Chapter 4: Hunted

In a small, dimly lit room, Arthur, a young man in his late twenties, sat across from his sister, Alexander. The walls were lined with bookshelves that held an array of dusty books, the faint smell of old paper filled the air. Nearby, an elderly man named Kasumi, also known as 'The Old Man' was sitting in a worn-out chair, knitting a colorful scarf. The three of them were engaged in a conversation.

Arthur was always hungry for knowledge, while Alexander liked to explore the stories of the past. Kasumi, on the other hand, had his own tales from his youth, his voice shaky but filled with warmth.

As they were about to dove deeper into their conversation, one that they come for, the door creaked open. A man entered, his silhouette cloaked in shadow. At first, they thought he looked out of place, This made Kasumi be on guard for anything suspicious. But something about this man, falt familiar to him.

"Greetings..."

"What brings you here? " Arthur asked, suspicion growing within him, his eyes narrowing.

The mysterious man did not respond. Instead, he stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that sent a chill down the spines of those present. Before anyone could react, he lunged at Arthur, delivering a swift blow that knocked the wind out of him. Alexander gasped, and Kasumi dropped his knitting, the needles clattering to the floor.

"Hey! What are you doing? " Alexander shouted, rushing to her brother's side. But the man was quick; he easily sidestepped her attempt to grab him and turned his attention to Kasumi.

The elderly man was surprisingly nimble for his age. he swung his knitting needles at him, trying to defend himself. But the man caught his wrist, twisting it until he cried out in pain. He pushed him back into his chair, and he slumped over, dazed.

Fury flooded Alexander's veins as she leaped to her brother's defense. They had always looked after each other, and seeing Arthur hurt stirred something fierce within her. She charged at the man with all her strength, but he sidestepped her attack as if he had anticipated her move.

"Enough! " he barked, his voice deep and unwavering. "I'm not here to play games," he said, turning his attention back to Arthur, who was trying to recover from the initial shock.

As Alexander attempted to regroup, she glanced at the old man. Kasumi sat on the floor, breathing heavily, his face pale. It was a painful sight, but there was no time to think about him. The man was too quick, and before either sibling could stabilize their footing, he advanced on Arthur once more.

"What do you want? " Arthur demanded, trying to hold onto his strength.

"I'll tell you soon enough," the man replied, a smirk forming on his lips. In an instant, he lunged toward Arthur again. This time, Arthur was ready; he dodged the blow and countered with a punch of his own. It landed, but the man barely flinched. Instead, he retaliated with a quick strike to Arthur's jaw, sending him sprawling back.

The sound of the impact echoed in the small room as she gasped again, feeling helpless. Frustrated, Alexander kept trying to step in, but she was met with the man's relentless speed. He seemed to anticipate their every move, as if he had studied them for ages.

Then, in a moment of sheer desperation, Alexander grabbed a nearby lamp, swinging it at the attacker in hopes of giving her brother time to recover. The lamp shattered against the wall, but that didn't deter the man. He turned toward her, his expression infuriated.

"A fool's errand," he sneered, moving faster than Alexander could react. He knocked her to the side as she stumbled, her body hitting the ground roughly. Alexander's vision blurred, and all she could see were shadows dancing around her.

With both siblings out of the fight, the man turned his focus back to Arthur, who was now struggling to stand. He could feel the room spinning, but something deeper inside urged him not to give up.

Suddenly, as if summoned by his pain, something sparked in Arthur's mind. He thought of the times he had shared—memories of him and his small family. Gathering his strength, he charged at the man again, throwing a series of wild punches.

But the man was unfazed. He easily dodged and ducked, finally landing a powerful blow to Arthur's gut. The young man fell to his knees, panting. Just when it seemed he was done, Arthur noticed something on the man's wrist—a familiar mark.

"Wait… who are you? " Arthur wheezed, recognizing the symbol, as the one he has seen countless times in his dreams.

"Someone who has come to collect," the man hissed, grabbing Arthur by the collar.

Though Arthur's eyes were heavy with impending sleep, he felt a deep sense of dread. "Collect what? " he gasped, but a final punch from the man made his world go dark.

Meanwhile, as the room fell silent, Kasumi, who had regained some clarity, managed to sit up. But it was too late for Arthur and Alexander; the dark figure stood over them, then turned and disappeared through the door, dragging Arthur with him.

When Kasumi crawled to Alexander, they both lay on the floor, breathless and battered. "What just happened? " Alexander whispered, her voice trembling.

"I don't know. We have to get up, and find help" Kasumi replied, though he felt his energy draining. They struggled to their feet, the realization of their defeat echoing in their minds.

Outside the room, the eerie silence followed the footsteps of the man as he disappeared into the shadows of the night. In the small room, Alexander looked at Kasumi, sadness flashing in her eyes. "We will find him and bring Arthur back," she vowed.

"We will... first we have to find out who we are dealing with." Kasumi replied, trying to balance himself after giving gotten beaten up only a few minutes ago.

Just then, someone walked into the house. Both Alexander and Kasumi, tensed up and got ready for an attack.

But only a middle-aged woman, with light blue coloured eyes, long tamed brown hair, with a scar on her right eye, who was breathing heavily, had bruises and her clothes a bit tone. Walked in.

"Mother!? Marjorie!?"both said in unison