The air reeked of blood, heavy and cold. The darkness trembled with the beating of monstrous wings.
The bat clutched Ayaka tightly, dragging her upward into the black sky.
Ryan just stood there, frozen.His body refused to move.His mind went blank.He couldn't think.
Couldn't act.Could only watch.
"Aaahhh!!!"
Ayaka's scream ripped through the silence—pure agony.
Then—
"CHRRRRRRAKK!"
Another giant bat swooped in, biting off her arm!
"SHRAAAK!"
A second one tore through her leg!
Blood scattered in midair like red rain.
Ayaka twisted, shrieking in unbearable pain.
Ryan's heart pounded so hard it hurt.
And then—
The bat carrying her was suddenly struck from above.
A blur—
A shriek—
An explosion of wings and claws.
Evan. After all this time, he had finally managed to control a single bat. He sent his enslaved creature to attack the one holding Ayaka.
The two monsters collided midair—
"BWAASHH!!"
The attacking bat let go.
Ayaka's body began to fall.
"AYAKA!!"
Ryan dashed forward and caught her before she hit the ground.
But her body—
It was torn apart.
Blood streamed down his arms as he held her.
"Everyone! Cover me! I'm taking her forward!"
Gunfire erupted behind him—
"TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!!"
"SKREEEE!!"
The soldiers blasted the attacking bats out of the air.Their corpses hit the stone floor with sickening thuds.
Ryan ran as fast as he could, clutching Ayaka in his arms.They reached a narrow passage, and moments later, the others caught up.
Ayaka trembled violently.
Her breaths were shallow, broken.
"Hey, hey, stay with me! Ayaka! Doctor! Where are you!?"
"I'm here," the doctor said, rushing over.
He glanced at her condition—his eyes widened.
"Oh damn… With this much blood loss, the chance of survival is zero."
Ryan couldn't speak.His throat tightened.
All he could feel was that familiar, unbearable pain inside.
Why… Why does this keep happening to me? he thought. Why must I always lose the people I finally grow close to?
Ayaka turned her fading eyes toward him.
Her lips trembled.
"Master… I think… I'm dying. I'm so sorry… I couldn't be your student. Maybe this is my punishment… for my sins."
Flashback
Ayaka's Past Life…(Ayaka's pov)
My name… is Ayaka.
I once lived in the mountains of Brazil with my mother and my older sister.
My father died before I was born—killed while hunting a bear.We were poor, but happy.
We grew crops, picked fruits, hunted with traps.
A small village sat a kilometer below our hill.
Our days were simple… peaceful.
Until that night.It was a full moon.After dinner, we sat outside, basking in the moonlight.
The air was soft, the world silent.
Before going inside, my mother said,
"Don't forget to lock the door when you come in, okay?"
But I forgot.
That one small mistake…
destroyed everything.
In the middle of the night, three drunk bandits passed by.They saw the open door and entered.
The first thing they did…
was slaughter my sleeping mother.
Then they grabbed my sister—
"STOP! PLEASE—AAAHHH!!"
They tortured her.
They… violated and raped her.
Her screams echoed through the night.
I was only six. I couldn't move.Couldn't breathe.
I could only cry.
Then—
A shadow moved behind them.
"SLICK—!"
In seconds, the three bandits lay dead.
Their blood stained the floor crimson.
The man who killed them looked at me, eyes cold yet sorrowful.
"Hey… kid. You okay?"
I just kept crying.
He sighed.
"Listen. Crying won't save you. The world is cruel.If you want to survive… you have to become cruel too."
His words struck me like fire.That night burned itself into my soul.I couldn't forgive myself.
He was a contract killer.
He took me with him, trained me to survive, to fight, to kill.
And I did.I became a killer. I murdered countless people.
Past life ended. return to present.
Maybe that's why I'm dying like this today—
to pay for my sins.
"Mother… Sister… forgive me."
Ayaka blinked through her tears—
and saw them.
Her mother and sister stood before her, smiling softly.
"Don't cry, Ayaka," her mother said.
"You did nothing wrong. You were just a child."
Her sister nodded.
"Even if the door was locked, they still would've come.It wasn't your fault. It was fate."
Ayaka smiled faintly—
and with that smile, she took her last breath.
Ryan closed his eyes.
Maybe… before dying, she saw her past, he thought. And in that moment—she found peace.
Grace looked at him with pity.
Ryan could tell she understood the pain that tore through him.
Nora whispered,
"I feel bad for Ryan.He barely knew her, yet they bonded like family…Maybe she reminded him of someone."
Grace nodded quietly.
"Yeah… maybe of his little sister.
Oh God, I was so stupid… I got jealous over nothing."
Meanwhile, Ryan stood still his mind a storm.
Ayaka's lifeless face burned into his vision.
A girl the same age as my sister…
and I couldn't save her.
Wait—
They didn't follow the planned route.
Someone had changed the co-ordinates.
That's why the bats attacked!
Who was it—
Then it hit him.
His fists clenched.
His voice roared through the cave—
"DANIEL!! YOU BASTARD!!"
He lunged at Daniel, but Kaito and Albert held him back.
"Ryan! Stop! Don't start another fight now!"
"Why shouldn't I!? Because of him, Ayaka's dead!!"
Daniel lowered his head.
"I… I panicked. I'm sorry…"
Ryan glared at him, chest heaving.
Then slowly…
he exhaled.
"Mr. Jackson. Prepare her funeral."
Jackson nodded solemnly.
"…Understood."
After the funeral, they continued forward.
A few minutes later, the path split in two.
Daniel spoke up,
"We don't know which way is safer.
We'll split into two teams and move half a kilometer.
If my team finds no danger, I'll signal you to regroup."
"Fine," Jackson agreed.
The teams separated.
As Daniel's group advanced, he thought bitterly,(Ryan humiliated me. He's strong, but I'll make him pay.)
He turned to his men.
"Why risk our lives with those criminals?Let's just move ahead on our own."
But his soldiers froze.
"What's wrong? Why are you—"
"Sir…" one whispered, trembling,
"Look… in front of you."
Daniel turned—
"SHHHHhhhhhhhh…"
A massive python, its scales glimmering like wet obsidian,
slithered toward them—slow, silent, deadly.
Its golden eyes locked onto him.
And when it opened its mouth—
"HSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHH!!"
The cavern shook.
The true horror had just begun.