บท 1: Chapter 1: Run
"I have to get away from here, as far as I possibly can," thought Jenxi, her eyes fixed on the crackling flames before her, dread coursing through her veins. Across the fire sat two figures, a man and a woman, both sitting quietly as they sharpened their knives.
"Are we really going to chop this girl to pieces and burn her?" the man asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"That's what the client requested. Nobles like them always prefer others to do their dirty work. Can't say I blame them. What kind of child is born without any talent? She's definitely cursed, and you know how nobles feel about curses," chuckled the woman, casting a disdainful glance at Jenxi, who was bound on the other side of the fire.
"I suppose so," the man replied, indifferent to their actions.
"Please, someone, anyone, help me," Jenxi cried silently, biting her lip. The firelight danced on her warm brown skin, revealing the scars that marred her body. Her heterochromatic eyes, one red and the other purple, trembled with fear.
Her delicate hands strained against the tight ropes, her fingers slowly attempting to free themselves as she watched the two hired hitmen her father had sent to get rid of her.
'What have I done to deserve this?' she thought, tears welling in her eyes. 'If only... if only I had a talent.'
"I'm going to gather more wood. We need a bigger fire to dispose of the body properly. Keep an eye on the girl," the man instructed as he rose, retrieving his sword before disappearing into the darkness.
"Alright."
"Are you scared?" the woman inquired, rising and approaching Jenxi.
"Don't worry, it'll be over soon. Maybe then you can be reborn as something better," she added with a mocking smile.
"Please, let me go. I promise I'll run as far as I can. I don't want to die!" Jenxi pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"For a twelve-year-old, you sure do talk a lot. But sorry, kid, I'm being paid a hefty sum to do this. I can't let you live. Since my partner is off gathering wood, why don't I start chopping you up?" the woman grinned, retrieving her knife and advancing towards Jenxi.
'I don't want to die. I want to live!' Jenxi told herself, mustering her courage. In a desperate move, she used her hand to grab a burning log from the fire and managed to stand on her bound feet. But it was difficult since her wrists were tied. Despite the searing pain of the flames against her skin, she ignored it and picked up the wood, pointing the flaming piece of wood at the woman with tear-filled eyes. But her attempt at being intimidating was somewhat undermined by the significant height difference between her and the woman, making her appear less imposing.
"You think a mere piece of firewood will protect you? Don't be naive!" the woman bellowed, swiftly closing the distance between herself and Jenxi before delivering a powerful kick to the girl's gut. Jenxi bend over, coughing up blood as she dropped the firewood.
"Why can't you just be obedient and let me cut you up? You see, the fate that befalls young girls like yourself is to be sold as slaves. Your father wanted to preserve your honor and instructed us not to touch you. It's a shame, really. I've heard playing with little girls can be fun, but I much prefer cutting people up," the woman said with a sadistic grin.
"Now, let's get rid of that tongue," she continued, pinning Jenxi to the ground. Despite Jenxi's struggles in order to escape, the woman's strength was clear as she forcefully pried the girl's mouth open and tore out her tongue, slashing it immediately.
"Aargh! Aargh!" Jenxi gasped in agony as she watched her severed tongue in the woman's hand.
"One down, many more to go. Next, I'll cut off your arms and legs," the woman declared with an evil smirk.
'No one is coming to save me,' Jenxi realized, her eyes darkening with despair. Summoning all her strength, she headbutted the woman, catching her off guard and causing her to recoil in anger.
As the woman's knife fell to the ground, Jenxi seized the opportunity, quickly cutting through her ropes with the sharp blade. With newfound freedom, she grabbed the knife and watched in fear as the woman regained her senses and lunged towards her.
*Snap* The ropes around Jenxi's legs finally gave way, freeing her to move.
"I'm going to make you regret crossing me, brat!!" the woman spat angrily, attempting to take the knife from Jenxi.
But Jenxi anticipated her move and slashed at the woman's neck with the knife.
"How does she know how to wield a knife so well?" the woman thought as she managed to partially evade the attack, but not without sustaining a deep slash that caused her to bleed profusely. Slowly, her wounds began to heal.
Seeing the woman weakened, Jenxi seized her chance, darting towards the fireplace. She grabbed a piece of wood and searched the woman's bag, her eyes lighting up when she found a bottle of oil. Pouring it onto the wood, she ignited it in the fire.
Noticing the woman's wounds beginning to close, Jenxi hurriedly retrieved more oil from the bag and concealed it within her dress. As the wood caught fire, she fled into the forest in the opposite direction from where the man had gone.
"I can't outrun two adults, but I can burn this entire forest!" she resolved, spreading oil on the ground as she ran. After a few minutes, she crouched down and ignited the oil-soaked ground with the firewood, setting the bushes and trees ablaze.
Jenxi watched the flames impassively before resuming her desperate flight. Despite the cold and the pain of stones and sticks scratching her feet, her only focus was on escaping with her life.
"Lucky I'm outside the empire. Just need to find somewhere safe," she reassured herself, continuing to douse the ground with oil and ignite it until her supply was depleted.
With the forest engulfed in flames, Jenxi discarded the now-useless wood and used the blaze as her guiding light to keep running.
After what felt like an eternity of fleeing through the seemingly endless forest, Jenxi's vision began to blur, her lungs filling with smoke, triggering violent coughing fits.
"I can't stop here! I must keep running," she urged herself, struggling to rise. The fire was advancing faster than she could flee. She had to escape the forest or risk being consumed by her own flames.
Gathering her strength, Jenxi prepared to run again when suddenly, an arrow pierced her back, skewering her chest but narrowly missing her heart.
Coughing up blood, her heart racing, Jenxi turned to see the male hitman, his body horrifically burnt but still alive, aiming another arrow at her.
"I'll make you pay for killing my partner!" he bellowed, giving her a chase. Jenxi, weakened by her injuries, could barely flee.
Panicked, she realized the arrows were being controlled by his talent. "I'm going to skin you alive and sell your damn eyes!!" he threatened, and with his mind the arrows moved towards her.
Jenxi pushed herself to dodge, worsening her injuries and coughing up more blood, but she refusing to stop, knowing she would die if she does.
Bleeding profusely, barely conscious, she staggered forward, attempting to navigate through the burning forest. The hitman closed in, his intent clear.
Suddenly, a massive burning tree crashed down, blocking his path. Jenxi, oblivious, pressed on until she collapsed, unable to keep her eyes open. She crawled on the ground for some time but after a while she lost lost all her strength.
Unaware of the approaching figure, she slipped into unconsciousness as a pair of boots approached her in the flaming forest.
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