Morning came slowly.
Reed stirred awake to the faint rustling of leaves, his body still aching from the night before. His first instinct was to groan and roll over, but then reality sank in. He wasn't in a warm bed. He wasn't safe. He was still out here—still running.
Lena was already awake, of course. She sat a few feet away, sharpening her sword with slow, methodical movements. The soft scraping of metal against stone was the only sound in the otherwise quiet clearing.
Reed sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Do you ever sleep?"
Lena didn't look up. "Enough."
He huffed. "That's not an answer."
Still, she didn't elaborate.
Reed stretched his sore limbs and let out a breath. "Right. So, same plan as before?"
Lena nodded. "We move at dawn. The sooner we get out of this area, the better."
Reed ran a hand through his hair. "Not even gonna let me enjoy the morning, huh?"
She gave him a look. "Would you rather the people hunting us catch up?"
"…Point taken."
The thought sobered him quickly. They had no idea if the crypt had been their only threat, or if there were more waiting. That hooded figure still lingered in the back of his mind.
"Be careful which paths you walk."
What the hell did that even mean?
Lena stood, strapping her sword to her waist. "Let's go."
Reed sighed but didn't argue. He pushed himself up, stretching his sore muscles one last time before following her lead.
They moved through the dense forest, the morning light barely breaking through the thick canopy above. The ground was damp, the air filled with the scent of wet earth. Every step was careful, every sound measured.
Lena led the way without hesitation, her movements precise and practiced. Reed did his best to keep up, but his legs still felt like lead.
After a while, he finally broke the silence. "You're really used to this, huh?"
Lena didn't slow. "Used to what?"
"The whole surviving-on-the-run thing."
She was quiet for a moment. Then, finally, she said, "My brother taught me."
Reed glanced at her. She had said it before, but now, after everything, it carried more weight.
He hesitated before asking, "He was a soldier, wasn't he?"
Lena didn't answer right away. When she did, her voice was quieter. "He fought for the kingdom."
That wasn't really an answer, but Reed didn't push. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it.
Still, it made sense. The way she fought, the way she moved—it wasn't something you just picked up overnight. She had been trained by someone who knew war.
And now, she was carrying that knowledge alone.
Reed exhaled. "Guess that explains why you're still alive."
Lena shot him a glance, one brow raised. "You aren't dead either."
He smirked. "Yeah, well. I'm lucky."
She didn't respond, but something about her expression softened just slightly.
The path ahead stretched on. There was still a long way to go. But for now, at least, they weren't alone.