Chapter 2

"Huh?" I unintentionally voiced out my utter confusion after hearing something.

What was that? Did someone cry?

Raising my guard, I turned my head left and right, and behind observing the surroundings as I try to locate where the sound was coming from. Anything could happen to me in this vast forest any moment unless I'd be alert and guarded.

The forest of Morana is one of the good hunting grounds of Fiorinn Empire used when hunting seasons comes, except that the place is restricted every year from December to February.

Just like any forest, diverse wild creatures dwell here. However, for unknown reasons, they become extra violent when winter comes. The whole empire was baffled by this annual issue of the forest so the emperor sent mages here to keep things under control but only failed and died.

Thus far, with no other solution to resolve the issue, it was decided to be kept restricted until spring.

When I noticed nothing, I jumped from my horse, carefully stepping on the snowy ground.

"Did I drink too much that I started hearing things?" I wondered, lightly slapping myself repeatedly in an attempt to sober myself.

"Oww..."

But I'm clearly not drunk! I heard it, that groan.

My head automatically turned towards the direction where the white deer fell on.

The sound was faint but I was sure it was a person's voice. A man's voice to be exact.

"...mn, it hurts..."

I could imagine the man's face painted with a painful expression by the way his voice sounded.

From a confused state, my expression turned sour. Somehow I felt guilty inside my heart hearing the man groaning in pain.

"Shit!" I swore, then covered my mouth with a gasp.

Oh, my God! Did I perhaps miss the white deer and shoot a person instead?

But I saw the deer fall!

Did I only graze it because of how fast it was moving?

I was confused yet again.

"Aah, I don't know!"

It was the moment when I shake off the horse's reigns that I unintentionally have my guard down, and ran to where the deer fell onto with a sense of urgency.

Swiiikkk–! Suddenly, somewhere in the forest, something came out flying at a tremendous speed.

Tzing!

And it struck upon the nearest tree and sprang up in front of me. It almost got my eyes!

"Neigh!"

Surprised from the sudden attack, the horse galloped away from the forest, leaving me behind.

My body trembled from the shock, and I started to feel breathless.

I couldn't move.

The sound of brittle twigs breaking apart and the flapping noise from the disturbed birds filled the air. The whole forest was disturbed.

Although it was hard to move nor breathe, I look around.

I turned my face upward and above, a group of silhouettes could be dimly seen. They were moving at a tremendous speed like the dagger they threw at me. They surrounded the area.

Ninjas? It was surprising that no wild creatures have appeared with the whole Morana forest, but ninjas? There were no ninjas in the empire. I heard, only the neighboring empire—Aratos Empire, has ninjas so how in the world are they here?

'Am I...being caught up in an assassination?'

"Ack!"

I screamed reflexively briefly in terror as once again, a dagger flew and fell into the trunk of a tree. At the same time, a sharp clanging of swords became audible.

My attention instantly shifted to where the sound came from. There were flocks of ninjas battling with a person clad in a white military uniform.

Bewilderment ignited inside me however, it didn't last long as I began to feel anxious.

Wait. A man in white? I didn't see him earlier, only the white deer—

Alas! My eyes might have deceived me. Did I drink too much to mistake a man for a deer?

Adrenaline rush wreaks havoc inside me and I felt the urge to help the person I unintentionally shot. Then all of a sudden, my body could finally move.

I frantically aimed my crossbow at the fast-moving ninjas in black cloaks. Unfortunately, my vision became blurry; I lost focus.

"Aaahhh!"

Intense pain comes with a loud ringing in my ears. It felt like a sharp, jabbing, electric shock gushing through my temple to my brain. My mind went blank. A deafening silence followed, then darkness.

But wild sparks exploded through the darkness. I heard another loud ringing in my ears growing faint; my hearing was restored. And it was strangely sharper than my normal hearing.

My other senses grow sharp as well. However, my sight did not. It wasn't restored and I could see nothing but darkness.

Clank! Tzing!

I instinctively hid behind a tree. Multifold sounds filled my ears.

From the rustling sound of leaves to the swift and rapid movements of creatures to the sharp, clanging sounds of metallic objects cutting through the air.

My whole being was disturbed.

Clutching onto my crossbow, I tried to follow the ninjas' movements as I focus on them.

I raised my weapon and pointed it to the people who were rapidly moving from here and there while carefully avoiding their target, the man in white earlier.

It was strange but I instantly recognized who to shoot and who to avoid by the degree of loudness of their heartbeats.

I presumed everyone with the same volume of heartbeats were the ninjas while the one with slow and faint beats was the man's who I accidentally shot. It must be because of his injuries.

Thwunk! Chalkak–, tang, tang, tang!

A mechanical sound was released whenever my index finger pulls the trigger, followed by painful grunts.

"Ugh!"

"Argh!"

"Ack!"

Beads of sweat ran through my body. My eyes painfully throb as time passes by. A burning sensation could be felt but I couldn't be bothered as I was busy shooting. Especially now that I have caught their attention.

Hwiiik–, tzing! Shurikens began approaching me in droves.

It was that moment when panic ignited inside me. I was out of bolts!

My body was restrained from the panic I felt and the burning sensation in my eyes became unbearable. I couldn't move to hide or scratch my eyes.

BOOM!

"AAAHHH!" I screamed in pain synchronously to the explosion, and I slumped on the ground.

Then silence prevailed. My hearing went back to normal.

What was that explosion?

"Ouch!" I winced when I rubbed my eyes and blinked repeatedly.

I finally had a glimpse of light. My vision goes on a blur at first, then it gradually becomes clearer.

It was already dawn.

As soon as my sight completely recovered, I didn't waste a single moment hesitating. I hastily stride towards the direction of the man.

No flying weapons appeared and blocked my way and the ninjas were knocked down.

"I'm sorry for shooting you! Are you alright?"

Those were the first words that escaped my mouth when I reached him. The man was lying on the ground with cuts and blood all over him.

"H, hey!"

He didn't respond. The face of the man with his eyes closed was as pale as death. I panic once again.

'Is he dead?'

My heart sank at the thought. His pale face reminded me of awful memories of my childhood I swore to forget.

"H, hey! Old man, wake up!" I frantically shook the old man's body like crazy. But the man had no movement.

No...this can't be happening. I'm scared. This is all my fault.

"Wake up! Please, please, please..." I burst into tears.

"...stop shaking me. I'm dizzy."

Fortunately, the man's eyelids flinched, and light blue irises were revealed.

"Ugh... that damn explosion almost got me." The man mumbled something I didn't hear.

"You alive!" I exclaimed.

"Well, I didn't die."

I ignored the man's sarcastic remark and wiped my tears with the back of my hands...

"I'm glad you were okay. I'm sorry for shooting you."

I was truly relieved. I thought I have caused someone else's death again.

"So, it's you."

I flinched to my horror when he picked up his sword and point it at my neck.

I instinctively raised both my hands at the back of my head to imply that I am harmless.

"You can't blame me. It's all your fault for disguising as a deer here in the forest," I bluntly said.

Yeah, right. Who in their right mind would disguise as a wild deer in the wilds? Unless I was charmed by this creepy forest and my sight was rapt. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"What deer at you talking about? Are you perhaps drunk?"

"I only drank nine glasses of beer. I'm not drunk though!" I defensively replied while raising nine of my fingers.

That, the man chuckled. My worries and guilt for accidentally shooting him disappeared all at once and were replaced with annoyance.

'What am I doing here? I should go.'

"I think you seem just fine. Again, I'm sorry that I shot you. I gotta go, old man, I hope to not see you again."

"O, old man...?" He stuttered in question, confusion painted on his face.

"How insolent. You dare not recognize me as your crown prince then calling me an old man?"

I was taken aback by the sudden change of his tone and his aura. His chill voice sent shivers down my spine, and the air around us became oppressive.

I gave him a perplexed look.

"Are you not?" I abruptly leaned forward, closing my face on his as I tried to inspect his face.

Surprised at my sudden action, the man did not move.

"You're the crown prince, you say? Sorry, I have never seen the crown prince nor was taught how to politely address nobles or the imperial family or whatever you call it. But..." I paused as I trace my eyes to him.

"...I think you're too old to be that person. You've even grown white hairs," I bluntly said.

However, he already grabbed my hand gripping it tightly, and I was unable to resist.

He stared at me with his sparkling light blue eyes. Somehow, the air around us changed once again.

"Your eyes...are odd–" I cut his words and took my arm back by forcibly shoving his hands.

Damn, he saw it!

I frantically covered my eyes with my blindfold mask. Unfortunately, it came off because the ribbon loosened. My mask dropped on him.

I was too scared to pick it up that I just ran away with my crossbow. I couldn't think straight because of how nervous I was.

When I got out of the forest, the sun has already risen slightly and the cold that I have forgotten for a while enveloped me; I hugged myself as I shivered.

Clack. Clack.

I saw my horse approaching from the direction where the sun has risen from. There were several horses and knights with it.

It was the knights of Meredith, and one of them was my brother.

I sighed in relief. However, my body suddenly felt weak and heavy.

I gasped for air in exhaustion but my chest only hurts whenever I heaved a breath. My mouth and throat dried up and I coughed; a warm crimson liquid came out from both my nose and mouth.

"Orianna!" Lucian's blurry face emerges in front of me.

"Bro...ther."

Everything turned black that moment in an instant.

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