the green writer

Story: The Sunset Beast

Chapter 4: The Sector's Dream

She kept digging and digging, her eyes shedding blood after her tears had dried...

Mirai was in the cemetery, digging her mother's grave with trembling hands. The earth beneath her groaned, but the pain in her heart was deeper than any hole she could dig. When exhaustion took over, she sat for a moment in front of the corpse—her mother, torn in half.

She stared in agony at the mutilated remains, her heart heavy with sorrow. Taking the upper half of her mother's body in her shaking arms, the echoes of screams returned to her mind…

Her mother's cries.

The sound of doors slamming shut to save them.

The moment Arkmor caught her... and the tearing…

Mirai shut her eyes tightly, trying to push the memory away, but the echoes of pain were stronger than her will to forget.

She placed the other half beside the first and began burying her in silence. Her younger brother sat at a distance, watching with innocent eyes before speaking in a soft, curious voice:

"Sister… when will Figer and our family come back? I miss them…"

Mirai continued burying the body, forcing a smile despite the pain.

"Soon, little one. Don't worry... Now, go home. Sunset is near. Get inside the box."

The boy nodded and left. Mirai, however, remained still, staring at the graves—the graves of her family, the ones who had left her alone with her brother.

She walked through the town, trying to clean herself of the blood and dirt until she reached the blacksmith's house. There stood Colt, smirking as he wiped his dirty beard. When their eyes met, he spoke with mocking amusement:

"So, you buried your mother, Mirai? The Gloud family is stubborn… You've buried thirteen people already. You know, that's enough to last the town for a whole month!"

Anger flared inside her, and she raised her hand to slap him. But he caught it firmly, pulling her close before whispering in her ear:

"There's no one left to save you, Mirai… and nowhere to run, my little beauty."

Then, he pressed a rough kiss onto her cheek… and then her lips.

Mirai gasped in shock before shoving him away with all her strength, spitting in his face before running.

Colt remained in place, wiping his face with his hand as he watched her flee. Then, he whistled.

That whistle was a signal…

The moment the men of the town heard it, their eyes turned toward her. Their gazes changed—they now looked at her like wolves eyeing their prey.

Her steps quickened, desperate to escape, until she reached a house with no door, its roof shattered, filled with cracks and holes.

Hans's house.

She rushed inside, panting, then saw Hans lying there, asleep. She approached him and sat beside him, observing him quietly. He was covered in sweat, as if trapped in an endless nightmare.

Gently, she raised her hand and touched his cheek… This man was her only salvation.

Then, her eyes fell on his bag. Curiosity took over, and she opened it, finding books and journals. She picked up one titled:

"The Green Writer"

She started reading, her eyes widening with every page...

His expulsion from the Sheera Academy of Magic.

His return to the capital, New Sheera.

The attack of Terma Kingdom using wormhole magic.

His tears for his father.

Then, the pages shifted to his past:

The Wormhole Explosion.

His work under Roxon.

His friend Tristan, the mighty knight.

Their battle against the Smiling Knight.

His escape after robbing Roxon.

His journey to the village of Umbry.

And then… her eyes landed on a certain set of pages.

Pages where he retold the story of the girl he left behind…

Thirty full pages.

Thirty pages where he repeated the event over and over, writing about his desperate attempts to save her, his punches, his screams, his frantic struggles. But then, the lines started to tremble, as if his hand was shaking while writing…

And then…

She saw her name.

Mirai kept reading, her shock growing with every word, until she reached the part about his encounter with Colt… and how he told him the story of the girl.

Fury burned inside her. She threw the journal aside and tried to wake Hans. She opened her mouth, ready to scream at him, but suddenly…

"Aaaah!!"

Hans let out a sudden, terrifying scream.

Drenched in sweat, his breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes wide open, as if trapped in a nightmare.

Mirai backed away slightly, staring at him in shock…

What was he dreaming about?

---

On the Path of Lights, twisting endlessly with its winding turns, glowing Nojo bugs flickered in mesmerizing, ever-changing colors, leaving behind a sweet fragrance in the air. Their taste was said to be delicious, but anyone who had eaten them had never lived to tell the tale.

As he walked, a song written by Hans echoed through the narrow paths:

"In a village asleep, lost in the shade,

Where dolls dance in a wicked parade,

A stranger arrived, with a cloak so old,

Eyes like coal, and a blade so bold…"

His laughter rang through the air, as if screaming toward the heavens.

Hans walked with confidence, dagger in hand, training with it as he muttered:

"Take this, you devil worshiper… and you, cursed doll."

The narrow path ended, splitting into a wider road. Hans continued walking, his steps rhythmic and lively, but he suddenly stopped—his body froze at the sound of a cart rolling nearby.

He rushed toward the noise, peering through the tall grass to see a small cart pulled by a black horse under a moonless night.

Visibility was poor for most, but Hans saw everything clearly.

Four bandits rode the cart—two of them hideously ugly. Inside, a young girl of breathtaking beauty struggled, trying to scream, but one of them tied a rope around her mouth to silence her.

Hans stopped watching. He took out his journal and quickly wrote something before tearing out a page and tossing it.

The page turned into a fireball that struck one of the bandits, setting him ablaze as he screamed in agony.

Coldly, Hans stepped out of hiding and threw another page. But before it could ignite into flames, an arrow sliced through it mid-air.

The bandits' leader—a rugged man with short, fiery-orange hair—charged toward Hans, wielding a massive sword.

Each time Hans tried to cast another spell, the archer among them would tear his magic pages apart before they could activate.

The leader kicked him, then punched him. Fear surged through Hans. He tossed a magic stone to disappear, but the burning bandit's nose followed his scent.

Then, a bald, one-eyed goblin lunged at him, throwing a flurry of punches even as flames still clung to his body.

Fear clawed at Hans's heart. He tried another spell, pretending to sacrifice himself, then unleashed a powerful electric shockwave.

But it wasn't enough.

The fourth bandit—by far the most handsome—had long black hair and a calm expression. He chanted an eerie incantation, absorbing the surrounding energy and revealing Hans's hidden form.

Hans felt the danger closing in from all sides. Every trick he had, someone was there to counter it.

The girl in the cart screamed for him, calling him to save her.

But Hans saw himself trapped.

Fear filled his chest again. He thought about running.

He threw another invisibility stone and bolted away, leaving the fight behind as the girl's desperate cries faded into the darkness.

"Visar! What's happening?!" a voice shouted.

Then, the girl's screams filled the night.

A voice yelled:

"Toxic told us no one would be here!"

And then…

Silence.

Her voice disappeared, lost in the cold night, her fate sealed at their hands.

Hans's own laughter echoed in his head as he ran, his breath frantic, drowning in terror.

Just when he thought he would lose his mind from fear…

Something strange appeared in front of him.

A girl.

A girl with unfamiliar features, standing before him.