Chương 24: The Mask in the Forest

The forest had swallowed them. Alice could no longer see the camp. The sounds of battle had faded behind the trees, replaced by the uneven footsteps of the men dragging her forward. Her wrists were bound behind her. A cold metal restraint covered one of them, suppressing the flow of mana. Six other students were being forced along the same path. One of the boys stumbled.

"Keep moving." A man behind him shoved him forward. Alice turned her head.

"Where are you taking us?" The man ignored her. She tried to gather mana. Nothing. The restraint around her wrist tightened. A sharp pulse traveled through her arm. She stopped. The man grabbed her shoulder.

"Don't try it again." Alice looked at him. There was fear in her eyes. But she did not look away.

"You attacked two academies just to kidnap students." The man smiled.

"You're beginning to understand."

"Why?"

"That's not your concern." Alice glanced at the other students. Some were injured. One was barely walking. She clenched her teeth. She needed to find a way out. But seven prisoners. Three guards. And somewhere behind them, more members of the group. Running was impossible. For now. Several kilometers away, the remaining members of One-Eyed Crow moved through the forest. Their pace was quick. They knew the academy would eventually send someone after them. The man leading the group looked back.

"How much farther?"

"Ten minutes."

"And the cages?"

"Ready."

"Good." They continued. None of them noticed the figure standing high above them. A man stood on one of the branches. Motionless. He watched them pass beneath him. Black clothing. Red markings. A fox mask covered the upper half of his face. The narrow eye slits reflected the moonlight. He remained there until the last man disappeared between the trees. Then he moved. Alice heard something. A branch breaking. She stopped. The men around her turned. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen.

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"What was that?" Another sound. Closer. The forest became still. One of the guards drew his sword.

"Who's there?" No answer. He stepped forward. A shadow descended from above. The guard barely raised his sword. Clang. His weapon flew from his hand. A black-clad figure landed between the prisoners and their captors. The fox mask stared at them. Nobody moved. One of the criminals whispered:"The masked man…" Another recognized him.

"He's the one from the newspapers." Alice looked at the stranger. She had seen his face before. Not in person. In the newspapers. On wanted posters. A mysterious criminal who had appeared repeatedly over the past weeks. No name. No known affiliation. Only a title used by the public. The Masked Man. One of the kidnappers took a step backward.

"You've got to be kidding me." The masked figure said nothing. His hand rested on the sword at his waist. The leader of the group raised his weapon.

"Kill him." Three men attacked at once. The masked man moved. The first blade passed through empty air. He stepped inside the attacker's guard. His sword flashed. The man collapsed. The second attacker swung from the side. The masked man turned. Steel met steel. A sharp crack echoed through the forest. The masked man's blade slid along the opponent's weapon and struck his shoulder. The man dropped. The third attacker hesitated. That hesitation was enough. The masked man crossed the distance between them.

One strike. The fight was over. The remaining criminals stared at the bodies. Then one of them shouted.

"Don't let him reach the prisoners!" They charged. The masked man finally moved with greater speed. A black blur crossed the clearing. A blade cut through a weapon. Another strike sent a man crashing against a tree. A third attacker tried to flee. He didn't make it far. The sword stopped him. Silence returned. The masked man stood among the fallen criminals. His breathing remained steady. He looked toward the remaining members of One-Eyed Crow. They backed away. One raised his hand. Magic gathered around his palm.

A dark projectile shot forward. The masked man tilted his head. The spell passed beside him. He was already moving. The distance disappeared. His sword struck. The final attacker fell. The forest became silent again. Alice stared at him. She had expected another attack. Instead, the masked man turned toward them. He walked forward. Slowly. The students pressed themselves against the ground. Nobody spoke. Alice watched every step. He stopped in front of her. For a moment, neither moved. Then he raised his sword.

Alice's eyes widened. She couldn't move. The blade rose above her. She closed her eyes. The sword descended. Snap. Alice opened her eyes. The restraint around her wrists fell apart. She stared at the broken metal. The blade had never touched her. The masked man turned toward the next prisoner. One strike. Another restraint fell. Then another. Within moments, every student was free. Nobody understood what had just happened. A boy rubbed his wrists.

"Why did he save us?" No answer. The masked man turned away. Alice stood.

"Wait." He stopped. She looked at the bodies scattered across the clearing. Then at him.

"Who are you?" The masked man remained silent. Alice took a step forward.

"Why did you help us?" Nothing. He simply turned and began walking deeper into the forest. The students looked at each other. One of them whispered,"Should we follow him?" Alice watched the dark figure disappear between the trees.

"We don't have another way back." She followed. The others had little choice. The journey back was silent. The masked man walked several meters ahead of them. He never looked back. He never spoke. Yet whenever the students fell too far behind, he slowed down. The forest became darker as they moved. Then, after nearly an hour, the glow of the academy's magical lamps appeared through the trees. The masked man stopped. The students stopped behind him. Alice looked ahead. The camp was visible.

Teachers were moving between the tents. Several students were being treated by healers. The masked man turned toward them. He had brought them back. Amon's voice suddenly came from the distance.

"Alice!" She looked toward the camp. Leo was standing near the injured students. His expression changed when he saw her. He started moving toward them.

"Alice!" She looked back. The masked man was still there. He stood beneath the trees. Watching. For the first time, Alice noticed something strange about him. There was no satisfaction in his posture. No pride. No desire to be recognized. He simply looked at the rescued students as if confirming that his task was finished. Then he turned. And walked away.

"Stop!" Gareth's voice echoed across the camp. Several teachers immediately raised their weapons. They had recognized him. The wanted posters. The newspaper illustrations. The same black clothing. The same fox mask. The same red markings. The masked man stopped at the edge of the forest. A knight stepped forward.

"You!" No response.

"You are under arrest!" The masked man remained still. The knight raised his sword.

"Do not move." The masked man slowly turned his head. For several seconds, the two sides stared at each other. Then the masked man looked past them. Toward Alice. She was standing beside Amon and Masha now. Safe. He turned away. The knight rushed forward. But by the time he reached the trees— The masked man was gone. No footsteps. No figure. Nothing. Only the mist moving between the branches. Alice was immediately surrounded by the teachers.

"Are you injured?"

"No."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Who brought you back?" Alice looked toward the forest.

"The masked man." Gareth's expression tightened.

"The wanted man?" Alice nodded.

"He killed the people who took us." The surrounding students fell silent. Gareth looked toward the forest.

"Did he say anything?" Alice shook her head.

"Not a word." She looked down at her wrists.

"He just freed us." Far from the camp, the masked man walked alone. The night wind passed through the trees. Behind him, one of the criminals he had defeated was still alive. Barely. The man tried to crawl away. The masked figure stopped. He looked down. The wounded criminal reached for his weapon. His hand trembled.

"Stay away…" The masked man crouched. He placed one hand against the man's chest. The wounded criminal suddenly gasped. Something began to leave his body. Not blood. Not mana. Something deeper. His skin grew pale. His breathing weakened. The masked man's fingers tightened. A dark current flowed into him. His posture changed almost imperceptibly. The exhaustion left by the battle faded. The man's body became still. The masked figure released him. He stood.

For a moment, the red markings beneath his mask seemed darker beneath the moonlight. Then he turned away. He walked into the forest. No explanation followed him. No witness remained. And by the time the moon reached its highest point— the masked man had disappeared completely. End of chapter 24