The afternoon sun hung low, casting long, jagged shadows across Mask Village. Mary stood by the broken window of Apo Mina’s house, her eyes scanning the path. When she saw Cain and Sugat approaching, her hand paused on the wooden frame.

  The boy’s eyes were hollow. He wasn't looking at the road; he was looking at nothing.

  “What happened?” Mary asked as they drew near. She reached out to tap Sugat’s shoulder, but he flinched instinctively. “The mountains weren't enough to clear your head?”

  Cain pulled off his wooden mask, his face pale and slick with sweat. “The mountain was fine, Mary. It was what’s hidden behind it.” He avoided her gaze, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I showed him the pit.”

  Mary’s hand flew to her mouth. “He’s just a boy, Cain!” she hissed, her voice sharp with a mix of anger and grief.

  Cain set the water jugs down with a heavy thud, the slosh of water echoing in the silent house. “He’s a boy living in a lie. Better he smells the rot now than die in it later.”

  Sugat didn't look up. He forced a smile, but it was thin, like paper about to tear. “I’m okay... really. Is Hiraya wake?”

  Mary looked at him, her heart heavy. “She left her bed hours ago. I thought she was with you.”

  Before the panic could settle in Sugat’s chest, Apo Mina appeared from the treeline, Hiraya walking silently behind her.

  “The tour took longer than expected,” Apo Mina chuckled, though her eyes remained sharp, scanning the two kids.

  When Sugat saw Hiraya, he didn't just walk—he ran. He skidded to a halt in front of her, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Hiraya! Are you... are you okay?”

  Hiraya tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes met his—there was a distance there now, a coldness he hadn't seen before. “I’m fine, Sugat. Just tired.”

  For a moment, they stood there. The stench of the dumpsite seemed to linger between them like an invisible wall. Mary watched them from the porch, her voice a soft murmur. “The strings that bind you two... they’re fraying, aren't they?”

  Sugat’s face flushed, and he looked away. Hiraya said nothing.

  Later, inside their small hut, the air was thick. Sugat stood by the window, watching the trees sway.

  “Hiraya,” Sugat said. “The King... he did this. To them. To everyone.”

  Hiraya stopped packing her bag. She didn't look at him. “You saw it, then.”

  “It’s not just a village,” Sugat’s voice shook. He gripped the windowsill until his knuckles turned white. “It’s a graveyard for the things the City doesn't want to see. How can they be so kind to us while living in this... this waste?”

  “That kindness is a luxury they can’t afford, and neither can we,” Hiraya snapped, pulling her bag shut with a violent tug. “We’re leaving. Now.”

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  Sugat spun around. “Leave? Why? This is the only place where the Sentinels won't look! Even the King forgot this place exists!”

  “The King never forgets his trash, Sugat! He just hides it!” Hiraya stood up, her gaze piercing. “This place is a cage. We stay, we rot with the rest of them.”

  “But they’re the first ones who didn't look at me like a monster!” Sugat’s voice cracked. “Apo Mina, Mary... they gave me bread, Hiraya. They gave me a bed!”

  “And you think that’s free?” Hiraya stepped closer, her voice a low growl. “You’re trusting a mask, Sugat. You didn't see Gimo’s eyes.”

  “Apo Mina said—”

  “Apo Mina is part of the mask!” Hiraya shouted. “We are fugitives! We don't have the right to 'home'! If you can’t see the trap, then you’re already caught.”

  Sugat’s eyes burned with tears. “Is that it? You just don’t know how to trust? I trusted you. The moment you saved me, I didn't ask questions.” He laughed bitterly. “If everyone is a lie to you... then what am I?”

  Hiraya froze. The silence that followed was suffocating. She grabbed her bag and walked past him without a word.

  Hiraya sprinted into the forest, the cool air biting at her cheeks. A single tear escaped, but she wiped it away before it could fall. “Stupid kid,” she muttered. “Blind, stupid kid.”

  She sat on a mossy rock, trying to steady her heart. She threw a stone into the brush, but instead of the sound of dirt, there was a wet squelch.

  She froze.

  In the moonlight, a dark trail glistened on the grass. Blood.

  Hiraya’s instincts took over. She summoned her grimoire, the purple sigils erupting around her like a protective cage. She knelt, touching the liquid. It was warm. Viscous.

  Panic surged. She turned to run back to the village—back to Sugat—but a silhouette blocked her path.

  The forest went deathly silent. No crickets. No wind. Just the heavy, rhythmic thud of a heart.

  Five seconds. The silhouette didn't move. A long, thin blade caught a sliver of moonlight, glowing with a dull, menacing orange.

  Ten seconds. Hiraya could hear her own pulse in her ears. The man in the mask shifted his weight. The dry leaves beneath his boots didn't even crunch. He was a predator waiting for the perfect heartbeat.

  Fifteen seconds. A twig snapped behind Hiraya. She flinched.

  CLANG!

  Gimo moved like a blur. Hiraya barely managed to conjure a wind shield, the blade grazing her shoulder.

  “I knew it!” Hiraya snarled, her blood boiling as she unleashed a barrage of wind blasts. Gimo danced through them, his movements leaving after-images in the dark. He wasn't just a fighter; he was a ghost.

  Gimo lunged for her throat.

  Suddenly, a shadow of blood erupted from the ground, forced upward by a terrifying will. Gimo tumbled back, his mask glinting.

  Sugat stood there, his chest heaving, his shadowless form radiating a cold, dark aura. “Don’t you touch her!”

  Gimo didn't speak. He clicked his Balisong. The metal began to glow, turning from orange to a searing, white-hot red. Flames erupted from the steel, licking the air.

  Sugat’s legs shook. He felt the power in his blood screaming to be let out, but he couldn't control the flood. Then, a purple glow appeared beside him. Hiraya stood up, her hand on her wounded shoulder, a defiant smirk on her lips.

  “I... I’m sorry,” Sugat whispered.

  Hiraya chuckled. “You’re late. But I guess I can forgive you.”

  They turned as one. Gimo raised his flaming blade, the heat distorting the air around him. With a roar, he swung, a massive wave of fire tearing through the forest like a hungry beast.

  In the village, the smell of roasted potatoes filled the house.

  “Kids! Dinner!” Apo Mina called out.

  Mary entered, her eyes reflecting the hearth fire. “Smells great, Ma.”

  “When we have guests, we make sure they’re... satisfied,” Apo Mina said. The mother and daughter shared a look—a hollow, knowing smile.

  Cain walked in, wiping dirt from his hands. “Where are the kids?”

  The silence that followed was instant and cold. “I thought you were watching them,” Mary said, her voice dropping.

  Apo Mina’s aura shifted. The room seemed to grow darker, the shadows on the wall stretching like claws. “Did... I... tell you... to lose... our prizes?”

  Her face contorted, a nerve under her eye twitching violently. “You useless fools! Find them! If they get to Gimo, everything is ruined!”

  A massive explosion rocked the village, the orange glow lighting up the horizon.

  Apo Mina’s face went pale, then twisted into a mask of pure hatred. She screamed toward the forest:

  “GIMOOOOO!!!!”

  In the woods, the masked man stood amidst the burning trees, his flaming blade still dripping with heat.

  [END OF CHAPTER 14]

  Question for the readers: What do you think Apo Mina meant by calling Sugat and Hiraya "prizes"? And who do you think Gimo is really working for?

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