Chapter 84: Hunt Begins [3]

Everyone was captured by Bjorn and his minions.

He didn’t kill anyone. Obviously, there were critical injuries—like Rusk and Fen—but they weren’t dead.

Halven, the mercenary group leader, was still unconscious.

The Lotus House merchant leader, Lila, offered Bjorn money in exchange for their lives… but Bjorn simply laughed in her face.

“Do you think I care about your gold, merchant?” he sneered, his voice like gravel grinding against stone. “I’ve already taken everything I want.”

Lila stood firm despite the tremble in her knees, her richly embroidered cloak stained with dirt and torn at the hem.

Her hands were clenched at her sides, and she looked from Rusk—barely conscious and coughing up blood—to Fen, whose arm was twisted unnaturally, eyes shut tight in pain.

“I’m not offering you a bribe,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’m offering you a deal. Let us go, and I’ll give you triple the amount you could ever earn from ransoming us—or selling us to slavers.”

Bjorn’s eyes narrowed, the amusement draining from his expression.

A tense silence followed.

Then, slowly, he walked toward her, boots crunching on broken glass and splinters from the wreckage he’d left behind.

He stopped just short of her, towering over her slight frame. Lila refused to look away.

“That’s the problem with merchants,” he muttered. “You think everything has a price. But this?” He gestured at the fallen members of the group, at the blood-streaked floor. “This isn’t business. This is personal.”

“You—”

“Take her away,” Bjorn ordered coldly.

One of his lieutenants stepped forward. Lila didn’t fight back. There was no point. Not now.

“Let’s get back to the hidden outpost!”

Bjorn ordered his men, who had just finished binding everyone with rope and looting goods from the destroyed cart.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and nodded nervously at Bjorn.

No matter how much they disliked it, he was their boss.

They had to follow his orders.

“Hey! What are you gawking at, kid? Didn’t you hear our boss? Move your feet!”

The bandit holding the rope tied to Mira and Eren shouted, forcing them to move forward.

Eren, for his part, didn’t express any emotion on his face. He just stared into the bandit’s eyes.

“…!”

The bandit flinched slightly as he saw those forest green eyes—like they were swallowing him whole.

Cold. Unblinking. Like a predator sizing up its prey—not a boy bound in rope. Not a prisoner. Something else. Something dangerous.

’This kid went head-to-head against that psychopath Bjorn and yet he isn’t dead?! But I can’t show fear to a damn kid!’

“Tch. What’re you lookin’ at?” the bandit snapped, masking his unease with bravado. But his grip tightened on the rope, and he didn’t meet Eren’s gaze again.

To make up for the cowardice he’d shown earlier, he glanced at the girl beside Eren—Mira—and couldn’t help but lick his lips as lust appeared in his eyes.

Mira glared at him hard. If only her hands were free, she would have killed him right there.

Rook’s voice dripped with sleaze as he swaggered a little closer, still holding Mira and Eren’s ropes. “Hello… there, young lady. My name is Rook.”

He smiled, a grin full of yellowed teeth and menace.

“I suggest you behave. Otherwise, things might get real unpleasant on the road back to the hideout.”

Mira didn’t flinch. She didn’t scream. She didn’t even blink.

She just stared at him, unblinking, her lips pressed into a hard, thin line.

There was no fear in her eyes.

Only hate.

“If you touch me,” she said coldly, her voice quiet but razor-sharp, “I will make sure you die screaming.”

Rook laughed at first, a forced, mocking chuckle. “Big words for a little girl tied up like a hog.” He stepped even closer, emboldened. “Maybe I should—”

TAP—!!!

A soft sound cut him off.

It was Eren.

He hadn’t said a word until now, hadn’t moved since they were captured.

But now, he took a single step forward.

Rook instinctively stepped back, nearly tripping over his own boots.

“Wh-What?! You think you’re scary or something, brat?!”

Eren tilted his head, ever so slightly.

His green eyes bore into Rook.

Cold. Calculated. Not human.

“Do it,” Eren said, his voice like frost sliding over steel.

“Try touching her. I dare you.”

Rook’s face twisted. He raised a hand, maybe to strike him—but another bandit called out before he could move.

“Oi, Rook! Leave it! We’re moving out.”

Bjorn’s voice followed a moment later. “Anyone slowing us down gets left behind. That includes you.”

Rook snarled under his breath, but he didn’t argue.

He shoved both Mira and Eren forward.

“Tch. Just wait, you brat. Tonight, you’ll be dinner for that psychopath boss of ours,” Rook paused slightly, his gaze settling on Mira again, “…And you? You’ll be my plaything.”

Rook’s voice trailed into a low chuckle, sick and vile, as his gaze slid over Mira like she was meat on a hook.

Rook voice dropped very darkly, voice low. “Didn’t get my turn last raid. But you? Damn shame to waste a body like that…”

He leaned closer, his breath sour.

“Maybe I’ll keep you all to myself. A prize for surviving. Just us. Wouldn’t that be sweet?”

Mira didn’t react. Her silence cut deeper than rage. Her eyes burned.

But before she could respond—

Eren moved again.

Just a small shift forward.

Rook froze.

Those green eyes stared straight through him. Still. Calm. Empty.

Not a boy.

Something else.

“You won’t touch her,” Eren said.

Rook scoffed. “Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do, brat? You’re tied tighter than—”

“I’m not stopping you because I can’t,” Eren interrupted, voice low. “I’m stopping you because I haven’t yet.”

Each word struck like a blade drawn slow.

Rook blinked.

Rook’s sneer faltered.

Eren took another step closer. His ropes were still tight—but somehow, it didn’t matter. Somehow, he still looked like the one in control.

“I’ll let Bjorn have his fun,” Eren said flatly. “Because once I kill him, I’ll deal with you next.”

He tilted his head slightly, like an animal inspecting its prey.

“I’ll carve your name into the floor with your own knife. Then, I’ll make sure you never use what’s between your legs again.”

He leaned in—just enough for Rook to hear the last part.

“I’ll cut it off. Slowly. And feed it to you.”

Rook went pale.

The fire in his bravado flickered and died. He stumbled back, fumbling with the ropes as if touching either of them would burn his hands.

Mira turned her head slightly toward Eren. For the first time, her glare softened—just a fraction.

The bandit holding their ropes shouted again, annoyed. “Oi! Enough stalling! Move it!”

The group trudged forward, dust rising under their feet.

Rook didn’t say another word. He didn’t look at Eren. He didn’t look at Mira.

He just kept his head down, jaw clenched, and hands shaking.

And behind them, the green-eyed boy walked without fear—silent, calculating, and waiting.

Waiting for the moment.

Waiting to kill.

—-

Author Note.

Thank you for reading the Chapter. I hope you continue to do read more in future.

If you find any grammar mistakes in the Chapter let me know. I’ll edit it as soon as possible.

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