When he finally broke through the last line of trees, the familiar sight of the shed stood ahead of Teclos, its rune-covered wooden walls faintly humming with residual mana. For a moment, he just stood there—chest rising and falling, breath visible in the cold air.
Then he exhaled. A long and heavy sigh.
His shoulders dropped as the tension left his body all at once.
He made it.
He didn't need luck or saving. He had pulled through with quick thinking and adapted to the situation given to him.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
It grew wider by the second, until by the end, it looked quite cheeky.
"Suck on that, old man…"
He muttered under his breath, satisfaction clear in his tone as he walked up to the shed.
"At least you're not a total disappointment, brat."
The voice suddenly came from behind him.
It was close, very close, in fact.
Teclos froze.
The grin vanished instantly.
His body tensed as he turned his head slightly—
