「Cursed」I7 (DISCONTINUED)

"Gaku?" Tenn called out as he dashed through the gate of the village. He spotted his silver-haired friend standing in front of the woods- No. Was Gaku, perhaps, standing IN the woods? Tenn felt a sick drop in his stomach. What was Gaku doing at the woods? Surely the wolves have gone that way but he doesn't plan to follow them does he? Had something else caught his attention?

Gaku took another step, and another, passing the trees one by one, entering in deeper. If he continued any further, eventually he would be swallowed by the darkness, out of sight. 

"Gaku," Tenn said, his tone serious. He now stood at the entrance of the woods, just before the line-up of trees. "What are you doing."

But Gaku didn't answer, he seemed to be lost in thought. The way he turned his head from side to side, it appeared as if he's looking for something. Could he even hear Tenn? 

And suddenly, without a notice, Gaku bursted into a sprint, deeper into the woods. He took a series of leaps, his legs carrying him as fast as he could possibly go.

"Gaku!" Tenn shouted. He takes a step forward but abruptly stops in his tracks. Momo's words echo in his head, holding him back from going any further.

The woods are. . . You could say, magical.

He watched his friend shrink as the distance between them extended. A sweat drop rolled down the side of his face.

No one knows what's in there. No human, at least.

Tenn felt himself start to shake. He couldn't help it. Fear overtook him, consuming his body. And as a side, regret washed along, creating an internal tidal wave of anxiety.

Once someone enters into the woods, they'll never be the same.

He wasn't stopping Gaku even though he knew he should. He couldn't. The terror within chained him back. And what hurt him most, is that he didn't have the will to fight it off. For fear keeps you alive.

"Gaku. . ," Tenn muttered hopelessly, "Where are you going?"

"TENN-NI!"

Tenn whipped his body around suddenly at the sound of Riku's voice. "Ri -!" 

Excruciating pain slashed through his stomach, cutting him off. He gaped, his eyes widened in horror as for a single, instant moment, he made eye contact with luminous purple eyes. Then in an instant, they're gone. 

Tenn fell down to the dirt, landing on his rear. He winced in pain as his hand comes in contact with the stinging open wound. "Tch. . ." He quickly turned his head from side to side, checking for the attacker but no one was in sight except for Riku.

"TENN-NI!" Riku scrambled in front of his brother, he let out a gasp seeing his brother's blood-stained, ripped shirt.

"Riku, why are you he-"

"It doesn't matter right now!" The red-haired male whipped off his cloak in a hasty manner. He bunched it up and pressed it against Tenn's flat stomach, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "Can you walk?"

Almost hesitantly, Tenn nodded. Using Riku as a hoist with one arm around his neck, he stood up on his two feet, using the other hand to hold the cloak against the wound to hinder the bleeding. Together, they made their way to the gate of the village. 

"The hell - was that?" Tenn managed to say.

But he doesn't get an answer. Mitsuki and his brother ran out of the village. They had chased after Riku.