At the boundary where the city met the northern forest.

A dark silhouette stood at the end of the alley.

A man who looked like a Bolton swept his eyes across the surroundings, leaving no blind spot.

DS pressed himself deeper into the shadows.

Diti's ragged breathing trembled against his shoulder.

The weight of her full-term belly rested heavily in his arms.

"We're blocked."

"...What do we do?"

His gaze drifted upward.

Wooden houses overlapped one another, stacked like steps.

Eaves. Railings. Protruding beams.

Routes unfolded and overlapped in his mind.

"There's only one of them."

He pulled Diti closer.

"We won't be seen. Hold on tight."

The instant the Bolton turned his head to scan the opposite direction—

DS kicked off the ground.

His foot landed lightly on the edge of an interlocking eave before launching him higher.

The identification code engraved on the back of his hand—

DS2—

flashed.

Then—

Their figures wavered.

A faint afterimage stretched across the rooftop.

And vanished.

Sensing something out of place, the Bolton snapped his head around.

There was nothing.

Moments later.

Deep within the distant forest.

Behind the trunk of a massive tree, the air split apart a heartbeat too late.

Folded space unfurled.

As if the world had spat them back out, the two bodies burst into view.

A searing pain surged through them.

Leaves drifted down only after they had arrived.

The city was already far behind.

The forest swallowed them whole.

ㅡㅡㅡ

Creak—

The old wooden floor groaned beneath every step.

As he pushed the door open and entered the room,

the air spread across his vision.

Scents separated into colors.

The lingering trace of a half-blood Owlin.

And the color of a woman heavy with child.

It hovered vividly above the blanket on the bed.

The trail hadn't gone cold.

They had only just left.

Only Hirk could see the world this way.

"Found you."

The scent stretched into a thin line,

leading unbroken out of the alley.

They hadn't been able to conceal it while fleeing.

"Call everyone."

"Yes, sir."

One of his men hurried outside.

Hirk followed.

The trail crossed the alley

and continued north.

He clenched his teeth.

"Damn it..."

"The forest."

ㅡㅡㅡ

Northeast of Heian.

A secluded cabin deep within the forest after sunset.

A scream tore through the silence.

With trembling hands, he tied off the umbilical cord.

Blood and slick birth fluids coated his fingers.

"Please..."

"Cry."

His hands refused to obey.

He forced the baby's tiny legs upward.

Smack.

Once.

Again.

Waaah—

The newborn's cry finally echoed through the cabin.

The strength drained from her body.

Then—

A branch snapped outside.

"Diti!"

The door slammed open.

A man rushed inside.

Then stopped.

"...Di."

The bowl in his hand froze in midair.

He took one slow step forward.

Then another.

She remained motionless, the baby still cradled in her arms.

She wasn't breathing.

The bowl slipped from his fingers.

Only the child was alive.

"...Because of you."

The words never reached the end.

He lifted the baby into his arms.

If this child lived...

They would be hunted forever.

His hand rose to the infant's neck.

His fingers tightened.

Just a little more—

And it would be over.

Then—

Tiny fingers wrapped around one of his.

A fragile warmth.

His hand froze.

His jaw trembled.

"...Ha..."

Slowly...

He let go.

He closed his eyes.

"...I hope you're like her.

I hope you grow up to be like her."

The words lingered in the silent room.

He gently laid the baby down.

For a long moment,

he couldn't move.

Then his eyes caught something beneath the child's right heel.

A single mark.

-c².

It looked as though it had swallowed the light around it.

He pulled over the basket he had prepared.

Lined it with cloth.

And carefully laid the baby inside.

His hands stopped once more.

He carried the basket to the stream.

The water rippled softly at the slightest touch.

He couldn't take the child with him.

His fingers slipped away.

The basket drifted downstream.

"...I'm sorry."

He wasn't sure who those words were meant for.

He took one step after it—

Then stopped.

In the end...

He let it go.

Turning away,

he returned to the cabin.

He lifted her into his arms one last time,

then gently settled her across his back.

He gathered the bloodstained clothes

and cast them into the fire.

Smoke drifted upward,

disappearing into the forest.

Then—

The inside of his ears folded back.

Someone was coming.

He tightened her cold body against his back.

Stepped forward.

For a brief instant,

space slipped out of alignment.

The forest folded in on itself.

And he vanished.

ㅡㅡㅡ

Moments later—

Before the trail had even gone cold,

the Bolen hounds reached the cabin.

One of the men scanned the area before speaking quietly.

"We're too late."

Without taking his eyes off the forest, Hirk lowered his hand.

"...Damn it."

A nearby branch trembled.

Then—

A grinding sound came from behind the cabin, like gears scraping together.

Hirk gestured.

Click.

One of his men unfolded a device.

The Sera Afterimage Scanner activated.

Its crystal vibrated,

spilling pale light into the air.

Faint lines slowly emerged above the ground.

"Here."

"Residual Sera energy confirmed."

Hirk lifted his head.

Though he was already staring beyond the trees,

it was as if he were speaking directly to the fugitive.

"Run."

"Hide."

"Keep hiding."

His voice was rough, as though his throat had been torn apart.

"You little rat...

I'll catch you in the end."

His gaze drifted to the extinguished firepit.

The smell of iron.

Wet earth.

Water that had been boiled...

then cooled.

"There..."

"There's blood."

Hirk picked up a discarded cloth.

Sniff.

Sniff.

A woman's scent.

Layered over it—

the unmistakable smell of a newborn.

"They had the baby here."

The footprints ended at the stream.

Then...

Nothing.

They simply disappeared.

Just then—

"There!"

A basket floated downstream.

It caught on a low branch,

then drifted free again.

The corner of Hirk's mouth curled upward.

"You little rat...

I've got you now."

His men rushed toward the stream.

Hirk followed.

The first soldier reached the basket and grabbed it.

"There's a baby insi—"

Then—

A dark shadow swept behind him.

Thud.

The sounds of the forest fell out of rhythm.

The soldier's head snapped violently sideways.

Half his body collapsed into the water.

Something invisible ripped through his side.

His entrails spilled out.

Blood scattered through the air...

only falling a heartbeat later.

"Hold."

At Hirk's command, the formation broke apart—

then reformed.

"Don't move."

"Watch your surroundings first."

The forest stopped breathing.

The man beside him whispered.

"Captain..."

"This is Gravalk territory."

"We've gone too deep."

Hirk's jaw tightened.

Damn it.

Of course.

He had forgotten where they were.

Gravalk.

A race fiercely territorial.

This forest...

belonged to no outsider.

A deep crease formed across Hirk's brow.

Cold sweat trickled through it.

"Get that basket—"

He never finished.

Someone moved first.

Unable to give up,

he signaled the two soldiers closest to the basket.

One of them reached out—

Before any roar came—

a black shadow flashed past.

Within the darkness,

two yellow eyes blazed.

Even after the gaze had passed,

its light lingered for an instant.

The soldier's body folded unnaturally.

He was hurled between the trees and the riverbank.

Crash.

The moment he hit the ground,

darkness descended.

His body split open.

His abdomen burst apart.

The other soldier standing by the water screamed,

rolling backward in panic.

This...

wasn't something they could fight.

Hirk's foot slid back half a beat too late.

One sharp gesture.

The formation scattered.

Every eye left the basket.

He ground his teeth.

A short signal.

Retreat.

Without another word,

the survivors regrouped

and disappeared into the forest.