The mark
**"Catch her!"**
Alexia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart pounding heavily in her chest like a drum. She leapt over stones and dodged branches as she made her way through the dense forest. Her debtors had finally tracked her down, though she knew she couldn't outrun them forever, but she hadn't thought they would be finding her this soon.
Despite her efforts to outrun them, she was still too slow. It was really the wrong day for her to be dressed as a woman, not to mention her long dress, which was now torn, making it hard for her to run. Even her shoes were a hindrance, their heels sinking into the soft earth with every step, but she couldn't even throw them away since they weren't hers.
Suddenly, her foot caught on a root and she tumbled down a small hill. She rolled to a stop at the bottom, her body completely aching.
She looked up to see her debtors closing in on her, their faces twisted with greed and malice. Turning around, she saw an even bigger problem in front of her: a gray wolf, its teeth bared and its eyes gleaming with hunger. The wolf growled menacingly as it slowly stepped towards her, its claws scraping against the ground.
Alexia was trapped. There was nowhere to run, and her pursuers were closing in on her from both sides. She knew that she couldn't fight both the wolf and her debtors at the same time.
"Damn it," she thought, "What sort of shit luck do I have to stumble into a wolf, just when I lost my weapons to those dirty bastards?" she continued cursing internally, her voice dripping with venom.
She knew that she was in a desperate situation. She was unarmed, and she was being hunted by both a pack of wolves and a group of ruthless debtors. She had to find a way to escape, and she had to do it quickly.
Just when she thought all hope was lost, an arrow flew from behind her and struck the wolf in the forehead, killing it instantly.
Upon seeing this sight, Alexia was stunned speechless. How could someone's marksmanship be so accurate? She slowly turned to face her savior.
Standing before her was a man of striking appearance, with raven-black hair that cascaded over his shoulders like a silken waterfall. His piercing golden eyes seemed to glow with an inner light, as if they held the secrets of the universe. He was tall and muscular, with a rugged jawline that hinted at a strong will and a determined spirit. He was wearing an ordainary shirt along with trouser.
"Who are you?" Alexia asked, her voice trembling slightly, this man had suddenly appeared behind her, without her notice obviously he wasn't ordinary.
The man's gaze softened slightly as he replied, "My name is Darius. I am a hunter who lives in these forest."
Alexia's eyes widened in surprise. "A hunter?" she repeated. "But why did you save me?"
Darius shrugged. "I could not stand idly by and watch an innocent woman be harmed," he said simply. "Besides, I have a debt to repay."
"A debt?" Alexia asked, confused.
Darius nodded. "Yes, a debt from long ago," he explained. "But is that really what should be bothering you right now? Don't you have some friends who are waiting for you?" he asked with a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Alexia was confused at first, wondering what he was talking about. But she quickly remembered her debtors. They should have caught up to her by now.
Thinking of this, she immediately looked up, but they were nowhere to be found. This confused her. She turned left, then turned right, but she still couldn't see them anywhere.
'How could three grown men suddenly go missing? It's not as if their sizes could have helped matters. Or were they hiding in the forest, waiting for Darius to just leave her?' She was still thinking of this when she suddenly remembered the strange smile Darius was giving her earlier.
She immediately folded her hands and turned to him, looking him in the eyes.
"What's with that look?" he asked, still with that confident smile on his face.
"What did you do to them?" she asked seriously. Even though those people wanted nothing less than to cut off her head, she still had hope for survival. But if they was really found dead, then she and her brother would definitely have to leave and move to another village again.
Darius looked at Alexia with a calm expression, his golden eyes reflecting a hint of amusement. "They are fine," he replied simply. "I merely led them away from this place. They will not trouble you for now."
Alexia's eyes widened in surprise. "You led them away? How?" she asked, still wondering how he managed to do all that without her even noticing.
Darius chuckled softly. "Let's just say I have my ways," he said cryptically. "Anyway, what's a small girl like you doing this deep in the forest?" he continued.
Alexia muttered something under her breath as she looked Darius up and down. "Small..." she said. "You don't look much older than me, so what are you doing in the forest, Mr. Small?" she replied angrily, how dare this man call her small, she was obviously a well matured lady.
Darius simply chuckled at her response, then looked up at the sky. "It's getting late," he said. "You best start going. But first, let me help you with those injuries."
As he uttered these words, he reached down and lifted a heavy stone. With a resounding thud, he dropped it next to her feet. "Sit," he commanded, his voice devoid of emotion.
She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know why she even trusted this stranger, but she still sat nonetheless.
Strangely, it felt like she had known him for a very long time, and felt safe around him. She didn't know whether it was because he had just saved her life or if it was something else.
Darius left her on the rock and went to the side. He plucked some leaves and ground them with his hands, creating a thick paste. Then he came back and started applying the paste to her body. He started with the bruises on her arms, then moved to her legs. But his eyes suddenly caught on a mark on her thighs where her dress had been torn. It was a trident-shaped mark. He was immediately shocked and reached out to touch it.
Seeing this, Alexia flinched away. "What are you doing?" she asked, panicked by his behavior.
"Was this man planning to take advantage of her condition to rape her?" Alexia wondered internally.
Upon hearing her question, Darius face turned red as he realized his mistake. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I just... what is that?" he asked, pointing at the mark.
Alexia followed his gaze to where he was pointing. "You mean this?" she asked, pointing at the mark on her thighs. He simply responded with a nod.
"Well, obviously it's a birthmark. I've had it ever since I was born," Alexia explained.
"Hmm..." he muttered thoughtfully, while still staring at her thighs, this only served to make Alexia even more uncomfortable.
"I think I should start going," she said as she quickly stood up, and without even waiting for his response, she started running to a different part of the forest.
Darius was not really shocked by her escape; instead, he was more shocked by what he had just seen.
"It's finally time," he muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, a woman appeared behind him. She had the same long black hair as his, hazel-colored eyes, and a voluptuous figure with ample curves, she was clad in a form-fitting white dress that accentuated her curves.
"You fool, you scared the girl off. Looks like you're determined to stay single forever," the woman chided. "Why were you eyeing her like that? Haven't you ever seen a woman before?" she teased with a mischievous grin.
"It's not that," Darius began seriously, turning to face the woman obviously not surprised by her sudden appearance. However, he stopped mid-sentence and slowly started to unbutton his shirt.
"What are you doing?" the woman gasped in shock.
Ignoring her question, Darius continued to undress until his bare torso was revealed. The woman watched in confusion as he then turned his back to her, revealing a trident-shaped mark, similar to Alexia's, just much bigger covering his entire back and exuding a mysterious aura.
"Oh no, it can't be what I thinking," the woman muttered, her hand covering her mouth in disbelief. Darius turned to face her once again.
"It is. The time has finally come," he said, a cold smile playing on his lips.
