The stranger stirred. Consciousness crept back in waves, sluggish and disorienting. His head throbbed, his throat dry as if he hadn't had water in days. A strange sensation tugged at his limbs—he couldn't move his hands. Nor his legs. They were tied.A strange awareness crept through him, steady and unshaken. His eyelids fluttered open, the world around him a blur of warm, flickering light.A figure stood beside him.A girl—no older than twelve—watched him with wide, cautious eyes. Her hair shimmered in the dim glow, a fiery red, like the sky painted by a setting sun sinking into the sea.For a moment, they stared at each other in silence.Then, as soon as she realized he was awake, her expression shifted. Without a word, she turned on her heel and bolted out of the room, her footsteps light and quick against the wooden floor.The stranger lay still, his mind reeling. Where was he? Who was she?And more importantly—what happened while he slept?

  * * *

  He didn’t have to wait long. A man soon stepped into the room, tall as a mountain, broad as a house. His presence filled the space like an unmovable force. He studied the stranger with calm eyes before speaking in a low, steady voice."My name is Bo. I am the chief of this village and its people. I have some questions for you. I hope you don’t mind that I’ll keep you tied up until I learn who you really are."The stranger simply nodded."Good. Let’s begin," Bo said. "Who are you, and what were you doing in the forest?""As I told your men, I don’t remember. I don’t know my name, I don’t know who I am or why I was there. I don’t even remember how I got into that forest. I have no answers to give you."Bo observed him in silence before asking, "Do you at least remember where you got that scar?"The stranger shook his head.Bo exhaled through his nose. "I can’t untie you just yet—not until I learn more about you. But for now, we will call you Scar. Just so we have a name for you. I hope you don’t mind."Without another word, Bo turned and left the room, leaving the stranger alone with his thoughts.

  * * *

  An hour later, deep within the village, a meeting was called. The gathered crowd murmured among themselves as Bo, their towering chief, raised a hand for silence."Let us begin," he said. "Today, one of our scouting squads found three strangers in the forest. Two of them came searching for immortality, like so many before. The third... he claims to remember nothing. Their names are Tadas, Mindaugas, and Scar. Until we learn more about them, I ask that no one approach the isolation house. That includes you, Saule."His sharp gaze landed on the red-haired girl, who shuffled awkwardly under his scrutiny.Markas rose from his seat. "Chief, perhaps tomorrow I could take them with me? The forest grows more dangerous each day. I need more men for the hunting missions, and I’ve seen their stamina. They’re fast. They could improve my squad."Bo exhaled, considering. "That may be true, but I don’t trust Scar. He feels... different.""Don’t worry, Chief," Markas assured him. "If we sense anything wrong, we’ll kill him instantly."A woman from the back, Sonata, spoke up. "You’d release them so soon? What if they’re criminals? Murderers?"Markas shook his head. "They'll be allowed only to the training grounds, under watch. They will not leave their rooms otherwise, and when they do, they will be restrained."Bo nodded. "Then it’s settled. Markas, they are your responsibility. Keep our people safe. I won’t tolerate another disaster like last year."Markas smirked. "I assure you, any mistake from them will be their last.""Good. Meeting adjourned. Stay alert, and report anything unusual. Now go home."

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  * * *

  After the meeting, Markas wasted no time. He gathered his men and marched straight to the isolation house. Without hesitation, he dragged the three strangers outside, lining them up in front of him."From now on, your lives are in my hands," he began, his voice cold and unwavering. "You will do as you're told. Any disobedience will result in your death."Tadas whimpered, his body trembling. Markas scowled and struck him across the face, not hard enough to knock him down, but enough to make him focus. "Hold yourself together. I don’t have time for cowards."Tadas sniffled, rubbing his cheek, but he said nothing."Listen well," Markas continued. "From this moment, you are part of my squad. We are the ones who keep this village alive. We hunt, we provide, and we protect. If you want to earn your place here, you will do your duty or be sent back to forest alone. Is that clear?"No one answered immediately. The silence stretched, thick with uncertainty."I said, is that clear?" Markas barked.Tadas swallowed hard and nodded. "I... I will do whatever you ask. Just don’t send me back into the forest alone.""Good choice," Markas replied. His gaze shifted to the other two. "What about you? You always have a choice."Mindaugas hesitated, then sighed and nodded. Scar, however, remained still, his expression unreadable."And you, Scar?" Markas asked, tilting his head. "Not a single word from you?"Scar finally spoke, his voice calm and unwavering. "What is there to say? I understand. I will do whatever needs to be done."Markas smirked. "Now that’s the kind of answer I like to hear." Mindaugas, still uneasy, clenched his fists. "But you expect us to go back into that cursed forest without weapons? That’s suicide! You saw what was out there. We started with ten men. Five were slaughtered before we even knew what was hunting us. We tried to escape by sea, but our boat was already destroyed. We ran for our lives, and they toyed with us—killing us one by one. And now you expect us to return with no way to defend ourselves?"Markas shrugged. "You have two options, the same as your brother. If you don’t like how things are done here, you’re welcome to walk back into that forest alone. But if you want to survive, you’ll listen to me. My men have endured dozens of missions in those woods. We know what we’re doing. But make your choice wisely."Mindaugas exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping. "Fine... I’ll go."Markas gave a single nod. "Good. For now, you’ll carry supplies. No weapons. My men will defend you. Prove yourselves, and we’ll talk." One of Markas’s men chuckled darkly. "And what about you, Scar? You seem awfully quiet."Scar glanced at him. "What do you want me to say? I understand the rules. I’ll do my part."Markas grinned. "That’s what I like to hear. Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." Then, without another word, he turned and left them to their thoughts, the weight of their fate pressing down like the darkness of the forest itself.

  * * *

  After Markas left, the three men walked silently to their assigned rooms, each lost in thought about what lay ahead. What would happen tomorrow? Would they even survive?A soft knock interrupted Scar’s thoughts. He turned his head toward the door. The knock came again, gentle yet persistent.The door creaked open slightly, and a small figure stepped inside. It was Saule. She carried a tray with food and a jug of water. Scar watched as she hesitated, glancing at him with shy, uncertain eyes.She said nothing. Scar didn’t ask anything.Slowly, she placed the tray on the small wooden table beside him. His hands were still tied, so she picked up the spoon and carefully placed it in his bound hands, ensuring he could at least manage to eat. Then, she poured water into a glass and set it next to the plate before stepping back.Still, she said nothing. And then, just as silently as she had come, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.Scar sat motionless for a moment before shifting from the bed to the chair by the table and began to eat. The food was simple but warm, filling a void he hadn’t even realized was there. It felt like it was the first real meal he had eaten in years.When he finished, he returned to his bed and stared at the wooden ceiling above him. The room was quiet, the night stretching on endlessly. He did not sleep. He simply watched the shadows shift in the dim candlelight, lost in a void of memories that refused to surface.