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She pressed two trembling fingers against the woman's neck, searching for a pulse.
"She's gone," the strange woman murmured — then smirked.
"Can I have the body?"
SLAP!
A hunter behind her struck her across the face so hard that she stumbled. But instead of anger, a sickly smile crept over her lips. She ran her tongue slowly across the trickle of blood on her lip, sighing with pleasure.
"Throw the body into the forest," ordered the head hunter. "Let the eagles feed."
They marched forward, dragging chains and weapons that glinted in the pale moonlight.
Ariel's heart pounded violently.
"W–who… who was that?" she whispered, clutching her arms tightly.
"The one who just died?" Haven asked, glancing her way.
She nodded nervously.
He exhaled. "That wasn't a human, Ariel. That was a Bloody Sprite."
Her eyes widened. "A what?"
"A cursed spirit born from blood and sorrow," he explained quietly. "They feed on the life essence of others — not to harm, but to survive. Their bodies are fragile… they can't last more than a few days without feeding. Starvation for them means their blood dries up from within. Then they crumble — just like that."
Ariel gasped. "That's horrible… and the others? The people here — are they all… like her?"
Haven gave a low, bitter chuckle. "People?" He tilted his head. "You really think there are humans here?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion washing over her face.
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Look around you, Ariel. The beings you see chained and breathing — they're not human.
They look like us, but they're not. Every single one of them is something else. Monsters, spirits, witches, shapeshifters, demons… creatures hiding in human skin. The hunters gather them, sell them, experiment on them. This isn't a prison — it's a cage for the supernatural."
Ariel's stomach twisted. "Then why am I here?"
"That's what I'm still trying to figure out," he said softly. "Because you—" he paused, eyes glinting in the dim firelight, "—you might not be as human as you think either."
Ariel froze, her lips parting but no words came out.
The stars gleamed coldly above them, the night thick with secrets.
"I'm a human." She said firmly.
"Me too."
Haven looked down at the lifeless remains of the Bloody Sprite — her crimson essence already soaking into the earth like spilled wine.
"She lasted longer than most," he muttered, almost to himself. "Guess she just ran out of blood to burn."
Ariel's throat tightened. "She… she didn't deserve to die like that."
"No one here does," he replied quietly. "But mercy isn't something the hunters believe in."
The camp fell silent. Chains clinked softly in the darkness.
Ariel lay down, staring up at the stars — her mind spinning with the revelation. Every face around her now seemed monstrous. Every breath sounded alien.
And then, somewhere in the distance… a whisper slithered through the trees.
Ariel stiffened. "Haven… what was that?"
He frowned, scanning the dark forest. "Stay here," he said, his voice low and sharp. "I'll check it out."