caution.
Resting his sword against his shoulder, he turned to the other recruit, Junia.
"Not bad for a first mission," he said.
"Reconnaissance, reporting… no real danger. Three months of vacation in a safe place, and we still get paid."
Junia gave a small smile, the only woman in the group.
She was gentle, yet cautious.
"The land of Loren," she said.
"It doesn't seem as savage as the stories claim."
Varen laughed.
"Half of those stories are exaggerations. The moment I stepped through the gate, I thought we'd end up in the middle of a massive battle."
Eray muttered to himself.
"Idiots," he whispered. "We've been here for only a few minutes, and they're already making assumptions."
Varen was irritated by Eray's murmuring. In front of Junia, he would tolerate nothing that might damage his image or charisma.
The group headed deeper into the forest.
Above them hung two massive moons, both in full phase. One was blood-red, the other emerald green, glowing like a living gem. Once every three months, both moons reached a full moon at the same time. Only then did the gates between the two realms become active.
Their task was simple: survive their first mission for three months.
It was both a test and an assignment.
In the end, their only real duty was to gather as much information as possible and compile a report.
Although Eray had opposed entering the forest at night, the leader of the group was the eldest. And Varen's only concern was looking impressive in front of Junia. Reluctantly, Eray followed as they ventured deeper into the forest under the cover of darkness.
They moved forward amid animal cries and distant howls.
At times, other sounds reached their ears.
Stranger.
More disturbing.
Deeper and heavier than anything natural.
Those sounds were proof enough that their decision had been a mistake.
After walking a while, a piercing scream echoed from deep within the forest. The sound lingered, bouncing through the trees.
All three of them stopped.
They listened.
Eray spoke quietly.
"If you want, we can turn back and camp near the forest's edge. This isn't just an unfamiliar forest. It's an unfamiliar realm."
Varen, though clearly shaken and already regretting his decision, refused to back down. With a forced calmness, he said,
"Natural."
"Things like this happen around here."
Eray was already growing annoyed with the self-important group leader.
As the night dragged on, they made another major mistake: they found an open area and lit a fire. Not even Eray had thought to object. After all, he was the youngest among them.
The flames didn't reflect off their black armor. The armor had been specially crafted for stealth. It was the raiders' infamous black gear.
Varen kept talking.
It was painfully obvious that his only goal was to impress Junia.
He behaved as if the mission were already over, as if he were simply looking for a girl to spend three carefree months with.
Junia listened to him.
She nodded occasionally, laughed softly, and even responded in kind. Eray was surprised by how quickly the two were growing close.
Eray kept his eyes fixed on the fire.
The crackling of the flames was not enough to drown out the silence of the forest.
He took the first watch.
No one knew how much time had passed, but the forest spoke again.
It was not a howl, nor the cry of an animal.
It was far more violent than the first.
Much closer.
A scream.
Short.
Sharp.
And human…?
Eray jumped to his feet.
At the same moment, Junia and Varen were awake as well.
The three of them looked at each other.
No one spoke.
Then Varen suddenly ran toward the sound.
The only thing Eray managed to say was, "Wait."
Junia was as cautious as Eray. She, too, spoke only a single word as Varen disappeared ahead of them.
"Where?"
Moments later, as if already sensing she would regret it, Junia started running after Varen. Left behind, Eray had no desire to follow them at all. During training, they had been warned countless times about the dangers of this realm.
But there was nothing he could do.
His comrades had already thrown themselves into an obvious threat.
Eray clenched his teeth and ran toward the scream.
As they pushed deeper into the forest, the trees began to thin. Their trunks grew bare, the vegetation sparse, as if the soil in this part of the forest was dead.
They moved a little farther, then stopped.
The sight before them was unexpected.
A small girl.
She was crouched against the trunk of a tree, crying helplessly as she faced the darkness where danger lurked.
Before the group could fully grasp what was happening, something strange emerged from the depths of the forest.
A creature.
Part of its body was human.
Another part was closer to that of an animal.
Its legs were not human at all.
It looked like a goat that had somehow stood upright, mistakenly shaped into something resembling a man.
Its body leaned forward.
It did not stand in balance.
It stood ready to attack.
Its face was a nightmare.
An elongated jaw, a narrow forehead, and horizontal pupils.
Goat eyes.
In that moment, they realized there was not a single trace of humanity left in it.
The group froze for a moment.
What were they supposed to do?
Eray remembered their training. They had been warned hundreds of times not to attack recklessly. First with the mind, then with the blade.
He was about to turn back and tell the others to stay alert when—
Varen stepped forward.
"Move," he said.
Before Eray could react, Varen shoved him aside with his shoulder and took the lead.
He drew his sword.
For a few seconds, he focused. Then something strange happened in the air around him. His figure blurred, vanished for an instant, and reappeared behind the creature.
He pressed the cold edge of his blade against the back of its neck with all his strength.
The creature never had time to react.
Its head and body fell to the ground in different places.
There was no scream.
The body on the ground still twitched, shaking as if trying to rise, but it was nothing more than the meaningless reflex of a dead thing.
Varen straightened his shoulders as he stepped away from the bisected corpse.
He looked first at Junia.
Then at the small girl standing a few steps away.
Junia gave a slight nod.
"Clean strike."
Even that small praise pleased Varen greatly. He waited for approval from Eray as well, but Eray's full attention was fixed on the girl by the tree.
Turning to her, Varen said,
"You don't need to be afraid."
He tried to soften his voice, though this was the softest tone Varen knew.
"My name is Varen. We won't hurt you. Where is your family? We can take you to them."
The girl was terrified.
But she did not run.
Junia let out a quiet sigh. Then she spoke.
"Are you really going to help her?"
Varen answered immediately.
"Yes?"
The warmth on Junia's face vanished at once.
In its place appeared the gaze of someone who had fought all her life. Her voice followed that same sharp edge.
"Stop right there."
Varen turned toward her.
"What now?"
Junia crossed her arms.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm helping a child."
"No," Junia said.
"You're being stupid."
Varen frowned.
"What does that even mean?"
At that moment, the little girl began to cry.
It was loud, hurried sobbing.
"My mother…" she said.
"She was nearby. They might have attacked her too. Please… you're strong."
Varen immediately jumped in.
"See?" he said to Junia.
"She's asking for help. Let's go help her family too."
Junia laughed.
But it wasn't the laughter of someone amused.
"Really?" she said.
"You've been acting like an idiot since the moment we arrived."
Varen's face flushed.
"What did you just say?"
This time, Eray spoke.
His voice was calm.
There was even a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Varen," he said.
"How old are you again? Nineteen? Twenty?"
Varen hesitated.
"Twenty."
Eray nodded.
"You're the oldest among us."
A brief pause.
"And by far the dumbest."
Junia muttered,
"Finally, someone said it."
Varen stared at Eray.
"How dare you talk to me like that?" he said.
"Like this," Eray replied.
"Because you almost died tonight."
The girl kept crying.
But her eyes were clearer now.
Focused.
Junia shook her head.
"This is the classic trap they taught us in training," she said.
"And if you were alone, you'd have already fallen for it."
Varen spread his hands.
"What trap? So what do we do? Leave a little girl alone in the forest?"
Junia drew her sword.
She sliced her palm slightly.
Blood spread quickly across the blade, coating it entirely.
"Step aside," she said.
"This is your final warning."
Varen still didn't understand.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Suddenly, the girl clung to Varen's arm.
"Please," she said.
"Let's go. Help my mother."
Varen instinctively patted her head.
"Don't worry," he said.
"We—"
Junia was gone.
In that split-second gap, Varen understood.
He swung his sword on reflex.
Barely stopping Junia's strike.
"What are you doing?" he shouted.
"She's a child!"
Junia's face tightened.
"At midnight," she shouted back,
"a tiny girl couldn't escape that creature.
And even if she had, she wouldn't stand here waiting to be eaten by it.
Did you seriously not think about that?"
Varen staggered back.
Confused. Shaken.
Reluctantly, he said,
"Fine.
Then let's leave her.
Here."
The sentence never finished.
He felt a burning pain in his abdomen.
When he looked down, he saw a hand protruding through his back, piercing straight through his stomach.
Junia moved to protect Varen.
But she was too late.
With her other hand, the little girl tore Varen's head clean off.
The body collapsed to the ground.
Varen's head rolled away.
Its lifeless face turned toward Eray.
Eray was staring.
Frozen.
His eyes were locked on Varen's face.
From Varen's eyes, a single drop slid down.
A mix of blood and tears.
The small monster girl let out a harsh scream.
She no longer behaved like a human.
She no longer even looked like one.
Her face twisted suddenly.
There were no eyes.
No nose.
Only a mouth remained.
And that mouth was far too large for her face, filled with long, sharp teeth that looked grotesquely mismatched to her small body.
The monster took a few steps forward.
Junia instantly moved closer to Eray.
She pressed her back against his.
"Do something," she said.
Eray lifted his head and looked at the sky. It was still dark.
"This thing," he said,
"has been watching us from the very beginning.
And it might not be alone."
As Eray spoke, the monster picked up Varen's head.
It swallowed it whole in a single bite.
Then it screamed again.
This time, several screams answered from deep within the forest.
After hearing them, a single word slipped from Eray's mouth without thinking.
"We're screwed."
The monster's body began to bend and twist, as if made of dough.
It changed.
First, into the shape of a man.
Then, into Varen's face.
It stood there with a child's body and Varen's face.
Junia clenched her teeth.
"We're not running," she said.
Eray grabbed her by the arm.
"We are."
Junia was startled.
She wanted to run, yes, but part of her also wanted to turn back and fight.
"Let's turn and fight," she said.
Eray ignored her.
Junia didn't insist. A voice inside her was begging her to run.
The two of them fled at full speed.
They didn't want to look back.
Junia used all of her mana to run faster.
Her feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
Eray was much slower.
He was falling farther and farther behind.
Junia glanced back several times.
Each time, Eray was farther away.
Finally, she slowed down.
She matched her pace to his.
"Hey," she said sharply.
"Why are you so weak?"
Without even stopping to breathe, she continued.
"Look at you. You can't even run, you can't fight, and you're a coward too.
They wouldn't make someone useless like you a Raider… right?"
Eray gave a mocking smile.
"Maybe they did," he said.
Junia was irritated by his casual answer, but she didn't respond.
Eray, breathing heavily, said,
"Our priority right now is getting out of this forest."
He turned his head and looked back.
There was nothing there.
"At least it's not following us," he said.
Junia was still running at his pace.
There was no visible danger.
They kept running like that for a while longer.
Then Junia spoke.
"Should we hide?" she said.
"With our armor, maybe it won't be able to find us."
Eray shook his head.
"I don't think hiding will work. Ever since we lit that fire, they were probably watching us.
Honestly… I have a feeling they're still watching us."
"How many do you think there are?" Junia asked.
Eray's expression was grim.
"I don't know. But we heard several different screams in the forest."
Suddenly, animals burst out from both sides.
They fled between the trees in panic, some running right, others left.
Both of them tensed instantly.
Junia let out a short breath.
"Ah… I almost died of fear. When I saw the animals, I thought we'd been caught."
Eray didn't relax.
"Don't be so relieved," he said.
"Who do you think those animals are running from?"
Junia's face darkened.
She increased her speed slightly.
But she didn't leave Eray behind.
Nor did she run at exactly the same pace as him.
As if calculating that if something came from behind,
Eray would be the first to be caught.
They kept running.
They were close to the edge of the forest now.
The clearing they had come from was visible.
They felt relief creeping in.
And then—
A silhouette appeared beside them.
Running at the same speed.
Not ahead.
Not behind.
Beside them.
As if playing a game.
It had no mind…
or far too much of one.
The faceless monster—
the thing that had worn Varen's face—
had changed again.
It was taller now.
Its skin was pale white.
Its arms and legs were unnaturally long.
Humanoid.
But with nothing human left.
It was running right next to Eray.
As if it were part of the group.
Eray froze.
Fear robbed him of all reaction. He couldn't scream. He couldn't speed up.
He had never been this afraid in his life.
The monster opened its mouth.
Wide.
So wide.
Even then, Eray could smell the stench pouring from it.
He stared into its mouth, hypnotized.
That mouth is too big, he thought.
Completely entranced.
Unaware that he would die in seconds.
Eray snapped back to reality.
The only resistance he could muster against death was a scream, curses spilling from his mouth as he reached for his sword.
He had never screamed like this before.
Never cursed like this.
The monster lunged for his face.
Eray couldn't do anything.
And then—
Junia attacked.
Her blade cut into the monster's neck.
A portion of it was severed.
Dark crimson blood, almost black, spilled out.
But it wasn't enough.
Junia was a skilled swordswoman, that much was certain.
But she wasn't a powerful mage.
The monster kept running.
Junia understood.
The magic she had infused into her blade was insufficient.
If this fight dragged on, they would lose.
She would either have to abandon Eray…
Or die here.
But on her very first mission,
she didn't want to lose both of her comrades.
The monster took one more step closer.
Junia cut her hand again with her blade.
Blood flooded the sword, darker than before.
She struck the healing neck once more.
This time, the monster was ready.
It raised its arm to shield its neck.
The arm was severed completely.
But the neck was saved.
Half-torn, barely attached, it kept running.
Junia clenched her lips hard.
"This is my last move, kid," she said.
"Don't make me regret it."
She suddenly grabbed Eray, lifting him into her arms.
She poured all her mana into her legs and feet.
Then she jumped.
The leap was so violent
it felt like they were flying.
Eray was in Junia's arms.
With embarrassment, he said,
"Isn't this supposed to be the other way around?"
Junia looked at him with a bitter smile.
"A woman carrying a man isn't considered very noble."
They were hurled all the way to the edge of the forest.
The moment they landed, they both fell.
Junia's legs were soaked in blood.
Eray froze when he saw it.
It was like a suicide move.
He didn't think any further.
Junia couldn't stand.
This time, Eray picked her up.
And started running.
But this run
was slower than even his natural speed.
After a while, they exited the forest.
They were back in the clearing where they had first arrived.
There was no one around who could help.
From the very beginning, Eray had been looking at the sky.
Praying for the sun to rise.
Junia asked in an exhausted voice,
"Did it stop chasing us?"
"I don't think so," Eray said.
"But the farther we get, the better our chances."
"Useless," Junia replied.
"It'll catch us eventually."
Then she muttered,
"Ah… I should've never left my neighborhood."
At that moment,
multiple screams rose from the forest.
As if they were communicating.
Eray didn't stop running.
"Neighborhood?" he said.
"What neighborhood?"
Junia's eyes began to lose focus.
"My neighborhood—"
She couldn't finish.
A claw strike from behind
sent them both flying.
Eray fell face-first.
Junia crashed down on top of him.
A deep gash tore across Eray's back.
Warm blood flowed slowly over his armor, dripping down toward Junia's head as she lay there, barely conscious.
From Junia's eyes, tears streamed down, mixing with Eray's blood.
She looked as if she had accepted her fate.
Through the pain, Eray pushed himself up and looked at the sky.
It was reddish.
The sun would rise in a few minutes.
Then he looked down at his shadow.
Until now, the forest had swallowed the moonlight, hiding all shadows. But here, in the clearing, every standing thing now cast one.
The situation had become completely hopeless.
They had been running from a single creature.
Now there were three.
And they were in no condition to run.
Junia watched Eray for a while.
Then she realized something.
Eray had no intention of fighting.
Nor of running.
With disappointment heavy in her eyes and voice, she said,
"I should've left you behind."
She pressed her sword to her own throat.
"I won't be eaten alive."
Eray interfered with Junia's sword using a weak spell.
The blade was flung several meters away from her.
The disappointment in Junia's eyes toward Eray deepened.
It had already turned into disgust.
Still, she didn't say a single word.
A few drops of tears fell.
Eray's chest tightened painfully.
"Junia," he said.
"Don't worry. We'll get out of here."
"Just trust me."
"Just a few minutes."
"We only need to not die for a few minutes."
He drew the sword that had remained in its sheath all night.
He moved closer to Junia, positioning himself in front of her to protect her.
Three monsters were approaching from the same direction.
They weren't rushing.
They were aware.
All Eray needed was time.
He looked at Junia.
As if searching for hope in her eyes.
And hated himself.
She had torn herself apart to protect him.
And he was still asking her to believe.
He raised his sword toward the monsters and shouted,
"You vermin."
"The fact that you use sneaky plans to trap us tells me you have working brains."
"I'm warning you. I will erase you here. I will turn everything related to you into dust."
"Anyone of your kind who stands before me will be slaughtered without mercy.
Your offspring. Your bloodline. All of it will end."
"I will destroy the land that harbors you."
"I'm giving you one chance to take these words seriously and retreat."
"Withdraw. Now."
"This," he said,
"is your final warning."
"And your only mercy."
The monsters hesitated for a moment.
Either they understood his words,
or they were shocked that their prey was shouting at them with such confidence.
Like a honey badger standing against a pride of lions.
Eray never expected them to retreat anyway.
He was only buying time.
For the sun to rise a little more.
Every minute, even every second, mattered.
Junia looked at Eray.
She couldn't take her eyes off him.
Her fear vanished completely.
Before her stood someone who looked like the ruler of these lands.
Confident.
Powerful.
Nothing like the boy from a few minutes ago.
After a few breaths, the creatures answered his words with a scream.
It was their response to Eray's offer.
Junia closed her eyes.
Eray whispered,
"So be it."
The monsters attacked at the same time.
Eray cursed silently.
The creatures.
The cursed land.
He took a deep breath.
The first rays of sunlight began filtering through the trees.
I hope this is enough.
As he slowly exhaled,
his pitch-black eyes began to redden.
His brown hair turned white in an instant.
At that very moment, as the monsters' claws were about to strike—
they stopped inches from Eray's face.
As if they had hit something invisible.
A thin yet dense black veil surrounded Eray and Junia.
Like a curtain.
The monsters pressed their claws against it.
They strained.
They managed to push forward a few centimeters.
That…
was not enough for Eray.
Junia watched with exhausted eyes.
She didn't understand what was happening.
The monsters had stopped.
Eray's hair, his eyes, his posture—
everything had changed.
As the sun rose higher,
the black veil thickened, strengthened.
Eray muttered,
"Not enough for offense."
The monsters kept slashing, leaping, biting.
They couldn't break through the shield.
Eray turned his head toward Junia.
His voice was calm.
"Rest here," he said.
"And enjoy the show."
Junia was stunned.
And impressed.
Eray added,
"Oh, and one more thing…"
"Don't die."
Junia could only smile at the misplaced joke.
It was the smile of someone who had escaped death's grasp.
Eray's eyes reddened even further.
His aura changed.
Heavier.
More dominant.
He turned to the monsters.
"I warned you," he said.
"Pathetic beings."
"Now I will erase you."
"For the rest of my life, I will show no mercy to your kind."
"Innocent or guilty."
"Everyone of your kind will die."
He plunged his sword into the ground.
The surroundings darkened instantly.
Shadows—
as if alive—
gathered around the blade.
As they gathered, the darkness deepened.
As the sun rose,
the power of the shadows grew even stronger.
The monsters screamed.
The one in the center retreated.
It tried to flee.
The other two kept attacking the black barrier.
Eray swung his arm without pulling the sword from the ground.
It was as if the earth itself split.
A tremor shook the clearing.
The shadows gathered at the blade's base surged forward like a tidal wave.
Growing…
Expanding…
Crushing everything in their path.
The first two monsters were swallowed by Eray's fury.
Nothing remained but dust.
The shadow continued forward, caught the fleeing creature from behind, and devoured it.
It advanced with the same force for a while longer.
Then it weakened, faded near the forest's entrance, and vanished.
Where the shadow passed, life died.
Plants and trees turned to ash.
Eray relaxed.
Then, to honor his fallen comrade, he said,
"For my not-so-beloved comrade, Varen."
As Eray's magic completely dissipated, only dried, lifeless soil remained where it had passed.
He gently lifted Junia into his arms.
"My turn," he said.
Junia's mouth was open.
She still didn't understand what had happened.
Eray hoped she wasn't afraid.
So he spoke clearly.
"You protected me without regard for your own life," he said.
"From now on, I'll protect you, even at the cost of mine."
Junia noticed that he was still tense.
She forced a smile.
"Alright," she said.
"But how will you protect me at night?"
Eray didn't answer.
He only smiled warmly and looked toward the direction they would go.