Eldric's wagon rolled along the dusty road as night began to fall. The sun disappeared behind the walls of Etharyon, leaving only a red glow on the horizon.
Kai remained silent, sitting beside the traveler. The horse's steady steps were the only constant rhythm, broken only by the distant calls of crows returning to their nests.
"So…" Eldric said, gently pulling the reins. "Have you always been the silent type, or is it just with me?"
Kai shot him a wary glance but didn't answer right away.
"I don't usually talk to strangers."
"Good." Eldric gave a crooked smile. "That means you still have some survival instinct."
Kai frowned.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Maybe because I hate seeing ignorance win. Or maybe because you remind me of someone." He adjusted the cloak over his shoulders. "But don't expect an explanation right now."
Silence returned, heavy and uncertain. Kai wasn't sure whether he felt gratitude or fear.
Before long, the road grew dark. Tall trees closed in over the path, their twisted branches forming a canopy above. Eldric stopped the wagon near a clearing and began unloading supplies.
"We don't travel at night," he said, lighting a small fire. "Darkness favors the hunter, not the one being hunted."
Kai sat a few steps away, watching the flames dance. The warmth brought some relief, but his heart remained restless. His thoughts drifted back to his damp little room in the lower part of the city.
The improvised altar.
The unlit candle.
And on the table… the rune-marked stone.
A tightness gripped his chest. The only link to his origins, left behind beyond the walls that now condemned him.
Kai suddenly stood up.
"I need to go back."
Eldric didn't move. He simply lifted his eyes from the fire.
"Back? To the place where they're already hunting you?"
"There's something of mine there. Something important." Kai took a step toward the darkness.
The traveler sighed, rubbing his short beard.
"If you go after what you left behind, you won't just find neighbors with torches. You'll find guards… and maybe something worse."
Kai clenched his fists.
"It doesn't matter. I can't lose it."
Eldric studied him for a few seconds, then looked back at the fire.
"I won't stop you. But remember this: running backward instead of forward is the fastest way to get caught."
Kai said nothing. The cold wind carried the scent of the distant city. Without waiting any longer, he disappeared among the trees, leaving the fire behind.