Morning came quietly, as if the world was pretending not to notice them.
Mist drifted low across the ground, clinging to roots and stones. Birds called softly, unaware of the danger that followed behind human footsteps. For a few fragile hours, it felt like they were alone.
Elion woke slowly.
Pain greeted him first, sharp and demanding, but he pushed it aside. He had learned how to do that. What caught his attention was the stillness beside him.
She sat near the cold ashes of the fire, back straight, hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her skin looked drawn, almost gray, and dark circles framed her eyes.
"You should be resting," he said.
She turned, startled, as if she had not heard him wake. "So should you."
He tried to stand and failed. His legs buckled, and he caught himself on a rock with a sharp hiss.
She was at his side instantly.
"Do not," she said, fear breaking through her careful calm. "You cannot keep doing this."
"I cannot keep lying still while you burn yourself from the inside," he replied.
The words landed heavier than he intended.
Her hands froze on his arm.
"You do not understand," she whispered.
"Then help me understand."
She pulled away, standing too quickly. For a moment, he thought she might run again. Instead, she pressed her forehead against a tree trunk, breathing hard.
"I bound it last night," she said. "The fire."
Elion's chest tightened. "You what"
"If I let it move freely near you, it will wake fully. And when it wakes, it will not listen." Her voice trembled despite her effort to stay steady. "Binding it hurts. It is like holding a storm in my chest."
"You did that for me," he said.
She turned to face him. Her eyes were fierce and broken all at once. "I did it because if I lose control again, I will not survive it. And neither will you."
Elion looked at her for a long moment.
"Everything costs you," he said quietly.
She had no answer for that.
They moved slowly after that. Every step was measured. Every sound made her tense. The forest felt closer now, heavier, as if it knew something hunted within it.
By midday, Elion's strength began to fade.
She felt it before he admitted it. His hand shook when he leaned on her. His breathing grew shallow.
"Sit," she ordered.
He obeyed this time.
She knelt in front of him, pressing her hand over his wound. The blood had slowed, but the skin around it was angry and hot.
"You are burning up," she murmured.
He smiled faintly. "I suppose we have that in common now."
She did not smile back.
"This is my fault," she said.
"No," he replied. "This is the cost of staying."
The words echoed in her chest.
Staying had always been the dangerous choice.
As the sun dipped lower, she felt it again.
Not the fire.
Something else.
A presence.
Her head snapped up. Her gaze swept the trees.
Elion followed her expression. "They are close."
She nodded slowly. "Closer than before."
She helped him to his feet, fear and resolve tangling in her chest.
They had delayed the fire.
They had delayed the hunters.
But nothing stayed delayed forever.
And the price of love was coming due.