The road back from the town was quiet, the lantern lights fading behind them as the group made their way toward the cottage. Laughter and low conversation drifted through the night Kaelor joking too loudly, Ethan half-listening, Alex focused on the map in his hand.
Mya walked a few steps behind them.
She was quieter than usual, thoughtful, her mind replaying the man beneath the oak tree and the warning he had given her. She didn't say anything. She didn't want to worry the others not yet. Mya had always been like that: observant, gentle, carrying things on her own until she understood them.
That was when it happened.
A shadow detached itself from the trees.
No sound. No warning.
A hand clamped over Mya's mouth as another arm locked around her shoulders, dragging her backward into the darkness. She struggled, kicking against the ground, but the attacker moved with practiced precision. Within seconds, she was pulled off the path and swallowed by the forest.
The group kept walking.
None of them noticed.
The assassin moved fast, keeping low, forcing Mya through the undergrowth. Panic surged but Mya didn't scream. She fought in small ways instead, twisting, clawing at the grip, refusing to go limp. Fear burned in her chest, but so did defiance.
Then
A blur of motion.
The attacker was yanked backward, slammed into a tree with a force that knocked the breath from his lungs. Before he could recover, another strike sent him sprawling unconscious into the dirt.
Mya stumbled back, gasping.
A figure stood between her and the fallen assassin.
Cloaked. Silent. Steady.
The figure turned toward Mya, movements careful, almost gentle as if making sure she wasn't hurt before anything else. Though her face was partly hidden, her presence was calming, not threatening.
"Are you hurt?" the figure asked softly.
Mya shook her head, still catching her breath. "No… I think I'm okay."
The figure nodded, visibly relieved. She glanced once toward the path where the others had gone then back to Mya.
"We need to move," she said calmly. "Others like him may be nearby."
Mya hesitated only a second before following. Something about the figure felt safe protective, like she had stepped in not out of duty, but care.
They traveled far from the road, deeper into the forest, until the night sounds settled again and the tension finally eased.
Only then did Mya speak.
You saved me," she said quietly. "Why?"
The figure paused, then turned. She lowered her hood just enough for her expression to be seen kind eyes, tired but sincere.
"My name is Rose," she said. "And I'm here to help you. With whatever it is you're involved in."
Mya studied her, unsure but grateful.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Rose offered a small, reassuring smile.
"Get some rest," she said. "Tomorrow won't be easy."
Far away, unaware of what had happened, Alex and the others continued toward the cottage while Mya's path quietly split from theirs, setting something much bigger into motion.