Don't Run From It

As the sunlight touched the tall mansion, two figures stood nearby.

“What do you want me to do?” the man asked.

“Lutwel, you know Granny Luzie,” said kento

Lutwel raised a brow. “Oh, I know. You still can’t find that old hag…”

Kento didn’t smile. “I know you know something useful.”

Lutwel’s expression shifted. “What is it?”

“Don’t act like a fool. You know exactly what I’m asking.”

Lutwel rolled his eyes. “In Resmnt Town… they’re there.”

He muttered, “You think it’s cheap going that far, kento?”

“Doing what needs to be done is never cheap,” kento said flatly. “If that’s what it takes, then find her. Soon.”

Kento stopped. “You think I called you just to talk? You’re the one who’s going to find her—by any means necessary.”

“But you were the one assigned to that,” Lutwel protested.

“It changed. I’ve been reassigned—to stop the guild members from getting to her. No gang took her. Weirdly, she vanished. We need to find her before they do.”

Kento turned to leave. “Bring her head.”

Lutwel laughed darkly. “I sure will. I’ve got someone who needs to see it.”

Their laughter echoed—and they vanished.

† Resmnt Town…

A quiet, beautiful town, lined with flower gardens and tall mansions. A cloaked figure stood in front of a door, knocking gently.

A woman’s voice called out, “I’m coming. Who is it?”

The cloaked figure said nothing.

When the door opened, she frowned. “Who are you?”

The figure’s gritty male voice answered, “Don’t stay here for too long.”

The woman’s voice tightened. “Why don’t you act like a normal person, Luzie? You don’t talk, don’t show your face. My children and I are in danger because of you—and you’re ashamed?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Luzie replied calmly.

“For your sake and your children’s,” she snapped. “My past is catching up to me. I did something… unforgivable. But I can still keep you safe.”

She asked, “And running away isn’t an option?”

Luzie shook his head. “Running away is the only option I have.”

“Then I’m not going anywhere.” She slammed the door. Resting her head against it, she whispered, “Why won’t you come with us…”

She opened the door again.

But Luzie was gone.

“Why don’t you accept it…”

† Back in the Forest…

Yenza, Kairen, and Lan sat beside their carriage. A mysterious corpse lay nearby.

Yenza yawned and stretched. “Is Yuke really dead? Doesn’t feel right. Like a copy or something.”

Lan said, “Remember? That thing said he was ‘where he should be.’ Maybe… heaven?”

Yenza stared. “So you’re saying he’s dead…”

Kairen sat silently, thinking: Is this a good thing?

Suddenly, a stone hit him in the head.

Yenza snapped, “Wake up, idiot! We’ve got work to do!”

“You got something to say, Kairen?” he asked.

“Yeah. We have to cross the Wasteland before reaching town. It’s scorching. Fill your water as much as you can.”

Lan shrugged. “I like this climate.”

Yenza glared. “We don’t have that option, loser.”

Kairen turned to Yenza. “Without using your Lyzen, can you trace or observe anything?”

“I don’t know. I’ll try.”

He raised his hand. The symbol on it began to shift.

“I see birds… minor stuff. But the more I use my Lyth, the more it drains me.”

Lan nodded. “That’s your blood being used. You need something to channel it.”

Kairen grinned. “In that case—I know just the thing.”

Yenza’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“But first, we’ve got to cross the Wasteland. Wrench Asile.”

Lan blinked. “I’ve heard of it. There's a civilization there—the Yasarai.”

Kairen said, “That’s right. And in that place, we’ll find what you need.”

Yenza jumped up. “Let’s go!”

Lan smirked. “Try not to drink all our water before we even get there.”

“Gasping… water… water…!!”

Lan gave him a deadpan stare. “Someone’s a little too excited.”

“Shut up, Lan. It’s hot.”

Kairen smiled. “At this rate, you’ll drink it all.”

Yenza gazed at the horizon. Endless sand.

“It’s like an ocean without waves.”

Kairen reassured him. “We’ll get there before sunset.”

Lan joked, “Someone’s gonna die~”

Then—a voice.

“What was that?” Lan asked sharply.

Across the endless sand, several figures walked in a straight line—faces hidden behind red scarves.

“They’re a tribe,” Yenza muttered. “Always wandering the Wasteland… looking for nothing. I think the land becomes part of them.”

Before Sunset »»…

“We made it,” Yenza panted. “Why is it suddenly cold?”

“Better than boiling,” Lan replied.

Before them stood the Yasarai civilization—its buildings glowing in the golden mirage of the setting sun.

Kairen asked, “Go now or wait until morning?”

“Let’s go now,” Yenza said. “Tomorrow we move on. We need to find her.”

They entered a shop made of cloth and bone—like a fortune teller’s den.

Yenza looked around. “Getting our fortunes read, leader?”

An old woman peeked up. “Ooh, it’s you, brat. What do you want this time?”

“Do you have a Death Crystal chain?”

“Oh-ho. That old thing?”

She laid out several chains. Yenza picked one with a cross pendant and a white crystal at its center.

The old woman warned, “Use your Lyth on it—before you wear it.”

Yenza activated his Lyth. The crystal pulsed red.

“Now you can use your Lyth without hurting yourself,” she said. “It’ll flow through the chain instead of your blood.”

Outside the shop, Yenza paused. “Wait… we didn’t pay her.”

“She owes me,” Kairen said. “Now we’re even. Come on.”

Lan teased, “Don’t get too happy. That chain’s cursed.”

Yenza grinned, raising it to the moonlight.

As soon as it glowed—it vanished.

A kid had snatched it.

Yenza’s eyes widened. “YOU BRAT!”

He bolted after him. “I’M GONNA KILL YOU!”

Kairen froze. Lan broke into hysterical laughter. “I told you!”

The old lady stepped out. “Don’t show shiny stuff here. This place is full of thieves.”

Kairen muttered, “Could’ve told us earlier.”

Lan chuckled. “Now we gotta find that kid.”

“No—we can’t,” Kairen said firmly. “It’s night. Easy to get lost.”

† The Chase…

Yenza pursued the kid through dark alleys and silent streets. But the boy didn’t duck into any home or shop.

He ran out of town.

Yenza hesitated. “Is this… a trap?”

Still, he kept going.

Minutes later, he stopped in shock.

“What the…”

Scattered across the sand were half-buried ships. Rusted and broken—as if they had sunk in an ocean long ago.

The kid disappeared into one.

“You’re not getting away!” Yenza shouted and followed.

Inside… the ship was massive.

‡ Night in Resmnt Town…

Lutwel cursed as he walked through an alley. “Why does every damn mission change mid-way? Whatever… this one—I like.”

Then—chills. He turned.

A man covered in dried mud stared at him, waving slowly.

Who the hell…? Lutwel thought.

He summoned his spiral blade, smiling darkly. “It’s dangerous out here, freak. Wanna die?”

The man didn’t flinch. “Do you know about…”

“HANGING SOUL?”

Lutwel narrowed his eyes. “How do you know that?”

“I asked a simple question. Do you know—or not?”

“You think you can threaten me, little guy?”

Lutwel slashed.

With a flick of his finger, the man shattered Lutwel’s blade. The shards stabbed into Lutwel—one piercing his left eye.

Lutwel collapsed, gasping in pain.

The man calmly sat on a bench, hands folded.

“Now tell me… why are you really here?”

Bleeding and broken, Lutwel whispered, “To… find someone…”

“I’ll help you. But first, tell me everything you know about the Hanging Soul.”

He smiled. “You can call me…”

“AKURA.”

                    …………..★…………..