_Chapter Begins_
The radiant sun had finally set, and now the pale light of the moon illuminated the vast park.
The park seemed empty… but in reality, it wasn't.
Hidden within a large bush, William and Elsa lay low, grim expressions on their faces.
Well… actually, only William wore a grim expression. Elsa, meanwhile, just looked bored. Or wary. Or contemptuous?
As usual, William couldn't read her.
At this point, though, it didn't even surprise him anymore.
And frankly, he no longer cared to figure her out.
In just a few minutes, he was probably going to be kidnapped, killed… or both.
The cultists—those who had been disguised as civilians—were nowhere in sight.
Obviously, they wouldn't just abandon their prey after stalking them all day.
They were still here.
Hiding… and waiting.
William didn't know why the cult hadn't attacked yet.
But at this point, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Ugh… this damn feeling just won't go away…"
The sense of dread that had haunted William ever since the sun began its descent behind the mountains hadn't faded.
In fact, it had only grown stronger with time—almost unbearable now.
William grimaced.
"All this shit… all because of fifty damn dollars."
He almost wanted to laugh. Or cry. Or both.
He lowered his head for a moment… then turned to Elsa with a bitter, hateful grin.
"No—no, it wasn't because of that stupid money…"
He clenched his teeth.
"Ever since I met this woman… everything's been happening like some unstoppable current."
It was almost like she had been manipulating things from the very beginning.
But before he could dwell on that thought, something caught his attention.
Elsa's face.
She was finally showing an expression William could read.
Focus.
A look of total, razor-sharp focus.
That alone told William everything he needed to know:
The cult had arrived.
Elsa sat up and extended a hand toward him.
He hesitated, then took it.
They both rose and stepped out of the bush, walking into the open.
It was finally time for them to face their fate.
As William emerged from the bush, his legs immediately felt weak.
The dread he'd been feeling all day… it doubled the moment he left the relative safety of hiding.
And even though he was now staring at a large group of cultists standing just a few meters ahead, he couldn't shake the feeling that…
This fear wasn't because of them.
No… this was something else.
Something worse.
Then, something strange began to creep into William's vision.
Just on the edge of his peripheral sight…
He saw a figure.
Someone—or something—standing just out of reach.
No matter how fast William turned his head to look directly at it…
No matter how much he focused…
He couldn't see it.
It was there, but… not.
His head began to pound from the frustration.
"There's a cult right in front of me that's trying to kill me…"
He paused. His voice trembled.
"And yet, there's something else… something that scares me way more."
Desperate for a lifeline, he turned to Elsa.
He needed to see if she felt it too.
And then…
William froze.
Elsa… was gone.
_Chapter Ends_