?Night was crawling in. The river surface at the Western Nirwana border shimmered under the Mobat's headlights, but the roar of two motorcycles refused to fade.

  They were too close. Too persistent.

  ?Rhona's grip on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white.

  Two masked riders cut through the brush, trying to intercept her before the amphibious cruiser hit the water.

  ?The rider on the right surged forward. His left hand extended, holding a magnetic device aimed at her tires.

  ?"Am I going to die now?" Rhona whispered.

  She had already brushed against death once today. Now, with adrenaline flooding her veins, fleeing felt no different from fighting.

  ?She took a sharp breath.

  Instead of braking, she yanked the wheel to the right. Hard.

  ?CRUNCH!

  ?Metal screamed against metal.

  The rider couldn't dodge. His bike snagged on the Mobat's fender, dragging for meters before catapulting into a pine tree.

  ?The second rider didn't hesitate.

  He leaped from his moving bike-a Dash technique enhanced by internal energy-aiming straight for her roof.

  ?But Rhona was ready. She slammed the brakes.

  ?The attacker lost his momentum in mid-air, flailing.

  Rhona floored the gas again, ramming into the now-empty motorcycle in front of her.

  BOOM.

  The collision triggered a small explosion, sending shards of hot metal flying.

  ?The Mobat spun out of control. It skidded off the road and crashed nose-first into a ditch, just meters from the riverbank.

  Rhona's head slammed against the steering wheel.

  Pain pulsed in her temples. Her vision swam.

  ?Through the cracked rearview mirror, she saw a silhouette rising from the dirt.

  The assassin.

  He was hurt, moving stiffly, but his internal energy kept him standing.

  ?"Damn it..." she hissed.

  ?She forced the jammed door open and stumbled out. Her legs were jelly, but fear pushed her forward.

  She ran into the darkness, away from the river, toward the dimly lit parking lot of an old warehouse.

  ?A beat-up jeep sat abandoned under a flickering streetlamp.

  ?Behind her, heavy, rhythmic footsteps closed in. The assassin's shadow stretched long across the asphalt.

  ?Rhona reached the jeep. She yanked the rear door handle.

  Open.

  She slipped inside, diving into the back seat filled with old junk and piles of dusty fabric. She curled into a ball, holding her breath, praying her heartbeat wasn't loud enough to betray her.

  ?The smell of oil and stale dust filled her nose.

  Through a small gap in the fabric, she watched the darkness outside.

  ?Suddenly, a deep voice shattered the silence.

  ?"Who's there?!"

  ?It wasn't the assassin. It was a voice of authority. Deadly.

  ?BANG! BANG!

  ?Two gunshots.

  Rhona flinched, nearly hitting her head. Bullets pinged against the jeep's body.

  Her chest tightened. The assassin had found her.

  ?But there was no scream of pain. No thud of a body falling.

  Just a cold, dry laugh.

  ?"What is this? Just a stray dog barking?" Another man's voice. Rough. Angry.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  ?Then, a strange sound cut through the air.

  WHIRRR-SRAAAK!

  ?It wasn't a bullet. It was the sound of something spinning at high frequency, slicing the wind.

  ?"ARGH!"

  ?A choked scream. The clatter of metal hitting asphalt.

  ?"Why just the hand? Should've taken his head."

  ?Rhona heard rapid footsteps retreating.

  ?"He's running."

  ?"Should we chase?" the second man asked.

  ?"Don't waste time. We have a schedule in the Golden Forest. Let the rat go."

  ?Silence returned. But for Rhona, this silence was worse.

  Whoever these men were, they had just disabled a professional Executor like he was nothing. They were on a different level. Darker. More dangerous.

  ?The jeep's front doors opened. The vehicle rocked as two heavy weights settled into the front seats.

  ?"Did you bring the explosives?"

  ?"Already in the back. Safe under the tarp," replied the man with the boomerang.

  ?Rhona froze. Her blood turned to ice.

  Under the tarp?

  She was hiding under the tarp.

  ?The engine roared to life, vibrating violently before lurching forward. Rhona squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Vida's bullet bracelet against her chest.

  ?The jeep sped through the night. Blasting rock music filled the cabin, deafening her ears.

  Rhona stared at the door handle.

  Jumping out at this speed was suicide. Staying was worse.

  ?Just as her fingers touched the cold metal of the handle, the jeep jolted.

  They went off-road. The violent shaking threw Rhona against something hard beneath her. The music cut off abruptly.

  ?"Looks like this is the spot..."

  ?The jeep stopped.

  Rhona didn't wait. She kicked the door open and rolled onto the wet grass.

  But the driver saw her.

  ?"Hey! Someone's there!"

  ?Rhona scrambled up and ran, but footsteps behind her were lighter, faster.

  A rough hand grabbed her shoulder.

  Survival instinct took over. She spun and threw a punch with everything she had.

  ?THUD!

  ?Her fist connected with the man's broad chest.

  He grunted, stepping back-not from pain, but from surprise. The prey had bitten back.

  A cruel grin spread across his face.

  ?Rhona turned to run again.

  ?"Z... help me catch her!"

  ?Something whistled through the air.

  ?CRACK!

  ?A blunt, hard object slammed into her back.

  Rhona screamed, collapsing. Her chest felt tight-cracked ribs, maybe. Before she could crawl, someone pinned her down, locking her hands behind her back with a grip of steel.

  ?"Let me go!" Rhona yelled, though her voice trembled.

  ?The man called Z approached, idly spinning a steel boomerang in his hand.

  The bald man, B, laughed. "So... is this girl a surprise from you, Z?"

  ?"No. Just our luck," Z replied coldly. "Throw her in. We don't have much time before 'they' catch our scent."

  ?Rhona was thrown into the driver's seat. Her body and hands were tied tight to the chair. She felt like a lamb bound to a sacrificial altar.

  ?"I'll pay you! One million Ren!" she screamed desperately.

  ?The two men paused. That was five times their usual fee.

  Then they burst out laughing. A mocking, hollow sound.

  ?"One million Ren? What are you, the President's daughter?"

  ?"Yes! I am! Take me back to the city!"

  ?B stopped laughing. He leaned in, his rough fingers brushing a strand of her blonde hair under the dim cabin light.

  "Actually, it's a shame a pretty thing like you has to be the final passenger. But a job is a job."

  ?Fear evaporated, replaced by a burning rage.

  "Don't touch me, you bastard!"

  ?In one desperate move, Rhona stomped her foot onto the gas pedal.

  B, whose head was still inside the window, slammed against the door frame as the jeep lurched forward automatically. His massive body was thrown to the dirt.

  ?The jeep roared, speeding into the darkness.

  Rhona tried to slam the brakes.

  Nothing. The pedal was loose.

  Dead.

  Z had sabotaged the mechanics.

  ?She pressed a button on the side of the seat with her free foot. The jeep's soft top retracted, letting the cold, damp forest wind whip her tear-streaked face.

  ?Suddenly, an automated voice blared from the border warning system:

  ?"WARNING! YOU ARE ENTERING A RESTRICTED ZONE! TURN BACK IMMEDIATELY!"

  ?Rhona stared ahead.

  There was only the pitch-black void of the Nirwana Core Forest-a place where humans entered and never returned.

  She leaned back, her heart hammering against her ribs.

  ?Vida... we'll meet again soon. I hope you can forgive me... she whispered.

  The jeep barreled toward the giant trees, looking like the jaws of a monster ready to swallow her whole.

  ?Rhona closed her eyes.

  ?Then, a rush of wind swept toward her.

  Someone grabbed her shoulder. Pulled her.

  In a split second, she felt herself being hoisted into the air.

  ?KA-BOOM!!

  ?A massive explosion roared behind them. The shockwave pushed them forward.

  But the person carrying her shielded her.

  Rhona's back hit the ground, but a hand cradled her head, protecting it from impact.

  ?Her breath hitched.

  A chest was right in front of her face. He didn't crush her; one arm shielded her, the other supported his weight.

  The moment was fleeting, yet it pulled a buried memory to the surface. A time when she had fallen, and her mother had held her. A hug meant to protect. Warm. Safe.

  ?A tear escaped her eye.

  ?"Mom..." Rhona whispered, barely audible.

  ?She inhaled deeply.

  Amidst the acrid smell of gunpowder and burning rubber, she smelled something else.

  Something that bypassed her panic and went straight to her senses.

  ?It was his scent.

  ?To Rhona, it wasn't just a masculine smell. It was a confusing, beautiful blend: cold moss hidden behind a cliff, the sweet sap of ancient trees, and wildflowers that bloomed only under moonlight.

  It was clear. Purer than anything she had ever breathed.

  ?There was a magical calmness in it, yet it held a quiet power-like the earth holding up a mountain.

  ?Without realizing it, the scent locked into her memory. Even with the pain in her back and the chaos in her mind, that smell wrapped her soul in invisible armor. She felt safe. A feeling that should have been impossible in the arms of a stranger.

  ?Someday, Rhona would realize that this was the scent she would always search for. The only antidote when her world crumbled to dust.

  ?Exhaustion and a strange peace made her eyelids heavy.

  As she drifted, the person above her stood up.

  Firelight illuminated his hair as it danced in the wind.

  ?Red hair.

  ?"An Anex?"