Chapter 3: Searching for Lily

Alex sprinted through the forest, his breath ragged, his legs aching with exhaustion. His clothes, still damp from his fall into the river, clung to his skin, but he ignored the discomfort.

"Lily!" he shouted again, his voice hoarse from calling out for what felt like hours.

Harvis and the silver-haired girl followed, moving with practiced ease through the thick underbrush.

"You should conserve your energy," Harvis said calmly. "You're burning yourself out."

Alex clenched his fists. "I don't have time to waste! My sister is out there, alone—"

"She's not alone," Harvis interrupted. He turned his head slightly, the cloth covering his eyes shifting. "She was taken."

Alex froze. His stomach twisted into knots.

"...Taken?"

Harvis nodded, stepping forward. He knelt, running his fingers lightly over the ground. "Boot prints. Large. Heavy. More than one person."

Alex's fists tightened. "Bandits?"

"Most likely."

The silver-haired girl surveyed the area, her sharp eyes scanning the trees. "We should keep moving before they get too far ahead."

Harvis stood up. "Agreed."

Without another word, they pressed forward, their pace quick and urgent.

Minutes passed in tense silence, the only sound their footsteps on the forest floor. The deeper they ventured, the darker the surroundings became, as if the trees themselves conspired to trap them.

Then—

A low growl.

Alex's body tensed.

From the shadows, yellow eyes flickered like dying embers. Then another. And another.

A pack of wolves emerged from the darkness, their fangs bared, saliva dripping from their maws. Their fur bristled, their hunger undeniable.

"There's too many," Alex whispered. He instinctively reached for his knife.

The silver-haired girl pulled out her daggers. "They must've caught our scent."

Harvis, however, simply sighed, rolling his shoulders as if mildly inconvenienced.

"Stay behind me."

Alex frowned. "But—"

One of the wolves lunged.

Before Alex could react, Harvis moved.

He didn't step back. He didn't flinch. Instead, he sidestepped the attack with inhuman precision, his movement so smooth it was like he had foreseen it. As the wolf flew past him, Harvis twisted and struck.

A single, open-palm hit to the side of the beast's head.

The wolf collapsed mid-air, its body crumpling against the ground, motionless.

Alex's breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell…?"

The rest of the pack snarled and attacked all at once.

Harvis vanished.

For a moment, it was as if he had disappeared from sight. Then—

A blur of motion.

He was among them.

Harvis's hands moved faster than Alex could track, striking vital points with pinpoint accuracy. Each impact sent a wolf sprawling, their bodies convulsing before falling still.

One tried to snap at his leg—he spun, delivering a brutal kick to its skull. Another lunged from behind—Harvis ducked, grabbed its neck, and with a sudden twist, sent it crashing into the dirt.

A third wolf, larger than the others, pounced, claws extended toward Harvis's throat. Without hesitation, he met it head-on, catching its front paw mid-air. A sickening crack echoed as he twisted its limb, sending the beast yelping in agony before slamming it into the ground.

Another came from the side, its jaws wide open, ready to tear into his shoulder. Harvis moved with eerie precision, his body tilting just enough to avoid the snapping fangs. His fingers struck the wolf's throat with a swift, precise jab. It gagged, staggered back, then collapsed, gasping for breath.

One final wolf hesitated, baring its teeth in a show of defiance. Harvis merely stared in its direction, his expression unreadable behind his blindfold. The wolf whimpered and, without a sound, turned and fled into the darkness.

The remaining wolves, realizing their advantage had vanished, followed suit, disappearing into the forest like ghosts.

Harvis exhaled, brushing off his hands. "Annoying."

Alex could only stare. His hands still gripped his knife, though now it felt useless.

"How did you—?"

"Later," Harvis cut him off. "We need to keep moving."

The silver-haired girl nodded. "The bandits have a head start. We can't waste time."

Shaken but determined, Alex forced himself to refocus. "Right. Let's go."

They moved swiftly, Harvis leading the way with unnerving certainty.

Soon, they found what they were looking for.

Through the thick trees, firelight flickered in the distance. The scent of burning wood and roasted meat filled the air.

Alex's heart pounded as he spotted a small, iron cage near the center.

Inside, curled up and trembling, was Lily.

Bruised. Afraid. But alive.