The town slowly disappeared behind them.
Leo didn't look back.
Not because he wasn't curious
but because he already knew what he would see.
Men.
Searching.
Closing in.
His steps grew slower as they moved further away, the tension in his body finally beginning to loosen.
But only slightly.
The open fields stretched endlessly ahead, the early sunlight casting long shadows across the ground.
A gentle breeze passed through, carrying with it the scent of dry earth and distant crops.
For the first time in a while
there was space.
Leo exhaled.
"…We really got out," he muttered.
Aldric didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were still scanning the surroundings.
Careful.
Alert.
"…For now," he said.
Leo frowned slightly.
"…You don't sound very confident."
Aldric let out a faint breath.
"I'm not," he replied.
That answer was honest.
Too honest.
Leo glanced at him for a moment, then looked ahead again.
They walked in silence for a while.
The exhaustion began to settle in properly now.
Leo's legs felt heavier with each step.
His throat was dry.
And the small wound on his forehead had started to sting again.
"…How far is this place?" Leo asked.
"Not far," Aldric replied."A small town lies ahead."
Leo nodded, though he wasn't sure if he had the strength to keep going much longer.
A few more minutes passed.
Then Aldric suddenly slowed down.
Leo noticed immediately.
"…What is it?" he asked.
Aldric didn't respond.
His gaze was fixed on something ahead.
Leo followed his line of sight.
At first he saw nothing.
Just the empty road stretching forward.
Then movement.
Faint.
Distant.
A group of figures stood near the path ahead.
Not many.
Three… maybe four.
Leo's expression tightened.
"…More of them?" he asked quietly.
Aldric didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he observed them carefully.
Their posture.
Their positioning.
Then he shook his head slightly.
"…No," he said.
Leo blinked.
"…No?"
"They're not searching," Aldric replied.
Leo looked again.
The figures weren't moving much.
They weren't questioning anyone.
They weren't scanning the surroundings like the men in the town.
They were just standing there.
Waiting.
Leo felt a slight chill.
"…That's worse," he said.
Aldric didn't deny it.
"…We take a different route," he said quietly.
Leo nodded immediately.
They stepped off the main path, moving through a narrow stretch of land where tall grass grew unevenly.
The ground was rough.
Unstable.
Leo nearly stumbled once, but quickly regained his balance.
They continued like that for a while, keeping their distance from the road.
The figures remained in place.
Watching.
Even from afar it felt like their eyes were following them.
"…Who are they?" Leo asked after a while.
Aldric's expression darkened slightly.
"…Not the same men," he said."…But not unrelated either."
Leo didn't fully understand.
But he understood enough.
This wasn't just one group chasing them.
It was bigger.
Much bigger.
They finally moved far enough that the figures disappeared from view.
Leo let out a slow breath.
"…Feels like everywhere we go, someone's already waiting," he muttered.
Aldric didn't respond.
Because that thought…
wasn't wrong.
After some time, they reached a small clearing.
A few scattered trees stood around, providing shade from the rising sun.
"…We rest here," Aldric said.
Leo didn't argue.
The moment he sat down, his body relaxed more than he expected.
Too much.
His vision blurred slightly.
"…Hey…" he muttered, pressing his fingers lightly against his forehead.
The wound stung sharply.
Aldric noticed immediately.
"…You're injured," he said.
"…It's nothing," Leo replied.
But his voice wasn't as steady as before.
Aldric crouched slightly in front of him, his eyes narrowing.
"…You've been pushing too hard," he said.
Leo let out a small breath.
"…Didn't have much of a choice."
Aldric didn't argue with that.
Instead, he tore a small piece of cloth from his sleeve and handed it to Leo.
"…Wrap it," he said.
Leo stared at the cloth for a moment.
Then took it.
"…You're ruining your clothes," he said.
Aldric let out a faint chuckle.
"…I've lost more than that already."
Leo didn't respond.
He slowly wrapped the cloth around his forehead, tightening it just enough to stop the bleeding.
Silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
But not peaceful either.
After a while
Leo spoke again.
"…That place you mentioned," he said."…Valencrest."
Aldric looked at him.
"…What about it?"
Leo hesitated slightly.
"…If we reach there…" he said,"…will all of this stop?"
For a moment
Aldric didn't answer.
His gaze shifted slightly.
Not away
but deeper.
"…No," he said.
Leo froze.
"…What?"
Aldric's voice remained calm.
"…It won't stop," he said."It will only get worse."
The words sank slowly.
Leo stared at him.
"…Then why go there?" he asked.
Aldric met his gaze.
And for the first time there was something heavy in his eyes.
"…Because that's the only place we might survive," he said.
A silence followed.
A long one.
The wind moved gently through the trees.
Leo looked down at the ground.
His life had changed in less than a day.
From a quiet, unnoticed existence to something far beyond him.
Slowly
he lifted his head.
"…Then let's go," he said.
Aldric watched him for a moment.
Then nodded.
They stood up.
And began walking again.
Unaware That not far behind them
a pair of eyes watched silently from the shadows of the trees.
Waiting.
Following.
--------
The town had long disappeared behind them.
Only open land stretched ahead now—fields broken by patches of trees, uneven ground, and narrow dirt paths that twisted without pattern.
Leo walked in silence.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
The rush from earlier had faded.
Now only exhaustion remained.
"…We really got out," he said under his breath.
Aldric didn't slow.
"…For now."
Leo glanced at him.
"…You keep saying that."
Aldric's eyes moved across the horizon.
Careful.
Calculating.
"Because it's the truth," he replied.
Leo didn't argue.
The wind brushed past them, carrying a strange stillness with it.
Not peaceful.
Not calm.
Just… quiet.
Too quiet.
After a while, Aldric slowed slightly.
Leo noticed.
"…What is it?"
Aldric didn't answer.
His gaze shifted toward a cluster of trees ahead.
Leo followed his line of sight.
Nothing.
At first.
Then
movement.
A shadow slipping behind a trunk.
Too quick to notice unless you were already looking.
Leo's expression tightened.
"…We're not alone."
Aldric nodded faintly.
"…I know."
Leo's fingers curled slightly.
"…From the town?"
"…No," Aldric said.
"…These ones didn't rush."
That alone made it worse.
"…They followed us," Leo said quietly.
Aldric didn't deny it.
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Aldric stepped forward.
Not away.
Not faster.
Forward.
Leo frowned.
"…What are you doing?"
Aldric exhaled slowly.
"…Running won't help anymore."
Leo's chest tightened slightly.
"…So what, we just wait?"
Aldric's voice was calm.
"…We finish it."
Before Leo could respond
A voice came from the trees.
"…Smart."
Both of them turned.
Three figures stepped out from the shadows.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
Their movements were controlled.
Measured.
Not like the thugs from the village.
These men were different.
One of them stepped forward slightly, his gaze fixed directly on Aldric.
"…You've made this harder than it needed to be," he said.
Aldric didn't reply.
Leo's eyes moved between them.
No panic.
No shouting.
That alone made the situation feel heavier.
"…We only need him," the man continued, glancing briefly at Leo."You can leave."
Leo didn't move.
Aldric's expression didn't change.
"…That won't happen," he said.
The man sighed softly.
"…Unfortunate."
The air shifted.
And then they moved.
Fast.
One of them rushed forward, closing the distance in seconds.
Aldric stepped in to meet him.
Their movements clashed
not wildly
but with precision.
Aldric deflected the strike, his body shifting slightly to the side.
But the force still pushed him back half a step.
Leo noticed.
"…He's not fully recovered," Leo thought.
Another man moved in from the side.
Aldric reacted quickly, turning just enough to avoid a direct hit
but the edge of the attack grazed his arm.
A sharp line of red appeared instantly.
Leo's chest tightened.
"…Damn it."
He looked around quickly.
No weapon.
Nothing useful.
The third man hadn't moved yet.
He was watching.
Waiting.
Leo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Then I'll move first."
He grabbed a loose stone from the ground and threw it.
Not perfect.
Not strong.
But enough.
The man watching turned his head slightly.
A moment of distraction.
Aldric used it.
He stepped forward sharply, forcing the attacker in front of him back.
For a brief second the pressure eased.
"…Stay back!" Aldric said.
Leo ignored that.
Instead, he moved to the side, trying to keep distance but not completely leaving.
The fight continued.
Aldric moved carefully now.
Not aggressively.
He avoided more than he attacked.
Each movement measured.
Because he couldn't afford mistakes.
One wrong step and it would end.
The men noticed it too.
"…He's weakening," one of them said.
That single line made Leo's grip tighten.
"…We need to get out," Leo said quickly.
Aldric didn't respond.
Because he already knew.
Another attack came
faster this time.
Aldric blocked but the force pushed him back harder.
His footing slipped slightly.
Leo saw it.
That was enough.
"…Aldric!"
For a split second their eyes met.
That was all it took.
Aldric stepped back sharply.
"…Run!" he said.
Leo didn't hesitate this time.
He turned and ran.
Aldric followed immediately after, pushing himself forward despite the strain.
"…After them!" a voice shouted.
The chase began again.
But this time closer.
More dangerous.
Leo's legs screamed in protest.
His vision blurred slightly again.
But he didn't stop.
Behind them
footsteps.
Getting closer.
Too close.
"…We won't outrun them," Leo said.
Aldric's breath was heavier now.
"…We don't need to."
Leo didn't understand
until
Aldric suddenly changed direction.
Sharp.
Unexpected.
They cut through a dense patch of trees, forcing their pursuers to slow for just a moment.
Branches snapped.
Ground shifted.
Leo nearly fell—but kept going.
The distance widened
just slightly.
Just enough.
They didn't stop.
Didn't look back.
Only when the sounds behind them finally faded
did they slow.
Both of them breathing heavily now.
"…Did we lose them?" Leo asked.
Aldric looked back once.
Long.
Careful.
"…For now."
Leo let out a breath.
The forest thickened as they ran.
Branches clawed at their clothes.
Roots threatened to trip their steps.
The ground beneath them grew uneven, forcing every movement to be careful
but fast.
Leo's breathing had turned ragged.
Each breath burned his throat.
Each step sent a sharp ache through his legs.
But he didn't slow down.
"…How far?" he forced out.
Aldric didn't look back.
"…Close."
That was all he said.
Behind them
footsteps.
Not fading.
Not slowing.
Getting closer.
"They're gaining," Leo said.
"I know."
Aldric's voice was tighter now.
They pushed forward.
The trees began to thin slightly.
A faint opening ahead.
A clearing.
Leo's eyes locked onto it.
"…There?" he asked.
Aldric nodded.
"…We just need to reach it."
The words sounded simple.
But the distance between them and that clearing felt longer than anything before.
A sudden sound cut through the air.
A sharp movement behind them.
One of the pursuers had closed the gap.
Too fast.
Leo felt it
that presence
right behind him.
"…Aldric!"
Aldric turned slightly
just enough to see it.
No time to stop.
No time to fight.
"…Keep running!" he shouted.
Leo clenched his teeth and pushed harder.
The clearing grew closer.
Just a few more steps
A shadow moved past them.
Too fast to react.
One of the men lunged forward, aiming straight for Aldric.
Aldric twisted his body, barely avoiding the full impact
but the force still knocked him off balance.
He stumbled
Leo's heart dropped.
"…Aldric!"
The pursuers didn't stop.
They moved in.
Closing in.
The clearing was right there.
Right in front of them.
Aldric forced himself up, ignoring the pain shooting through his body.
"…Move!" he said.
Leo grabbed his arm without thinking.
They ran the last few steps together
And crossed into the clearing.
Then
They stopped.
Not because they wanted to.
But because
Someone was already there.
A man stood at the center of the clearing.
Still.
Silent.
As if he had been waiting.
The wind moved gently around him, brushing against his clothes, yet he didn't shift even slightly.
The moment felt… different.
The pursuers reached the edge of the clearing
but they didn't step in immediately.
For the first time
they hesitated.
Leo noticed it.
"…Who…?" he whispered.
Aldric didn't answer right away.
His eyes were fixed on the man.
Not with fear.
But with something else.
Relief.
The tension in his body finally loosened
just a little.
The man in the clearing slowly lifted his gaze.
His eyes moved past Leo
and settled on Aldric.
A quiet silence fell over everything.
Even the men chasing them didn't move.
As if something unseen had drawn a line they didn't dare cross.
Aldric let out a slow breath.
A faint, tired smile appeared on his face.
"…Took you long enough."