14. The Only Ones Left

14. The Only Ones Left
She doesn’t smile as she continues to look at me. And it didn’t seem like any of the animals had noticed her either. Was she a figment of my dream that was affecting my real life now? Was I going insane? 

She doesn’t say anything as she slowly raises her hand and points further into the forest, beyond the bathhouse. I frown trying to figure out what exactly she was pointing at, but all I saw were nothing but trees and bushes. I don’t say or ask anything from her. She wasn’t going to answer anyways.

Instead, I follow where she was pointing with my heart pounding. I wasn’t sure what I was doing was safe at all. For all I knew she could be leading me to my death. But I knew, somehow, she doesn’t mean any harm towards me.

I walk a few steps, the sounds of my footsteps the only thing I could hear. After a little while I turn back only to see her now gone. I sigh deeply. Maybe I am going crazy. I go back to turn around when I hear a tiny little sniffle.

I freeze and my entire body doesn’t move a muscle. I strain my ears to hear the soft little sound again. It almost sounds like a small child crying. I slowly and carefully turn back around into the forest. I scan my vision everywhere only to find nothing.

“Hello? Anyone there?” I gently ask, afraid I was going to scare them off.

Was there a survivor?

I hear a little gasp of fear and then silence. I strain even further until I hear a young whispered voice say,

“Shh!”

It was faint, barely a sound for a normal hearing person. But my senses were unnatural.

“It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you. I just came through your village. I’m an Imperial solider heading back to my home, Seoul. Could you please come out?” I try my hardest to sound calm and reassuring.

After a long pause, a bush just a few feet in front of me twitches and in the next second a small head pops out, followed by an even smaller one. A little boy who looked no older than ten years old walks out clutching the hand of a little girl, who was maybe five or six years old. They both had tear stains down their cheeks and they were wearing rags that looked dirty beyond repair.

“A-Are you really a solider?” The little boy asks, pulling the little girl more behind him.

I couldn’t help but smile. “I am.”

“What’s wrong with your eyes then? T-Those t-things, they had odd eyes too. Evil eyes.” His lips trembled, his eyes going wide with fear.

I slowly crouch down, holding my hands out. “It’s okay. Yes, my eyes are different. But I’m nothing like those creatures.” I give another reassuring smile. “Do mine look evil?” I ask.

They both just stand there staring at me. I could tell he doesn’t trust me and with good reason. But he definitely confirmed to me that Lycans were indeed the ones who raided their home.

“No, they don’t.” He shakes his head.

“I’m here with others. We’re here to help you. You’ll be safe with us. Are you…are you the only two?” I hesitantly ask.

As soon as the question comes out the boy’s eyes fill with tears. “I-I think so. Our papa…he never came back.”

My heart broke even more. I stand back up and reach out my hand. “It’s going to be okay now little ones. You’re no longer alone.”

Me saying that broke the dam on both of them. They suddenly started sobbing as they both ran to me smacking me right in the legs as they held on for dear life. At first, I didn’t know what to do, tears gather in my own eyes because I just now realized they had lost everything.

I hear footsteps behind me and quickly turn around just to see Pierre and Julien. They both stop and stare and when they see the children, they both relaxed and a sadness overcomes them.

Was this what she wanted to show me? The black-haired woman had guided me to them. Was it because she wanted me to find and save them? I had found them, but what was I supposed to do with them now?

And was this only the beginning of my nightmare?