Éloise walked back toward her home, clutching her bag of medicines close to her chest. On the way, she noticed a small crowd gathered at the corner of the road—people whispering loudly, arguing about something.
What’s happening there?
She took a few steps closer, then sighed.
“Maybe they’re just talking as usual…” she murmured and turned away.
She unlocked her door and stepped inside.
“I should take only a few things with me. This house… isn’t mine anymore anyway,” Éloise whispered, tears filling her eyes.
She quickly packed her clothes into one small bag. In the kitchen, she searched for food but found almost nothing.
“Great… they probably took everything with them,” she muttered, holding a packet of stale biscuits.
She packed whatever was left—biscuits, bread crumbs, and a little fruit.
One bag for clothes, one bag for food.
“It’s time to leave, Éloise,” she told herself firmly.
She stepped outside, looked around—no one was there.
She locked the door and hid the key in the same secret place she used since childhood. Her parents would find it eventually.
Then she slipped quietly down the dark road.
She walked for a long time. The sky darkened, the forest thickened, and eerie noises echoed through the trees. She held her lamp tightly, fear creeping into her steps.
“I need a place to rest…” she whispered.
A small bar appeared near the edge of the woods. The lantern lights flickered warmly, so she walked inside.
The place was crowded—people entering and leaving constantly.
Strange… there was no one on the road a moment ago.
People stared at her as she stepped in.
Éloise felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment.
“H-hi…” she said softly with a polite smile.
A girl approached her immediately.
“Come here, sit with me,” she said gently.
Éloise followed her and sat on a stool near the counter.
“What’s your name?” the girl asked.
“My name is Éloise.”
“Oh, nice name! I’m Isabe. This bar belongs to me and my husband,” she said cheerfully.
“Oh… okay,” Éloise replied.
“Sit here, I’ll get you something to drink.”
Éloise nodded.
Then her eyes fell on a boy performing magic at the center of the room.
Everyone seemed charmed by his tricks and his smooth words.
Éloise smiled to herself.
“He’s… pretty handsome,” she admitted quietly.
The boy looked at her immediately—like he had heard her thoughts.
He jumped off the table and walked straight toward her.
“Did you just fall in love with me, my lady?” he said dramatically, bowing.
Éloise burst into laughter.
“No, not a chance. I don’t randomly fall for strangers.”
“Oh? Do you even have a heart, Miss Stranger?”
“Yeah, I do. Just not for you—or anyone else.”
“Hmm.” He grinned. “What’s your name?”
“Éloise.”
He sat beside her, very close.
“Well… I’m Lucien.”
He held her hand to kiss it, but she pulled it away quickly.
He smirked.
“You’re not like others. Do you know that?”
“What’s special about me? Why did you say that suddenly?” she asked curiously.
“Nothing much. I just… felt it. I can tell by your face—you’re meant for something big.”
Éloise smiled shyly.
“Is that so? Can you tell me more?”
“No, I won’t,” he said with a mysterious wink.
Éloise laughed.
But before she could speak again—
The Attack
Two men stormed inside, shouting.
“We heard there’s a magical creature here! Is it true?!”
The bar went silent instantly.
Everyone froze.
The men were armed—guns pointed straight at the crowd.
Éloise stood up in fear.
Lucien grabbed her wrist.
“Stay behind me.”
“Okay…” she whispered.
The men yelled again, threatening to kill everyone. People screamed and scattered. Chairs fell, glasses shattered.
Lucien pulled Éloise along.
“Come. Now!”
She grabbed her bags and followed him through the chaos.
They reached a back door—but it was stuck.
The space was tiny.
They stood so close Éloise could hear Lucien’s heartbeat.
He looked down at her.
She looked up at him.
Their faces were inches apart.
“You’re pretty gorgeous, Miss Éloise,” he whispered.
“Yeah, I know,” she replied boldly.
Lucien smirked, slid an arm around her waist—
—pulled her close—
—and kissed her.
A deep, breathless kiss.
Éloise’s mind went blank.
She kissed him back, her hands gripping his shirt.
They forgot the danger, forgot the shouting behind them.
The door suddenly creaked open—
And both of them fell out onto the ground.
Lucien laughed softly.
“See you soon, Miss Éloise.”
He leaned down, kissed her one last time—
And by the time she looked up…
He had vanished.
Creatures in the Dark
Éloise grabbed her bags and ran.
The forest shook with distant noises—heavy footsteps, wings flapping, animal roars.
She stopped suddenly.
A group of creatures ran past her—half horse, half human.
“A magical creature…?” she whispered.
She stared in shock.
A horse with a human’s upper body galloped past her.
Fear took over.
She turned and ran toward her town.
She tripped, fell, her bags rolling ahead.
She picked them up and kept running.
Up ahead, flames burned bright—humans were fighting creatures.
One creature was thrown into the fire.
“They’re attacking…” Éloise whispered, horrified.
She ran faster.
When she finally reached the town, chaos had already begun.
Creatures had captured some humans, tying them up.
Éloise hid behind a wall—
But someone grabbed her from behind.
“Ah—! Let me go!” she screamed.
They dragged her forward and forced her to sit with the others.
She struggled.
“Hey! Leave me!”
But no one listened.
Her escape had turned into a nightmare.
“Burn them all alive!”
A deep voice roared from the shadows as magical creatures surrounded the area.
Humans screamed in panic, lines of fear running through the crowd.
Eloise stepped forward, shaking but brave.
“Let us go! We didn’t burn anyone—go find the one who did!” she cried.
A creature with glowing eyes glared at her.
“Humans are all the same. Take them.”
Creatures began pushing people forward, separating men and women.
Someone lit a torch just to threaten them, not to burn—only fear, not harm.
People cried, holding onto each other.
Eloise’s heart broke.
Her dreams… her freedom… her future…
All slipping away.
“My parents never wanted me to be happy… and now when I finally have a chance to live, you want to take it too?”
She burst into tears.
Suddenly—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the whole street.
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