Escape

THUD!

The sound continued, louder, heavier—relentless.

“Hurry—take your men and burn the corpse we just buried,” Dawn whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Sunflower asked, puzzled.

“Why else? Because I don’t know if he can hear us. Maybe he can, maybe he can’t—but we must stay alert. By now, his corpse is probably in motion just like the head. They’re trying to reconnect. Don’t let them.” Dawn’s voice was tight with urgency.

Sunflower nodded and dashed out of his office, shouting for her men. She grabbed a shovel and hurried toward the spiral staircase.

It took twenty seconds for her men to arrive. Together, they began digging with fierce desperation.

Their expressions turned to horror.

The body was gone.

“Shit!” Sunflower threw her shovel to the ground and turned back toward the stairs. “Keep looking for the body—even if it takes all night! And burn it the moment you find it!”

“Yes, ma’am!” the men replied, digging deeper into the pit and expanding the search around it.

Meanwhile, in Dawn’s office...

The sound had stopped.

“Why did it suddenly stop?” Dawn wondered to himself. “I should check.”

He bent down, lifting the safe with effort. Sweat streamed down his forehead.

“Truly… a witch’s curse must not be taken lightly,” he muttered.

The safe had cracked open from underneath, along with the wooden floor. The head was gone.

“It escaped… but I can’t follow. The hole’s too narrow.” Dawn's mind raced, trying to formulate a plan.

Sunflower burst through the door, her eyes wide. She saw the broken floor and quickly pieced together what happened—but before she could act, Dawn raised his hand.

“Stop.”

She froze, eyes locked on him.

“There’s no point,” he said with a sigh. “It’s already escaped. Tell your men to stop digging—it’s a waste of time.”

“Are you serious!? If that thing gets out, the village is in danger!” Sunflower shouted, trying to change his mind.

“I know that,” Dawn replied calmly, “but I also know it’s no use. You saw it yourself. This curse—it’s alive. Intelligent. There’s no way it would let itself be found so easily. By now, it’s probably fifty meters underground, reattaching its head and healing the damage from smashing into the safe and the floor.”

He rubbed his forehead, deep in thought.

“I have a question,” Sunflower said. “What if we capture Lance the next time he comes near the village? Wouldn’t that stop the curse from moving on?”

“No. It won’t work.” Dawn shook his head. “The curse doesn’t follow logic we can understand. There isn't a rule—it can’t kill Lance directly to replace him. But it can also manipulate events, twist luck, or even use sheer force to free him. Keeping him far away is our best chance.”

Sunflower stayed quiet.

“Go get some rest,” Dawn said. “This is just the beginning. We don’t know how long it’ll take for Lance to fully recover or come back. Rest while you can. I need you at full strength.”

“Yes, Boss,” she said, turning to leave. She shut the door behind her.

Pearl Town – Crownshade Division 6

Knock, knock.

“Come in,” said the chief.

“Good evening, Chief,” the commander said, stepping inside.

“Oh—Commander! Already finished?” the chief looked surprised.

“Yes, but not because I’m efficient. There’s simply very little information on the West. I asked my contact at HQ to pull all related reports, but with the busy season, it’ll take about a month to arrive.”

He handed the report over.

The chief flipped through it with a frown.

“This is useless. Just food supply routes and a large forest. No intel, no minerals, nothing useful for gaining the upper hand over the villagers.”

“What should we do?” the commander asked.

The chief tapped the report thoughtfully.

“A month is too long. Maybe Rose and Henry need help. We can’t wait that long.” He stood. “Commander—since you just compiled this, you’re the most suitable to go. Take twenty of my men and be cautious. If your life—or theirs—is at risk, retreat immediately. The mission isn’t worth your lives.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow.” The commander saluted.

The chief nodded as the door closed behind him.