The night had deepened, and the forest had grown eerily silent, yet beneath that silence, danger moved.
Inside the cave, the faint glow of fire flickered against the stone walls, but Aragon was no longer seated. His senses had already warned him.
Shadow Sense…
It was clear now they were close.
Without making a sound, Aragon stood up and stepped outside the cave, his movements calm, controlled, and precise. The moment he crossed the cave's entrance, the forest responded.
From the darkness of the bushes, glowing eyes began to appear,
One… two… five…
Soon, dozens…..
Low growls echoed as around twenty to thirty wolf like creatures emerged, their bodies lean yet muscular, their eyes sharp with hunger. Some were slightly larger, clearly stronger C-rank while the rest circled as D-rank hunters.
They were not ordinary beasts. These were coordinated predators.
Aragon stood alone before them, his expression unchanged.
"…So this is what was watching us "
The wolves began to spread out, forming a loose circle around him. Their movements were careful, testing.
Aragon exhaled softly.
Then, he moved in an instant, his figure blurred, Shadow Step.
A wolf lunged forward, but before it could reach him, Aragon appeared behind it, his hand slicing through the air.
The beast dropped instantly.
Another charged from the side.
Aragon twisted his body slightly and whispered, "Bind…"
Dark shadows surged from beneath the ground, wrapping tightly around the wolf's limbs, freezing it in place. With a single motion, he crushed it.
The fight escalated.
Three wolves attacked together, but Aragorn stepped through them like a ghost, his movements fluid, his strikes clean and precise. One by one, they fell.
The forest echoed with growls, snarls, and the dull thuds of collapsing bodies.
Aragorn's breathing remained steady.
To him, this was not a struggle. It was practice.
But then a shift. Three wolves suddenly broke formation. Instead of attacking him, they rushed past him… towards the cave. Aragon's eyes widened slightly.
The girl...
Without hesitation, he activated his movement.
"Shadow Step..."
In a blink, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of the cave's entrance.
But,he froze…..,
"…What?..."
The cave was empty. The girl was gone.
For the first time, Aragon's focus broke for a fraction of a second. And that was enough. The three wolves lunged at him simultaneously. He turned sharply, but the timing was off then a flash.
A silver blur cut through the darkness.
Before Aragorn could react, a figure appeared between him and the wolves.
A single, clean motion.
Slash....
All three wolves fell instantly, their bodies collapsing before they could even register what had happened.
Aragon stared.
Standing before him, her back slightly turned, sword lowered at her side…
The elven girl...
Her long hair flowed softly with the night breeze, and the faint glow of the fire behind them illuminated her form.
She was awake. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke Aragon blinked once,
"…That was fast."
The girl turned slightly, her sharp eyes meeting him for the first time. She studied him silently. So… this is the one who saved me. Before either of them could say more, the remaining wolves closed in again. The fight was not over. The girl stepped forward without hesitation.
"Stay sharp," she said calmly
Aragon smirked faintly, "You too..."
And then they moved. This time, it was different. The girl surged forward with incredible speed, her blade coated in a faint wind aura. Her movements were elegant yet deadly, each strike precise, each motion controlled.
A wolf leapt at her she vanished from its sight and reappeared beside it,
Slash...
Gone....
Another approached from behind, but a sharp gust of wind pushed it back, disorienting it before she finished it off.
Aragon watched for a split second.
Wind magic… and swordsmanship…
Not bad…..
Then he stepped in,
"Bind….."
Shadows erupted beneath two wolves, locking them in place as the girl sliced through them without hesitation. They began to move in sync.
Without words...
Without planning…..
Yet perfectly aligned….
Aragon controlled the battlefield. The girl eliminated the targets. Within minutes, the forest grew silent once more. The last wolf fell for a moment, there was only the sound of their breathing and the faint rustle of leaves.
Then, slowly, the tension faded. The girl lowered her sword. Aragon glanced around briefly before relaxing his stance,
"…That was clean "
The girl turned towards him fully now.
"My name is Jessy," she said calmly. "An elven soldier…"
Aragorn nodded slightly. "Aragon."
There was a brief pause.
Then Aragon spoke again, "You were being chased. By your own people "
Jessy's expression hardened slightly,
"…Yes "
She looked away for a moment before continuing,
"I was assigned a mission, I failed…"
Her voice was steady, but there was something beneath it.
"My superior… demanded something in return…"
She clenched her grip on the sword.
"I refused…"
Aragon said nothing, but his eyes sharpened slightly.
"They tried to silence me," she added quietly, "So I ran."
A brief silence followed
Aragon exhaled softly, "…I see "
Then he shrugged slightly, "I was just passing through. Saw you fall. That's it."
Jessy looked at him again
"…Thank you.."
Her voice was simple, but genuine.
After a moment, she asked, "Where are we?"
Aragorn glanced around
"No idea "
Jessy sighed lightly, "Then I'll check..."
Without wasting time, she stepped forward and activated her magic.
Wind gathered beneath her feet, lifting her gently into the air.
Aragon watched
"…Not bad."
Jessy rose higher, her figure becoming smaller against the night sky as she scanned the surroundings.
From above, the forest stretched endlessly.
And beyond it…Borders…..
She descended a few moments later.
"We're still in the neutral lands," she said. "Near the borders of Wolfden."
Aragon crossed his arms slightly.
"…So we didn't make it to Forestfall."
Jessy nodded.
"No,and going back… isn't an option for me."
Aragon looked ahead into the forest,
"…Brightshore isn't an option for me either."
There was only one direction left,
"Wolfden," he said….
Jessy paused for a moment
Then she nodded
"…Alright…."
And just like that, without overthinking, they made their decision.
The journey continued, the forest grew denser as they moved forward, the air heavier, the atmosphere wilder.
Then,
A deep growl echoed…..
Both of them stopped...
From the shadows ahead, a massive figure emerged.
A beast...
A bear like creature, towering over them, its body covered in thick fur and jagged spikes protruding from its back. Its claws were enormous, its presence overwhelming.
A B-rank monster…..
Jessy stepped forward instinctively
"I'll handle….."
"Wait….."
Aragorn raised his hand slightly, stopping her.
"You're injured….."
Jessy frowned slightly,"I'm fine..."
"Still….."
His tone was calm, but firm,
"Let me…."
Before she could argue further, Aragon stepped forward. The beast roared and charged. Aragon did not move.
"…Bind...."
Shadows exploded from the ground.
They wrapped around the creature's limbs, its body, its neck. The beast struggled…..
Roared...
But it couldn't move...
Aragon raised his hand slightly,
"…End….."
The shadows tightened.
And in the next moment the creature was torn apart,
Silence...
Jessy stared…..
For the first time… her composure broke slightly.
"…What… was that?"
Aragon turned back casually, "Just a trick….."(smiling)
Jessy narrowed her eyes slightly,
That's not a trick…
They continued moving. Along the way, a few more creatures appeared.
None lasted long. Some were cut down by Jessy's swift blade, enhanced by wind. Others were crushed or immobilised by Aragon's shadows.
The rhythm of battle became natural.
And slowly… So did their presence beside each other. By the time the sun began to rise, the forest started to thin.
Light filtered through the trees more clearly now.
And then they saw it. Far in the distance, beyond the edge of the forest…
A small village....
Quiet…..
Isolated...
Standing alone near the border of another land Aragon stopped.
Jessy stood beside him,
"…Looks like we're not alone anymore "
Jessy nodded softly
"…Let's go"
And together, they stepped out of the forest into the unknown...