Emma stepped forward, shielding Maya with her body, slipping into a ready stance.

  “Flower girl. Run. Take the cat and get as far away as you can,” she said, voice calm but sharp as a blade.

  “W-What’s going on—ah!”

  The girl’s eyes went vacant. Then she sprinted—straight into the street.

  Into the path of an oncoming truck.

  It struck her with a sickening thud. Her body flew, hit the pavement, and crumpled in a bloody heap.

  Screams erupted from horrified onlookers.

  Maya went pale.

  (Was she controlled? Or was it… some kind of illusion?)

  The man in sunglasses licked his lips as he stared at the girl’s broken, twisted corpse.

  “You bastard…!”

  Emma’s fist sliced through the air.

  But it struck not the man—

  It hit Maya’s face.

  Pain exploded across her cheek, her vision swimming. And then—she heard it.

  Ezekiel’s voice, echoing in her mind.

  “That girl’s death? Your fault, Maya.

  Getting punched? Also your fault.

  Unless you come back to me… everyone around you will die. Or worse.

  Only I can love you.”

  The words were laced with venom—but there was something sickeningly sweet in them. Something that promised peace… if she just gave in. Tears welled in Maya’s eyes.

  (Is it true? Am I cursed? Am I the reason everyone suffers…?)

  That night —

  Maya awoke in a Luna Nordics infirmary bed. Her face still throbbed, but she forced herself up and made her way to the first floor entrance.

  “You came,” said Emma, leaning against the wall. “I figured. I'm… sorry. Even if I was tricked, I still hit you.”

  “…It’s okay,” Maya replied quietly.

  “Just to be sure,” Emma continued, straightening up. “You came here to leave, didn’t you? You’re not staying with Luna Nordics.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Yeah… I only cause trouble for everyone.”

  “Hm.”

  Emma stretched, arms overhead, then started a casual warm-up. Maya watched her, confused.

  “I’m not good at talking people into things. So let’s make it a bet,” Emma said, grinning playfully. Her amber eyes sparkled. “If you can land a solid hit on me—punch or kick, doesn’t matter—I won’t stop you. You can walk away free. But if you can’t…”

  “…Then I stay?”

  “You stay. You train with us. You live with us.

  Deal?”

  (Emma’s kind… I really don’t want to burden her anymore.)

  “…Fine.”

  Before the words were even finished, Maya launched a kick—imitating one Emma had shown her before. But it was a feint. Her real strike came from the left.

  Emma blocked the kick with her knee—then diverted Maya’s punch midair and countered.

  Her fist buried itself in Maya’s gut.

  “Ugh…!”

  Maya collapsed, gasping. Emma slipped behind her and applied pressure to her carotid artery. The world faded.

  Maya —

  She woke on the floor of Luna Nordics’ entrance hall, warmth flooding her body.

  Emma knelt beside her, palms glowing with golden light, healing her wounds.

  “You’re up. Looks like I won the bet,” she said with a smile. “We can go another round if you’re not satisfied.”

  “…You’ll get hurt if I stay with you,” Maya whispered, eyes wet. She couldn’t bear to lose Emma like she had Sophia.

  “That’s why we get stronger—together.

  And besides…” Emma grinned. “Living means inconveniencing people. That’s just how it is.”

  “…And?”

  “If my Retuner friend gets targeted and killed by psychos, that’s way more inconvenient to me.”

  “…Friend.”

  Maya’s tears finally fell. She thought of Sophia. And realized—if she didn’t want to lose anyone else, she’d have to become stronger herself.

  She closed her eyes. And opened them.

  A fierce determination lit her ice-blue irises.

  “Emma. I understand now. I’ll stay. I’ll join Luna Nordics.

  I’ll get stronger.

  I’ll destroy that man.

  And sever myself from the past.”

  Emma beamed and hugged her tight.

  “You’ll be fine. Especially with scary Beatrice training you,” she teased.

  Maya didn’t answer. She just held on to the warmth.

  “You didn’t need the full week after all.”

  A graceful figure stepped into the moonlight streaming through the entrance hall.

  Beatrice.

  She had been watching the entire time.

  “Welcome to Luna Nordics, Maya Graves.”

  Emma tensed instinctively.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Maya said firmly, bowing her head.

  “Good. Then let’s not waste time.

  You’re needed in the field.

  Victoria’s unavailable, so you’ll be going with someone else.”

  From behind her, a tall young man stepped into view.

  “Got it. I’m the driver for this mission, then.”

  His voice was cool, his stance heavy.

  He wore a leather jacket and tactical pants.

  Ethan.

  A riverside —

  It was early November. Subzero temperatures gripped the night.

  A girl, around 17, stood drenched and shivering by the riverbank, terror on her face.

  Three men surrounded her, grinning like hyenas.

  “Hey…”

  “Yeah?”

  “She’s getting brainwashed anyway, right?

  So what’s the harm in having a little fun first?

  What do you say, Clara?”

  The girl named Clara trembled, unable to move in her tattered clothes.

  Above them, a ghostly aurora shimmered across the sky—

  illuminating the beginning of a nightmare.

  Thank you for reading.

  Maya’s journey has been one of pain—but also of strength and survival.

  Comments, reviews, even a single ★ mean the world.

  check out my Substack article here:

  https://open.substack.com/pub/knishi2050/p/why-i-wrote-hells-returners?r=5wfkgu&utm_medium=ios)

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