The dust settled around the creature.
Bathing it.
Its black shining skin moved slowly.
Black blood spilling with each step onto the ground.
A large scar dug into its side.
Deep.
Earned.
Eun Byol fought gravity.
Fought the pain.
She got up.
The world still spinning.
She walked forward slowly.
Looked down at the ridge.
At the creature.
At the blood and guts the dust wouldn't let her see clearly.
Both hands came up to her mouth.
Her eyes widened.
Shock.
"HA JOON!"
His body was numb.
Except for the pain.
Scraping from his head downward.
He heard it.
His name.
Her voice.
Something in him tried to get up.
Everything hurt.
Everything felt broken.
He felt the earth shake.
Looked in front of him.
Blood pouring down his face.
Red.
Pink.
Yellow.
Blue where mana leaked through open wounds.
He looked up.
Found Eun Byol.
And in an instant screamed.
"RUN!"
His voice tearing out of him.
"Eun Byol this is your chance! Everything you ever wanted. A better life. The one someone like you deserves."
Screaming through the pain.
Through teeth that had turned colors from the blood.
"Please. Run."
The ant took notice.
Slowly marched forward toward him.
One of the soldiers woke from the noise.
Lifted his head.
His leg bent.
Broken.
Blood coughing out of him.
He couldn't get up.
The scythe-like pincers raised slowly.
Swung down with powerful force.
Cutting the wind.
Whistling.
The soldier reached for something.
A grenade.
The force split and cracked his head open instantly.
Blood pouring out.
The force destroying everything within.
The crack opened through his skull.
Only the flash of his neck keeping it together.
Then the explosion.
Pushing the ant back.
The force pushing Ha Joon back with it.
Eun Byol screamed.
Crying.
Looking down at all of it.
Then slowly stepped back.
Closed her eyes.
Breathed in.
Breathed out.
Turned.
Faced the opposite direction.
Tears like rain running down her face.
Running.
Each footstep bouncing off the forest floor.
Her voice screaming into the trees.
"I'm sorry."
"Please forgive me."
Each word breaking apart as she ran.
Another dust cloud swallowed the ridge behind her.
The forest received her.
And she disappeared into it.