I leaned against the jagged bark of an ancient tree, my breath ragged and shallow. Every muscle in my body protested with each movement, the wounds from my fight with Augustus gnawing at me. The pain was constant, but it wasn't just physical—there was a deeper ache, the kind that came from uncertainty. Elara lay beside me, her breathing soft but uneven. I could see the exhaustion in her face, the way it clung to her like a shadow. The wound on her arm hadn't improved, and the bandage I'd hastily wrapped around it was stained dark.
The smoke I'd spotted days ago had long since disappeared, swallowed by the endless expanse of trees to the north. It didn't mean we were safe. If anything, it only heightened my unease. Whoever had lit that fire wasn't far, and if they were anything like Augustus, I had every reason to be wary.
"We need to move soon," I muttered, though I wasn't sure if I was talking to Elara or myself. I glanced south, toward the dense underbrush where the trees grew thicker and the forest felt a little less hostile. South meant survival—or at least the hope of it.
But our progress was slow, painfully slow. Days blurred into one another as we trudged forward, each step an effort. My injuries sapped my strength, and Elara's silence was heavy, though she never complained. She trusted me. Even when her body begged for rest, she kept moving because she knew we had no other choice.
One night, as we sheltered beneath a weathered rock formation, Elara finally spoke, her voice breaking the silence. "Do you think he's still after us?"
I stared into the embers of our small fire, watching the flames dance as her words sank in. "Augustus?" I said, my voice low and tired. "He's not the type to give up easily. But he's wounded too. If he's smart, he'll rest."
"And if he's not?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"Then we'll know soon enough."
Her question lingered in the air long after the conversation ended. I kept watch, the forest around us full of shadows and distant sounds that could've been anything—or anyone. My mind kept returning to Augustus and the way he'd reacted when I mentioned the badges. His gesture had seemed almost harmless, but I knew better. He wasn't a man to be underestimated.
At dawn, the air felt different—cooler, heavier, and thick with the scent of rain. I could feel the storm coming before I saw the clouds gathering. We needed shelter, and soon. As we pushed deeper into the woods, I heard the sound of rushing water. A narrow stream cut through the underbrush, its banks lined with moss-covered stones. It wasn't much, but it was the first sign of relief we'd seen in days.
I knelt beside the stream and cupped my hands, letting the cold water wash over me before drinking deeply. The chill woke me up, sharpening my senses. Elara joined me, kneeling beside the water. Her face looked a little brighter, though the weariness still hung there.
"We'll rest here for a bit," I said, glancing up at the darkening sky. "But not for long."
The hours passed, and the storm finally broke. The rain came in torrents, soaking the forest and turning the ground to mud. We couldn't keep going, not in this. I found a shallow cave nearby, barely big enough for the two of us, but it would have to do. We huddled inside, listening to the wind howl outside as the rain lashed against the rocks.
Elara leaned against me, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Do you think we'll ever stop running?"
I didn't answer right away. My mind was already racing, thinking about the next step, the next move. "Not until we find what we're looking for," I said finally. "Not until we find a place where no one else can reach us."
The storm raged on, and as I stared out into the darkness, I couldn't shake the thought that kept circling in my mind: What if there's no such place?