The forest seemed endless as Kael, Lyra, and Dren made their way deeper into its dark embrace. The cold air bit at their skin, and the smell of damp earth clung to their clothes. The weight of their journey hung heavy on them, but the immediate threat of the mercenaries in the village pushed them forward. They needed to find shelter, food, and a place to regroup.
Kael's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—his family, his home, the mercenaries—but nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The anger he'd felt after the attack had been replaced by a hollow emptiness that gnawed at his insides. They were on the run, trying to survive, but Kael wasn't sure what he was even fighting for anymore. His eyes kept drifting to the ground as they walked, lost in the rhythm of their footsteps, trying to push back the ache in his chest.
Lyra's voice broke through his haze. "We need to find shelter before nightfall. It's getting too cold."
Kael nodded absently. He had been too lost in thought to notice how the temperature had dropped. His fingers were stiff, and his breath hung in the air like smoke. He glanced up, seeing that Dren had already started scouting the area, his sharp eyes scanning the treeline for any signs of danger.
"Think we'll find anything?" Lyra asked, sounding more pragmatic than she had in days.
Kael shrugged, his voice low. "We don't have a choice. We need to keep moving."
Dren returned after a moment, crouching low beside them. "There's a cave up ahead. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. We can rest there for the night."
Kael looked toward the direction Dren pointed. The cave was a small opening in the hillside, barely visible through the thick trees. It didn't look like much, but it was a place to hide, and that was all they could hope for right now.
"Good enough," Kael muttered. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep moving without breaking down, but he forced his legs to carry him forward. The forest felt suffocating, as though it were closing in on him. The shadows seemed deeper, darker here, and the wind whistled through the branches like a warning.
When they reached the cave, Dren immediately started gathering firewood, while Lyra searched for any signs of wildlife nearby. Kael stood at the entrance, watching them work, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn't want to think about what had happened to the village, or what was waiting for them ahead. He just wanted a moment of peace, however brief.
"Are you okay?" Lyra's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She stood a few steps behind him, her brow furrowed in concern.
Kael didn't turn to face her. "I'm fine."
"Really?" Lyra pressed, her voice softer now. "You've been quiet. More than usual."
Kael's grip on the sword tightened. "I'm just tired. It's nothing."
She didn't say anything for a long moment. Kael could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't want to meet her gaze. She was different from the others. She didn't ask questions—she just understood. But this wasn't something he could explain. How could he? How could he put into words the way he felt like a ghost in his own life, like everything had been ripped away from him without warning?
"Kael…" she started again, but this time, there was no force behind her words. Just concern. "You don't have to carry this all by yourself."
Kael turned to face her then, his expression cold, distant. "I don't need anyone's pity."
"I'm not pitying you," Lyra said quietly, crossing her arms. "I just don't want you to push us away. We're in this together."
He wanted to snap at her. To tell her that she didn't understand, that it didn't matter how much they cared—it wouldn't bring back his family, his home. But he didn't. Instead, he just looked away, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not pushing anyone away. I'm just trying to survive."
Lyra didn't push him further. She simply nodded and turned back toward the fire that Dren had started. Kael felt a pang in his chest as he watched her walk away, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being alone, even surrounded by people who cared.
Night fell quickly, and the forest grew colder. Kael, Lyra, and Dren huddled together by the fire, the warmth of the flames doing little to ease the chill in their bones. They ate what little they could find—some berries Dren had managed to gather and a few dried pieces of meat that Lyra had kept in her pack—and then fell into an uneasy silence. There was no laughter, no lighthearted conversation. Only the sound of crackling fire and the distant howls of creatures in the woods.
Kael couldn't sleep. His mind wouldn't allow it. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the flames of the village, heard the screams of the people, and felt the emptiness that had settled in his chest. His thoughts circled around his parents, the life he had lost, and the mercenaries that had taken everything from him.
After what felt like hours, he finally stood up, the weight of his exhaustion pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. "I'm going for a walk," he said, his voice rough.
Lyra looked up, concern flashing in her eyes, but Kael was already walking away, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. He didn't need anyone's permission. He just needed to get away from the fire, from the warmth, from the people who cared about him. It was too much. Too close.
As he walked, Kael found himself drifting deeper into the forest, further from the fire, further from the others. He didn't know where he was going—he just kept walking, one foot in front of the other, until the sound of his breath was the only thing he could hear.
The forest was silent now, almost unnaturally so. The trees seemed to loom around him, their branches twisting and bending like dark fingers. It was as though the forest itself was alive, watching him, waiting for him to slip up. Kael couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Suddenly, he froze.
A pair of glowing eyes appeared in the distance, far enough away to be just a blur in the darkness. His heart skipped a beat. The forest had been silent, but now it felt like the air had thickened, pressing in on him.
The eyes blinked, and Kael's pulse quickened. Something about them felt wrong, unnatural. He took a step forward, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword, but the eyes didn't move. They just stared.
Kael swallowed hard. This wasn't right. He wasn't ready for whatever this was. But the feeling of dread in his gut told him he didn't have a choice.