Alice walked through the woods alone in the fading evening light. She wore a simple brown dress, the kind commonly worn by village girls, and clutched its fabric tightly with both hands. Her gaze darted nervously from one tree to another as she searched her surroundings.
The sky had turned a deep shade of orange, and darkness would soon descend upon the forest.
Someone had tried to kidnap her. She hadn't even realized what was happening until someone intervened and saved her. However, the man who had rescued her was the most horrifying person she had ever seen.
Even now, remembering his appearance sent a shiver down her spine. There was no way anyone could mistake him for a kind-hearted savior or a heroic figure.
Despite that, she had chosen not to speak ill of him to the villagers. Instead, she had told everyone that he was the one who saved her.
She had her own reasons for doing so.
