After a few hours, ten carriages came that would take them to Elaris. It would take them thirty days, so they left immediately.
There were fifteen youths per carriage, ages fourteen and above. At the front, two elders were driving and watching over them.
At night, they would stop to rest. During the day, they continued on their journey.
The carriage moved forward steadily, the wheels crunching over gravel and dirt paths.
Five days passed, eight days, twelve days, fifteen days, and twenty days passed.
Suddenly, the carriages stopped at the entrance of a forest.
The towering trees were densely packed. Their branches intertwined to form a dark canopy that blocked out much of the sunlight.
The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves created an eerie whisper, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
The elders descended from each carriage, quickly tightened the knots, and checked the wheels of their carts.
It appeared as if they were preparing their carts for a swift journey.
The young ones huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and curiosity.
"Everyone, hold on tight. We might need to speed up at any moment," said one of the drivers.
As they entered the forest, it gradually grew darker as the trees blocked out the sunlight.
Days passed, and they continued their journey through the foreboding forest.
They only stop to allow the horses to rest.
During that time, the elders took turns guarding the carriage in case there was danger in the forest.
Meanwhile, the youths and others ate their meals inside the carriages while they were moving.
One night, as the youths were quietly eating, the carriage suddenly lurched violently.
Plates and cups clattered to the floor, and they grabbed onto their seats, their eyes wide with fear.
"Hold on, everyone!" the driver shouted, his voice urgent and filled with tension.
The carriage suddenly sped up, the wooden wheels thundering over the uneven forest path.
The youths grabbed onto whatever they could—benches, the sides of the carriage, each other.
"What is happening?" one of them cried, her voice barely audible over the chaotic scene.
Since Kaviel and his group were situated at the last carriage, they saw the pack of giant wolves that were chasing them.
Their hearts raced as they caught sight of the hungry predators, their bodies weaving through the trees.
The wolves' snarls and their barks echoed through the forest, sending shivers down their spines.
"Will we make it out alive?" one asked, his voice quivering with fear.
Kaviel looked at Mira, and even though she was hiding it, he knew that she was anxious about what was happening. He reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Don't worry," he said as his expression softened. "Whatever happens, I'll protect you."
Mira's fear seemed to lessen slightly at Kaviel's words, and she squeezed his hand gratefully. She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips.
This was their first time encountering something that endangers their lives.
"Hold on tight!" one of the elders shouted over the chaos.
Suddenly, the carriage jumped and rose high off the ground. The young ones' screams filled the air as they felt themselves lifted into the air, the force of the movement throwing them off balance.
But Kaviel, caught off guard by the sudden jolt, wasn't able to keep his grip. His fingers slipped from their tenuous hold.
And because he was at the back and the one nearest the open space, he tumbled through the air.
The rush of wind roared in his ears. But before he fell to the ground, he shouted with a strong voice, "Hold tight, Mira!"
Kaviel's body slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.
"I will come after you!" he shouted.
"Kaviel!" Mira's cry pierced through the chaos. She made a desperate attempt to jump out of the carriage, her heart pounding with fear for Kaviel's life.
But before Mira could make a move, Melvin, the eldest and most robust among the young men, acted swiftly.
With a decisive motion, he reached out and seized her arm, his grip strong as he pulled her away from the edge of the carriage.
"Are you crazy?" Melvin exclaimed, his voice loud.
He held Mira steady, his body positioned protectively between her and the open door.
"Why would you risk your life like this?"
But Mira, her voice shaking, ignored him and pleaded, "Stop the carriage!"
"We can't," one of the elders replied, his tone filled with desperation. "We'll all die if we stop."
Melvin maintained his grip on Mira, refusing to let go as he attempted to calm her down.
After an hour of tense travel, they finally emerged from the oppressive depths of the forest.
The sight of open fields and distant hills brought a sense of relief, but their nerves were still frayed from the encounter with the wolves.
As they stopped to rest, the young ones could feel the tension draining from their bodies. They took deep breaths of the fresh air, savoring the taste of freedom after the frightening ordeal.
Meanwhile, the elders set to work repairing the damages to the carriages.
Approaching the adults, Mira's voice trembled with concern, her eyes darting anxiously toward the dense forest they had just emerged from.
"Shouldn't we go back for Kaviel?" she asked.
The elders turned to face her, their expressions hardened by fear.
"Didn't you see the creatures chasing us?" one of them snapped. "Do you think we'd survive if we went back in? The carriage won't withstand another high-speed run."
Mira's shoulders slumped with disappointment, her gaze dropping to the ground as she absorbed the weight of their words.
As the group rested, her worry for Kaviel gnawed at her.
Determined to return to the forest and find him, she began to edge away from the others.
But before she could slip away unnoticed, Melvin's keen eyes caught her. He stepped in her path, his body blocking her escape.
"Step aside and let me go!" Mira's voice cracked as she pleaded with Melvin.
She took a step forward, her body tense, but Melvin stood firm, his expression unwavering.
"Do you think Kaviel would want you to risk your life for him?" Melvin's voice was firm. "Do you think he'd be happy if you put yourself in danger?"
Mira's shoulders slumped with defeat.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Fulfill your dream. I am sure that is what Kaviel wants you to do," he said.
Mira sank to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks as she allowed herself to release the pent-up emotions that had been consuming her.
"Don't worry," Melvin said. "Kaviel is strong. He won't give up easily."
***
Inside the forest…
With his heart pounding, Kaviel raced through the dense underbrush, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
The sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves echoed around him, the relentless pursuit of the wolves driving him forward.
His eyes scanned the forest ahead, searching for any sign of escape, but the tangled mass of trees seemed to stretch endlessly before him.
Through gritted teeth, he muttered a prayer for strength and safety, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the forest.
"Please, God, let me make it out of here," he pleaded.
He suddenly tripped over a protruding branch, crashing to the ground with a thud.
The impact sent shockwaves of pain through his body, the sharp edges of the branches scraping against his skin.
Before he could even catch his breath, he felt a searing pain shoot through his foot as a wolf sank its teeth into his flesh.