Renji's breathing was heavy, but now there was a faint thread of strength in his voice. His blurred eyes fixed on his shoulder, where the little elf sat.
— "Tiberku… do you also see… what I see?"
Tiberku tensed. He wanted to say it wasn't the time for questions, that they had to keep running, but Renji's gaze forced him to answer.
— "Yes, I see it. You're not imagining it, it's real," he whispered, his eyes locked on the tiny creature.
The little elf shook his wings and a few fine particles floated once again into the air. It gave Renji a brief smile and spoke with its thin yet firm voice:
— "If he can see me, it means you are still between life and death. Your bond is what keeps you. You breathe because he carries you. If you give up now, he falls with you."
Renji blinked slowly, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He turned his head to Tiberku and whispered with a faint voice:
— "I don't want… to drag you down with me."
Tiberku held him tighter on his back and fixed his gaze forward, through the trees.
— "Then don't give in. You go with me, not I fall with you."
The forest grew deeper, and the noise from the clearing faded gradually. Only their footsteps and the rustle of wet leaves filled the air. The little elf watched them closely, sometimes glancing back toward the direction they had come from.
— "Someone strong is nearby," he said shortly. "And if I can sense him, it means he can also sense your trail. You don't have much time."
Tiberku bit his lip. He knew the elf was right.
The little elf rose from Renji's shoulder and floated in front of them, like a white glimmer.
— "I can show you a path to the hidden springs. Their water cleanses poison from the body and hides the traces of footsteps."
Tiberku nodded.
— "That's all we need. Show us the way."
Renji closed his eyes and murmured weakly but clearly:
— "If that water is really true… then maybe I have a chance."
The little elf smiled and gestured for Tiberku to follow.
Tiberku held Renji tightly and walked with determined steps after the white glimmer, his heart beating fast, with a single thought in mind: no matter what, he must reach the hidden springs.
Tiberku followed the white glimmer until the forest opened into a narrow clearing. In the middle, among moss-covered wet stones, a clear spring flowed. The water made a calm sound, like a whisper, and the air was cooler and cleaner than anywhere else.
The little elf stopped on a branch above the water and pointed with his small hand toward the spring.
— "Here. Let him drink and wash his wounds. This water will drive the fever from his body and hide the scent of blood."
Tiberku knelt beside the water and laid Renji's heavy body on the damp moss. He cupped his head in his hands and let him drink a few sips. Renji moistened his cracked lips and, for the first time in many hours, his breathing seemed to calm.
— "Drink, Renji," Tiberku told him. "Don't stop. This water is more valuable than any medicine."
Renji could barely keep his eyes open, but he sipped slowly as the trembling in his body began to ease.
The little elf descended onto a stone and gave Tiberku a quick look.
— "You've gained time. But don't forget, without food he won't last."
Tiberku nodded and lifted his bow.
— "Then I'll go into the forest. I need to catch something, anything."
He covered Renji with his cloak and made sure he was propped up near the spring. The little elf sat on his shoulder for a moment, then leapt onto Renji's chest, as if to watch over him.
— "I won't be long," Tiberku whispered to Renji. "I'll return with food. Hold on."
He rose, tightened his quiver, and vanished among the trees at the edge of the clearing. His steps sank into the wet leaves, his heart beating fast. He knew time was against him. He had to hunt quickly, but also remain unseen, because any sound could attract something other than an animal.
Renji remained by the spring, his breathing calmer than before. He looked at the tiny creature now sitting on his chest, his wings faintly glowing in the light. He pressed his dry lips together and barely managed to whisper:
— "Why… why are you helping me? You could have gone your way. I have nothing left, no strength, no purpose."
The little elf stared at him for a long time, then tilted his head.
— "Since the forest of Drenna burned, I saw something in you. You tried to save people even when the fire consumed you. You didn't run then, you stood within the flames with an empty soul, but with will. Since then I've followed you, I wanted to understand why you didn't fall like the others."
Renji closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember. Faces, screams, black smoke, and the heat that burned his lungs rose in his mind. He swallowed hard.
— "I thought I died there," he whispered. "I thought I wouldn't escape. And yet… you were there?"
The little elf nodded slowly, his glowing eyes fixed on him.
— "I saw you fall and yet rise again. Not for yourself, but for others. Since then I knew there was more in you than suffering. That is why I cannot let you be lost now."
Renji felt his eyes wet. It was hard to believe, but the small being's voice brought him a peace he hadn't felt in a long time.
— "And still," he said weakly, "if I am hunted, if I bring death upon everyone… why do you insist?"
The little elf spread his wings and let fine particles float above him.
— "Because I've seen the darkness burn around you, but also how a spark still shines within you. And if that spark goes out, nothing will remain in its place."
Renji pressed his palms on the wet stone and, with effort, lifted his body. He breathed heavily, but felt a shred of strength flowing again in his veins from the spring's water. When he turned his head toward the edge of the clearing, he saw a rabbit nibbling quietly on wet leaves among the bushes.
Renji's eyes locked on it. He clenched his fists and whispered to himself:
— "If I catch it, Tiberku will have something to cook. I can't just sit here, I can't be only a burden."
He gathered all his will and stood up. His steps were shaky, but his gaze burned with determination. He took a step toward the rabbit, then another. The animal flinched and, in an instant, darted into the foliage.
— "Wait!" Renji shouted and ran after it.
The little elf flinched, rose into the air, and darted toward him.
— "No! You'll get lost! This is not a good idea! Listen to me, go back!"
But Renji didn't stop. Every step hurt, his muscles trembled, but his heart demanded he continue. He saw only the rabbit disappearing among the bushes, felt only the need to be useful, to bring something back for Tiberku.
— "I must catch it," he murmured, almost in a trance. "I must do something too…"
He left the clearing, moving among the wet trees, with the little elf flying nervously around him, shouting nonstop:
— "You're heading toward danger! Back, Renji! Back!"
But Renji clenched his teeth and went on, determined not to return empty-handed.
Renji only managed a few more shaky steps after the rabbit, but his legs betrayed him. He staggered, leaning on trunks to avoid falling. His wounds burned, his breathing was ragged. The rabbit quickly vanished into the bushes, leaving him powerless in the middle of the forest.
— "I lost it…" he muttered, struggling to keep his balance.
The little elf fluttered frantically around him, shouting in a sharp voice:
— "I told you not to leave! You can't go far in this state! Return to the spring!"
Renji barely turned toward it, trying to raise a hand, but then a dry crack was heard. A branch broke under a weight far too heavy for a small animal. The sound repeated, step by step, approaching.
Renji held his breath, pressed against a tree, trembling.
From the shadows, a tall figure emerged. Dark armor gleamed faintly in the light, and on his back hung a long sword. His steps were heavy, calculated, each one crushing dry branches beneath.
The little elf screamed:
— "No… not here… Renji run!"
Renji felt the blood drain from his face. He leaned against the tree, but his legs trembled. He couldn't run, couldn't fight, all he could do was watch.
— "Kaizen…" he whispered faintly.
Kaizen slowly raised his gaze, his cold eyes fixed directly on Renji.
— "I found you," he said shortly, with a calm that froze the air.
Renji's throat was dry, but the words spilled out uncontrollably. He raised his trembling hands and looked straight at Kaizen.
— "I know I'm finished… but I have to tell you! I didn't kill anyone! Kaede killed Miyu and Airi, Kaede is a demon now. At the tavern… it wasn't me! It was a demon, one in disguise. I only tried to escape, to stop him. I am innocent!"
His breath broke, his eyes were wet, and his voice cracked at every word.
— "You think I have their blood on my hands, but it's not true!" he shouted, almost begging. "Can't you understand? I was only caught in the middle!"
For a moment, the forest seemed to fall silent. Only the wind lifted the wet leaves. Kaizen, however, did not move. He tilted his head slightly, his face hardening.
— "Silence, Renji," he said with a sharp voice.
Renji shook his head, almost desperate.
— "No, you must listen to me! You were the only one who looked at me differently, the only one who told me I had a greater path. If I die now, at least I want you to know the truth."
But Kaizen's eyes turned red with fury, and his hand instinctively reached for his sword.
— "After all I've shown you, after all I've told you, after all the time I lost trying to make you understand… you dare to come now with these stories?"
Renji took a step back, pressing harder against the tree trunk, his voice barely audible.
— "It's the truth… even if you don't accept it."
Kaizen clenched his jaw and drew his sword from his sheath, the blade glinting coldly in the faint light between the leaves.
— "Then let's see, Renji, how far this lie will carry you."
Kaizen stepped closer, the sword hanging threateningly at his side. His gaze burned with both fury and disappointment.
— "It's unbelievable how you can lie, Renji," he said firmly. "Now you want to tell me that Kaede was the demon? That he killed Miyu and Airi? Do you hear yourself? Kaede was found beheaded exactly when you disappeared! All the evidence is there, and you want to blame him?"
Renji felt the ground slipping beneath his feet. His eyes widened and, with a trembling voice, he shouted:
— "It's impossible for him to have been dead then! Kaede made a pact with a demon, I saw it! He sold his soul, and when I tried to stop him he opened a portal. He left through it, laughing!"
He pressed against the tree trunk, trying to gather his strength.
— "Miyu and Airi… I didn't kill them. Kaede murdered them without mercy, and I arrived too late to save them. I raised my sword against him, but he was already changed… he was no longer the man I knew."
Kaizen clenched his fists, his breath grew heavy, and his eyes locked on Renji's tormented face.
— "Do you have any idea what you're saying now?" he said, his voice trembling with rage. "Do you want to rewrite the truth before me? Before all those who suffered for this?"
Renji shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.
— "I'm not rewriting anything. I'm telling you what happened. Even if no one believes me, this is reality. Kaede didn't die then. He fled through the portal and left us all to believe otherwise."
The little elf, who until then had only screamed in fear, clenched his tiny fists and pulled from his chest a small pouch of sparkling dust. He rose into the air and, with unexpected speed, rushed toward Kaizen.
— "Renji, run!" he shouted, preparing to throw the powder.
But at that moment, a whistle came from behind Kaizen. An arrow pierced the air and struck the little elf directly in the stomach. The tiny being stopped abruptly, let out a short scream, then his fragile body was pushed by the arrow until it pinned into the trunk of a tree. His wings trembled spasmodically, and the light around him began to flicker faintly.
— "Noooooo!" Renji screamed with a torn voice.
His vision filled with tears, and in his chest he felt something break. His whole body burned, his wounds seemed to vanish before the fury consuming him now. He collapsed to his knees, striking the ground with his fists, screaming with all his soul, a cry that echoed through the forest.
Kaizen turned his head for a moment toward the archer hidden behind him, then back at Renji, but said nothing. His cold eyes observed the explosion of pain and rage before him, as if waiting to see what would be born from it.
Renji screamed with the last power he had left:
— "TIBERKU! HELP ME!"
His voice tore through the forest, full of despair and fury, vibrating among the trees. His whole body trembled, but the cry seemed to gather his last shred of strength.
From behind him came a familiar sound. Tiberku appeared through the trees, running toward Renji, eyes wide, not knowing what had happened.
— "Renji! I'm here! Don't be afraid!"
But before Tiberku could reach him, Kaizen propelled himself forward with astonishing speed. His blade flashed for a moment, and in the next instant the sword cut Renji's throat. His body collapsed immediately, blood spreading across the wet ground, staining the leaves around.
Tiberku froze, eyes wide in horror, while the little elf screamed in despair, struggling as the arrow remained stuck in his body, unable to do anything. Kaizen stood still, his cold gaze showing no sign of disturbance at what had happened.
Tiberku felt adrenaline surge through his veins, fury and despair blinding him. He pulled the last arrows from his quiver, each touch a desperate attempt to stop Kaizen, even if the man on the ground was not his friend. His eyes fixed on his target, his gaze wet with sweat and blood, his heart burning with the desire to survive and bring justice.
He drew his bow, breathing heavily, but in the next moment a volley of arrows from the forest struck him with devastating force. Each arrow pierced his body, pain throwing him to the ground. He collapsed over Renji's corpse, without any trace of victory left to matter.
Tiberku felt his blood mixing with the cold air. He tried to shout, to do something, anything, but his body betrayed him. He tried to fire another arrow, but his hands no longer obeyed. All that remained was a void descending over everything, a dense darkness enveloping him.
In his final moments, his thoughts ran chaotically, but a thread of clarity made him realize the cold truth: he had died for a stranger, for someone he didn't know, for someone who wasn't his friend. And yet, despite the absurdity of the situation, a spark of meaning flashed in his mind: his sacrifice mattered for a life, even if it was unknown, even if everything seemed lost.
"I died for someone who wasn't my friend… and still, that matters," he thought silently, as his body went lifeless over Renji's.
The forest remained silent, wet leaves rustling faintly, and their blood together seemed the only echo of the battle and the loss.
Kaizen stood still, watching their lifeless bodies with a cold, calculating gaze. He showed no sign of mercy or emotion; everything around him was dominated by the silence of the forest and the fresh blood on the ground.
He turned his head toward his men, gesturing lightly with his hand.
— "Take their bodies," he said curtly, his voice echoing among the trees. "Send them to Drenna."