The sky began to slowly open toward the east, a pale streak of light breaking beyond the treeline. Night was no longer complete, yet the forest was still ruled by darkness, with shadows stretching menacingly. Renji knew he had little time left before dawn betrayed him, exposing him if he dared step onto open ground.
He hurried along, clutching his coat tightly against his body, feeling both the chill of the night and the weight of thoughts that gave him no peace. His footsteps sank into the damp leaves, every snap and rustle tightening his nerves, as though the whole forest were listening to his movements.
—"If I run into someone now… what do I do?" he thought, biting his lip. —"I can't fight. I don't even have a real sword… just a broken blade. If an animal attacks me… or worse, if an Imperial appears in front of me… it's the end."
His heart pounded, threatening to give him away. Renji gripped his map so tightly he nearly tore its corners, yet the path was almost impossible to read in the faint light of the breaking sky.
He could still hear Ubik's voice: —"If the same person kills you three times… the necklace's power will no longer work." The words echoed in his mind like a cold sentence, and Kaede's image haunted him relentlessly, those crimson eyes, that cruel smile.
Renji felt his breath quicken.
—"No… I don't want to see blood again. I don't want to kill anyone. I just want to escape, to live long enough to find the truth…" he whispered, almost like a prayer, though his voice was swallowed by the shadows of the trees.
An owl suddenly took flight from a branch, its wings stirring the silence and making Renji flinch violently. He pulled out his broken sword, only to realize instantly how useless it was. The chipped blade offered neither protection nor safety, only the illusion that he wasn't entirely helpless.
—"If I meet anyone, my only chance is to run. That's it. Running is the only weapon I have left."
Step by step, he slipped deeper between the trees, avoiding worn paths. He didn't want to meet anyone, not even a wandering traveler. The thought of being recognized, of being sold out for a few gold coins, squeezed his chest tighter than the chill of dawn itself.
From time to time, he stopped to listen. Only the wind, the rustle of leaves, and the hammering of his own heart. Nothing else. Yet unease clung to him like a shadow that would not let go.
He lifted his eyes to the sky. One by one, the stars were fading, swallowed by the pale light of dawn.
—"Marvek…" he whispered in thought. —"If I reach it… if I can find the tavern… maybe I'll be able to breathe, at least for one night. But… what if Ubik was wrong? What if something else awaits me?"
Doubt gnawed at his soul, yet his legs carried him forward mechanically, refusing to stop. He knew if he sat down, if he allowed himself rest, he would be consumed by memories and fear, and then he would never rise again.
Deep within the forest, with the broken sword at his hip and the cold necklace pulsing faintly in his pocket, Renji pressed on. Alone, weary, but driven by a fragile determination: to reach Marvek before the sun fully rose.
Because with the morning light, danger would only grow closer.
Renji quickened his steps, the treetops thinning overhead. Darkness had nearly lifted, and before him, through sparse branches, stretched the light of sunrise. The sun's first orange rays spilled over the fields, illuminating the winding road at the forest's edge.
He froze. His heart clenched. On the road, only a few paces away, several villagers from nearby settlements had already gathered, carrying baskets and sacks, likely on their way to sell goods at a nearby market. But beside them… stood an Imperial.
His black armor, marked with golden insignia of the Empire, gleamed in the newborn light. The soldier spoke with the villagers, their uneasy voices carrying little strength. Renji couldn't hear their words, but he could tell the conversation was not ordinary.
—"Not now…" Renji thought, trembling hands pulling his hood low, pressing himself against the trunk of the last tree.
—"If he sees me… it's over. He'll recognize me. Maybe there's already a bounty on my head… If he questions me, if he asks anything… I have no excuse, no place to run…"
His breath came short, ragged. The broken sword at his hip felt utterly useless. The only word echoing in his mind was panic.
He clutched the necklace in his palm, feeling Ubik's cold vibration.
—"What do I do…? If I step onto the road, he'll see me instantly. If I stay here, they'll catch me if they check the woods. I… I have to decide now…"
Each second burned against his skin. Dawn was uncovering everything; the shadows would not hide him much longer.
—"If he comes toward the forest… it's the end…"
Renji bit his lip, eyes locked on the Imperial, terror twisting in his stomach.
The soldier swept his gaze over the villagers, weighing their answers. Renji held his breath, every moment stretching like a taut string ready to snap. Then, suddenly, the Imperial gave a short signal with his hand and moved on, his horse kicking up dust along the road.
Renji remained frozen, his heart thundering in his chest. It felt as though he had just escaped the gallows.
—"He's gone… everything's still fine…" he whispered, hardly daring to believe it.
But he knew he couldn't linger. The sun was swallowing the forest shadows, its light revealing every silhouette. If another traveler came by, they would spot him immediately.
The creak of wheels pulled him from thought. From the direction of a village, a cart approached slowly, drawn by an old horse. Its wheels squealed, piled high with sacks of grain and a few crates of wood. The farmer steering it seemed focused only on his animal, not glancing around.
Renji's mind sparked with an idea. This was his chance.
—"If I can climb on quickly… and hide among the goods… maybe the cart goes toward Marvek… or at least closer. Even a few kilometers gained could make the difference."
His heart screamed it was madness. If the farmer discovered him, he might shout for help, hand him over to the Imperials. Yet Renji's legs were weary, the road long, and time pressed against him like a blade.
He crouched low, eyes fixed on the cart as it drew near the forest's edge. Each squeak of the wheels was like a summons.
—"I have to try… otherwise I'll never reach where Ubik told me without being caught…" he muttered, the necklace pulsing faintly in his pocket like a warning.
Renji waited for the perfect moment, muscles tense, ready to leap from the shadows and grab the cart's edge.
At just the right instant, he sprang, his heart leaping to his throat. He seized the edge of the cart and, with desperate strength, pulled himself up, dropping among the heavy grain sacks. Pressing his body against them, he forced his breath shallow. The farmer's steps and the creak of wheels drowned out the faint noise he had made.
—"I did it… I just have to stay still…" he whispered, trembling.
The cart rolled steadily down the beaten road. Exhaustion began to numb his body. He tried to quiet his thoughts, but every sound made him twitch. After twenty, maybe thirty minutes, the horse suddenly slowed. Renji pressed closer against the sacks, suppressing the urge to raise his head.
—"Hey, stop for a moment!" came a rough voice ahead.
The farmer muttered and pulled the reins. Several footsteps approached the cart. Renji heard the wood creak as men climbed aboard.
—"What's in here?" asked another voice, authoritative but not as harsh as an Imperial's.
—"Grain, sir, only grain. From the neighboring village, I'm headed to the market…" the farmer replied hastily.
Cold sweat trickled down Renji's neck. He could feel their hands on the sacks, shaking them, even lifting a crate.
—"We need to check the goods… We don't want contraband or fugitives entering the city. Have you seen anyone suspicious? Do you have anything unusual in this cart?" the voice asked, sharp and calculating.
The farmer shook his head quickly.
—"No, sir. I'm an honest man. I make my living with pride, not by dealing in forbidden things or helping runaways."
Renji's panic clawed at him. Each second might betray him. If they moved the sacks, if they lifted the blanket hiding him… it would be the end.
His heart screamed: Run! Now!
In a moment of distraction, while their attention was on the farmer, Renji shoved aside the blanket, slipped between the sacks, and leapt from the back of the cart, hitting the dusty road heavily. The guards shouted instantly:
—"Hey! Stop him!"
Renji bolted, his feet pounding the hard earth. Behind him, furious voices and hurried steps closed in. They weren't Imperials, but kingdom men nonetheless, local guards ensuring the roads stayed safe. Now, all their focus was on him.
—"I have to escape… I must escape!" Renji repeated, the cool morning wind slapping his face as he ran, fields spreading wide ahead of him.
He ran as hard as his legs allowed, lungs burning, heart hammering in his ears. The guards' shouts rang ever closer. The fields were open, no place to hide, and every step dragged him closer to collapse.
Ahead, a river surged with force, cold waves glittering in the harsh morning light. Renji realized he had no other way out. With one last desperate leap, he hurled himself into the rushing waters.
The river struck him like a blade of ice, the current dragging him under instantly. Instinct flailed his limbs, but panic consumed him, he didn't know how to swim. Air tore from his chest as water filled his mouth and lungs. He thrashed wildly, arms and legs beating at nothing, but the current was merciless.
—"No… not here… not like this…" the thought flashed as everything blurred into numb darkness.
The waves battered him against rocks until his weakened body was finally thrown onto a muddy bank. Half-submerged, barely breathing, his eyes flickered half-open.
A rough voice called nearby:
—"Hey! Boy! Are you alive?!"
Hurried steps, then a calloused hand grabbed his shoulders, dragging him from the water. Renji's gaze lifted faintly to the sunburnt face of an old fisherman, a heavy net slung over his shoulder.
—"Lucky the river brought you to me…" the man muttered, hauling him further onto the grass. "Any longer and you'd be in the afterlife."
Renji coughed up water, struggling for breath. His vision blurred, but he could make out the small village behind the man, wooden houses, thin smoke curling from chimneys, a morning peace untouched by Drenna's chaos.
The fisherman eyed him carefully, but without suspicion. He seemed to know nothing.
—"Come on, get up. I'll give you shelter until you recover. You're not from here… but you're not the first wanderer I've seen. Come."
Renji's body felt heavy as lead, but a fragile spark of hope flickered in his chest. The fisherman didn't seem to know what had happened in Drenna. For now, he was safe.
The man led him into a small hut, fire already lit in the stove. Renji sank heavily onto a bench, still shivering from water and exhaustion. The fisherman handed him a steaming bowl of soup and a piece of warm bread.
—"Eat, boy. You'll need strength if you plan to walk out of here on your own feet," the man said gently.
Renji sighed, swallowing with effort. The warm food eased his stomach, but his mind refused calm. His eyes darted to the window, the quiet streets, every noise making him flinch. Even in this peaceful place, danger felt close.
—"Thank you…" he whispered at last, leaving the bowl nearly untouched. "But I need to leave… as soon as possible."
The fisherman studied him, not suspicious, just steady.
—"Fine. But before you go… do you want to know where you are?"
Renji hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes… where is this village?"
—"Close to Marvek. If that's where you're heading, go northeast. The road isn't long, but be careful, some paths can be dangerous if you don't know them."
Renji nodded, clutching his bag and the cold necklace in his pocket. Every second spent here was a risk. He had to move on, even if the small village had offered him brief safety and food.
—"Northeast…" he murmured, stepping outside with his heart still taut. "I need to be quick… and make no more mistakes."
Pulling his hood over his head, he headed toward the village's edge, eyes fixed on the path leading northeast. The sun lit the small houses, the village serene. Yet the quiet only unsettled him; every sound, every footstep sent his heart racing.
At the outskirts, just before the main road, Renji spotted a man in strange clothes, entirely covered by an old cloak. Beneath it, something large was hidden, though unclear. The man stretched a hand toward Renji, who at first assumed he was merely a beggar asking for food.
—"Hey… could you spare me something to eat? I haven't eaten in days," the man rasped, weary eyes staring at him.
Renji gripped his pack, glancing at his meager supplies. His first instinct was refusal, he didn't have enough for himself, every scrap vital for reaching Marvek. His heart told him to walk on, ignore him.
But something in the man's gaze made him pause. In a rare impulse of compassion, he pulled out a piece of bread and a handful of apples, handing them over.
—"Here… but I can't give more. I have to keep moving," Renji said, voice trembling slightly.
The man accepted the food, staring at it with gratitude. He lifted his hood, revealing a faint smile hidden until then.
—"Thank you… Renji," he said, his voice suddenly clear, unsettlingly familiar.
Renji felt his blood freeze.
—"What… how does he know my name?!" His panic locked his body for a split second.
His heart hammered wildly, legs trembling. The truth struck instantly, someone had recognized him. And if they knew his name, the hunt may already have begun.
Without another thought, Renji ran, abandoning all politeness, all questions. His footsteps clattered on the stone path, his body quivering not only from exertion but from the terror of being pursued.
Behind him, the man's voice rang only once:
—"Be careful… Renji!"
But Renji heard nothing anymore. His mind screamed only one thing:
"I must escape! I must reach Marvek!"