They ran.

Gou Sheng led the way, his hunched body cutting through the underbrush. Er Gou and Da Sha flanked Xin Yi, their heads swiveling left and right, yellow eyes scanning for threats.

"Faster, Boss," Er Gou panted. "Red-eyes are fast."

"I’m going as fast as I can," Xin Yi gasped.

She wasn’t. Her legs were burning. Her lungs were screaming. Leaves were falling off her makeshift outfit. But the hyenas weren’t slowing down.

Behind them, the roar came again and it was closer this time.

"What is that thing?" Xin Yi asked.

"Big cat," Da Sha said. "Very angry. Very hungry. Eyes all red."

"Tiger," Gou Sheng corrected. "Used to be normal. Now sick. Like the others."

"How many sick ones are there?"

Gou Sheng didn’t answer.

They burst through a thicket and into a small clearing. The moonlight was brighter here and Xin Yi could see the fear on the hyenas’ faces.

"We need to hide," Gou Sheng said. "Boss cannot fight red-eye. Boss has no bone. Boss has no pan."

"The frying pan," Xin Yi said. "You mentioned that before."

"Boss hit many things with pan. Very effective." Da Sha nodded. "Boss should find pan."

"I don’t even know where I am," Xin Yi lamented, rubbing the sweat off her face. Her feet hurt so bad. "How am I supposed to find a frying pan?"

The roar came again.

And this time, it was right behind them.

The tiger exploded out of the trees.

IIts fur was matted, torn in places, revealing raw skin underneath. Its claws dug deep furrows into the dirt. Its jaws hung open, dripping saliva that sizzled where it hit the ground.

And its eyes.

Its eyes were red. Glowing. Hungry.

"BOSS RUN!" Gou Sheng screamed immediately as the hyenas charged. Er Gou and Da Sha went for the legs. Gou Sheng went for the throat.

The tiger swatted them aside like they were toys.

Er Gou flew into a tree. Da Sha tumbled into the bushes. Gou Sheng landed hard on his back, wheezing, struggling to get up.

The tiger’s red eyes locked onto Xin Yi.

It stalked toward her.

Xin Yi backed up. Her heel hit a root. She stumbled and fell. Scrambled backward on her hands.

"No," she whispered. Was she really about to die again? When she just woke up and had no memory of what had happened? No no. "No, no, no—"

The tiger lunged at her.

Suddenly, a black blur slammed into the tiger’s side.

The impact was so violent that the tiger was thrown sideways, rolling across the clearing, tearing up grass and dirt. The black blur rolled with it, claws and fangs and growls blending into one furious sound.

Xin Yi’s eyes widened as she let out gasps of air. In both fear and relief of not yet being dead.

What happened?

Xin Yi stared.

The black blur was a panther.

Massive. Muscular. Fur dark as night. Its purple eyes glowed in the moonlight. It sank its teeth into the tiger’s neck.

The tiger roared. Thrashed. Tried to throw the panther off.

But the panther stubbornly held on.

And held on.

And held on.

Until the tiger stopped moving and....died.

The panther stood over the corpse, chest heaving, blood dripping from its jaws. Its purple eyes scanned the clearing. Found the hyenas. Found Xin Yi.

It stepped toward her.

Xin Yi pressed herself against the ground. Her whole body was shaking in fear. Was this panther about to kill her too? Would there be more wild animals to deal with?

Up close, the panther was huge. Terrifying. Beautiful.

It stopped a few feet away and looked down at her.

Then to her shock, its body began to shift.

Bones cracked. Fur receded. The shape changed, from beast to man. Within seconds, a man stood where the panther had been.

He was tall. Broad shouldered. His dark hair fell past his ears. His chest was bare, covered in scars and fresh scratches from the fight. His eyes were still purple.

"Xin Yi," he spoke softly. His voice was hoarse, like he had spent an eternity screaming.

The hyenas scrambled over.

"Hei Yan!" Gou Sheng yelped. "Hei Yan found Boss!"

"Hei Yan is here!" Er Gou cheered, limping but alive.

"Hei Yan killed the red-eye!" Da Sha added. "Hei Yan is strong!"

Hei Yan.

The name hit Xin Yi’s chest like a stone. She didn’t know why. She didn’t remember. But her heart ached.

He crouched in front of her. His purple eyes searched her face. His hand reached out, hesitant, trembling, and touched her cheek.

"You’re alive," he whispered. "You’re alive."

"I..." Xin Yi’s voice came out small. "I don’t..."

He waited.

She saw it. The hope. The fear. The desperate need for her to remember.

"I don’t know you," she confessed, still trembling.

Hei Yan froze.

His hand dropped from her face.

"I’m sorry," Xin Yi continued, the words spilling out. "I don’t remember anything. I woke up in the forest. I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who any of you are."

She pointed at the hyenas. At him. At the dead tiger behind them.

"I don’t remember."

The silence was crushing.

Hei Yan stared at her. His purple eyes glistened. His jaw clenched. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

Then he looked away.

"That is well," he said. His voice cracked.

He stood up and turned his back to her, taking a glance at the dead tiger.

Gou Sheng crept closer to Xin Yi. "Boss," he whispered. "That is Hei Yan. Boss’s first mate. Boss was very close to Hei Yan. Boss loved Hei Yan."

Xin Yi watched the panther’s broad back. Watched his shoulders shake.

"I don’t remember," she said again, much quieter this time.

Hei Yan heard her.

He didn’t turn around.

"I know," he said.

Hei Yan stood alone in the middle of the clearing, and Xin Yi couldn’t remember why that made her want to cry.

"We should move," Hei Yan said finally. His voice was steady now. "More red-eyes will come. The smell of blood will draw them."

He looked back at her. His face was calm. But his eyes were still wet.

"The hyenas will guide you," he said. "I’ll follow behind. Make sure nothing else attacks."

"You’re not going to..." Xin Yi started. "You’re not going to stay? With us?"

He flinched just slightly.

"You don’t know me," he said. "I don’t want to scare you."

He stepped back. Into the shadows. Into the trees.

Gou Sheng tugged at Xin Yi’s arm. "This way, Boss. Safe place. We know a place."

Xin Yi let the hyena pull her to her feet. She looked back one more time.

Hei Yan was gone.

"System," she thought. "Who was he?"

The blue screen flickered.

[He was—eRROrrrRR]

[SystemmmM MaAalfUnCTionn]

Xin Yi let out a sigh as she followed the hyenas.