"You holding up back there?" Sera asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Zyra grunted in response. "I'm fine, just not exactly used to stumbling around in the dark like this."
Sera smirked, though her attention remained on the path ahead. "You'll get used to it. The trees aren't as dangerous as what's behind us."
The forest was growing more difficult to navigate as the terrain shifted. Roots jutted out from the ground, ready to trip the unwary, and patches of thick underbrush blocked their path. Sera moved with practiced ease, her steps light and calculated. Zyra, on the other hand, was starting to show signs of fatigue. Her movements were slower, her eyes flickering between the shadows as if expecting something to jump out at them at any moment.
As they walked, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves overhead and sending a chill through the air. The further they ventured, the deeper the forest seemed to grow, the thick canopy blocking out nearly all traces of the outside world. The city they had left behind was a distant memory now, swallowed by the oppressive quiet of the woods.
"You ever been through here before?" Zyra asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Sera nodded, though she kept her eyes on the path ahead. "Once or twice. But that was years ago. It wasn't as dense back then."
Zyra raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't know this place as well as you're pretending to?"
Sera shot her a sideways glance. "I know enough to get us through. Trust me."
Zyra grumbled something under her breath, but she didn't press the issue. The truth was, neither of them had any better options. The forest, for all its dangers, was their best chance at avoiding the city's patrols. If they could make it through to the other side, they'd be in a smaller city, one that was less tightly controlled, where they could regroup and plan their next move.
But first, they had to survive the night.
The path twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the heart of the woods. The sound of their footsteps was muffled by the soft forest floor, but every now and then, a branch would snap underfoot, echoing unnervingly in the silence. The darkness was absolute, and even with Sera's heightened senses, it was becoming harder to navigate.
Suddenly, Zyra froze. "Wait... did you hear that?"
Sera stopped, her ears straining. At first, all she could hear was the rustling of leaves in the wind. But then, faintly, from somewhere deeper in the forest, came the sound of movement. It was distant, but unmistakable—the sound of something large moving through the trees.
"Shit," Sera muttered under her breath. "Could be patrols... or something else."
Zyra's eyes widened. "Something else?"
Sera nodded, her expression grim. "This forest has more than just animals in it. We need to move. Now."
Without another word, they quickened their pace, darting between the trees and ducking beneath low-hanging branches. The sound of movement behind them grew louder, closer. It wasn't the steady march of guards or the mechanical hum of patrol vehicles. It was something more primal, something that didn't belong in the orderly streets of the city they had left behind.
"Faster!" Sera urged, her heart pounding in her chest.
Zyra didn't need to be told twice. She kept close to Sera, her breath coming in ragged gasps as they weaved through the underbrush. The forest was closing in around them, the thick trees casting long, eerie shadows across their path. But Sera didn't let up. She knew they had to keep moving—whatever was following them wasn't going to stop until they were far out of its reach.
As they reached a small clearing, Sera skidded to a halt, her eyes darting around for any sign of an exit. The trees loomed tall on all sides, their branches intertwined overhead, blocking out the moonlight. The sound of movement behind them was growing louder, more frantic.
"Shit, there's no way out," Zyra gasped, her eyes wide with fear.
Sera clenched her fists, her mind racing. They couldn't stay here. They needed to find cover, to hide until whatever was following them passed. She scanned the clearing, her gaze landing on a cluster of large boulders at the far end. "Over there!" she whispered urgently, grabbing Zyra's arm and pulling her toward the rocks.
They scrambled behind the boulders, pressing themselves flat against the cold stone. Sera's heart was pounding in her chest, her breath coming in shallow bursts as she listened. The sound of movement was close now—so close she could hear the heavy breathing of whatever was out there.
Zyra's grip on her blade tightened, her knuckles white as she waited, her eyes locked on the dark treeline.
For a few tense moments, they remained hidden, barely daring to breathe. The forest was alive with the sounds of movement, the snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves echoing in the night. But slowly, gradually, the sounds began to fade, moving away from their position, deeper into the forest.
Sera exhaled slowly, her muscles relaxing slightly. "I think it's gone."
Zyra let out a shaky breath, her hands still trembling. "What the hell was that?"
Sera shook her head. "I don't know. But whatever it was, we don't want to meet it."
They remained hidden for a few more minutes, waiting to be sure the danger had passed. The forest was quiet now, the distant sounds of whatever had been following them fading into the night. Sera's mind raced with possibilities—could it have been one of the city's patrols? Or was there something else lurking in the woods, something that didn't belong to either side?
Finally, when she was sure it was safe, Sera stood up, motioning for Zyra to follow. "Come on. We need to keep moving. We're not safe here."
Zyra nodded, still pale but determined. "Right behind you."
They slipped back into the shadows of the forest, their pace quicker now, their senses heightened by the close call. The path ahead was still uncertain, but Sera was determined. They would make it through the forest. They had to.
As the trees closed in around them once more, the faint glow of dawn began to touch the sky. The city on the other side of the forest was still far, but it was there—a promise of safety, of survival.