While the chaos ensued in the village , a lady ran frantically through the dense foliage, her heart pounded in her chest, fear gripping her like icy claws. Blood stained her white and black attire, a grim reminder of the horrors she had witnessed in her village. With every step, she cast nervous glances over her shoulder, the sounds of chaos echoing in her ears.
Suddenly, she stumbled, her foot catching on a root hidden beneath the undergrowth. As she staggered and struggled to regain her footing, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Three shadows streaked past in a blur, but one of them halted abruptly as if sensing her presence.
Before Nana could react, she collided with the figure, her body bouncing off him like a rag doll. Pain shot through her as she hit the ground, dazed and disoriented. Blinking away the stars dancing in her vision, she looked up to see a man standing over her, his form shrouded in darkness.
He wore a long black coat that billowed around him like a cloak, and his eyes burned with an intense crimson light. Nana's breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. Who was this man, and why had he stopped her in her tracks?
The man regarded her with an inscrutable expression, his gaze piercing through her like a blade. For a long moment, they remained locked in a tense standoff, the only sound the rustle of leaves in the cool night breeze.
Then, without a word, the man extended a hand towards Nana, his movements slow and deliberate. She flinched instinctively, unsure whether to trust him or flee for her life.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly, surprising Nana with its gentleness.
Nana hesitated, torn between her instinct to run and the stranger's unexpected display of concern. Finally, she nodded cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-yes, ..."
The man's eyes softened, a hint of sympathy flickering in their depths. "You're safe now," he assured her, offering her a hand to help her to her feet. "Come, let me take you somewhere you'll be protected."
Reggie's brow furrowed in frustration as he considered their words. He knew they had a point, but he couldn't shake the feeling that leaving Nana behind would be a death sentence. She was alone and vulnerable, and he couldn't bear the thought of abandoning her to face whatever horrors lay ahead.
"I understand your concerns," Reggie replied, his voice tinged with reluctance. "But I couldn't just leave her behind to die. She's scared and alone, and she needs our help. Besides, if she was working with Elena, she would have led us into a trap already."
Randall and Gunther exchanged skeptical glances, clearly unconvinced by Reggie's argument. But in the end, they knew they couldn't abandon Nana to her fate. With a resigned sigh, they nodded in reluctant agreement, acknowledging the risks they faced by bringing her along.
"Alright," Gunther conceded, his voice heavy with resignation. "But we'll need to keep a close eye on her. We can't afford to let our guard down, not for a moment."
As Nana listened to the heated exchange between Reggie, Randall, and Gunther, a growing sense of frustration welled up inside her. She couldn't stand being treated like a pawn in their game, and she wasn't about to let them talk down to her any longer.
"I could never work for Elena!" Nana exclaimed, her voice laced with defiance. "I don't know what you three are playing at, but I refuse to be a part of it. I've seen enough horrors tonight to last a lifetime, and I won't let myself become another victim in her twisted game."
As Nana stood her ground, her eyes darted from Reggie to Randall to Gunther, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
"And I'm sick of this act you three are putting on. I watched my own people die and for some reason I ran straight into your hands. So please stop the act and just do what you've been ordered to do already," Nana said, shoulders dropped and looking defeated.
The three brothers exchanged glances before looking at one another.