The moon cast a pale glow over the rushing river, its waters dark and swift. The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and the only sounds were the heavy breaths of the three fugitives and the distant crackling of the burning camp.
Njuwa's mind was still reeling.
The masked cultivator—what was he?
He had torn through those mercenaries as if they were nothing, their lives snuffed out like candles in the wind. If Nyoka hadn't thrown that smoke bomb, they'd all be dead.
Nyoka crouched beside Jengo, inspecting his wound. "We need to stop the bleeding."
Jengo gave a weak chuckle, wincing as he pressed his hand against his side. "I'm more worried about that demon coming after us."
Njuwa scanned the treeline. The thick smoke had bought them time, but not much. That man was hunting them, and when he came again, there would be no escaping.
His hands tightened into fists. "We need to cross the river."
Nyoka looked up sharply. "Are you insane? That current will kill us."
Njuwa pointed to a fallen tree a little downstream. The massive trunk stretched across part of the river, but the rushing waters had eroded its base, making it unstable.
"It's our best chance," he said. "If we stay here, we die."
Nyoka hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. But we move fast."
Jengo groaned, pushing himself up. "Fast isn't exactly my thing right now."
"Then lean on me," Njuwa said, slinging Jengo's arm over his shoulder.
They moved quickly, their eyes flicking back toward the forest with every step.
The masked man had not followed.
Yet.
Crossing the Divide
The fallen tree was slick with moisture, its bark stripped bare by the river's endless assault. The current below was unforgiving, a relentless force that promised death to any who fell in.
Nyoka went first, moving with the balance of a trained assassin. She reached the other side quickly and turned to gesture for the others.
Jengo was next.
Njuwa helped him onto the trunk, carefully guiding his steps. The former prisoner grimaced with each movement, his body weak from blood loss.
"Almost there," Njuwa muttered.
Jengo nodded, taking another step—
A crack split the air.
The tree groaned, shuddering beneath them.
Njuwa's stomach dropped.
The base was giving way.
"Move!" Nyoka shouted.
Jengo took a final desperate step just as the tree collapsed.
The river roared, swallowing the broken trunk in an instant.
Njuwa leaped—his hands barely catching the rocky edge of the riverbank. His legs dangled over the rushing waters below, the cold spray soaking his clothes.
Nyoka was already there. She grabbed his wrists and hauled him up.
They collapsed onto the ground, gasping.
Jengo lay beside them, groaning. "I think…I hate rivers now."
Njuwa allowed himself a brief, breathless laugh. "Join the club."
Then—a sound from the forest.
A whisper of wind.
A presence.
They weren't alone.
A Dark Arrival
Njuwa's heart stopped.
On the opposite riverbank, he stood.
The masked cultivator.
Unmoving. Watching.
The moonlight cast an eerie glow on his dark robes, his black mask giving away nothing.
Njuwa felt something deep in his chest—a primal fear.
The man had no aura. No killing intent. No anger.
And that was what made him terrifying.
Jengo sucked in a sharp breath. "We're dead."
Nyoka didn't answer. She was frozen, one hand on her dagger, but even she knew—they couldn't fight him.
The masked man tilted his head slightly.
Then, without a sound, he turned away.
And just like that, he vanished into the darkness.
Njuwa let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He should have felt relief.
But he didn't.
That man…he had let them go.
Which meant—
This wasn't over.
The Road Ahead
The night stretched on as they moved deeper into the wilderness. Jengo was struggling, his steps growing weaker with every mile, but they couldn't afford to stop.
When dawn finally broke, they found themselves at the edge of a dense valley. Mist curled around the treetops, and in the distance, Njuwa could make out the ruins of an ancient temple.
Nyoka exhaled. "This place…it's a cultivator's ruin."
Jengo groaned. "Great. More places full of things trying to kill us."
Njuwa ignored him.
Something was pulling him forward.
He didn't know why, but he needed to go inside.
As they stepped toward the ruins, a single thought filled Njuwa's mind.
Whatever lay inside…could change everything.