The young man did not turn around. He just kept looking at the fire. His voice was calm, but it felt heavy.
"Hey, you," he said. "Come here."
Ivan froze. He looked at Orion.
"Can you still run?" he whispered.
Orion shook his head. He was still breathing hard. "I really can't," he panted.
'Shit,' Ivan thought. 'I think we are in trouble.'
He knew it was not just Orion. His own legs felt like they were made of stone. Running was not an option.
There was no choice.
Ivan took a breath and stepped out from behind the rock. He walked slowly toward the man by the fire. Orion followed a few steps behind him, looking nervous.
The man finally looked up. His eyes were dark and sharp. He looked them over, from their messy hair down to their muddy boots.
"So," the man said. "What is your name?"
"Ivan," he answered.
Orion stepped forward a little. "And I'm Orion."
The man gave a small nod. "Well, nice to meet you. I'm Jin."
He looked back at Ivan. His gaze was intense.
"May I ask why you called for us?" Ivan asked. He tried to keep his voice steady.
Jin pointed a thumb over his shoulder, toward the forest. "Well, it's a big forest. What if you were planning to attack me from behind? The most logical thing to do is to call you out."
His logic was simple and sharp. It made Ivan feel uneasy.
Ivan searched his memory. He had spent years in the royal court in his first life. He knew every important noble, every knight, every powerful figure. He had never met anyone named Jin.
"We are just trying to survive here," Ivan said. "We don't want problems with anyone."
"Ah, I see," Jin said, a small smile playing on his lips. "The academy test."
He leaned forward a little, his eyes fixed on Ivan. "So, Ivan... do you know this area?"
The question was casual, but it felt like a trap.
"What? No," Ivan said immediately.
Jin's smile widened. "Because, you see, the academy test started just a little while ago. You both ran here at full speed. It's almost like you knew exactly where you were going."
Ivan said nothing. His mind went blank. He was caught.
Orion looked surprised. He looked at Ivan, then back at Jin. He hadn't thought about it, but it was true. Ivan had led them here with a strange confidence.
Ivan needed to say something. Anything.
"I can assure you,i just followed my Adventurer's Intuition." he said, trying to sound confident.
'Adventurer's Intuition?' he thought to himself. 'That's the best I could come up with? What a load of crap.'
Jin actually laughed. It was a short, sharp laugh. He reached over and picked up the grilled fish from the fire. He took a bite, chewing slowly while he looked at Ivan.
"Well," Jin said after swallowing. "I don't believe you."
He pointed at the area with his half-eaten fish. "There is no way you find this place by just 'intuition.' There's a clean river right there. There's this small, hidden cave. You've been here before."
Orion, trying to be helpful, stepped forward. "I can assure you he has never been here! He's been stuck with me all the time. And he's a prince. He grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth, not running around in forests."
Ivan wanted to sink into the ground.
"Hey," Ivan snapped at Orion. "Cut the crap or I'm going to kick your ass."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "The prince?" he asked, his interest clearly piqued. "So, Princess Lyra is your sister?"
Ivan just nodded.
"She's a strong woman," Jin said, a look of respect in his eyes. "I trained with her once. Next time you see her, tell her Jin says hi."
"Actually," Ivan said, a bit of his old sarcasm coming back. "I'm stuck at this academy. So next time you see her, you can tell her Ivan says hi."
Jin nodded, accepting that. He finished the rest of his fish in a few quick bites and tossed the stick into the fire. He stood up and stretched, like a cat waking up from a nap.
"Anyway, guys," he said, "unlike you, I don't have a test. I'm free to go. So you are free to use the cave."
He looked at them one last time. "Stay safe."
And with that, he started walking away into the forest, humming a cheerful little tune to himself. He disappeared into the trees as if he was never there.
Orion stared after him. "What a weird guy."
Ivan kept looking at the spot where Jin had vanished. He felt a cold sweat on his back. That was too close. Jin's comments made him feel exposed.
They sat down. They put their backpacks inside the small, dry cave. It was a good spot. Safe. Hidden.
Ivan needed to clear his head.
"I'm going to look around," he told Orion. "You stay here. Try to catch some more fish. We need the extra food."
Orion nodded and went to work by the river.
Ivan walked into the forest, following the stream. The plan was simple. Find some edible plants. Maybe some berries. Anything to add to their small supply.
The forest was quiet. The air was clean. It was almost peaceful.
'Peaceful,' he thought with a bitter laugh. 'There is no peace. Not really.'
He remembered the "peace" of the empire before the fall. The nobles played their games. The common people starved. Everyone pretended things were fine, right up until the monsters came and burned it all down.
'This forest is the same,' he thought. 'Everyone thinks this is a test. A game. They don't see the real danger. They don't see the hyenas waiting to attack.'
He felt old. He was trapped in a boy's body, surrounded by children.
He shook his head, trying to focus. He found a patch of berries he recognized. They were safe to eat. He started picking them and putting them in his pocket.
After a few minutes, he decided to go a little deeper. He needed to know the area. He needed to be prepared.
He walked past a large, old tree. And then he stopped.
He saw something on it.
It was not a mark from a student's knife. It was not a sign left by bandits.
It was a long, deep scratch in the wood. Then another one next to it. And another. Three huge claw marks, dug deep into the tree trunk. They were as high as his head.
Whatever made these marks was big. And it had very, very sharp claws.
A cold shiver ran down Ivan's spine.
'A beast,' he thought.
The idea made him feel small and weak. They were not alone in this forest.