The daring woman- Part 2

The evening sky was shrouded by a gorgeous rose-tinted sunset sky. But, the gloominess had swallowed the dark woods, outcasting it from the shadow of the colored sky. Anchhi could see the tall, long trees that acted as a barrier between the sky and the earth as soon as she entered the forest.

Anchhi took a deep breath, her chest tightening as she stepped into the dark woods. The dense foliage shifted around her, and the silence pressed in from all sides.

"It was too hard for me to survive in this place." she whispered, her breath clouding in the cool air. "Even if the scenario of this forest is frightening, I'll find a way back. I have to. I won't give up as long as there is a possibility." Anchhi nodded her head, determination flaring on her eyes as she took her steps ahead.

Her fingers brushed the sharp, poisonous dagger strapped securely at her waistband—a weapon of survival. This time, she wouldn't be caught off-guard like she was before. No wolves, no attackers would stand in her way.

Yet despite her resolve, an eerie sensation curled in her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Anchhi stopped, her ears straining for any sound beyond her footsteps. The forest was unnaturally still, but there it was—footsteps, soft but steady, shadowing her own.

"Who's there?" Her voice cracked as she spun around, clutching her dagger, but only the forest stared back.

Panic threatened to rise, but she swallowed it down. Keep moving. Anchhi replayed Shoumen's words in her mind, searching for the cliff near which she'd been found injured. That place—she needed to find it. It was her only hope of returning to her world. Anchhi had unintentionally provoked the First Prince many times, and she isn't sure whether she will be able to see the next sunrise if he finds her. The screw of her mind was working slow when she had made an unnecessary issue with Shuo Jin.

The only way to stay alive now was to flee from this unrealistic world. In order to do so, Anchhi must first locate the cliff and the place where she was found lifeless. The urgency of her mission quickened her steps.

After what felt like hours, the thick woods parted slightly, and ahead, through the dense trees, a silver of light flickered faint but enough to guide her. She rushed toward it, breaking free of the forest's chokehold to find a vast cliff towering before her.

"This... this must be the place."

She stood at the cliff's edge; the drop so sheer that her heart leapt at the sight. The jagged rocks below threatened death, but her mind spun with questions. If I fell from this cliff... how am I alive?

The mystery gnawed at her as she scoured the ground for any clues. But nothing. Only dry leaves scattered in the ground, and the emptiness of the cliff mocked her. She was perplexed. The mystery of her arriving here, was being like a riddle; not taking a name to solve at all.

Her breath hitched when, out of nowhere, a cry echoed from the depths of the forest behind her—a voice, faint and tortured. Without thinking, her legs bolted in the direction of the sound, every instinct screaming at her to turn back, but her heart pulling her forward.

Don't stop. Not now. 

Her feet flew over the uneven terrain, the forest growing darker with each step. She wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited her deep within the woods. Her breath left her as she stumbled upon a grisly scene: a man, tied to a pole, his body soaked in blood. His limbs were bound, his cries weak but filled with agony.The flood of red liquid soaked the forest soil, and the man saturated in blood whimpered in misery. His blood flowed down the pole, pooling darkly in the ground as he was in the verge of death.

Two men stood near him, one broad-shouldered, the other masked, their whips cracking through the air as they lashed his helpless body. The man gasped, his once-handsome face now drenched in blood, a crimson mask covering his features as he whimpered for his mother.

Anchhi clamped her hand over her mouth, bile rising in her throat. The fear she has been harboring inside her came spilling out in rush. Her pulse deafening in her ears. She scanned the area, spotting the guards stationed nearby, swords glinting in the dim light.

Run...

But before she could move, a rough hand gripped the scruff of her neck from behind, yanking her backward. Anchhi was jerked and tossed off barefoot on the ground. She hit the ground hard, her face scraping against the dirt, pain shooting through her body. She struggled to breathe, her vision blurring as she was dragged into the open clearing, thrown at the mercy of the very men she had been watching.

"Sister…" the tortured man groaned; he made a tentative approach.

Her head shot up. She saw a familiar face staring back at her.

"Jiang…?" Her voice trembled, shock coursing through her. He was her Fourth brother strung up, barely alive.

Before she could react, the man behind her yanked her hair, forcing her to her knees.

"L-e-a-v-e...my...sister..." Jiang's broken voice was a plea, weak but desperate.

The broad-shouldered man sneered, stepping closer. "A lady, huh? Looks like we've got ourselves a real feast tonight."

Before Anchhi could scream, the sharp prick of a needle pierced her neck. A burning sensation spread through her veins, her limbs growing heavy as the world around her spun violently. Her legs wobbled, the land swaying beneath her feet. She grew light-headed, her visions blurred.

Jiang's voice faded, his desperate cries drowned out by the encroaching darkness. She could scarcely hear him. Anchhi collapsed, crumpling like a puppet. Her body limp as she fought to stay conscious.

She was unwittingly flat on her face, surrounded by a ring of brawny males who were ready to devour her.

"Take her dress off," the masked man ordered, his voice dripping with malice. Two of the men approached her, preparing to pull it off. their foul breath whispering against her ear as they tore at her clothing, ripping the fabric with cruel hands.

"Take her dress off." said the man in the mask, as the other two approached her, preparing to pull it off.

"L-e-a-v-e, her....p-l-e-a-s-e." Jiang pleaded desperately.

Even if she was unconscious, she could sense the presence of men, inching closer to her. Their foul breathes whispered against her ear as they terribly tore at her clothing, ripping the fabric with cruel hands. 

Her mind screamed in protest; her body unable to fight back—until something snapped inside her.

With a sudden burst of strength, her hand clenched the dust beneath her and flung it into the eyes of the attackers as they were ready to make out with her. They howled in pain, stumbling back.

Anchhi struggled to her feet, her vision blurring but her will to survive sharper than ever. She reached for the needle embedded in her neck, yanking it out with a grunt while blood gushed out of her mouth. Her breath was ragged, but her grip on the dagger was strong, unyielding.

 "You bitch!" shouted the man who had dragged her.

The guards were ready to slice her in their first attempt but the man in mask waved his hand, gesturing to stop them and concluded, "This much bravery! Let's see how far you can push yourself, my new feast." His nasty gaze was fixed on her.

"This is impossible. You were clearly trapped by my Soul- Locking Needle." said the man with broad shoulders.

Raising his swords high, he lunged it to her, rushing at the helpless woman. But Anchhi was faster. She ducked, the blade missing her by inches. She knocked him off her feet and hammered him with her fists. In one swift movement, she plunged her dagger into his side. The man howled in pain, stumbling backward.

Another man drew his sword, threatingly stepped close to her. She slashed again, this time aiming for the next man's leg. The blade sinking deep into his flesh. His sword swung wildly, the blade sharply plunged into her chest. Pain seared through her body as the sharp metal bit into her chest.

"Swash!"

She seized the sharp blade with her one hand, blood dripping down to speckle her clothes while, she used her another hand to stab him.

Anchhi managed to stab him twice but on her third attempt, he immediately seized her wrist and released her from his sword's blade. Again, that man impinged with the tip of his sword that directly sliced Ancchi's collarbone, causing her to whimper in anguish while she was pinned in the ground but at a far distance from him.

The fragile girl gasped, her gaze fixed on the blade and the giant wielding it. Despite her weakness and injury, she did her best to safeguard her precious chastity from the horrible greedy dogs.

Anchhi crawled into the dirt and stood up steadily, using all her courage. She gasped, blood pooling in her mouth. Her eyes glinting in flame and torment, she clenched the dagger, ready to chop off his head. Her strength waning, but she wasn't done. She couldn't be.

Simultaneously, they both ran to each other while that man thrusted the sword into her stomach, as a result red scarlet oozed out of her mouth. On the other hand, Anchhi chopped off his hand with her dagger, slamming the sword into the ground. With a final, desperate move, she whirled and drove her dagger deep into his neck. His body crumpled to the ground.

The world spun around her as the storm broke, rain pelting down in torrents, washing the blood from her skin. Anchhi collapsed to her knees, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. She stared up at the sky, her vision swimming as the rain mixed with her tears.

She had survived.

But at what cost?