The man gulped and nodded his head.
“I will tell you, but please don’t kill us!” He pleaded as he knelt before Athissa.
“Speak, and I might reward you with your life,” Athissa muttered and grabbed his hair, forcing him to look at her.
“We don’t know who hired us since they hid their identity.
However!
I heard a name when they were talking,” the man swallowed hard.
“Tell me,” Athissa insisted.
“If I remember correctly.
It’s Carol or Caroline.
It’s either of the two,” the man said.
Athissa sighed.
She released the man and stepped back.
“Take your fallen comrades with you and tell them that you succeeded in killing us.
Bring the carriage with you to show proof,” Athissa said tiredly.
Then she tore a part of her skirt, rubbed it against her skin for a few seconds before tossing it to the man.
“And add that too.
So it will look believable.”
The man frowned in confusion, but he understood in the last second.
“Yes, yes.
I will!” He said and immediately dragged his two friends away from the forest by their feet.
They were heavy, but the man persisted in case Athissa would change her mind.
When they were gone, Athissa stood alone in the empty forest.
Her glowing gold eyes flicked and vanished after a few seconds as they returned to her original honey-colored eyes.
“Ugh… What happened?” Athissa muttered in a haze.
She flicked her eyes as her vision was getting blurry.
She tried taking a step, but her feet felt wobbly.
“Just… a little farther.”
Her voice was barely audible.
Athissa wanted to be further away from the scene in case those men came back for revenge, and she decided to enter the forest deeper for safety.
She placed one hand against a nearby tree, using the rough bark to steady herself.
Her breathing was uneven, and every muscle in her body seemed to protest.
“How much longer?” Athissa mumbled.
She didn’t know how long she was walking, but she didn’t want to stop.
Athissa looked down at herself.
Her clothes were torn.
Her arms were covered with scratches, and her legs trembled from exhaustion.
And somehow, she was still standing.
“Mary…”
The name escaped Athissa’s lips.
Athissa immediately pushed herself away from the tree.
“I need to find her.”
She took another step.
Then another.
Athissa’s movements were painfully slow as her joints were screaming for her to stop.
The forest that had once seemed familiar now looked like an endless maze.
Trees stretched endlessly into the distance, and their branches blocked most of the sunlight.
Athissa swallowed.
“Ugh, which way did she go?”
She couldn’t remember as her brain’s memory was fogged by something else.
Her head felt heavy, and her thoughts were becoming sluggish.
Still, she continued walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Several times, she nearly fell.
Once, Athissa’s knee struck the ground, forcing her to stop.
“Ah…”
Athissa gritted her teeth and pushed herself back up.
“I—I don’t have time to rest,” Athissa mumbled and continued walking.
Then the sound of rushing water eventually reached her ears.
Athissa stopped, and her blurry eyes widened slightly.
“Water…”
She followed the sound as her throat was begging to be wet.
The trees slowly became thinner until she finally emerged from the forest.
A beautiful lake stretched before her.
The surface reflected the pale sky, disturbed only by gentle ripples caused by the breeze.
Athissa stared at the beauty before her.
For a moment, she simply stood.
“Finally…”
Athissa’s shoulders relaxed.
She had been walking for what felt like hours and desperately needed water.
She took another step toward the lake.
The moment her foot touched the muddy ground near the shore, she slipped.
“Ah—”
Her arms flailed.
“OH NO—!”
SPLASH!
Athissa plunged straight into the freezing water.
For a few seconds, she simply disappeared beneath the surface.
“GLLLBL—!”
Her head popped up.
“Why is it so cold!?”
Athissa immediately began flailing her arms, trying to resurface, but she had forgotten one very important fact.
She was exhausted, and she was wearing a skirt dragged heavily beneath the water.
Her sleeves slung into her arms, and her boots felt like two rocks had been tied to her feet.
Athissa kicked desperately.
“Come on…”
She tried her best to swim towards shore, but her energy was depleted.
“…MOVE, please.”
Athissa kicked harder, but she didn’t even move from her spot.
“This is ridiculous.”
She attempted another stroke, but her skirt pulled her downwards.
“WHY IS MY CLOTHING TRYING TO KILL ME!?” Athissa screamed.
She tried to flap her feet while trying to remove her skirt, but her head kept submerging.
However, Athissa successfully removed her heavy skirt.
“Yes, finally…”
Athissa smiled at the thought that she was saved, but when she tried to swim, her legs cramped.
“Oh, shit—”
Her fingers barely touched the surface when her body sank.
“No…”
Athissa struggled to keep her head above the water.
“I… still… want to find… my…”
Her eyes slowly closed.
Her body sank further.
For a moment, everything became silent.
The sunlight disappeared above her as if the world became nothing, but cold, dark water.
Athissa pushed once more and tried to swim, but her arms moved sluggishly.
Her lungs burned.
She wanted to breathe, but there was no air.
‘Is this the end of me?’ Athissa thought.
Then, an idea crossed her mind.
‘After everything I went through… I’m actually going to die a virgin.’
Athissa kicked once.
Then again.
Her vision blurred and a smile formed on her lips.
‘Maybe… this isn’t so bad…’
Then—
SPLASH!
Something crashed into the water.
Athissa’s eyes barely opened, but through the murky water, she saw a dark figure swimming toward her.
‘What…?’
The stranger grabbed her around the waist and tried pulling her upward.
Athissa clung to his shirt, but the oxygen in her lungs was completely depleted.
She tried her best to stay awake, but she was slowly losing consciousness.
But before it happened.
Athissa felt something soft on her lips.
That made her eyes open and saw the man kissing her.
His tongue forced its way into her mouth and blew air inside.
‘My… my first kiss!’
Oops… the next chapter is locked!
But trust me, you’re going to want to see what happens next.
Someone is about to discover something they shouldn’t… and things are about to get REALLY interesting.
So… unlock it!
Your curiosity won’t let you sleep anyway.
Thank you so much!