The last light of day disappeared completely with the setting sun, replaced by the dark shadows of the night. Amidst the darkness, some moonlight seeped through the clouds, freezing Jin in place. Everything vanished from his mind as he saw the figure standing behind him, holding a sword to Nina's throat, who couldn't utter a single word.

Her eyes widened in shock as she watched drops of blood falling from Jin's arm one after the other. She realized the true meaning of fear and helplessness in these dire moments.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent during a fight," Marco said, moving his finger slowly over the blood-stained blade of his sword, then inhaling it as if savoring a fragrant scent. He then looked at Jin with a big smile. "Do you know? The smell of fresh blood is what I love most about this job."

"Jack! I've changed my mind. Let's enjoy this night, so I'll leave the girl to you. Don't hold back," Marco said.

Jack's laughter filled the air madly. "I've never seen you so ecstatic before. I feel some pity for that boy,"

"But..." Then he turned his wicked gaze towards Nina, who was between his hands. "I feel no sympathy towards you."

Her lips trembled violently, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs, begging for someone to come and save her. But panic had completely seized her, and tears were on the verge of flowing from her eyes because Jack's gaze seemed enough to shatter her remaining courage.

In the midst of Jin's conflicting emotions and what he saw before him and feared might happen, he forgot all pain in this moment, and the opposite of what was expected happened as his heartbeats slowed down.

"Let her go."

"What?"

"What did you say?" Jack squeezed Nina's neck with his hand, causing her to choke.

"I said, let her go!" Jin's left eye gleamed amidst the dark shadows with a dark crimson hue, becoming more steadfast. His facial features turned angrier.

Jack moved his sword close to her face, then said arrogantly, "Hey! Don't try anything reckless, or you'll see things that will make you wish for her death."

"What's the matter, Jack?"

Jack nodded his head, making Marco realize that the time had come. He approached Jin slowly from behind, who remained motionless in place without any movement; he seemed completely resigned. Then Marco raised his sword backward as far as he could until it touched his shoulder, and in a fleeting moment, he brought the sword down with unmatched force, slicing through the surrounding winds amid huge tongues of fire.

Before the blow could hit Jin directly, his aura grew stronger than before, and a spark emanated from him when it met Marco's sword. Here, Jin threw his body away, rolling on the ground. He managed to avoid the blow, holding half of his broken sword, which had absorbed not only some ether but also much of the anger and frustration emanating from its owner.

Jin's sudden movement surprised them all. Jack couldn't react in time; he was forced to deflect the shard with his short sword without any power, causing it to slip from his hand.

"Damn you!" He had barely shouted that Jin was in front of him directly, stunned. His astonishment was drawn on his face, as was the case with Nina, whose heart beat with some feelings of hope after she had lost it, but now she felt encouraged after seeing some efficiency from the person who seemed helpless.

With all the strength he could muster and the remaining determination, Jin sharpened his grip and then punched Jack's face. This punch was mixed with many unclear feelings for him, but the anger predominated over them, and from its intensity, Jin threw Jack backward and pushed him far enough to let Nina go reluctantly.

Jin seized this opportunity, carrying Nina in his arms, and ran as fast as he could through the forest. Despite feeling extremely embarrassed, Nina didn't resist at all; instead, she clung to him even more. She had grasped this thin thread of hope with great happiness and shed those tears that she had been holding back, but this time, not out of fear.

Jin's mind was clouded, unable to think properly, as if his desires and feelings were controlling him. Despite everything he did to survive this situation alive, it wasn't enough because Jack and Marco chased him. They were faster than him, and with every step they took and every tree they passed, they got closer and closer.

"They will catch up with us," she said, realizing that Jin wouldn't hear her. She felt he was too far away, even though she was right beside him.

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The winds were striking her face forcefully, causing her silky orange hair to flutter uncontrollably. She couldn't see well, but unintentionally, her gaze fell upon his left eye. She found it had completely turned crimson, as if it hadn't been brown from the start or worse. It seemed it wasn't his eye at all.

Jack and Marco approached them, moments away from reaching them. Before Jack could reach out his arm, Jin looked at Nina and sternly said, "Close your eyes!"

"Huh?" "Why?!"

Jin yelled, "Just do it!"

As soon as Nina closed her eyes, Jin turned towards a massive tree with a dark hollow at its base, resembling the entrance to a cave. He confidently headed towards it, as if unaware it was a dead end. Without hesitation, he jumped into the hollow, disappearing completely into the darkness within the tree.

It was more than just a naive way of hiding, so much so that Marco and Jack looked at each other in surprise. Indeed, this was a dead end, with no way to escape. But what was strange was that Jin and Nina seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Jin entered the shadow of the tree and emerged from another shadow, as if there was a tunnel between them. Unfortunately, the tree was on the edge of a cliff, and the momentum of his push inadvertently sent him tumbling over with Nina. They rolled down rapidly, and he had to act quickly. He embraced Nina tightly, wrapping his arms around her to protect her with his body, absorbing all the impacts until they collided with a rock at the bottom of the cliff.

"Are you okay?!" Nina called out in fear and concern, tears streaming down her face as Jin lay motionless on the ground, unresponsive no matter how hard she tried to get a response from him. Her desperate cries echoed through the stillness of the menacing night, a haunting melody to many creatures lurking in the forest where she couldn't see.

"Oh God, what do I do now!" Nina sat by Jin's head, placing her face between her folded arms, her eyes closing in resignation.

"You're heavier than you look, with that red ribbon," his words warmed her heart amidst the chilly night air, causing her to smile involuntarily. Soon, she laughed lightly, wiping away her tears. "You fool!"

"I thought you were dead!"

Jin opened his eyes and began to feel his left eye, which had returned to its natural state. "Looks like you won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

Happiness flooded Nina's heart, unable to hide the joy on her face. Something had changed within her towards Jin in that place.

She pulled him by the arm and said, "We need to move quickly, or they'll find us."

Jin closed his eyes again, sighing in frustration. "Even if you say that..."

"I can't move right now. I need some time to rest."

She said in annoyance, "You're useless!"

"Huh?"

"What are you staring at?"

She looked away, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Nothing, I just noticed your hair is a bit curly."

Jin grabbed some strands of his brown hair with his fingertips and said, "You're right, it seems to have gotten somewhat longer."

With some excitement, she suggested, "How about I cut it for you when we get back?"

Jin noticed the anxiety in her expression, realizing she was trying to hide it. "I know you're scared, but don't worry. I no longer sense them. We've strayed far enough."

He said that, then got up despite his injuries from numerous wounds on his body. His arm was still dripping with blood. Nina didn't say anything, as she truly wanted them to leave. She walked beside him to feel safe.

Along the way back under the moonlight and amidst the scent of damp branches from the dew, she was glancing at him with fleeting looks, then looked away.

"Tell me what you want directly."

Her face turned red with embarrassment, then she said emotionally, "Who told you I want to say anything?!"

"If you don't want to, it's okay."

Jin quickened his pace, and as soon as he moved a little ahead of her, she heard a noise from the bushes. She ran quickly and grabbed the edge of his clothes.

"Did we pass between the shadows before falling from the cliff?"

When she said that, Jin was shocked, then turned to her and put his hands forcefully on her shoulders, saying angrily, "How did you know that?!"

"Didn't I tell you to close your eyes!"

Nina became very tense, not expecting this surprising reaction.

"I just..."

"It was just a glimpse before we entered the hollow of the tree directly."

"What's wrong with that?"

"No...it doesn't matter." Jin stopped and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"Tell me."

"Is all this because you don't want anyone to know about your ability?"

Jin put his hand in front of her face and said, "Can you see it well?"

"Except for the darkness, yes, I can see it well."

He grasped his injured arm again and sighed. "You should be glad because if you hadn't closed your eyes at the right time, you would have lost your sight."

"Huh!"...