Lila's grip on her pocket tightened, her jaw clenched. Andrew and the siblings imdiately stepped in front of her, forming a protective wall.
Their faces were serious, their stance ready for whatever their group might try.
He burst into laughter, holding his stomach as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"What's so funny, you asshole?!" Andrew snapped, taking a step forward, but Lila grabbed his arm.
"Stop it, Andrew," she said firmly.
"Why, Lila? This guy's been annoying since earlier! Soone needs to shut him up!" Andrew protested, trying to shrug her off.
"Shut up, Andrew," Lila hissed. "You can't handle him. He's baiting you, trying to make you lose control. That's how Moss plays."
Andrew froze, glancing back at Moss, who wore a smug grin. "Hey hey," Moss said, wagging a finger at Lila. "That's no fun. Don't give away all my tricks."
"Annoying," the siblings muttered in unison, glaring at him.
Moss pretended to look hurt. "Aw, co on. Don't be like that. I don't like it when people only know from Lila's stories. Let introduce myself properly." He stepped forward dramatically,
spreading his arms.
"I'm Moss Chun. Lila's ex-boyfriend. The one she cheated on—with my brother, no less."
Andrew's eyes widened, his head whipping around to look at Lila. "Wait, what? Ex? Is that true?"
Lila rolled her eyes, her tone sharp. "Of course not. He's lying to ss with you. Don't fall for it."
Moss smirked, enjoying the tension. "Lying? Oh, Lila, you wound . You wouldn't even admit it? You broke my heart, you know. Twice. But it's okay." His voice dripped with mock sadness. "I'll take those marbles as compensation."
"Over my dead body," Lila snapped, stepping forward.
Moss's grin widened. "If that's how you want to play it, Lila." He raised his hand, signaling to his group. "Get them."
The group surged forward, but Andrew and the siblings didn't hesitate. They stood firm, ready to defend Lila.
"Stick together!" Lila ordered. "Don't let them split us up!"
Andrew ducked as one of Moss's lackeys swung a branch at him. He countered with a quick shove, sending the attacker sprawling.
anwhile, the siblings moved in sync, blocking blows and pushing back the advancing group.
Moss hung back, watching the chaos with a smirk.
"Still so stubborn, Lila. You'll lose eventually."
Lila shot him a glare. "You've always underestimated , Moss. That's your biggest mistake."
She lunged forward, dodging past two lackeys to close the distance between her and Moss. He barely had ti to react before she grabbed his collar, yanking him closer.
"Call them off," she growled.
Moss's smirk faltered for a mont, but then he chuckled. "You think you're in control here? Cute."
Before Lila could respond, one of Moss's lackeys lunged at her from behind. Seojun appeared just in ti, shoving the attacker aside with a swift, calculated move.
"Focus, Lila," Seojun said, "We'll handle them. You handle him."
Lila nodded, tightening her grip on Moss's collar. "You've got one chance, Moss. Back off now, or this ends badly for you."
Moss's eyes flickered with sothing—maybe hesitation, maybe amusent. But before he could answer, the ground beneath them shook, and a familiar, deafening roar echoed through the forest.
Everyone froze. The second Stormhorn burst through the trees, its horns crackling with electricity as it charged into the clearing. Its rage-filled eyes locked onto the marbles in Lila's pocket.
"Great," Andrew muttered. "Because things weren't bad enough already."
Moss smirked as he suddenly grabbed Lila by the waist, pulling her close. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear.
"I'll never stop, Lila," he whispered, his voice low and taunting. "You can't escape from . You'll pay for cheating on ."
Lila's eyes widened in anger. She shoved him away with all her strength, her voice rising. "I never cheated on you! You just keep acting deaf and never listen to , Moss!"
Moss stumbled back but kept grinning, his eyes filled with mock amusent. "You can say whatever you want, Lila. It doesn't change a thing."
Before Lila could respond, Andrew grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the trees. "We need to go. Now!"
The siblings followed closely, their movents quick and sharp. Moss didn't chase them. Instead, he stood still, watching with that sa infuriating grin.
"We'll take those marbles no matter what happens," he called after them, his voice echoing through the forest.
As they ran, Lila's heart pounded with a mix of rage and fear. Andrew glanced back at her, his face serious. "What's the deal with that guy? He's completely insane!"
"He's dangerous," Lila muttered, her jaw tight. "And he doesn't give up easily."
The guy with them, running just behind them, spoke calmly. "We need a plan. He'll co after us again, and this ti he might not play gas."
"We'll think of sothing," Lila said, determination flashing in her eyes. "But first, we need to put as much distance between us and him as possible."
They kept running. Behind them, Moss's laughter echoed faintly, a chilling reminder that he wasn't far behind.
The group stumbled across a dark cave hidden behind thick foliage. They decided to rest inside, their breaths still heavy from running.
Inside, they found so edible roots and berries nearby, and though it wasn't much, it was enough to keep their energy up. They sat in a circle, quietly chewing. The tension was thick, and no one spoke.
They all knew their marbles were in danger, and it weighed heavily on them.
Andrew finally broke the silence, sighing as he glanced at Lila, who sat apart from the group, staring at the marbles laid out on the ground. "Are you okay, Lila?" he asked.
She sighed and leaned back. "If you're curious, no, I didn't cheat on him," she said, her voice tired but firm.
"Hmph! Girls really can't stick to one, huh?" Kyle, the male twin, said bluntly. He looked at his sister and added, "I don't want you doing what she did, understand, sis?"
"Of course not! I'll be forever loyal to my future boyfriend!" Kaye answered brightly.
Lila clenched her fists, anger flashing in her eyes. "I said I didn't cheat, okay?! You don't know my story, so don't judge !" Her sharp tone made the twins go quiet.
"T-Then what really happened?" Andrew asked, his voice cautious.
Lila looked at the group, then at Seojun, who was calmly munching an apple. Their eyes t briefly before Lila sighed again. "The truth is, his brother liked . At that ti, Moss saw us… in bed."
Kyle shot up, pointing a finger at her. "See! How flirty!"
Lila's glare shut him up instantly. "That's just how he saw us, okay? His brother set up so Moss would think we were making out. It wasn't real! I tried to explain it to Moss, but he never listened."
She sighed again, frustration clear on her face.
Seojun swallowed his bite and comnted dryly, "Typical love story."
Lila rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's his brother's fault?" Kaye asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah," Lila replied. "After that, his brother left the country without explaining what really happened. I was happy being with Moss, but the only problem is… he's kind of insane and stubborn." She toyed with the marbles, her expression a mix of sadness and anger.
A mont of silence fell over the group until Andrew suddenly perked up. "Wait. You two didn't even introduce yourselves properly. What's your na? And how old are you? We need to know each other if we're going to stick together."
The twins glanced at each other, then Kyle answered, "I'm Kyle, and this is Kaye. We're twins, and we're 19 years old."
Andrew grinned. "I'm 18! And you already know Lila and Seojun. Lila's 18, and… wait, how old are you, Seojun?" He turned to Seojun with a curious look.
"18," Seojun said shortly, finishing his apple.
"18? Didn't you disappear before?" Kaye asked, frowning as she squinted at him.
"How old do you think I look?" Seojun asked, his voice even.
Kaye tilted her head, studying him. "Um… 18?"
"Then I'm 18," Seojun responded without a hint of emotion.
"Eh?" Kaye muttered, confused.
"Enough of this," Seojun said, cutting the conversation short. Kaye pouted, muttering under her breath, "So an…"
While they're quietly resting.
[This is boring, host.] The voice of his system rang out, its tone laced with disapproval.
Seojun's eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept his composure. He spoke softly, so no one else could hear. "You know what's boring or not now, huh?"
[Kind of. But what's happening here? You're becoming a side character! An Abyss Lord reduced to a side character? I can't let that happen.]
"Hey, relax. Isn't this interesting? Besides, there are a lot of 'caras' here." He smirked, his voice dropping even lower. "I'm curious what that Moss guy and his group can really do."
[Host, you can defeat him easily. It's not even a challenge.]
"That's exactly what makes it boring, System. Let them play their little gas. Just wait and watch." Seojun's grin widened slightly, his sharp gaze flicking toward the cave entrance where the faint rustling of leaves could be heard.
The system sighed in his mind but didn't argue further. [Fine. But don't let this turn into a soap opera, host. You're better than this.]
Seojun leaned back against the cave wall, still smiling faintly. 'I wonder how they'll entertain .'
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