Chapter 14: The Weight of Escape
The night air was icy, slicing across Ren's face as he sprinted through the forest. Each step echoed in his mind, a stark reminder of how close he'd come to death. The faint glow of the Codex lit his path ahead, but its energy was dim, as if the artifact itself was exhausted.
Ren stopped beside a fallen tree, panting heavily. Sweat mingled with dirt and dried blood from shallow cuts on his face and arms. He glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting Kaelen to emerge from the shadows, but all he heard was the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant chirping of nocturnal insects.
— "That was too close," he murmured, still struggling to catch his breath.
He knew the Codex had acted instinctively, shielding him when all seemed lost. But that reaction appeared to have come at a cost. The book, usually vibrant and pulsing with life, now lay still, as if it too needed time to recover.
Ren opened his pack and touched the Codex's cover.
— "What are you really?" he asked, more to himself than to the book.
It gave no response. Sighing, he closed the pack and tried to focus on his next move. The cave he had abandoned was no longer safe, and he had no idea how far Vorath's servants would go to retrieve him.
His body begged for rest, but his mind warned him that stopping now could mean death. He looked up at the sky, where the full moon shone brightly, and decided to keep moving.
---
As he continued, the forest thinned, giving way to a landscape of rolling hills dotted with grasses and scattered rocks. The wind grew stronger, carrying the scent of impending rain. He needed to find shelter again, but there was nothing in sight except for an empty horizon.
Descending one of the hills, something caught his eye. On a nearby rocky outcrop, a figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight. Tall and draped in a dark cloak, their presence exuded authority and power.
Ren froze, his heartbeat quickening. He recognized that presence even from afar. It wasn't Kaelen. This was someone far more dangerous.
— "Vorath..." he whispered, his hands tightening around the straps of his pack.
The figure didn't move, but the air around Ren grew heavy, oppressive. He knew he couldn't face Vorath. Not yet. Without thinking, he turned and ran.
His footsteps echoed in the still night, but he didn't dare look back. The forest faded behind him as he entered more open terrain, desperately searching for any place to hide. His mind screamed for him to run faster, but his body was nearing its limit.
Finally, he spotted a small depression in the ground, where a cluster of stones formed what looked like an opening. Without hesitation, he dove in, squeezing into the narrow space and working to steady his breathing.
Silence returned. For a moment, all Ren could hear was the pounding of his heart. He peeked outside, expecting to see Vorath or one of his servants, but there was no one.
— "Maybe he didn't see me," he whispered, more to reassure himself than out of certainty.
---
Minutes passed, or perhaps hours. Ren couldn't tell. The fear that had gripped him gradually gave way to an unbearable exhaustion, and he eventually drifted off, clutching the Codex tightly.
His dreams were restless. He saw Kael standing before him, but his mentor's face was darkened, burdened by an unseen weight. Kael raised a hand, pointing at something behind Ren, but when he turned to look, all he saw was an endless abyss.
Ren awoke with a start, his body stiff and his mind clouded. The moonlight was gone, replaced by the pitch black of an impending storm. He heard the first drops of rain pattering against the stones around him.
The Codex emitted a faint glow, its pulse weak but returning. Ren held the book closer, as though it were the only thing tethering him to safety.
— "I need answers," he said aloud, his renewed determination cutting through the exhaustion. — "If I'm going to face Vorath, if I'm going to honor Kael, I need to understand what you are."
The Codex offered no response, but Ren felt that his journey was only beginning.