The blood moon hung above the sky, its crimson light tearing across the world like a wound that would never heal. Shadows of trees swayed violently, twisting like the hands of demons reaching out to ensnare intruders. A thunderclap roared, shaking the earth as though a divine hammer had struck to seal a judgment.
Then came a voice—deep, cold, and echoing from the abyss.
"The heir of the Fox Tribe has returned… The curse is broken at last."
Nuna bit her lip, a shiver crawling down her spine. The single word—"curse"—sent a chill racing from her back to the nape of her neck. Rain fell suddenly, without warning. Yet these drops were not ordinary rain—they carried a chilling weight, as though they were cleansing blood spilled from the crimson moon above.
From the suffocating darkness, a figure emerged. A tall, slender man with a pallid face, as if he had risen from ancient ashes. His eyes were not human eyes but cold flames, silver and sharp, burning without warmth in the shadows.
In a calm, detached voice, he spoke:
"You… may rest inside my cave."
Nuna instinctively stepped back, heart pounding. She wanted to refuse, but his gaze—unyielding and grave—bound her in place.
"…Thank you… What is your name?"
His pale lips moved slowly, the words rasping like whispers dragged from the underworld.
"Akin."
A faint smile touched his face—not one of kindness, but of dominance, of knowledge too great for mortals.
"I know far more than you imagine. Tonight… will change your world forever."
Lisa grasped Nuna's hand tightly. The warmth and safety they once knew had vanished. Only trial, only darkness, remained—closing in on them.
And in the silence, a single question echoed through their minds:
"Who is it… that has truly returned?"