Lucian slowly retreated from the door knob as quietly as he could as he moved towards where Mia was sleeping. A little pinch on her face while closing her mouth, and he successfully awakened Mia without a single noise.
Sensing the hand on her mouth and the pinch, Mia wanted to immediately scream out but after feeling the hand she understood it was Lucian's and didn't try to struggle. This was just how much the trust she placed in Lucian was.
Gently placing her on his back, Lucian hand reached for the window as he gently opened it and stared at the about 5 metres floor beneath him enough to make him
suck deep a breath in.
The knock on the door was getting harder and harder, a sign of restlessness by those who were knocking.
Lucian took a deep breath in as he debated on whether to jump down or not. He wasn't even sure who the people was, but the flash of blue he saw, the note and the card flashing red signalled danger and so for the first time Lucian decided to trust his instincts.
Closing his eyes and firming his mind, he jumped from the top of the building as he landed on the floor with a thud.
-- -- --
A loud crash resounded from the inn as the door was forcefully crashed open.
Three dark robes individual immediately barged into Lucian's room as their gaze narrowed and simultaneously turned towards the opened window where a figure could be seen in the distance running into the forest while also carrying someone at his back.
A monotone voice emerged from one of them:
"He's pretty smart for someone his age. But in the end he's only moving closer towards his death."
The trio immediately faded into the shadow as they chased after the slowly disappearing figure of Lucian with twice Lucian's own speed.
-- -- --
Lucian ignored the pains in his ankles from jumping from such a height as he immediately started running in the direction of the forest.
He finally noticed an error in his decision of choosing this place for settling down. While it was incredibly remote and peaceful, it was also dangerous in the sense that there will be none to help you out in case if danger. He just wanted a place with lower number of people but he never considered the probability of assassination.
His heart kept pounding in his chest as he thought of who the enemy could be. There was no way it was the BurningBlue clan, as he didn't think he did anything that waranteed being killed. But if it's not them, then who?
The sound of the air being pierced echoed throughout the forest as Lucian immediately shifted his head to the side in the next second but even with his fast response, a smooth line appeared on his cheeks which immediately drew blood.
For a split second he checked behind as he saw three dark phantoms moving with speed towards him, each with a large dark bow in hand.
His heart pumped even harder, releasing adrenaline as Lucian's speed immediately doubled making him rapidly weave among the trees.
Arrows moved towards him with speed, unrelenting, but he rapidly dodged around the trees, successfully avoiding most of them but there was some which sliced past his body creating deep marks but he strangely didn't feel pain as his mind was completely replaced with the thought of running.
-- -- --
How long had he been running for?
How far as he gone into the forest?
All of this was unknown but one thing was sure, his energy was being sapped away quickly. His speed slowed down as his clothes were entirely covered in blood from the various cuts on his body.
The assassins were still hot on his heels and there wasn't any sign of them even getting tired at all and they were now getting closer than ever.
Despair slowly set in as every seconds meant death inching closer. He tried to run harder, the will of saving Mia occupying his head as he tried to use that as an energy to keep running but his body was tired and he was rapidly losing blood, he just couldn't take it anymore. He was completely drained.
While a powerful will was needed, without an ounce of energy to sustain, it was pretty much useless.
"Lucian..."A gentle voice sounded behind him as he continued running, almost forgetting he was still carrying Mia.
"Lucian, drop me down, you'll be able to move faster and escape. You can escape and seek revenge when..."
"Just Shut up."Two words immediately cut off Mia, as Lucian continued running with speed.
To leave Mia alone while he continued running, it was a feasible option but not for him. To Lucian, It wasn't an option at all and he was quick to immediately throw it out of his mind.
Lucian's mind worked with full speed thinking of all the ways he can turn around the situation but hope was incredibly bleak.
Leaving Mia alone while he ran wasn't an option to him. If he decides to fight the assassins while Mia continued running, then he wasn't really sure of how long he can last before being dead and Mia was blind, she'll only be a sitting block waiting to be killed in this forest.
All hope was gone and he was getting weaker when Lucian suddenly felt an hair raising feeling of danger in front of him as he discovered it coming form that part of Forest which was slightly darker.
He immediately turned around suddenly, an arrow which was about to nail in his head missing as a result, as he moved with all his remaining energy towards where the danger was coming from.
He wasn't sure what it was, but since he'll be dying anyway he might as well die to that. To move towards that which is unknown. An incredibly stupid decision but strangely effective when there's no other option.
Lucian ran with full speed towards the path where he could feel the danger coming from, his fear and tiredness making him unaware of the forest getting darker than usual and the strange spark of red lightning in the sky above.
Right in front of him was a gaping dark Vortex as he felt all his cells in his body telling him to turn back and run but he ignored it as he entered into the black hole immediately.
His and Mia's figure immediately disappear within, but unknown to Lucian, a slight sharp cry escaped from Mia's mouth in that split second but went unnoticed by Lucian.
-- -- --
The three robed individual slowly stopped ten metres away from the vortex, not bothering to continue chasing after Lucian.
"They entered into the dark forest. No one ever goes into the dark forest and none has ever returned. A place so dark it's darker than darkness itself. A place where even the strongest never returned to tell the tale of.
It seems we've completed the mission." They uttered at the same time as they turned back and merged into the shadows moving away form the dark vortex with their fastest speed.