He gritted his teeth, the searing pain in his thigh a white-hot explosion. Without a second of hesitation, he grabbed the rough shaft of the arrow and yanked it out of his leg with a wet, tearing sound. Blood immediately began to soak through his pants, hot and sticky against his skin.
He stumbled, his vision swimming for a moment, but he caught himself, his face pale. He looked at Leonardo, his eyes wide and urgent.
"Leo, run."
Leonardo didn't run. He froze for a second, then rushed to Ivan's side, trying to help him up. "Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you!"
"Why don't you listen at all?" Ivan hissed, pushing him away.
"I can't go back to the girls and tell them that I left you injured somewhere out here!" Leonardo shot back, his voice a mix of fear and stubborn loyalty.
Two figures emerged from behind the bushes, crude bows in their hands. They were twins, their faces gaunt and smudged with dirt, but their eyes sharp with desperation. It was Kevin and Kalvin.
"Look what we got ourselves, brother," Kevin said with a hungry grin. "A prince."
Ivan forced himself to stand straight, ignoring the fire in his leg. "You didn't get me," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "I came here on my own will. To help you guys."
Kalvin laughed, a short, ugly sound. "Yeah, everyone says that when they fall into the trap."
"Seriously," Ivan said with a roll of his eyes. "At nine years old, I could have set a better trap than this one. I came here because I knew you were desperate for food since it's been raining "
"Cut the crap," Kevin snapped, raising his bow. "We don't need your help. Drop whatever you have before we eliminate you."
"Kevin, how about this," Ivan said, his mind racing, formulating a plan on the spot. "Leo here is going to fight your brother. If you guys win, we'll eliminate ourselves after giving you all our food. If you lose, you come with us to our camp."
"Huh?" Kalvin said, confused. "And why should I fight him?"
"Because at the end of the day, you entered this academy to be a knight who follows the prince's orders, am I wrong?" Ivan's voice took on an authoritative edge. "I'll treat you as a future knight and give you an honorable 1v1 against Leo. If you don't do it, what's the point of you being here at all? Why stay in this cold, wet forest? Just go home."
The twins remained silent. They hated it, but Ivan was somehow right. Their pride was on the line.
"Hey!" Leonardo whispered frantically. "Don't throw me into fights just like that any—"
"Shut up, Leo," Ivan cut him off quietly. "It's the only way."
Kalvin finally nodded, a determined look on his face. "Fine. I'll accept the fight."
"Good," Ivan said, a small, predatory smile touching his lips. "Since this is a fight between two future knights, you need to fight on equal terms. And since you guys don't have many weapons, it must be a fistfight."
"Fine," Kalvin growled. "I'll take him down."
He tossed his bow to his brother and walked to a small, clear space between the trees, cracking his knuckles.
Leonardo looked at Ivan, his eyes wide with panic. "Ivan, are you sure about this? I'm not that strong."
"It's okay," Ivan whispered, leaning on him for support. "They're tired. They're probably hungry, too. Just hold him back. Survive."
Leonardo nodded, his expression grim. He accepted the fact that he was being used as a pawn in Ivan's dangerous game.
The two fighters went into their stances, facing each other. Kevin, seeing Ivan leaning against a tree, came and sat on a nearby log, watching.
"Who do you think is gonna win?" Ivan asked casually.
"My brother, of course," Kevin said, not taking his eyes off the fighters.
"I look forward to seeing the look on Kalvin's face when he realizes he lost the war." Ivan said with a smirk.
Kevin remained silent, refusing to be drawn into a psychological war.
Ivan took a deep breath and shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. "Alright! Fight!"
Kalvin immediately launched forward, throwing a powerful punch that Leonardo just barely managed to guard.
---
In another camp, miles away, Orion was restless. He paced back and forth, ignoring the steady rain. Ivan hadn't shown up since he'd left their camp after their argument yesterday.
"Why are you slacking off, Orion?" Marcus's voice boomed from the mouth of their cave. "It's been one day, and you can't keep up with the hard work."
"No, it's not that," Orion said, his voice full of worry. "But Ivan is my friend, and he left after we argued. It's kinda... suffocating."
Marcus snorted. "Don't underestimate that bastard. Someone who was able to give me a hard time isn't someone who can't survive in this forest for a few days. Even if there are beasts or whatever, that bastard is surviving somewhere."
"Without his gear?" Orion asked quietly.
Marcus was silent for a long moment. "Unfortunately," he said, his voice softer, "I start trusting his skills. He's not the same Ivan I'm used to." He then hardened his voice again. "Now get your ass to work before I dive your head in the river until you go unconscious!"
Orion, surprisingly, felt a small sense of relief. He thanked Marcus and went back to work.
Marcus laid down inside the cave and closed his eyes, thinking about something.
---
Back at the fight, Leonardo was in trouble. He was desperately trying to block a vicious roundhouse kick, but the next uppercut got past his guard and snapped his head back, right on the jaw.
He stumbled, his vision blurring. Leo was losing the fight, but he was still standing his ground, refusing to go down. Kalvin was faster and stronger.
Kalvin moved in for the finishing blow, his fist drawn back.
Then, all of a sudden, a new voice cut through the air, sharp and cold.
"Don't move."
Ivan grinned. "Yo, Kalvin," he called out. "It's the end of the fight."
Kalvin, confused, turned around. His eyes widened in horror.
Jomana was standing right behind his brother, Kevin. The sharp, stone tip of her spear was pressed firmly against the side of his neck.