Maria.

The moment I made up my mind, I rushed out, heading straight for the forbidden area without wasting another second. Every step I took was driven by one thought, one purpose that drowned out everything else.

Noah.

I would do anything to save him.

Anything.

The urgency burned through me, pushing me forward faster than I should have been moving, but I didn’t slow down. I couldn’t. Time felt like it was slipping through my fingers, and every second I wasted only made things worse.

The deeper I went into the woods, the quieter everything became.

Too quiet.

The usual sounds of nature—the rustling leaves, the distant calls—faded into an unsettling stillness that made my skin crawl. The air felt heavier here, thicker, like something unseen was pressing down on me.

And then...I felt it, that lingering sensation like someone was watching me or rather following me.

My steps slowed slightly as my eyes darted around, my senses sharpening instantly. I turned my head quickly, scanning behind me, my gaze moving through the trees, searching for any sign of movement, but there was nothing.

There was no one there, not even shadows, just stillness.

I frowned, my heart beating a little faster now as unease settled deep in my chest.

I turned again, this time more abruptly, but still nothing.

Whoever it was...If anyone was there at all...

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to shake the feeling off.

No.

This wasn’t the time.

It was probably just my instincts, warning me, reminding me of the instructions. To come alone. To trust no one.

I swallowed the discomfort and kept moving forward.

Eventually, the trees began to thin, and that was when I saw it.

An old worn building. Almost hidden within the forest, like it had been forgotten by time itself.

My steps slowed as I approached it cautiously, my eyes scanning every detail, every shadow that clung to its structure. This had to be the place.

The scent from the paper...It led here.

I stopped a few steps away, my chest rising and falling as I tried to steady my breathing.

"Hello!" I called out, my voice cutting through the eerie silence.

It echoed faintly.

But there was no response.

I hesitated for a second before taking another step closer.

"Is anyone here?" I asked again, louder this time, my voice betraying a hint of tension.

Still nothing.

The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.

Slowly, I moved forward, my feet carrying me closer to the building as my eyes swept over the ground, and that was when I noticed it.

Dead things were scattered everywhere. Different lifeless creatures. My breath caught in my throat as my gaze dropped fully, taking in the sight before me. The ground was littered with them, small creatures lying still, their forms twisted in unnatural ways.

And then...Blood. There was a trail of it, dark yet fresh enough to make my stomach tighten.

My heart skipped instantly, fear gripping me without warning.

Noah.

Was he alright?

The thought alone made my chest ache, panic rising quickly as I took a step forward, desperate now, desperate to find him, to make sure he was still alive.

I barely had time to react, because the moment my foot moved, something hit me from behind.

Hard.

A force slammed into me, knocking the air out of my lungs as I was grabbed violently. Strong fingers dug into my arms, gripping me with a force that made pain shoot straight through my body.

"AAHHHHHH!" I screamed, the sound tearing out of me as my body jerked against the hold.

The grip tightened and unforgiving.

"Please... stop!"

The words tore out of me, raw and desperate, as the pain surged through my body, overwhelming and relentless. My instincts kicked in immediately, I struggled, twisted, tried to pull away, but whoever had me wasn’t letting go.

Not even a little.

Their grip was iron-tight, unyielding, trapping me in place no matter how hard I fought against it.

My breathing grew ragged, uneven, panic creeping in as I pushed against him with everything I had, refusing to give up, refusing to stop fighting.

Then...suddenly...my fingers caught the edge of the black mask.

Without thinking, I yanked it away.

And froze.

Everything inside me stilled in an instant.

It was Noah.

My heart lurched violently in my chest.

"Noah... calm down!" I said quickly, my voice strained as I finally managed to pull away from him, putting just enough space between us to breathe. "It’s me... Maria."

For a brief moment, he paused, completely still. His eyes locked onto mine, but there was no recognition in them.

None.

He stared at me like I was a stranger.

Worse...like I was a threat.

Something dark flickered in his gaze, something sharp, dangerous... something that didn’t belong to the Noah I knew.

Then he lunged.

Fast.

Without warning.

I barely had time to react, dodging his attack instinctively, my body moving before my mind could catch up. My heart pounded wildly as I stumbled back, trying to keep distance between us.

But he didn’t stop.

In the next second, he reached behind him, grabbing a metal rod, his grip tightening around it as he turned back toward me.

And lunged again.

"NOAHHHHHH!" I screamed, my voice breaking, fear and desperation tearing through every syllable. "It’s me, Maria! Please...come back to your senses!"

Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision, but I didn’t look away from him.

I couldn’t.

What had they done to him?

Why was he looking at me like this... like he wanted to kill me?

I had come here to save him.

To bring him back.

"Noah... wake up!" I cried again, my voice trembling, cracking under the weight of it all as my strength finally gave out.

My knees hit the ground hard beneath me, but still, I didn’t stop calling his name.

But Noah wasn’t listening, he kept coming closer, with the rod raised above his hands. And for a minute, I wanted to see if he would dare to hit me. How could he not recognize me?

I stood there frozen in time, as the rod kept coming down, closer to my head until a familiar figure moved with speed and pushed Noah away.

"Noah!" I screamed.