_Chapter Begins_
Elsa covered William's mouth before he could speak and silently pointed outside the bush they were hiding in.
William shot her a glare of outrage, but quickly swallowed his pride and looked in the direction she indicated.
What he saw shifted his expression from anger… to confusion.
Sitting on a bench nearby was what appeared to be just a normal man.
He wore a brown business suit, black shoes, white gloves, and had a monocle over one eye.
This random man — the one Elsa had deemed important — was simply sitting cross-legged, reading a newspaper like any other stranger enjoying the morning.
William gently removed Elsa's hand from his mouth, still wearing a confused expression.
With a whisper, he asked, "I don't understand. What's wrong with that guy?"
Elsa lingered for a moment, scanning the area before replying. Her voice remained calm and indifferent.
"Look at his eyes."
William's confusion only deepened, but he didn't question her further. Instead, he focused on the man.
And the moment he caught a glimpse of the stranger's eyes… a cold shiver climbed up his spine.
The man in the brown suit seemed to finish reading just then. He lowered the newspaper and casually looked up — right as William took a second glance.
They made direct eye contact.
And in that moment, both of them recognized each other.
William froze, staring into those crazed crimson eyes.
Meanwhile, the man smiled — a strange, twisted grin filled with all sorts of buried emotions.
It was him.
The same man — or thing — who had intercepted William in the underground chamber of the church. But now… dressed like an ordinary person.
He seemed normal… except for those eyes. No disguise could hide that madness.
William immediately broke eye contact and stumbled backward, falling onto the grass.
His breath quickened. Sweat formed on his forehead as the weight of the situation sank in.
Elsa, in contrast, watched him with that same cold, indifferent expression. Her calmness in a situation like this felt almost… inhuman.
After a moment, she finally spoke — tone steady as ever.
"All the cultists that were chasing us are here. Disguised as normal people."
She sighed softly before continuing.
"They know we're hiding in this bush… and they'll wait here until nightfall, when there's no one — no police, no people — left to help us."
Despite the horrifying implications of her words, William somehow managed to calm himself down.
"I... I need to think rationally," he muttered to himself. "Panicking won't help."
He took one long, heavy breath.
His expression hardened, becoming cold and calculating — like a machine analyzing every possible outcome for survival.
Then, in a low voice straining to sound indifferent, he spoke.
"We… well, actually, just I... only have two options.
One: go to the police for help, which would get me arrested."
He paused, then frowned.
"Or two: try to survive an encounter with over twenty cultists."
That frown slowly twisted into a scowl.
But before he could say more, Elsa interrupted.
There was a hint of amusement in her voice.
"What do you mean by just you?" she chuckled softly.
"We're in this together. So make that I... into a we."
_Chapter Begins_