While rubbing his head after the fall, the wanderer had yet to notice that she was leaving. When he finally raised his head to look for the lady he had been following, he saw her running away.

In haste, he forced himself to his feet and went after her, hoping to explain himself.

“Hey! Miss, wait! I didn't mean to scare you... I promise I don't bite!” he called out with a hint of humor.

His words earned him no response. If anything, she seemed to increase her pace. He was surprised by how quickly she moved and how far she had already gotten. More importantly, she seemed to know exactly where she was going. That thought made him cautious.

Could she be leading me into a trap? It wouldn't be the first way someone could try to get rid of him. He changed his approach. While she ran along the ground, he moved through the trees.

A few minutes passed as they continued their strange exhibition of footwork. He leaped from branch to branch, keeping sight of her whenever he could. He was careful not to lose his way or allow himself to be cornered, all while trying to catch up with her. Then, as he jumped toward another tree, he heard her voice.

“I wouldn't jump so recklessly if I were you. There are snake nests in those trees. You just might bump into one.” He froze.

“Umm... What?! Why didn't you say something sooner?!” His voice carried through the forest.

She continued running. The warning had done its job. He stared at the trees around him, suddenly much less confident about his chosen route.

Snakes. Of all the creatures in this forest, that was one danger he had no desire to encounter. He hesitated. The woman clearly knew her way around the forest. She knew where the animals lived, where the paths were, and apparently where the snakes nested. That meant she was probably telling the truth.

He swallowed nervously. The thought of getting bitten made him shudder. She heard his panicked response but didn't stop.

Perhaps he was pretending.

Perhaps he was only trying to gain her sympathy and get her to slow down. Still, a small part of her wondered if she had been too careless with her warning.

What if he really doesn't know? She couldn't risk turning around. Instead, she hoped he would eventually return to the ground and continued toward the forest's exit.

The wanderer remained frozen for another moment, staring suspiciously at the branches around him. Then he sensed it.

Something had changed. The peaceful atmosphere of the forest had vanished from one direction. Malice. An urge for blood. Bloodlust. His expression changed immediately.

The sensation was coming from ahead. He looked toward the path the lady had taken. She was heading in the same direction. His hesitation disappeared. He launched himself from the branch.

This time, he moved with incredible speed.

One tree.

Then another.

Then another.

He moved so quickly that his body almost seemed to blur between the branches. The warning about the snakes was forgotten. His only thought was to reach her.

He passed several nests along the way, even disturbing a few of them. But he moved too quickly for the snakes to strike. He didn't slow down. The lady was approaching the forest's exit.

Beyond the trees was a field covered in bushes, and farther ahead stood the entrance to the Radiant Kingdom. It wasn't much farther. She could already see the edge of the forest. Then she heard something. Leaves falling. She stopped.

For a moment, she thought one of the animals had followed her. She turned around.

Nothing. Then, between the trees, she caught sight of something.

A shadow.

It bounced from one tree to another so quickly that her eyes struggled to follow it. Her heart tightened.

The shadow came closer.

And closer.

Before she could react, it leaped toward her. At the last moment, she recognized him.

The wanderer.

He caught her in midair.

One arm wrapped around her waist while he twisted his body, redirecting their momentum toward the bushes. They dropped into the thick vegetation with barely a sound.

Her hood slipped from her head. He landed beneath her, taking most of the impact.

For a moment, neither moved. He quickly raised his left hand over her mouth.

“Don't scream,” he whispered.

She stared at him. She was stunned. Not only because he had suddenly appeared from the trees, but because of what he had just done.

He had caught her without hurting her. He had controlled their fall so precisely that even the bushes barely moved.

For a few seconds, she couldn't hear anything except her own thoughts. She looked into his face. Now that she could see him clearly, she understood why his presence had felt so strange to her.

There was something familiar about him. But she couldn't place it. His face was surprisingly calm for someone who had just thrown himself through the trees. And despite the circumstances, she couldn't ignore the warmth of his body against hers. Her heart gave a sudden beat. She quickly pushed the feeling aside.

Focus.

The wanderer was having a similar problem. For all the time he had spent wondering what she looked like beneath the hood, he had never imagined seeing her like this. The hood had fallen away completely. He stared.

For a brief moment, the danger around them disappeared from his thoughts.

So that's her face... She looked almost unreal.

Like an angel hidden away in the forest. He quickly forced himself to focus. Whatever thoughts were trying to distract him could wait. There was a reason he had rushed after her. Something dangerous was nearby.

A short distance away, beyond the bushes, four middle-aged men were waiting near the entrance to the Radiant Kingdom. They were all fit and armed with swords and daggers. Their clothes were ragged and worn, making them look like common bandits. Three of them rested on rocks while using the surrounding bushes as cover. The fourth stood watch.

“Umm... Boss,” Jason whispered.

“I think something just moved or fell into the bush ahead. It might be an animal. I'm certain it'll make a good meal. Can we go get it?” The man everyone called Boss slowly turned toward him.

“Something?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Does the something look like what we came here for?” Jason hesitated.

“Umm... no. Not really. I just thought—”

“You really are useless.” Jason blinked.

“This is the fourth time you've reported everything except what you're supposed to be looking for. You have one job. One simple job.” The Boss pointed toward the path.

“Keep watch and report if you see what we're looking for. Not every leaf that moves!” Jason scratched his head.

“Yes, Boss.” The Boss rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“Since when is it difficult to spot a black hooded cape during the day?” Jason looked toward the bushes.

“Oh.” The Boss stared at him.

“God, I'm tired of your stupidity. It's like your brain is the size of a walnut.” Jason frowned.

“What's a walnut?” The Boss went silent.

For a moment, none of the others moved. Then his face twitched.

“Why, you little—!” He lunged toward Jason.

The two men closest to him immediately grabbed him. One wrapped both arms around his chest from behind while the other grabbed him around the waist.

“Boss, calm down!”

“Let me go!” The Boss struggled violently, managing to throw several kicks toward Jason.

“Beating him won't solve anything! It'll only give away our position!”

“The guards will be starting their patrol soon,” another man added.

“We're already wasting time.”

“I don't care!” The Boss continued struggling.

“Right now, I just want to kill him!” Jason watched them with a confused expression.

“Did I say something wrong?” The Boss nearly broke free again.

“Let me kill him!” The struggle continued for several moments before the others finally managed to restrain him. Jason, apparently unaware of how much trouble he had caused, simply stood there.

Meanwhile, hidden in the bushes, the wanderer and the hooded lady listened. She had been about to move when he gently stopped her.

“Don't,” he whispered. She looked at him.

“Those men might be bandits.” He paused.

“Or something worse.” She glanced toward the group. She knew she still had some time before the guards began their scheduled patrol around the border, but moving now could expose them. She nodded. The wanderer relaxed slightly. He lowered his hand from her mouth.

“I'm going to let go of you now, okay?” She nodded.

“To get off me, just move slowly.” He carefully removed his arm from around her waist. She moved away from him without disturbing the bushes. They settled beside each other, keeping low as they watched the men ahead.

The Boss eventually took a breath and calmed down. Then, as though he hadn't had enough, he rushed toward Jason again.

The others tried to stop him, but the Boss managed to land several blows before they pulled him away. The wanderer watched carefully. Something about the men bothered him. Their clothes were ragged, but their weapons weren't. The swords and daggers were of good quality. Too good. He narrowed his eyes

Bandits? He wasn't convinced.

If they really were bandits, why carry such well-maintained weapons while dressing like that? And if they were mercenaries, their disguise was far too obvious.

There was something else. The bloodlust. It hadn't disappeared. Whatever these men were doing here, they weren't harmless. The hooded lady shifted slightly beside him.

“Hmm... I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I can't really see much from here.” She glanced toward him.

“Are you certain they're bandits and not guards from the Radiant Kingdom?”

“Well...” He looked toward the men.

“They could be bandits.” He paused.

“Or mercenaries.” Then he smiled faintly.

“With a little luck, they could even be devoted guards playing dress-up just to welcome someone as beautiful as you.” She looked at him. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Then she smiled.

“I hope so.” The wanderer stared.

“Now, that's beguiling...” He whispered the words without thinking. Her smile faded slightly. Not because she was offended. Her heart had simply begun beating faster.

She didn't understand why a simple compliment from a stranger affected her like that. She quickly looked away.

“Focus on the situation.” The wanderer blinked.

“Oh... Sorry.” He looked toward the men again.

“Couldn't help myself.” He paused, studying the area.

“Anyway, the situation is fairly simple.” She looked at him.

“How?”

“We don't know whether they're hostile, and I don't intend to take the risk.” He counted the options quietly on his fingers.

“That leaves us with three choices.” She waited.

“First, we find another route around them.” He raised a second finger.

“Second, we wait until they leave.” Then the third.

“Or...” He smiled faintly.

“We create a distraction and slip past them.” She considered his words.

“And which one do you intend to choose?” The wanderer glanced toward the four men.

“That depends.”

“On what?” He looked back at her.

“On whether you know another way out of here.”