It was the smell of massacre.

A faint, acrid scent of death wafted up from below Ludike Hill.

“…Dad, Iason, Lete!”

Seeing the red smoke rising over the hill, Livia Horn dropped her flock of sheep and rushed frantically toward the cabin.

Woof! Woof woof!

Mumu, Livia’s old friend and shepherd dog, hurriedly rounded up the stray sheep in her absence.

“She’s here! Grab her!”

As she reached the top of the hill, villagers holding torches seized Livia as if they had been waiting for her.

Rough hands grabbed her vibrant red hair and bound her. Yet even such violent and malicious hands could not deter Livia.

“Move, move! Father, Iason! Lete! No, no!!!”

She screamed, reaching desperately toward the burning cabin as if she were possessed.

“You witch! You’ll soon follow them, you filthy, vile witch!”

“Aah!”

A man shouted harshly and yanked Livia’s hair back. A stifled groan escaped her throat as her head was pulled backward.

“Let, let go, I said…, aah!”

“What are you yelling about as if you haven’t done anything wrong?”

“Witch!”

“Kill her! She must be killed!”

“Let go, let go! Father! Lete! Lete!!!”

Livia’s screams and the villagers’ curses blended into a chaotic uproar.

Amidst the loud and vile noise, only the burning cabin remained silent. The heavy silence was truly eerie.

The life of a shepherd was always accompanied by silence, and Livia cherished that kind of quiet.

She enjoyed the sound of grass swaying, the stillness flowing with the stars, and the gentle interplay of wind, trees, and earth, which could only be felt in solitude.

But not now. The silence surrounding the burning cabin felt horrifying.

“Let go, let go…! Let go! Why are you doing this! Why!!!”

I have to go….

I have to save my father, brother, and sister from that burning cabin. Why were these people stopping me?

Why? Why…!

“Don’t you know why? You wretched woman!”

“They say you consorted with Satan, you filthy, vile thing!”

Overwhelming shock and grief trampled her mind. She wanted to deny this horrific reality.

Could it be that she was having a terrible dream? Maybe she was near Lake Arangeti, grazing the sheep, and had dozed off.

Mumu, who had been watching the sheep, was napping beside her, and soon Iason would come to fetch her, tickling her nose with a grass stalk to wake her.

When she returned home, Dad would tell her he had caught plenty of fish and would make delicious grilled fish, while Lete would serve cheese made from sheep’s milk.

“Sis, the sheep’s milk soup is especially savory today!”

“Come on in, Livia. I hurt my leg, so our Livia is having a hard time. I’ll go out next week.”

“No, Dad. Our sheep are gentle, so it’s manageable.”

“Livia, could it be that your sheep behave because your personality is so fierce?”

“What did you say? Iason!”

They would prepare for tomorrow while having a dinner that was not abundant but not lacking either.

Yes, if only she could wake up from this terrible nightmare….

“Now, Gary! Throw that wretched thing in there! Put her in the burning house!”

The sharp voice jolted her dazed mind back to reality. It was a voice she recognized well. With a chill running down her spine, Livia turned her head.

Dull gray hair, freckles spread across her face, a round and plump figure….

It was Maya, the mother of her former fiancé, Phedum.

As their gazes locked, Maya’s face contorted into a cruel sneer as she stepped closer. Upon closer inspection, her son Phedum was already hiding behind her, peeking at Livia fearfully.

“Gary! Don’t waste time! It’s her, it’s her! She’s the one who consorted with Satan and caused all this!”

Consorted with Satan? Who? Her?

“What nonsense…!”

“All the village sheep have died from some strange disease. All except the ones you were raising. Phedum claims you bewitched Satan to make it happen, killing all the other sheep and saving only yours!”

In that moment, Livia’s eyes filled with murderous intent. The entire situation became clear in her mind.

“What? You’re blaming me? Are you saying this is my fault, Phedum Grocke?”

Livia’s eyes blazed with anger, her heart boiling with rage.

As she glared at Phedum, who was clearly spouting nonsense, his mother Maya hurriedly hid him behind her and stepped forward, shouting.

“Shut up! How dare you falsely accuse Phedum!”

Maya rushed over and instantly grabbed Livia’s hair. Her heavy, rough hands clawed at Livia’s neck and cheeks, beating her mercilessly.

“You wretched woman! How dare you consort with Satan? Spit! You filthy witch, go to hell with your family! What are you waiting for? Purify her now!”

“Yes, yes! We must purify her! For the sake of the village!”

Caught up in excitement, the villagers followed Maya’s lead and began to attack Livia.

Someone kicked her in the waist, while another tore at her clothes, grabbing her br*asts.

Tossed about, Livia fell to the ground, her once fair cheeks pressed into the dirt.

Hands that seemed unsure whether they were striking her or satisfying their own desires turned Livia into rags, but she had no time to care.

The acrid smoke and the awful smell of ash stung Livia’s eyes and nose. Through the blood and tears that blurred her vision, she saw the cabin turning to blackened ash.

Ah, what was this smell? Was it the scent of the cozy cabin burning, or the smell of her family’s skin burning?

Did these people, with their wicked faces turned against the gray smoke and red flames, not realize they were more satanic than the Satan they speak of?

With blood running down her face and tears of blood in her eyes, Livia pleaded to the gods.

Oh, Pan, god of shepherds. Hera, goddess of the hearth…!

Punish these wicked and evil ones! Do not forgive those who violated the innocent sheep and burned down a blameless family!

But she knew that the great gods of Olympus would not heed the wishes of a mere shepherd. She could only face an unjust death….

Yet, the only thing the fading Livia could do was pray and plead for some absolute, miraculous power.

Even if it meant opening herself to the Satan they spoke of…!

Woof woof!!

The growl of an angry dog echoed just as blood began to flow from Livia’s split forehead. Mumu, who had left the sheep, charged fiercely at the villagers attacking Livia.

“Aah!”

“What, what is this!”

Grr! Growl!

The dog, once thought to be gentle, bared its teeth savagely, blood staining its mouth.

It seemed ready to tear apart anyone who dared to touch Livia.

“Damn it! This dog…!”

The people who had been greedily assaulting Livia stumbled back, bitten by the beast.

Woof, woof woof! Growl! Woof woof!

The dog pushed Livia back with its body, baring its teeth even more fiercely.

“Mumu….”

While the dazed Livia staggered to her feet, Maya, holding the badly bitten Phedum, screamed.

“Look, look at that! She’s bewitched the dog too! See, she turns both humans and dogs into that!”

Maya’s shrill voice and the thick smell of blood heightened the villagers’ excitement.

“…Maya’s right. We can’t let her die easily.”