The plains stretched endlessly before them, vast and barren, with only the distant mountains breaking the monotony of the landscape. The air was cooler out here, the oppressive weight of the cursed forest left behind, but a lingering unease clung to Kairon like a shadow. Every step felt heavy, his mind still reeling from the chaos of the last few days.
They had escaped the woods, but they hadn't outrun the danger. Kairon knew that the men hunting him—and the power within him—would not rest. They might have found temporary safety, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something darker, something more sinister, was waiting for them just over the horizon.
Elia walked beside him in silence, her sharp eyes scanning the plains as if expecting danger at any moment. She moved with a confidence that Kairon envied, her every step purposeful, as though no enemy could catch her off guard. Yet, even in her quiet strength, he sensed the tension in her shoulders, the subtle alertness that came with being constantly hunted.
For a while, neither of them spoke, the only sound the crunch of their boots on the dry earth. The sky was a muted gray, heavy with the promise of rain, though none had yet fallen. It was a welcome change from the suffocating atmosphere of the cursed woods, but the open space left Kairon feeling exposed.
Finally, Elia broke the silence. "We need to find shelter," she said, her voice calm but firm. "We've been running too long without rest."
Kairon nodded, though his body felt like it was already shutting down from exhaustion. His legs ached, and his mind was clouded with fatigue, but there was no time to dwell on it. He had learned that in this world, there was always something—or someone—waiting to take advantage of a moment's weakness.
"Where can we go?" Kairon asked, scanning the empty plains. "There's nothing out here."
Elia pointed toward the distant mountains. "There are caves in those foothills. If we can reach them by nightfall, we should be able to hide out for a while and recover."
Kairon frowned, glancing at the mountains. They seemed impossibly far away, looming like dark sentinels on the horizon. "Do you think we'll make it?"
Elia gave him a sidelong glance, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "We don't have a choice."
Her words, though spoken lightly, carried an undeniable weight. Kairon knew she was right. The open plains offered no cover, no protection. If their enemies caught up with them out here, they would be sitting ducks. The mountains were their only hope.
They walked for hours, the sun creeping across the sky, casting long shadows across the plains. Kairon's muscles screamed in protest, every step a battle against the exhaustion that threatened to drag him down. The golden light inside him had quieted, though it remained a constant presence, like a sleeping beast beneath the surface. He could feel it, waiting, biding its time, ready to surge to life again at the slightest provocation.
As they neared the foothills, the ground became rockier, the once flat landscape giving way to uneven terrain. Kairon stumbled more than once, his legs trembling with fatigue, but he pushed on, driven by the need for safety. Elia moved ahead with practiced ease, her steps steady despite the rough ground.
Finally, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, they reached the base of the mountains. The towering peaks loomed above them, their jagged edges cutting into the sky like teeth. The air was cooler here, the wind carrying a faint chill that made Kairon shiver despite his exhaustion.
Elia led the way to a small cave tucked into the side of the mountain. It wasn't large—just enough space for the two of them to huddle inside—but it would do. Kairon collapsed onto the rocky ground, his body sagging with relief. Every muscle ached, his legs trembling from the strain of the long walk, but for the first time in days, he felt a small measure of safety.
Elia crouched near the entrance, her back to him as she scanned the plains below. "We'll rest here for the night," she said, her voice low. "But we can't stay long. They'll catch up eventually."
Kairon nodded, though he could barely keep his eyes open. He leaned back against the cool stone wall of the cave, his body too tired to protest. His mind was still racing, filled with thoughts of the power inside him, the men who hunted him, and the growing sense that everything he had once known was slipping further and further away.
"You should sleep," Elia said without turning around. "You'll need your strength for tomorrow."
Kairon let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Sleep? After everything that's happened, I'm not sure I can."
Elia glanced back at him, her expression softening for the briefest moment. "You'd be surprised what exhaustion can do to a person."
He didn't argue. His body felt like it was made of lead, each breath heavy and labored. The adrenaline that had kept him going for so long had finally worn off, leaving him drained and vulnerable. Still, sleep seemed like a distant possibility, his mind too full of questions, too full of fear.
"Elia," he said quietly, his voice barely audible. "Why are you helping me?"
For a moment, she didn't answer. She turned back toward the plains, her gaze distant, as though searching for something out there in the fading light. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft but laced with something Kairon couldn't quite place—something almost regretful.
"You're not the only one running from something," she said. "We all have our demons."
Kairon stared at her, surprised by the admission. Elia had always seemed so composed, so in control. He had never imagined that she, too, was haunted by something in her past. But her words carried a weight, a burden that Kairon could sense even if he didn't fully understand it.
"What are you running from?" he asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
Elia didn't respond right away. She remained silent for a long time, her eyes fixed on the darkening horizon. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, almost lost to the wind.
"Something I can't outrun," she said.
Kairon wanted to press her, to ask more, but he sensed that this was not the time. There was a heaviness in her words that spoke of deep wounds, of a past that she wasn't ready to share. He understood that feeling all too well. There were parts of his own past that he wasn't ready to confront—parts that seemed even more distant now, as if they belonged to someone else.
They sat in silence for a while longer, the weight of the world pressing down on them. Kairon could feel the exhaustion pulling at him, dragging him toward sleep despite his lingering fear. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he realized it, he had drifted off.
The dream came again, as it always did.
He stood in the same barren wasteland, the sky a swirling mass of dark clouds. The golden light surrounded him, brighter than ever, pulsing with a power that felt both terrifying and familiar. In the distance, a figure moved toward him, cloaked in shadow. Kairon tried to speak, to call out, but no sound came. His voice was lost to the wind.
The figure drew closer, and with it, the sense of dread grew. It was the same dream, the same vision that had haunted him for days. But this time, something was different. The figure wasn't just a shadow—it was real. And it was coming for him.
Kairon's heart raced as the figure reached out, its hand cloaked in darkness, and the golden light inside him flared, a blinding surge of energy that erupted from his chest.
He woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding in his ears. The cave was dark, the night outside still and silent. Elia sat near the entrance, her silhouette barely visible in the dim light.
For a moment, Kairon couldn't shake the feeling that the figure from his dream was still out there, waiting for him in the shadows.
"Elia," he whispered, his voice hoarse.
She didn't turn around. "Go back to sleep," she said quietly. "The nightmares won't follow you here."
But Kairon wasn't so sure.