The Mysterious Ink Brush

"So he ran away, huh?" she muttered under her breath, a small chuckle escaping her lips. There was a hint of pride in her voice, the satisfaction of having driven him off with such ease. It wasn't often that someone underestimated her. And yet, here was a coward who had given up the fight the moment the tides turned.

But not everyone shared her sentiment.

The woman who had been thrown back onto the cold ground was bleeding from her mouth, clutching her stomach as her body shook. The damage was severe—she could feel her internal organs shattered from the impact. The pain was unbearable, but even worse was the realization that her life, or what was left of it, was slipping away. She had fought so hard, and now, as she lay there, alone and abandoned, she understood the brutal truth: she had been left to die.