Chapter 625: Saved Her

Amon immediately rushed toward the fallen girl and carefully lifted her into his arms.

He checked her breathing. It was steady and normal.

’She’s still unconscious? They must have used some kind of sleeping agent to knock her out. That would explain why she hasn’t woken up despite everything that’s happened.’

Amon glanced toward the village.

The sounds of opening doors and hurried footsteps were already reaching his ears. Their fight had been far too noisy. It was only natural that the people living nearby would wake up and come to investigate.

’Well, I suppose we’ve made quite a scene.’

He spread his wings, preparing to take off.

With a powerful flap, he rose into the air and flew toward the woodland, carrying the unconscious girl in his arms. Once he reached the trees, he changed direction and headed back toward her house.

As he flew over the forest, he spotted two figures moving between the trees below.

Shane and Cleric. Both men were fleeing deeper into the woodland, apparently unwilling to risk being caught by the villagers.

Amon narrowed his eyes.

’Dammit! I wanted to capture at least one of them alive and find out what they were after.’

Unfortunately, his priority had been rescuing the girl. By the time he had dealt with Roman, the other two had already begun their retreat.

He couldn’t exactly leave the girl alone in the middle of the forest just to chase after them.

With a quiet sigh, Amon continued toward her house.

However, when he approached the edge of the woodland, he noticed several people gathered outside the small wooden house.

He immediately stopped on a sturdy tree branch and concealed himself among the leaves, keeping the girl safely in his arms.

’They’re already here... Well, I suppose I should have expected that.’

The villagers had apparently arrived after discovering the commotion.

"Did you hear those sounds earlier?"

"Of course I did! Someone was definitely fighting nearby."

"Look! There’s blood on the ground!"

More than ten men had gathered near the house where Amon had fought the kidnappers. Some were examining the bloodstains, while others cautiously searched the surrounding area.

"Is Sira and her daughter all right?"

"We should check on them!"

Since the night was otherwise quiet, their conversation carried clearly through the woodland, allowing Amon to hear every word.

’Sira...’

He lowered his gaze toward the girl in his arms.

’So that’s her mother’s name.’

His attention returned to the villagers.

’Hmm. Looks like the entire neighborhood has come out to investigate.’

Just then, the girl in his arms stirred.

Her eyelids twitched, and her body shifted slightly against his chest.

Amon stiffened.

’Shit! Now? Seriously? Couldn’t you have stayed asleep for just a little longer?’

He glanced at the villagers, then at the girl.

If she woke up while he was still holding her, there was no telling how she might react. And if she screamed, every person gathered outside her house would come rushing toward the forest.

That was the last thing he needed.

After a moment’s consideration, Amon decided to put her down and leave. Once she regained her senses, she could return to her house on her own.

He jumped down from the branch and landed silently on the forest floor.

Then, moving carefully, he lowered the girl until her back rested against the trunk of a nearby tree.

Unfortunately, he was a little too late.

Her eyes had already opened.

The first thing she saw was a tall, ominous figure standing before her.

His face was completely concealed by a mass of black shadows, leaving only two dark eye sockets visible. Behind him, two enormous wings, black and crimson, stretched into the darkness.

It was the middle of the night. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, illuminating parts of his strange silhouette while leaving the rest shrouded in darkness.

To the frightened girl, he looked less like a human and more like some sinister creature that had emerged from the depths of the forest.

Her eyes widened. Fear seized her, and she opened her mouth to scream.

Amon reacted instantly.

He covered her mouth with his palm while pressing the index finger of his other hand against the place where his lips should have been.

The shadows concealing his face parted slightly, revealing his actual lips.

"Shhh. I’m not your enemy. I’m not a bad guy."

His voice was quiet, almost gentle.

However, the girl was too frightened to find any comfort in his words.

She stared at him with tear-filled eyes, her small body trembling against the tree.

Amon inwardly sighed. ’Great. Sigh...’

He kept his voice calm. "Listen carefully. Someone tried to kidnap you tonight. There were three of them. I killed one, while the other two managed to escape."

He tilted his head slightly toward the direction of the village.

"You can check a few meters away from here. You’ll find the body of the man who carried you away. His name was Roman. While other two were named Shane and Cleric. I heard them calling each other. I brought you back to your house, so you’re safe now."

The girl continued staring at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

She seemed to understand his words, but her fear hadn’t lessened.

"My daughter! Alice! Where are you?!" It was a woman’s voice, filled with panic and desperation.

Her mother had apparently discovered that Alice was missing. The villagers were helping her search for her daughter.

Amon glanced toward the distant lights illuminating the house.

’So her name is Alice.’

He looked back at the trembling girl.

"Listen, Alice. If I wanted to kidnap you, I could still take you away right now. But I’m not here to hurt you. I’m the one who saved you."

He paused, watching her reaction.

"However, I don’t think those three men came after you for no reason. There’s something going on here, isn’t there?"

Alice’s expression changed ever so slightly. It was a small reaction, but Amon caught it.

"Whatever it is, you don’t have to tell me anything right now," he continued. "But if you need help, come to this woodland two days from now. I’ll be here."

Alice stared at him through her tears.

She seemed uncertain whether she should believe him. After all, the strange man before her looked far more frightening than the people she had encountered in her nightmares.

But he had brought her back.

And despite his terrifying appearance, he hadn’t harmed her.

After a few moments, she slowly nodded.

Amon nodded in return.

"Good girl."

He carefully removed his hand from her mouth, allowing the shadows covering it to recede.

Then he turned around.

His enormous wings folded against his back before dissolving into dark wisps. Without another word, he pushed off the ground and sprinted deeper into the woodland.

This time, he chose not to fly. He didn’t want to attract any more attention than he already had.

Alice remained motionless against the tree, watching the terrifying figure disappear between the trees.

Her legs refused to move.

Even after he was no longer visible, she continued staring into the darkness, too frightened to make a sound.

Only when the shadows covering her mouth finally slipped away and vanished into the forest did she regain control of her voice.

"Mom! Mom!!"

Her desperate cries echoed through the woodland.

And as the villagers hurried toward the sound, Alice finally broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks.