“Ha!“ says the orange-haired guy as he plays with the river water while I clean my wounds “By the way, what's your name, Viejo?”
“My name is Altair.”
“Mine is Ragnar Adamantita,” he says, thumping his fist against his chest with that seemingly permanent smile on his face.
“By the way,” I tie a piece of my pants around my wounds. “The scream from earlier... that was a person, wasn't it?”
“It might be. Many people always try to enter the trials, but only a few manage to become red wolves,” he says while trying to catch a frog. ”If we want to complete the trial as quickly as possible, following the river is our best option. The rivers in this valley flow into the blood river that runs through the city and the wolf village.”
“Thank you for your help,” I say.
“No problem. I thought it would be fun to see if you could handle them. Your situation brought back memories.”
I try to force a smile.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye. Thanks to you, I know where to go.”
I start walking leaning on the trees, but I can't help but notice that Ragnar is still following me.
“Uh, what are you doing? If you follow me, there's a chance you won't make it in time.”
“It'll be less fun if I go alone. But at this pace, you won't make it before the Sinabarita red light darkens. And I don't think you'll survive in the forest by then,” he starts laughing mockingly.
“So, what do you suggest,” I say, blushing.
Despite carrying me for an hour, Ragnar doesn't seem to show any signs of fatigue as he carries me on his back. Suddenly, the rose-like scent that reminds me of Lilah returns, and Ragnar stops.
"Weird," says Ragnar, holding his nose. "For a moment, I thought I smelled the perfume my sister uses."
Suddenly, a scream of pain is heard nearby. This time, it sounds like a woman's. Although he maintains his smile, I can tell that Ragnar seems a bit uneasy.
"Maybe it's a good idea to check."
Ragnar veers off, and we venture a bit into the forest.
Suddenly, a stench like metal and sulfur mixes in. Ragnar stops, hiding behind one of the trees. I open my eyes in terror when I see heaps of bloodied bodies on the ground.
In the midst of this, I recognize the red-haired woman with the robotic arm, Mukasa, I think that was her name. I see several red bandanas tied on her arm.
"Not bad," says Ragnar. "Well, it seems there was nothing to worry about. The scent confused me for a second," says Ragnar.
"Wait!" I protest.
"What's up? Do you need to go to the bathroom?"
I can see the face of the girl with pink irises contracting in pain. Part of me wants to do something, but the other part remembers what she did to me. In this world where people can harm each other, is it okay to let others die? Even if they deserve it? If I decide to save her, does that guarantee she won't hurt or kill someone?
"N-nothing," I finally say.
"Alright."
Ragnar resumes the path along the river, carrying me. For the first time, I realize how the gleam of the ceiling begins to diminish. Eventually, we reach the entrance to the wolf village. In the center is the wolf totem.
"You better go on your own from here."
Ragnar leaves me and moves ahead. I look at the people in the village, eagerly waiting on the sides of the square. On rock steps, I find the man with white hair and red eyes sitting next to Aurora and the red giant. They sharpen their gazes as if expecting something.
I have a bad feeling. If others survived, they will be waiting for someone to come out of the forest. I look into the forest and manage to spot a participant aiming his bow at Ragnar.
"Watch out!" I shout with all my strength.
Ragnar hears my shout, but the arrow hits his shoulder. Simultaneously, several people appear from the forest. All without bandanas. Ragnar begins to fight against them. However, not everyone is working together, in a short time a pitched battle erupts at the forest entrance, and the wolves howl and shout with fervor as they witness the massacre in the square.
"Come at me if you dare!" Ragnar shouts without changing the smile on his face.
Despite my concern, Ragnar faces the other participants, and they fall like flies in front of him.
I'm about to decide to hide and wait for the lights to darken, but in the distance, I can see Aurora. Suddenly, anger invades me. She was waiting for me to die there. If I fail the trial, she'll probably keep treating me the same way; as an object that belongs to her.
Despite his wounds, Ragnar doesn't seem to yield to the army of participants. I run towards the totem. As I run, I feel my legs shaking and burning with each step.
I approach the elevated rock stage. I smile and look at Aurora with a smug grin. But then, I feel a force hitting me from the back, and I fall. I try to get up, but I feel a foot crushing my face and a knee digging into my back. I raise my gaze and can see the crimson-haired woman with a smile that casts shadows on her face.
"You're mine, little rabbit."
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