The morning sky stretched endlessly above Elias. For the first time since the prison, he was outside the castle. Yet the weight of danger pressed all the same.
Shouts echoed in the distance, breaking through the stillness of the forest. The guards were searching. Their boots cracked against fallen twigs and their voices echoing throughout the entire forest.
He pushed himself up from the grass where he had collapsed after his escape. Behind him, the jagged line of the castle's rear wall loomed faintly, partially hidden by the dense foliage. Ahead, the forest spread wide.
He stepped forward.
The woods here were nothing like he had seen back in Cocytus. There, vegetation had crumbled to black, and animals absent as if the land itself had died long ago. Here, life thrived.
Leaves whispered overheard, their green so vibrant it almost hurt his eye. Wildflowers of violet and gold burst from the forest floor, thick with dew. A family of hares darted across his path, vanishing into a thicket. He caught the scent of wet soil and pine. For a moment, he simply breathed.
Alive, he thought. All of it is alive.
A soft cooing drew his attention.
He turned. Not far off, a tree leaned precariously over a steep slope, its roots half-bared where the soil had eroded. Nestled among its branches was a bird. Its feathers were pale silver with hints of blue. The song was lifting and oddly soothing, almost like a voice calling him closer and closer.
Elias found himself steeping forward, his chest loosening with every note. The bird tilted its head, unafraid, as if it waited for him.
But then –
The shouting grew louder. Metal clanged and dogs barked in the distance.
His body jerked back, instincts snapping into place. His boot slipped against the dirt.
Too late.
The ground tilted beneath him and the world spun. He rolled down the slope, branches scratching into his arms, his body tumbling down helplessly until, with a splash, he crashed into the water below.
Cold. Crushing.
The lake swallowed him whole, dragging him down. His limbs thrashed, but panic robbed him of his strength. The lake was deeper than it looked. Every desperate kick sent him lower.
I can't swim.
The thought hit him like another weight. Panic surged. His chest burned. Water forced its way into his nose, choking him and filling his throat until he gagged. He tried to scream but only swallowed more.
Then, something tugged.
His body jerked upward. His hand smacked against something thin and taut. A fishing line. The sharp bit of the hook snagged onto the cuff of his coat, pulling tight.
Above, the rod bent to a trembling arc. On the shore, a girl dug her feet into the mud, bracing herself and clenching the fishing rod with both her hands. Her dark hair whipped into her face.
"Hold on!" she shouted.
Elias' hands fumbled blindly, slick with water. He clawed at the thread, wrapping his fingers around it. The line bit hard, but he clung to it like a lifeline.
She pulled, but her weight wasn't enough. The thread quivered, threatening to snap at any moment. Elias kicked, half sinking and half floating. His chest heaved as his lungs screamed for air.
"Don't let go!" the girl cried. She staggered backward, digging her heels deeper into the mud, nearly falling as the rod jerked.
Elias coughed and sputtered. His free hand smacked against the water. The shoreline was only a few meters away.
His vision blurred. The girl screamed again and threw her whole body backward, nearly toppling into the grass as she hauled the rod with everything she had.
The sudden tug yanked Elias forward. His knees scraped against the stones below. His fingers clawed desperately until… his hand finally slammed onto solid ground.
The fishing rod clattered beside him.
The girl crouched near him, wide-eyed. She couldn't have been older than eighteen. Dark hair tied back messily, freckles scattered across her cheek and a simple linen dress torn at the hem. Her hands shook violently from the strain of holding onto the rod.
Elias lay there for a moment as his chest heaved.
"Th… thank you," Elias rasped, water dripping from his hair into the soil.
She hesitated before offering a hand to help him sit upright. "My name's Amelia," she said softly. "Who are you? Where… where did you come from?"
Elias' gaze flicked upward. Through the trees came faint shouts of the soldiers that were closing in.
"I don't have time to explain," he said before stumbling to his feet.
Amelia stepped back, studying him. His ragged clothes and the scar across his face. The way he kept glancing towards the woods, like a cornered animal.
"You're… in danger, aren't you?" she said quietly.
Elias froze. His breath caught, though he didn't say anything.
That silence was enough.
Her expression shifted. She reached into a small satchel at her side and pulled out a crust of bread. The last one inside.
"Here." She pressed it into his palm. "You look like you really need one."
"I can't –" Elias started, shaking his head.
But his stomach betrayed him with a low, aching growl. His cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Elias hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to keep moving and disappear deeper into the forest. To drag this girl into his troubles felt cruel.
But the shouts were closer now.
His eyes darted back to the girl. She didn't flinch.
Amelia glanced towards the forest's deeper shade. "If they're chasing you, they'll be here in minutes."
"…Then… I'll keep running." Elias pushed himself to his feet. "You should not concern yourself with me."
Her eyes narrowed. "You won't make it ten steps before they catch your trail.
He froze, caught between her words and the shouts rolling down from the hillside.
After a long moment, the girl exhaled softly through her teeth. "Follow me. I know another way out."
"I've survived worse." He tried to sound certain. His legs trembled when he took a step. The pain in his ribs throbbed with every breath.
Amelia crossed her arms. "Fine then. I'll be on my way. Don't say I didn't warn you."
She turned, already making her way through the forest.
Elias stood there for a moment, watching her go. The forest around him suddenly felt larger, and colder.
The shouts were closer now, boots pounding against the soil, steel clanging faintly through the wind.
He looked down at his shaking hands. Keep running. Keep moving, he told himself. The exhaustion was deep and his body wouldn't obey.
…
"Damn it…" Elias muttered under his breath and turned sharply. "Wait!"
Amelia stopped and glanced over her shoulder. He met her eyes.
"I'll follow," he said. "Just… slow down for me."
She gave a faint, humorless smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She moved fast – barefoot, silent, cutting through the forest with proficiency.
They weaved through roots and thorns until the trees began to thin, revealing a narrow path that curved towards the edge of the forest. Smoke rose faintly in the distance – a village.
But behind them, the forest erupted with voices.
Elias' heart hammered. He glanced over his shoulder only to notice figures behind the trees closing in fast.
Amelia caught his wrist and yanked him down into the bushes. They crouched low, breathless.
"They'll sweep this way," Elias whispered. "We need to – "
Amelia pressed a finger to his lips. Her eyes darted to a slope ahead. "Hide there. Don't move."
He started to protest, but the steel in her tone made him obey. She pushed him towards the hollow and turned just as the first knight burst through the trees.
"Girl!" one of the guards barked. "Have you seen a man pass this way? Tall, scarred face, left eye wounded."
Elias' breath caught. From the hollow, he could see the edge of her skirt, the tension in her shoulders.
Amelia froze for only a heartbeat. Her gaze flicked toward the hollow where Elias hid, then back to the soldier.
The mages behind the knights swept through the air. The magic shimmered. The spell would find him any moment now.
Amelia's throat worked. She could feel it, the heat of the magic, the pressure building.
If she lied and they found him, she'd be punished. And she knew that very well.
The knight took a step closer. "Well?"
Elias' fingers dug into the dirt.
Amelia's hand lifted slowly. Her fingers trembled as she pointed…
The knight's gaze snapped in the direction she had indicated –
And the world seemed to hold its breath.