The forest grew darker as they ventured deeper, the canopy overhead thickening until only slivers of sunlight filtered through. The further they went, the more the world around them seemed to press in, the once gentle breeze replaced by a stifling stillness. Every step felt deliberate, measured, as though they were walking into something unknown, something waiting.
Kairon's mind swirled with thoughts of what lay ahead. Elia's words from earlier still echoed in his head: "Someone who knows what you are. And someone who knows exactly what they want from you." The question gnawed at him—who exactly were these people? And how much did they know about the power he barely understood himself?
Elia led the way, her movements precise, her senses on high alert. The fresh footprints they had found earlier meant one thing: their pursuers were closing in. She had said they were trained—organized. That thought made Kairon uneasy. If these enemies were more than just common mercenaries, it meant they were dealing with something far more dangerous.
His mind drifted to the power inside him—the golden light. He could feel it now, humming softly beneath his skin like a distant storm waiting to break. It frightened him, but more than that, it made him feel like a stranger in his own body. He wasn't sure whether he should embrace it or fear what it might do if he lost control again.
They walked in silence for what felt like hours. Kairon kept close to Elia, his eyes darting to every movement in the trees. The forest felt alive, but not in the comforting way he was used to. This wasn't like the woods near his village where he had hunted for years, knowing every trail, every bend in the river. No, this forest felt different, as though it hid more than just animals. The shadows seemed longer, the air heavier, as though something unseen watched their every move.
Elia stopped suddenly, her hand flying up in a silent signal to halt. Kairon froze, his heart racing. He strained to hear what had caught her attention, but there was nothing. No birds, no wind—just an eerie, unnatural silence.
Without a word, Elia crouched low, her eyes scanning the trees ahead. Kairon's stomach twisted with unease. She didn't move for what felt like an eternity, every second stretching out painfully as they waited for something—anything.
Then he heard it.
A faint whisper on the wind. Voices—too distant to understand, but unmistakable. Kairon's breath caught in his throat. He leaned forward slightly, listening harder.
Elia turned her head just enough to meet his gaze, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp with warning. Slowly, she motioned for him to follow her lead as she slinked off the trail and into the cover of thick undergrowth. They crouched low behind a large moss-covered rock, the rough surface pressing against Kairon's back as they waited in tense silence.
The voices grew louder now, but they were still too far away to make out clearly. Kairon's mind raced. Who were these people? How many of them were there? Were they the same attackers from before?
Elia's eyes were fixed on the direction of the voices, her body coiled like a spring, ready to strike at any moment. Kairon could feel her tension, her readiness to fight. But even as he prepared himself, the familiar gnawing doubt returned. He wasn't like Elia. He wasn't trained for this. He was just a hunter—someone who had spent his whole life living quietly, far from any of the dangers he now faced.
Yet here he was, hiding in the bushes with a knife in his hand, hunted by unknown enemies because of a power he didn't understand. The realization hit him hard, a bitter knot forming in his chest.
The voices drew closer, and Kairon could make out faint words now—fragments of sentences carried on the wind.
"...must be nearby..."
"...find him before..."
"...orders from the commander..."
Elia's jaw clenched at the mention of "the commander," but she remained silent, her breathing steady. Kairon felt his pulse quicken. Whoever these people were, they had a leader—a commander who had given the order to hunt him down. His thoughts flashed to the stranger who had warned him back in the village. Was this the force he had spoken of?
A shadow passed between the trees, then another. Kairon held his breath, his grip tightening on his knife. The figures moved quickly, their dark cloaks blending with the forest, making them nearly invisible as they swept through the trees.
There were three of them—men dressed in dark armor, their faces hidden beneath hoods and masks. They moved with a practiced efficiency, their eyes scanning the area as they passed.
Elia didn't move, didn't make a sound. Her body was tense, but she showed no sign of panic. Kairon, however, could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his pulse quickening with each passing second. He could hear his own breath, harsh and shallow, and he forced himself to slow it, to calm the rising tide of fear threatening to overtake him.
The men moved past them, heading deeper into the forest, unaware of the two figures hidden in the undergrowth. Kairon's muscles screamed at him to stay still, to remain hidden until the threat was gone. But the power inside him—the golden light—stirred, a restless energy building within him.
The men's voices faded into the distance, and for a long moment, there was only silence.
Finally, Elia relaxed, her shoulders lowering slightly as she stood. "We need to move," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They're searching the area. It's only a matter of time before they find us."
Kairon nodded, his body still shaking from the tension. He rose slowly, his eyes flicking to the spot where the men had disappeared. "Do you think they know where we're headed?"
Elia paused, considering his question. "No. If they knew, they wouldn't be searching blindly. But they'll keep following us until they get what they want."
"And what do they want?" Kairon asked, though he already knew the answer.
"You," Elia said simply, her eyes locking onto his. "Or more specifically, the power inside you."
Kairon swallowed hard. He had known that his power was dangerous, but hearing it spoken so plainly brought a new weight to the reality of their situation. They were being hunted—by skilled, trained warriors who wouldn't stop until they had what they were after.
They moved swiftly, weaving through the trees with practiced caution. Elia's movements were smooth, her steps light, barely disturbing the forest floor. Kairon did his best to mimic her, though every now and then, a misplaced step would cause a twig to snap or a branch to brush against his cloak. Elia would shoot him a quick look, but she said nothing, understanding that they had no time to dwell on mistakes.
As they continued deeper into the woods, Kairon felt a shift in the air—a subtle change that sent a shiver down his spine. The forest seemed darker here, the trees more gnarled and twisted, their roots rising from the ground like skeletal hands reaching for the sky. The shadows seemed to cling to the trees, and the air was thick with a sense of foreboding.
"What is this place?" Kairon asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Elia's eyes scanned the area, her brow furrowing slightly. "An old part of the forest. Few people come here. It's said to be cursed."
"Cursed?" Kairon repeated, his skin crawling at the word.
Elia didn't elaborate, but her silence spoke volumes. There was something about this place that unsettled even her.
Kairon took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. As they pushed forward, the sense of being watched grew stronger, and the shadows seemed to shift around them as though something—unseen and malevolent—was moving just out of sight.
And then, without warning, the power inside him stirred again, stronger this time, a pulse of energy that shot through his body like a spark.
Kairon stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. Elia noticed immediately, her eyes narrowing as she turned to face him. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Kairon whispered, his hand instinctively going to his chest, where he could feel the warmth of the golden light pulsing beneath his skin. "Something... something's wrong."
Elia's expression darkened. "We need to keep moving. Whatever it is, we can't stop now."
But even as she spoke, Kairon knew something was coming. Something far more dangerous than the men who had been chasing them.
And it was closing in.