I refused to budge from my seat. I remain unmoving as a rock as my eyes wander to the spectacle before me. There was a huge crowd just outside the carriage. All of them were men, probably nobles or high-ranking individuals judging by their clothes. Even in this darkness, I can make out their gaudy costumes as they stick out like a sore thumb, and it just cemented the fact that I really am in a different world. Beneath the starless sky, their eyes dangerously gleam like hungry wolves out to devour them. I could almost taste the tension and excitement in the air, and my body instinctively recognized the danger that I was about to face.

After being dolled up for reasons that I didn't even understand, I was escorted out of the mansion and shipped out once again inside a dark and chilling forest. And here I am, staring at the ancient-looking ceremonial temple with a bustling crowd encircling it. Torches were lit and placed in various white columns, providing the much-needed light with the place needed but lacking warmth. My inside burns with consuming cold, rendering me numb from head to toe.

I looked at the other girls sitting quietly inside the carriage. They all have this blank look on their faces all throughout the ride. I wanted to believe that they were just pretending not to care, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It seems like they’re all nothing but a hollow shell. As soon as we arrived, the knight escorting us opened the carriage door, and they just went ahead and stepped down of the carriage without a fuss. It was like they were robbed of their free will and were dolls only doing their owner's bidding.

What am I supposed to do? I silently asked myself but came up with no answer. I don't want to step out of this carriage; doing so only means resigning to my fate. What the heck is this special hunting event?

"What are you doing? Get out of the carriage!" a snappy voice breaks me out of my pity party. I glared at him but remained rooted in my seat. When I refuse to be intimidated, the knight forcefully grabs my wrist and drags me down the carriage. I struggled as much as I could, but it was futile. A hiss of pain escaped my lips as I could feel his rough hand crushing my bones. When my feet caught on my long dress, I twisted my ankle. I bit back the cry of pain that almost erupted from my lips.

His hand moved toward my arm before my face could even meet face to face with the ground. Without being given a chance to check on my injury, I was escorted towards the front of the podium where the others were waiting. I was limping while the knight half-carried me like I was nothing but a piece of useless baggage.

What makes things even worse is the mocking laughter directed at me. They are clearly enjoying this spectacle!

I'm not going to cry. This is already embarrassing, and I refused to be embarrassed even further!

I couldn't help but chant inside my head. Despite my hard-headedness, I had no choice but to let this jerk carry me around because my ankle hurts!

As soon as I was thrown into the centre and the other girls, the knights returned to their position. Then a reverberating drum roll filled the starless sky, signalling the event's start. A dark-haired man decked out in an expensive-looking dark suit takes his position in the centre and addresses the crowd with a disturbing smile. It was all it took for my body to respond in an overdrive. I hardened myself as much as I could while my body straightened like ramrod steel.

But his upbeat tone sent my hair stand on end. A tell-tale sign of the danger that I have been sensing since earlier. My mind is in an utter wreck as I hear the man utter his well-practised spiel. He must have been doing this for quite some time. I couldn’t even detect a slight crack in his cool façade.

"Welcome, my distinguished guest! What a lovely evening we have right now. This is the perfect time to celebrate our God's glory and benevolence, Gudur the God of Hunting!"

A round of claps and whistles filled the night, quickly suffocating me. I can sense their hungry stares as the hosts of that night turn towards us, lined up in front of everyone. I felt like a slab of meat placed on a counter for everyone to ogle and choose from.

"And we have these beautiful ladies who will be the main show of tonight's event. They will be set free in this enchanting Lourbel forest as we have always done. They will be hunted and claimed…." a buzzing sound filled my ears, but surprisingly I can still hear his voice as clear as day. Even the short gasp of breath as if he was barely holding his excitement and his high-pitched voice grates my nerves.  

I started to lose focus on my surroundings when I grasped the basic notion of what was about to transpire. Based on this man’s drivel, this special hunting event is a ceremonial offering to Gudur, the God of Hunting. It has been a tradition for generations and something that the nobles thoroughly enjoy. We will be set free in the forest while these beasts ride atop their horses to hunt us down one by one. Any participant could take more than one catch, depending on their skills. The participants can even challenge one of their own if he fancies the woman his opponent claimed. They can even fight to the death if one refuses to surrender.

As for the women, the winners can do anything they want with them. They can have their bodies and make them their toys, but for the most part, after violating them, they end up as a sacrifice while their blood is splattered in the fertile ground.

I haven't eaten anything yet, but my stomach revolted with the thought that I felt like I would puke my guts out instead. Nausea slowly settled in, and my vision started to blur when I caught a glimpse of a familiar silky silver hair and dark azure eyes. It was the man from earlier, the one who could use magic.

Unexpectedly, my heart soars with hope. My tears threatened to spill out of my eyes as I held his gaze. I hope he would hear my silent plea, and he would take me away from this place. We didn't have a good first encounter, and he is still suspicious of me, but I don't think he hates me enough to allow these scoundrels to follow through with their horrendous plan.

I took a shaky step towards him with my aching ankle while holding his gaze. Still, it only took him a second to break that fragile connection I was desperately trying to grasp. His azure eyes suddenly looked like the colour of dark, murky waters. He regarded me in complete disinterest before taking off and fleeing into the forest behind him.

That man has no intention of helping me!

With that realization, a burning sensation grows in the pit of my stomach. I looked down at my throbbing ankle. It will be difficult to run in this predicament, but I have no choice. I clenched my fist hard and steeled my body for a fight that was about to come. I may have lived a fairly short life, but I have been struggling all those times. This is not enough to break me, and I will never go down without a fight!