Forsaken Hunter-Chapter 27: The Fear in Her Eyes

Beno Mark's eyelids twitched.

His breath hitched softly, chest rising under the weight of numb exhaustion. His body felt... heavy, like stone. Warm fabric brushed against his cheek. He could smell faint traces of herbs, antiseptic, and firewood.

His eyes opened slowly—sluggishly—like waking from a century-long dream.

The ceiling was wooden. Familiar.

A voice spoke nearby.

"You're awake."

Beno turned his head, barely able to move his neck. His vision cleared just enough to see the broad shoulders and thick beard of Guild Master Franky sitting beside him, arms crossed, a deep frown etched on his face.

Beno blinked. He was lying on a worn leather couch—the kind they kept in the rest area of Noak Guild. He knew this place. It was home. Safety.

His hand drifted over his chest. No pain. No scars.

His injuries were... gone?

He pushed himself up with effort and glanced around.

There—sitting across the room, arms folded tightly around herself—was Luna.

Her expression wasn't what he expected.

Not warmth.

Not relief.

Fear.

Her body trembled slightly. Her amber eyes were wide, locked onto him—but not in awe. Not in worry.

It was like she was looking at something beyond human.

Something she didn't understand.

Something she feared.

Beno's heart sank. He opened his mouth, lips dry.

"...Luna?"

She flinched. Took a step back.

"Wait—" Beno reached out, barely lifting his arm toward her.

But she turned—and ran.

Out of the room. Like she couldn't breathe near him.

The sound of the door slamming echoed through the quiet room.

Beno sat frozen. His hand dropped into his lap. His throat tightened.

He didn't understand.

Why?

She was always there before. Always the first to check on him. Always the one to scold him gently, or place her hand on his shoulder, reminding him he wasn't alone.

But this time—

She ran.

From him.

Wild thoughts flooded his mind.

Is it because I failed her?

Because I wasn't strong enough?

Because I couldn't protect her?

His fists clenched in his lap.

Tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them.

He bit his lip, voice trembling as it escaped.

"I couldn't even save my friends... I let Luna get hurt... maybe she lost everything because of me."

The tears fell—hot, bitter, ashamed.

"I'm supposed to protect them..."

Guild Master Franky let out a long breath. His voice was low. Steady.

"Stop."

Beno looked up, eyes still blurry.

"Stop thinking weird shit, kid."

Franky stood and walked over, placing a hand on Beno's shoulder with firm weight.

"She didn't lose anything. Not her dignity. Not her humanity. Not herself."

Beno blinked, lips parting.

"Then... why is she so scared of me?"

Franky's hand tightened for a moment. His jaw clenched.

He looked over at Charles, who stood silently near the door—arms crossed, eyes hidden in shadow.

Charles didn't speak.

He didn't need to.

He knew the answer.

But if Beno heard it—if he understood what truly happened in the storm, what he had become for even a brief moment—he would break.

He would never forgive himself.

So Charles said nothing.

And Franky simply exhaled again, voice softer this time.

"She's not afraid because you failed her."

He looked Beno in the eyes.

"She's afraid because, for a second... she saw something that wasn't you."

Then suddenly

Beno Mark gripped the sides of his head, his body trembling.

A sharp, burning pain lanced through his skull.

His vision blurred.

His breath quickened.

And then he screamed.

The sound tore through the silence like a blade—raw, desperate, helpless.

Franky stepped back, eyes widening. "Beno?!"

Beno's eyes rolled back, veins pulsing at his temple. Something was clawing its way to the surface—memories? Visions?

No.

Pieces.

Unformed and jagged, flooding his mind.

A battlefield.

A crimson aura.

Laughter that didn't sound like his.

Blood spraying like mist.

A monster... wearing his smile.

Then—darkness.

His body collapsed, limp across the couch, unconscious once more.

Franky stood still, jaw clenched.

"...Not good."

The courtyard behind the Noak Guild building was quiet.

Not silent—just quiet in a way that made everything feel distant. The soft rustling of the wind brushing through winter leaves. The creak of wooden benches chilled by snow. The muffled sounds of conversation and laughter from inside, blurred like they belonged to another world.

Luna sat alone on one of the benches, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Her cloak was draped over her head, but it did nothing to hide the way her body trembled. Her fingers curled into her sleeves as if trying to find warmth—or strength—that just wasn't there anymore.

Her eyes were red. Not from the cold.

From tears.

She hadn't meant to cry. Not here. Not where anyone could see.

But the moment she stepped outside—the moment she left that room—something inside her cracked.

She couldn't do it.

She couldn't look at Beno.

Not the same way.

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Not anymore.

She buried her face in her hands and let the tears slide silently down her cheeks. Each drop landed heavy, disappearing into the fabric of her gloves, leaving behind the sting of guilt.

> Why can't I look at him?

>

> Why did I run?

Luna had always been one of the braver ones. Not the strongest—but steady. Calm when others panicked. The one who always stood between chaos and collapse. She fought beside Beno before. Bandaged his wounds. Teased him for being reckless.

But when she saw him awaken—

When she met his eyes in that room—

They weren't the same.

That wasn't her Beno.

That smile... wasn't soft.

It was the kind of smile you see on a beast who knows it can kill and enjoys knowing you know.

Her breath caught again.

She remembered the battlefield.

She remembered standing frozen while bodies flew like toys—ripped apart, dissolved into mist, bones cracking with impossible force.

She had always believed it was Charles' sister who saved Beno that very first day in dungeon. A sacrifice made in silence.

But now?

Now the truth clawed at her from inside.

It was Beno.

He was the one who crushed the C-rank boss. Crushed it without mercy, without hesitation.

She start thinking,

> What if he didn't stop?

>What if one day, he turns that smile... on us?

> Would he still be Beno then? Or something else entirely?

The questions spun endlessly, smothering her thoughts. Her chest tightened.

She didn't even hear the footsteps approaching.

A soft hand rested gently on her shoulder.

Luna flinched.

She looked up, eyes wide, body stiff with panic.

But it wasn't him.

It wasn't that smile.

It was Ella.

The older hunter knelt in front of her, lowering her cloak just enough to meet Luna's gaze. Her green eyes were calm, her black hair tied back in a loose braid.

"I saw you run out," she said softly.

"I didn't want to intrude, but... you're trembling, Luna."

Luna wiped her eyes quickly, shaking her head. "I'm fine. It's just cold—"

"No," Ella interrupted gently. "It's not."

There was no judgment in her tone. Just quiet understanding.

Luna's lip quivered.

And the moment she opened her mouth, the words came pouring out—everything. Her fear. The memory. The way Beno looked. The way he moved. That smile. The terrifying realization that maybe the person she trusted most... might not be the same anymore.

Ella listened.

She didn't speak. Didn't interrupt.

Only placed a hand on Luna's arm and let her cry again. Slower this time. Not the frantic sobs of confusion—but the quiet unraveling of someone holding too much for too long.

When Luna finally stopped, her voice was a whisper.

"I want to talk to him... but every time I try... something in me pulls away. I want to believe it's still him but..."

"...you're scared," Ella finished.

Luna nodded slowly.

Ella took a long breath and leaned back slightly.

"It's okay to be scared," she said. "You saw something the others didn't. You didn't look away."

"But I ran," Luna whispered.

"You ran because your instincts screamed at you to survive," Ella said. "That doesn't make you weak."

She paused.

"It means you understand what you saw."

Luna bit her lip. "Then what do I do?"

Ella smiled gently.

"We don't bury fear. We understand it. You're afraid of what Beno became—but that also means you care enough to want the truth."

She stood, brushing snow off her knees.

"So we start small. You and me. We'll talk. Train. Prepare."

"And when the time comes," she added, eyes sharpening just a little, "you'll be strong enough to face whatever side of him wakes up next."

Luna sat in silence, heart still heavy—but now just a little less alone.