Chapter 3

After another hour and a half, we finally crossed a small river, which was the closest point to Mark's intended destination!

"Will it take us five more hours to get back home?!" I cried in disbelief as I pushed branches out of my way. Mark didn't answer me, which made me feel like there was still a long way to go. By the time we returned, our entire vacation would be over—not just tonight—and I would have to go right back to work.

This is not a honeymoon, I muttered beneath my breath, but Mark was too busy to listen.

I wiped my hand across my face to clear away the sweat that was stinging my eyes. We kept walking deeper and deeper into the forest, and I actually started to get scared. I mean, it was a real forest! Obviously, there could be predators—maybe wolves or even tigers!

"Mark...?" I called out anxiously, realizing my husband had suddenly disappeared from my sight! "Mark, where are you?" I called again. My voice cut off as I heard a slight rustling movement between the trees.

Oh my God, where was he?

"Nerva, why did you stop? Oh my God, you have to hurry if we want to reach—"

I interrupted him quickly, "Let's go back!!"

Mark's brow wrinkled in astonishment before he shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not, my dear. We've come too far to turn back now!"

I nodded as I brushed stray locks of sweat-drenched hair from my face and tried to explain calmly, "Look, Mark... I know you want to get to that place, but don't you think we're going a bit too far? We're here to explore, right? Being two hours away from the house is enough for us, not five hours! Besides, we need protection. What if some predators attack us?!"

Mark exhaled sharply in annoyance. "First, this area is free of predators. Second, we already have protection," he said, pointing to the gun still slung over his shoulder, before adding, "Finally, it's very important that you see this place, Nerva. I'm not doing this for me; I'm doing it for you. I came this far for you, so my mind is set on it."

I sighed in sheer disbelief. Was this emotional extortion? And on the third day of our marriage, no less?!

This wasn't the Mark I knew—the one who used to desperately try to comfort me whenever I was upset or angry. Without waiting for my reply, he turned and moved forward, and I followed him slowly, feeling helpless and incredulous about what was happening between us. Was this place really that important to him?

"Did you hear that?!" I gasped, snapping upright and running toward him when I heard the loud sound of a nearby branch snapping. I was entirely sure I'd heard it, but Mark simply dismissed it, saying, "It must be squirrels, my dear. Put that fear aside, I'm with you!"

His voice said one thing, but his body language said another. He was scared too, but trying to hide it!

"Do you really have to do this...?" I asked, looking into his eyes seriously, trying to make him focus, before he suddenly let out a completely dry, forced laugh and waved his hand in denial.

Before I could say another word, Mark grabbed my hand and yanked me forward.

Another hour passed before he finally stopped, staring straight ahead and extending his arm. "Here we are...!"

To be completely honest and fair, the place was breathtakingly, astonishingly wonderful. A rumbling waterfall cascaded into a stunning lake flanked by two rows of ancient trees. But standing right beside it was a massive black wolf letting out a chilling howl—a wolf?!

"Mar—k..." I whispered in pure terror, grabbing his hand so hard I nearly crushed it. My breath caught, and I felt completely paralyzed compared to Mark, who calmly told me to stay quiet and not draw the attention of the apex predator standing before us.

"We have to run...!" I whispered to Mark, trying to force my stiff legs to move. But he stood there in a chilling silence that terrified me, staring straight at the wolf, which had turned its head toward us with fierce, literally glowing eyes.

"Let's back away..." I whispered again to my husband, whose face had gone as pale as a corpse. I urged him, trying not to provoke the creature further, "Obviously this is its territory, and we need to show it we're leaving and aren't enemies..."

I turned to look at Mark—and found him lowering his eyes, then stepping back and moving away from me. A huge distance. A very big distance.

He left me behind!

Before I could even process what was happening, someone materialized directly behind me, and a sharp object plunged into my arm. My body swayed in the stranger's arms before consciousness faded away.

In my final, blurring moments, I saw a man dressed completely in black. I saw him speaking to Mark, who obeyed him as if the stranger were his master. Then I saw a woman approaching me carrying something like a fabric hood. She slipped it over my head before someone lifted me up and carried me off into the unknown...