(Seth believed that rejecting his past-life comrades would be the end of it. That they would walk away, crushed, broken, and leave him behind. But he underestimated one thing—their obsession. They refuse to believe he has truly fallen. They refuse to accept his words. And now, instead of mourning him, they will chase him, fight for him, drag him back if they must. Because they do not see a monster—they see something that has taken him. And they will not stop until they bring him back.)

  This chapter contains psychological obsession, emotional turmoil, and an impending pursuit. Themes of desperate hope, unhealthy devotion, and tragic determination are heavily present. Reader discretion is advised.

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? OBSERVERS HAVE REJECTED HOST’S REJECTION. ? HOST IS NOW A TARGET FOR PURSUIT. ? WARNING: OBSESSION LEVELS ESCALATING.

  "We can’t leave him like this."

  The crimson-haired woman’s voice was firm, shaking, but filled with steel.

  The silver-haired warrior stared at her.

  His hands clenched, jaw tight.

  "Did you not hear him?"

  His voice was cold, sharp with pain.

  "He made his choice."

  She shook her head.

  "No."

  Her breath hitched, but she pushed forward.

  "That wasn’t him."

  The others remained silent.

  They had seen the way he spoke.

  The way he smirked at their pain.

  The way he walked away, like they were nothing.

  And yet—

  "He’s being controlled."

  The warrior’s head snapped up.

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  "What?"

  She inhaled sharply.

  "Think about it."

  She was shaking now, but her conviction burned through it.

  "The Seth we knew—he died for us."

  "He gave his life to protect us. To protect her."

  "And now you expect me to believe that same person—that same Seth—would say that we are nothing?"

  Her voice cracked.

  "That’s not him.

  "It can’t be him."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? UNSTABLE OBSESSION DETECTED. ? MENTAL TRAJECTORY ALTERING. ? PURSUIT PROBABILITY—100%.

  The silver-haired warrior exhaled slowly.

  "If he’s not Seth…"

  He looked up.

  His eyes burned with a newfound resolve.

  "Then something else is controlling him."

  The others shifted.

  The crimson-haired woman nodded quickly.

  "Exactly. It makes sense."

  She turned to the others, her voice growing stronger.

  "That… thing. That power we felt back in the village."

  "It wasn’t Seth. It was something else.

  "Something that’s taken him."

  One of the others—a younger man, quiet until now—hesitated.

  "But what if he really has… changed?"

  The warrior snapped.

  "No."

  His voice was sharp, absolute.

  "Seth is not gone. He is not lost."

  He turned back to the ruins of Craven Hollow, his hand clenched into a fist.

  "And I swear, I will bring him back."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? HOST HAS BECOME A TARGET FOR RETRIEVAL. ? WARNING: OBSESSION LEVEL—CRITICAL.

  Seth did not know they were still watching.

  That they had not left.

  That instead of mourning him, they had chosen to chase him.

  That instead of letting him go, they had rewritten reality in their own minds.

  He was not Seth, the one who abandoned them.

  No—he was Seth, the one who had been stolen away.

  And they would find him.

  They would save him.

  Even if he did not want to be saved.

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? THE HUNT BEGINS. ? HOST WILL BE PURSUED RELENTLESSLY. ? WARNING: FUTURE CONFRONTATION INEVITABLE.

  End of Chapter 10: The Unyielding Pursuit

  ?? Author's Note: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and settings are purely imaginary. This novel contains dark themes meant to enhance the story and character development. Reader discretion is advised.