I pressed myself against the cool wooden wall, my small frame swallowed by the shadows that danced in the dim light.


    My heart raced as I scurried to the side with my little feet, every instinct honed by the countless times I had narrowly escaped death. The ball of flames from the indignation inside my chest gradually also grew colder, and dimmer, until it fizzed out; replaced by a jumpy clown.


    Yet, despite the anxiety that gripped me, curiosity flickered within. Perhaps this time, they were not the ones who attacked this settlement earlier.


    The possibility might not have been much, but still, I prayed to all the gods above or below or even in the middle, might as well each side if they were even existing – that this time, they were kind souls brimming with food like fruits, bread, or anything edible; unlike the grass, hay and bark I had nibbled on before. The mere thought made my stomach churn even more, and my mouth watered from the expected flavor.


    Now that I had time to consider it carefully, I am fortunate, weren''t I? Before the attack, I had drunk plenty of water. At least, it helped me survive, as it seemed I had fainted for quite a long time.


    Shortly after, I heard and saw men dressed in fine clothes, all in black – swords on the waist. One of them, with a slightly reddish beard, appeared to give orders to his subordinates. I could faintly catch snippets of their conversation, especially from the two men who were approaching my location.


    "Crap," I muttered to myself. They couldn''t be the good guys, not with how suspicious they seemed. It was evident, especially since they carried no bags for food, only those swords—not even a small pouch. Oh, good gracious, I''m truly going to starve this time. I swiftly ducked and pressed my back even tighter against the wooden wall. Well, I''ll admit it this time; I kind of scared.


    But still, my back detached, and my eyes and head shifted slowly to peek over the wall.


    How was I supposed to see in this darkness? Strangely, as long as there was a moon above, my eyes could make out many things. Everything was fairly clear at night, although not as much as during the day, of course. The old couple claimed it was a sign that I was descended from the Tribals, implying that my blood came from the natives of the mountainous region.


    ''Whatever'' it was, it sounded cool enough to me, for I had used that advantage many times before to avoid starving to death.


    Yet, here I saw all these people who could see everything at night, illuminated only by the light of the moon, without any torches in hand. So, were they children of Tribals too? The thought made me feel a little giddy.


    What was Tribal, anyway? What did these people want from this war-torn village, which wasn''t even worth a glance? Or perhaps they had come here for me? No way, right? Every time I stepped outside, the mud carefully prepared by the two elders was smeared across my face and any exposed skin, creating a grim appearance. Was that no longer enough?


    "What do we do now? We already looking all over this place. How did that witch persuade the captain to search this place again? ‘There is a breath left here, search!’ That doesn''t even make sense. It’s not like there is magic just to conceal a breath in this ‘remnant’ land. Are we even in the movie or a drama, finding a prince or a princess in this rundown settlement? And what''s with the horse? Are we even that poor; can''t even afford an off-road car? What age do we even live now? A medieval?" the man on the right spoke, his voice laced with frustration – It was quite loud too, chattering like a music box with its own rhythm. When it came to the horse part, he stretched both of his hands forward, directing them towards the horse they had tied nearby.


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    The other man shot him a glance, irritation slowly etched itself across his features the longer the guy talked. He scowled, "If you want to complain, do not run it off my ear and turn down your voice," yet, he suddenly paused, with his gaze flickering toward the shadows where I hid, and it did, jolted my body slightly. I quickly tried to avert my vision away, which failed terribly, for my face and eyes felt stiffened from the surprise. The only thing I managed to do was to raise my trembling hands slowly, stack them on top of each other, and clasp them tightly in my mouth to stifle any sound.


    "Besides, what''s wrong with a horse? Do you even know how hefty the prices are in the city these days?" he continued.


    The first man’s agape in disbelief, picking over the clue of what he said. “Really? So, it’s true—you had a mission in the empire? Damn… you are crazy. I knew you had it in you! You know one wrong move there and your head will be rolling, right?” at the end of his words, he rolled his index finger right in front of the man’s eyes, who swatted it away with his hand.


    The rugged man then merely shrugged to reply, a nonchalant gesture that belied the gravity of the actual situation. "Then you''d best keep your mouth shut. This is a classified one."


    The other man replied with a click of his tongue. "Tch, why the hell the higher-ups agree to take this on!? Hiding right under the territory of the empire. I heard they even managed to hold one of the escaped Hybrids to join their side. Don''t tell me they believe that nonsense of a quote, about ''Hidden under the thumb is better than what-not.'' Wonder whose jerk saying that. Too much. Too much risk here…"


    "It''s not only one," the latter replied. After a few moments pass, he shakes his head. "You remember the two Labs spoke to be burned to the ground?"


    "You mean?"


    "Yes…"


    Suddenly, a faint rumbling sound was heard in the silence of the night, breaking the conversation of the two who were just one wall away from me. Yes, it was me – my goddamn stomach who couldn''t even read the atmosphere when it mattered, and it happened just when they were the closest. My luck….


    The air thickened with unspoken fears, and I held my breath, praying they wouldn’t discover my presence. I slid down slowly to the floor, with my back pressing on the cold wall. The darkness seemed to close in around me, a suffocating shroud that mirrored the dreary snake''s coiling in my gut.


    One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. The footsteps getting further, and the pace that moved alongside my rapid heartbeat gradually faded. Finally, I exhaled, a sigh of relief escaping my lips as it seemed – once again this time – I was safe.


    “But I’m still hungry though,” I whispered to myself, thinking that perishing from hunger might be a better way – a more comforting end rather than being beheaded by a sword. It looked gory and disgusting when I first saw those heads.


    * * *


    “Found you!!!”


    “Ahhh…” I immediately screamed in horror.


    It was the man with the loudmouth – with his face on the side of the broken walls, showing up abruptly on my side with part of his feature hidden in the darkness, and the shimmer in his eyes for finding the source of the sound. I turned, trying to claw away – but my knees gave away before the run even began. For god’s sake…


    But his hand already found my shoulder, fingers curling around it with an iron grip. I struggled against the weight of my battered body, but it was futile. In that fleeting moment, my gaze caught a glimpse of what lay in the man’s other hand – a syringe, glinting ominously as it quickly pierced the tender flesh of my neck. A sharp sting erupted, reminiscent of a fire ant’s bite, searing through my senses.


    Within moments, the world around me began to spin, colors swirling into a dizzying blur. Faintly, I heard a man''s voice inquire, "How is it, Rick?" to which the reply came shortly, "Nice and clean."


    Eventually, darkness enveloped me, fatigue gently caressing the back of my head, draining the last remnants of consciousness; by then, I had lost track of time.


    When I finally awoke, I found myself sprawled on a stark white bed in a sterile room, draped in garments as pale as the walls that surrounded me. The air was thick with the weight of watchful eyes, a chorus of silent observers.


    Funnily, my gaze drifted, drawn to a figure whose dark skin contrasted sharply with the clinical brightness – a man peering down at me, his forehead the only part of him visible beneath a mask. In that surreal moment, a flicker of humor danced in my mind. It struck me as absurd, this juxtaposition of stark white and deep black; and I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. Well, I might say that my sense of humor got the better of me for finding something amusing in this dreadful, ominous circumstance. But could I say anything about that?


    Because that''s the approach I''ve taken in life so far. Regardless of the difficulties, I thought – laughing to myself wasn''t a crime, and certainly – it wouldn''t cause anyone to snap at me,


    Right???


    * * *