TBATE: Le Luan

Prologue

Awakened by the sound of barking, I struggled to make sense of my surroundings. Darkness enveloped me, my hands and feet bound, and a blindfold obstructed my vision. It was clear that I had been captured. Suddenly, a voice pierced through the darkness from nearby.

"Shut those dogs up before they wake up the entire forest!" The voice, presumably that of my captor, shouted.

"Alright, alright, I'll handle them!" another voice responded, likely another captor and acquaintance.

It appeared that someone had provoked the nearby dogs, making my situation even more precarious. If I were to escape, the animals would likely track me down and attack. Additionally, I had no knowledge of this world and no memories specific to this body. All I could do for now was wait and hope for a safe opportunity to escape.

"The dogs have quieted down. What is taking him so long to return?" my captor muttered, his footsteps fading away.

I suspected that something suspicious had happened to his partner, which explained the delay. Hoping that neither of them would return, I focused my senses on listening intently to my surroundings.

Soon enough, I could no longer hear my captor's footsteps, indicating that he had gone to check on his companion. I thought to myself, "I hope he doesn't come back either." I quickly pushed aside any sense of disappointment, as my primary concern was the safe return of both of them.

Minutes passed, yet there was no sign of either captor returning. I considered the possibility that someone was attempting to rescue us.

"Is anyone there?! Please help!" I suddenly heard a girl's voice. It seemed she had also been taken captive. Recovering from a momentary shock, I promptly replied.

"Shhh! Stay quiet!" I was about to say more when I was interrupted.

"Quiet! Why are you being so noisy? And where did those two bastards go?" Another voice, likely the leader of my captors, irritably scolded the girl.

"Someone must be dealing with them, as they wouldn't disappear without a good reason," I thought to myself, taking comfort in the possibility. Ignoring the girl's continued commotion, the leader's footsteps gradually faded away.

A few seconds later...

Clank- A metallic clash echoed through the air.

"GYAAAAAAHH!!" The leader's cry reverberated through the surroundings.

I surmised that someone had come to rescue us. "Finally," I thought, relieved.

"Thanks for saving us―" I began to express my gratitude when I noticed the lifeless body of the leader. It was a gruesome sight. I quickly turned to the girl, signaling her to stay silent and not to look.

"There are things that are best left unseen," I whispered, trying to shield her from further trauma.

The girl's eyes widened in understanding, and she nodded silently. We waited for a moment before cautiously approaching the lifeless body to search for any useful items.

Just then, a red-haired figure emerged from the shadows. It was our savior, the one who had dispatched the captors.

"We're safe now," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Let's go."

The girl and I exchanged glances, a mixture of relief and apprehension in our eyes. We followed the red-haired savior, taking cautious steps to put distance between us and the scene of our captivity.

As we moved, the girl turned to me and whispered, "What about the other kid? Shouldn't we try to find him?"

I hesitated for a moment, realizing there was indeed another child who had been taken captive with us. "You're right," I replied. "We can't leave

him behind. Let's find him together."

With newfound determination, we ventured forth, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. We were survivors, connected by our shared experience of captivity and now bound by a common goal - to rescue the last member of our group and find a way back home.

...

(A/N: After reading this work of mine, I found it beyond satisfaction and decided to leave it here for others to read and some kind-soul would leave few ideas to help me!)