Prologue

Freen had never spent much time imagining her death. It had always felt distant, irrelevant. But now, death was closer than a whisper, and she couldn't afford to let it claim her—not yet. Not like this.

The creature before her seemed to sense no such urgency. It stood there, watching her with dark, unblinking eyes, its expression disturbingly calm.

She didn't move. Didn't breathe. Every muscle in her body screamed for action, but she stayed rooted in place, her mind locked on a single truth: she wasn't here for herself. She came this far—all for someone she loved. That had to count for something.

If she hadn't stumbled into this cursed town, none of this would be happening. No monsters. No lies. No reckoning. But as the shadow of death loomed in front of her, she felt no regret.

When life hands you a dream so vivid it feels untouchable, you don't mourn when it's threatened. You claw, you tear, you fight to the bitter end.

The hunter tilted his head, a smile spreading slowly across his face. Friendly. Inviting. Deadly.

With deliberate ease, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

The game had begun.