Strongest Radioactive System

As Volk continued his march toward the sound of the two whimpering hounds, his focus narrowed on his goal.

His mind buzzed with plans, envisioning the chase, the capture, and finally the answers he sought. But then—

"Wait!"

A small voice cut through his concentration.

Volk paused, his massive form looming in the dim forest light, and turned his head.

There, a few paces behind him, stood the two girls: Lira and Mareen.

They had been spared and were now free to run, to disappear into the woods and vanish from his sight forever, yet here they were, watching him with an intensity he hadn't anticipated.

Volk frowned, crossing his arms as he faced them.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone gruff and impatient. "Didn't I say you're free to go? So go. This doesn't concern you."

The two women exchanged a quick glance, and then Mareen stepped forward. "We… we know that, but… you… need us."

Volk let out an exasperated huff, turning his head to refocus on the hounds.

The urge to continue his pursuit tugged at him, an invisible thread pulling him forward.

"What for?" he demanded, looking over his shoulder. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I don't need help from two clueless runaways."

Lira swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "We aren't… clueless." She cast her eyes down, her words gathering momentum like a stone rolling down a hill.

"Look, we don't know where we are exactly, but we do know who… who abducted us. We lied before, okay? About knowing this place, the paths, everything." She hesitated, then added softly, "We… i don't know the blonde man either."

Volk's eyes narrowed as he processed this, a flash of irritation prickling his patience. "So, everything you told me before? All lies?"

They nodded, shame crossing their faces, though Mareen was quick to clarify, "We… We were scared! And if you knew we were useless… you might have killed us."

Volk let out a low growl, his irritation rising. "That's it? So you wasted my time. And now you're wasting more of it."

He turned to follow the hounds once more, grumbling under his breath, but he'd only taken a single step before Mareen's voice cut in again.

"You're going to follow those hounds now, aren't you?"

Volk paused, casting a baleful glare over his shoulder. "Obviously."

Lira's lips twitched, trying to suppress a nervous smile. "Well… that's… actually kind of smart."

Volk's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's your point?"

"The hounds," Mareen explained, her words stumbling over themselves in her haste, "They'll lead you somewhere, yes, but what if it's a place of danger? Or a trap? Or a place where you won't be able to catch the blonde man. They could turn on you the second they find their master, and without knowing anything about this land—"

Volk waved her off, his patience visibly wearing thin. "I don't need help to deal with a couple of dogs. And why should I believe you?"

Mareen stepped forward, holding her hands up in an appeasing gesture.

"Let me tell you something about me," she said, her voice trembling but determined.

"I… I'm a hunger—a hunter and tracker, trained since childhood to find trails, spot signs, sense creatures before they sense me. It's in my blood, in my bones. In the mountains where I was born, my people taught me to read the earth like words on a page.

"The way moss grows, the curve of a footprint, a broken twig—they all speak to me. And in these lands, new though they are to me, I… I feel the signs, I see them in a way you might not."

Volk regarded her silently, his gaze unreadable. "Why does that matter to me?"

"Because," she pressed, "I can help you catch him. I can read the movements of those hounds, the forest around us. I know enough to give you a better chance of success."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Volk let out a heavy, exasperated breath. "And if you're lying to me again?"

Lira and Mareen exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them before Lira spoke up, her voice steadier now.

"Then… kill us. Right here. We won't stop you. All we want is to catch that man, get a map, and be on our way."

Volk considered them for a long moment, his expression darkening as he weighed his options.

Then, with a sharp nod, he stepped closer to them, towering over their slight forms as he grabbed them each by the back of their tunics and hoisted them up effortlessly.

"If you lie to me again," he rumbled, his voice low and dangerous, "you'll pay a steep price."

They both nodded fervently, the fear in their eyes unmistakable, but so was the spark of determination.

Without another word, Volk adjusted his grip, securing them under his arms as he surged forward, the wind rushing past them in a blur of motion.

With the hounds' scent and two allies—or liabilities, only time would tell—at his side, Volk charged forward, his path clear, his intent sharper than ever.

…

The forest stretched on endlessly, dense and wild, swallowing every sound beneath its towering trees.

A tangled mass of ancient trunks and sprawling branches formed a canopy so thick that sunlight barely managed to pierce through.

What few rays made it down to the forest floor dappled the landscape in patches of muted green and warm amber.

It was a place of deep shadows, where unseen things seemed to skitter away, half-glimpsed at the edges of vision.

Each step Volk took was heavy and sure, shaking loose the damp, earthy smell of moss, bark, and fallen leaves that had long settled.

The air was thick with the murmur of life—small creatures scurrying underfoot, insects buzzing through shafts of light, and an ever-present whisper of distant rustling that hinted at creatures lurking just out of sight.

Around him, the undergrowth tangled in wild knots.

Brambles caught at his legs, vines hung like claws, and roots jutted out from the ground, eager to trip the unwary.

Even Volk, with his massive strides, had to keep his focus steady.

Beside him, Mareen and Lira moved more nimbly, their familiarity with woodland terrain helping them dodge and weave through obstacles that Volk simply barreled through.

The forest's dense, living heartbeat seemed to grow quieter as they progressed, as though the very life of the place was holding its breath, aware of their mission.

And then, they came to an open stretch where the ground broke into a series of intersecting trails, each leading off into the forest like a tangled web, splitting and diverging as if the creatures had been running through in a frenzy.

Four distinct trails lay before them, winding and crisscrossing, the fresh prints barely visible in the soft, damp earth.

Mareen stepped forward, crouching down to inspect them, her gaze sharp and attentive as she reached out, fingers brushing the faint imprints.

Volk folded his arms, watching her with a faint frown. "You know which way?"

Mareen took a deep breath and leaned closer, her fingers tracing the first trail with a feather-light touch.

"This trail," she began, pointing to the one on the far left, "seems fresh… but it's deceptive. The paw prints are shallow, the stride wide. This is a 'feint,'" she said, glancing up at Volk with a glint of satisfaction.

"The hounds here moved fast, but light. See how the claw marks barely disturb the ground? It's a trick—whoever sent them wanted anyone following to be fooled into thinking they took this path first. They rushed through here, but they didn't linger."

Volk tilted his head, observing as she continued.

She moved to the second trail, her fingers ghosting over the earth as she scrutinized it.

"Now, this one here… it's messier. See these deep impressions?"

She pointed to several prints, the soil clearly gouged.

"The hounds moved slower here, more deliberately, possibly when they were sniffing around to pick up scents. There's more weight, and the spacing between the prints shows they were hesitant.

"I'd say this trail is where they took a moment to… reconsider, maybe waiting on their handler's cue. But in the end, they left this one, too."

She took a few slow steps to the third trail, where the earth was noticeably more churned up, and let out a soft hum of interest.

Her fingers traced the path of each step as if reading a line of text.

"Now, this one…"

Mareen's eyes lit up, her voice taking on a quiet thrill.

"The hounds moved fast here, yes, but there's something else."

She pointed to a series of sharp claw marks, deep enough to have torn small chunks of soil free.

"Here, the hounds have committed fully. The steps are balanced and quick, and you can see how they pressed harder here than in the other trails. This is the trail of a creature intent on reaching something. They're not scouting or testing here—they're committed."

She straightened up and looked to the final trail, her eyes narrowing as she took it in.

"And this fourth trail…"

Her brows furrowed as she leaned over it, examining the faintest scuff marks.

"This one is unusual. It's like they doubled back here, almost as if trying to cover their tracks. It's muddied, but only faintly—see how these prints are overlaid?"

She pointed, showing how several paw marks seemed stacked atop each other.

"They circled here, either trying to throw off pursuit or waiting. It's a stalling technique."

Finally, she turned back to the third trail, pointing decisively.

"This one," she said firmly, "is the real path. The hounds were focused and clear in their purpose when they took this route. If we follow here," she added, her voice growing more assured with each word, "we'll be on their true trail. The hounds might even lead us to where their handler is going. They can't hide their intention once they commit like this."