I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Stopping for even a moment would've spelled disaster. The entire Lavian force was likely already hunting me. I needed to vanish.
Two weeks later, I stumbled onto an island untouched, hidden, forgotten. For the first time in months, I had silence. A chance to think.
Maybe if I searched hard enough, I could find the one responsible for all this… the one who pulled me into this nightmare. Beyond Lavia, beyond the borders of this twisted game, there had to be answers.
That night, I decided. I would leave at first light.
I lay down on the pile of leaves that had served as my bed, but the quiet didn't last long. Rustling came from the brush.
"Who's there?" I asked, gripping a sharpened branch.
The sound drew closer. My grip tightened.
Whoosh. A massive rat burst from the grass.
I let out a shaky laugh. "Just a rat"
"Hi."
The voice came from above it.
I spun around. "Ahhh!"
A girl stepped into the clearing, average height, sly grin, eyes sharp like she already knew more than I ever would.
"My name's Lilian," she said. "Who are you?"
"…Damien."
Her eyes narrowed. "And why are you on my island, Damien?"
"Your island? I was just… passing through."
"Uh-huh. And where exactly are you going?"
"I don't know. Anywhere but here."
"Right. No one comes here without a reason."
"I have a question," I said. "What cities exist right now?"
She tilted her head. "There are five countries. Four at the edges of the map. And one in the center the largest. Everything in between is no man's land."
"The center…" I muttered. "That's where I'm going."
Her eyes lit up. "Perfect. That's where I'm headed too."
"Wait no. I don't think that's a good idea."
"You don't get to decline." She smirked, like my fate was already sealed.
That night, she brought me to her shelter a cave hidden between twin rivers, narrow and defensible. She fell asleep instantly. I didn't. The weight of my crimes pressed down heavier than ever, and now I had this strange girl tethering herself to me.
At dawn, I tried to slip away. She was sleeping near the entrance, so I carefully stepped over her
Snap. A branch cracked underfoot.
She rolled over, bumping into me, and I toppled right onto her.
"AHHH!" she screamed. "You You rapist!"
"What?! No, it was a mistake!"
She folded her arms, glaring. "Great. I'm traveling with a pervert."
I groaned. "It was. An. Accident."
By morning, we left the island together. Hours later, a long building rose on the horizon.
"Here," Lilian said. "We'll get supplies. And separate rooms so you won't try to assault me again."
"Unbelievable," I muttered. "You rolled into me!"
Inside, we checked into two rooms. I showered, finally feeling the grime of weeks lift away. When I stepped out, towel around my waist
"Comfortable?" Lilian was sitting on the bed, smirking.
"Wha How did you get in here?!"
"Relax," she said sweetly, holding out a mug. "Drink. You look like you need it."
I hesitated.
"Suspicious already? Fine, I'll drink first." She sipped, then handed it over. I sighed and drank.
Minutes later, my vision blurred.
"Wha… what did you… do…?"
"Sleep," she whispered, catching me before I collapsed. Her expression wasn't playful anymore a calculating. "You're too dangerous to let run around unchecked. You're mine.
Darkness swallowed me.