Marco stirred, his body trembling as the sun breached through the cracks of the canopy above. The light pierced his swollen eyes, bruised and heavy, forcing him awake. His torn cardigan clung to him, stiff with dried blood, the fabric a reminder of Jeremy's sacrifice and the endless nights of running.
He tried to rise, but exhaustion weighed him down. His stomach twisted with hunger — he hadn't eaten for days. His lips were cracked, his throat dry, his body screaming for rest. Yet his mind whispered only one command: run. Run as far as he could. Escape. Survive.
But his legs betrayed him. They refused to move, trembling beneath his weight. He collapsed back into the dirt, his breath shallow.
Memories flooded him. The rusty wooden cabin. Colden sitting beside him, his warmth filling the silence, his presence painting color into Marco's bleak world. Those nights had been fleeting, fragile, but they had been real. A glazing chance at happiness, a moment of light in the storm. Marco's chest tightened. He longed for it again.
Pain snapped him back. He shifted to the right, and agony tore through him. His ribs — a cavity had opened, the wound raw, impossible to ignore. Blood seeped slowly, staining the earth. Forward was impossible.
Then — rustling.
Marco froze, his heart pounding. He dragged himself into the shadows, hiding behind a fallen tree. The sound grew louder, closer.
It was her.
The sister. She had come all the way here, her body broken, blood dripping from her hands and stomach. Her eyes were clouded, hurt badly, unable to see straight. Yet her rage carried her forward. She lurked over every corner, searching, her voice cracking as she cried and wept.
"Why did you do it?" she screamed, her voice raw. "It was my brothers, you fucker!"
Her words echoed through the forest, trembling with grief. She staggered, her body failing, but her fury unbroken.
"I know you still don't know why we chose you, right?" she stuttered, her voice trembling between rage and despair. "Well, if you want to know… you better come out from whatever place you're hiding in. You fucking coward!"
Her voice rose, venomous. "Jeremy — he fought for your survival. And you left him. Left him there to rot while you ran with your back turned. Huh!"
Marco's chest burned. Shame and grief collided inside him. Slowly, he stepped out from hiding, his body weak, his face pale.
The sister's eyes locked onto him. Even wounded, her rage was alive. She charged, stumbling but relentless. Marco's hand trembled — he held something.
A snake.
With a desperate cry, Marco hurled it at her. The serpent struck, its venom spraying into her nose. She collapsed, choking, her body convulsing.
Marco's voice was hoarse, but sharp. "Tell me who was behind it. This venom won't stop. But I know how to cure it."
The sister spat blood, her voice trembling. "You don't know shit."
Marco reached into his pockets, pulling out leaves, potions, pills — stolen amenities from the mansion's main lobby. He held them up, his eyes blazing. "I do. And you know it."
The sister's resolve broke. She screamed for help, her voice cracking, her body writhing. "I don't wanna die! No!"
Her cries echoed, but no one came. Finally, she gave up, her voice trembling, her eyes wet with tears.
"Well… if you want to know who it was — who killed your mother mercilessly, who wanted to kill you too…" She paused, her breath shallow. "It's someone you already know."
Marco's heart froze.
At a distant view, the Lavender estate loomed, its towers shadowed against the horizon.
Francis entered the town, his carriage rolling steadily. He approached the inn, his voice calm but urgent. "Who is the town duke?"
The innkeeper looked up, her face pale. "Oh, well… it's Chancellor of Lantre. Austin Glanduer. He's the beloved duke, with relatives running this place. So devastating, what happened — the Lavenders, obviously."
Marco's eyes widened. His breath caught.
Austin.
It was Austin all along. The man he had met during the plan for Elaine's rescue. The man who had smiled, who had offered help. The man who had betrayed them.
The truth struck like a blade.
It was a grave catastrophe.
TO BE CONTINUED…
NEXT CHAPTER ON 11th MARCH 2026