The forest thinned gradually, and the road widened into a clearer path. The sun rose in the sky, but the light did not bring peace. Tiberku walked determinedly at the front, bow ready, his gaze always alert at the edge of the road. The elf kept a steady step beside Renji, his hands still trembling after the attempt the previous night.
Renji felt every movement like a burden. His steps were heavy, and blood pulsed in his temples. Although the voice no longer whispered, his memory still pressed on his thoughts.
At one moment, the elf broke the silence.
— "Renji, if the voice returns, tell us immediately. Do not try alone."
Renji raised his gaze to him, tired.
— "I promise you. But I do not know if I will manage every time to stop it."
Tiberku stopped for a moment and looked at both of them.
— "That is why we must be three. If one falls, the other two lift him. We have no time for fear."
His words were short but determined. Renji and the elf looked at each other, then continued walking.
As they advanced, the path began to climb slightly, a sign that they were approaching the hills that led to Lioren. The air grew colder, and the birds seemed to have disappeared. Tiberku felt the change first and raised his hand, stopping them.
— "Someone passed here before us," he whispered. "The tracks are fresh."
Renji bent and looked at the ground. In the dry mud the prints of heavy boots were clearly visible. He stopped, and a cold shiver ran down his back.
— "They are not hunters. There are many. And they are moving in the same direction as us."
The elf bit his lip and lowered his gaze.
— "If they are the ones who set the traps, then they will not stop until they get rid of us."
Tiberku tightened his bow and looked ahead.
— "Then it is no longer just a journey to Eris. It is a race. If they reach Lioren before us, we might not find the city open for us."
Renji felt his blood simmer again in his veins, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep the darkness away.
— "Then we must move faster. Even if it costs me."
Tiberku nodded and continued his pace. The path narrowed between rocks, and the shadows deepened again.
On the ridge of the hill, the wind brought a strange sound. It was not the rustle of leaves, but a metallic noise, as if weapons clashed far ahead of them.
The elf raised his gaze, and his face went pale.
— "These are not just tracks. Someone is already fighting."
Tiberku raised his bow, and Renji felt his heartbeat quicken again. In the distance, over the crest of the hill, thin smoke from a fire was visible and the silhouettes of figures moving.
The road to Lioren was no longer only dangerous. It was already a battlefield.
Tiberku made a hand sign for them to stay close to the rocks. They advanced slowly, and when they reached the ridge, the scene revealed itself clearly. In the valley, five men tried to surround a solitary figure. They held spears and short axes, but their movements were hesitant.
In their midst, the man did not look entirely human. His skin was cracked on his arms, with black veins pulsing like roots. His eyes glowed red, and fangs showed between his lips. He held a broken sword in his hand, but he seemed not to need it. His movements were quick, animal-like.
One of the men shouted and rushed at him with a spear. The demon grabbed his arm and, in a single movement, tore the weapon away and threw him over the others. Their screams echoed in the valley, mixed with the deep roar of the creature.
The elf put his hand to his mouth.
— "He is… one of theirs. But he has changed…"
Renji felt his stomach tighten. The demon's gaze, the thirst in his eyes, was too familiar. The voice in his head suddenly stirred, as if it had gained strength.
— "See? This is how it begins. This is how you will be as well."
Renji clenched his fists and hissed through his teeth.
— "Silence."
Tiberku heard him and looked at him briefly, but said nothing. He prepared his bow and fixed an arrow on the string.
— "If we enter now, we fight both sides. But if we leave him free, this one will not stop until he finishes them all."
One of the men fell under a blow from the broken sword, and blood spurted on the ground. The demon let out a guttural sound, then raised his gaze to the hill. His red eyes fixed directly on Renji.
Renji tensed, feeling a chill run through his spine. The demon smiled briefly, and the voice in his mind turned into a triumphant roar.
— "He is like you. A brother. Let them die and join him."
The elf put his hand on Renji's shoulder, trying to bring him back.
— "Do not listen to him. You are not like him."
Below, the demon roared again and leapt directly at the last two men. His blow shattered one man's shield, and the other dropped his weapon and ran into the forest.
Tiberku drew a deep breath and murmured shortly.
— "If we do not stop him now, the chaos will spread even more."
He raised his bow and pulled the string, keeping him in his sights.
Tiberku inhaled deeply and released the string. The arrow whistled through the air and sank into the demon's shoulder. The creature let out a short howl, but did not fall. It turned furiously toward the hill, his red eyes fixed on Tiberku.
— "That was the last one…" he murmured through his teeth.
He drew his sword from his belt, a simple but sturdy blade. He gripped it with both hands, ready.
— "From now on, there is no room for distance."
The demon did not wait. It lunged with rapid steps up the steep slope, climbing straight toward them. his movements were too fast for a human, and the ground shook with each leap.
Renji felt his heart accelerate. Each step of the creature sounded like an echo of his own beats. The voice burst into his mind again, clearer than before.
— "Leave him. He is weak. You are the true weapon."
Renji brought his hand to the ropes that still hung at his wrists. He trembled, not from fear, but from a power that boiled within him, ready to break free.
The elf noticed and grabbed his arm.
— "Renji, no! Do not let it take you!"
Tiberku descended the slope a few steps and raised his sword.
— "Stay close, but do not interfere. The demon is mine!"
The creature reached a few meters from him. his red eyes glinted, and his fangs showed clearly. In his right hand it still held the broken sword, which it raised in a brutal gesture.
Tiberku met the frontal attack with a parrying strike. The blades clanged with a dry sound, and the force of the impact made him clench his jaw. The demon pushed, laughing in a hoarse voice.
— "You will fall first!"
Tiberku retreated a step, then riposted with a diagonal strike. The demon jumped aside, but the blade still sliced the skin from his arm. Black blood spurted, but the creature only reacted with an angry roar.
The elf bit his lip, uncertain whether to intervene. He raised his hands, ready to gather light again, but Renji's gaze kept him back.
Renji seemed trapped between two worlds, pupils dilated and breath ragged. Before him, the battle between Tiberku and the demon mixed with his bloody memories.
The voice whispered again.
— "Enter the fight. Tear him apart. Prove that you are stronger than him."
Renji clenched his fists. If he entered now, he could stop him or lose all control.
Tiberku made a lateral step and raised his sword again. The demon attacked brutally, with jerky movements, as if the force overtook his control. The blows were fast but lacked technique. Tiberku used that, blocking every attack with precision and retreating only as much as needed.
The demon roared, raising the broken sword above his head. At that moment, Tiberku ducked under the blow and cut deep into his thigh. The creature staggered but did not fall. It had lost balance, however.
Renji felt again how the voice pushed him forward.
— "Now is the moment. Kill him yourself."
He clenched his fists and breathed deeply, forcing himself to stand still. His eyes burned, but his gaze fixed on Tiberku. He must not intervene.
Tiberku took advantage of the demon's hesitation. He struck it with his knee in the chest, then pushed it back down the rocky slope. The demon fell to his knees, screaming, black blood flowing on the ground.
The elf clenched his hands, ready to throw light upon it, but Tiberku raised his palm briefly.
— "No. It is mine."
He approached determinedly, lifting the sword with both hands. The demon looked at him intently, blood flowing from his mouth. In his chest, beneath cracked skin, a faint dark crystal glittered.
— "That is the core," Tiberku murmured.
With a quick, firm gesture he plunged the sword directly into the crystal. There was a sharp crack, then an inhuman howl that echoed through the entire valley. The demon's body convulsed violently, then fell inert to the ground. The red eyes went out, and the blood blackened and solidified on the spot.
Renji closed his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding. The voice fell silent. He felt the temptation, but he had managed not to be drawn in. He brought his hands to his forehead and whispered:
— "You are not you… you are not that…"
The elf watched him closely, his breath still trembling.
— "You managed to hold yourself. That means you still have a chance to fight against it."
Tiberku pulled the sword from the crystal and shook it free of the black remains. He raised his gaze to Renji and the elf.
— "There is no more time for delays. If an ordinary man changed so quickly, it means the demons are spreading faster than we thought."
He glanced briefly at the inert body of the demon, then at Renji.
— "We must get to Eris as quickly as possible."
They left the demon's corpse behind and set out again on the path. None of them spoke. Only their steps sounded, hurried, heavy.
After a few hours of walking, the forest opened into a valley where a few scattered houses were visible. At first glance it seemed like a quiet village, but as they approached, the silence became oppressive.
Tiberku raised his hand to stop the group.
— "It is too quiet. No dogs, no birds."
Renji felt again the cold shiver along his spine. He looked closely at one of the houses. The door was open, creaking softly in the wind.
Entering the first homestead, the heavy smell of blood and rot hit them immediately. On the floor a man lay inert, eyes wide open and chest pierced. The skin around the wounds was blackened, as if burned from the inside.
The elf covered his mouth, trembling.
— "Exactly like the demon from earlier. Someone was here."
They checked two other houses. In one they found signs of a struggle, broken furniture and hardened black stains on the walls. In another, a woman and two children lay collapsed beside the stove, lifeless, but without visible wounds.
Tiberku clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice.
— "It kills some outright, and turns others into demons?"
Renji remained motionless by the door of a house. He stared fixedly at the floor, where blood tracks led outside toward the edge of the village. He inhaled deeply and said in a low voice:
— "It will not be long before this happens everywhere."
The elf approached him, trying to find his courage.
— "Then all the more reason we must reach Eris. If we do not move, all of Lioren could become like this."
Tiberku turned resolutely toward the road.
— "We will not stop. We take only water and move on. If the village is already lost, every moment counts."
Renji tightened his cloak around him, trying to ignore the metallic taste rising again in his mouth. He said in his mind, like a prayer:
— "Control yourself. You are still you."
And they continued on, leaving the abandoned village behind, with shadows of darkness following them at every step.
The evening shadows fell quickly, and Tiberku insisted they not stop.
At the edge of a dense forest, they came across a group of ragged people hiding behind an overturned cart. They were refugees, with frightened eyes and trembling hands. When they saw them, some raised forks and axes, ready to defend themselves.
— "Stay!" the elf shouted, raising his hands. "We mean no harm!"
An old man stepped forward.
— "If you mean no harm, it means you are not touched by the darkness. Tell me quickly, did you come from the north?"
Tiberku nodded.
— "Yes."
The old man sighed deeply.
— "Then you know. Villages burn, people disappear. We tried to flee to Lioren, but the roads are full. Some are already changed."
While he spoke, a child in the group began to cough violently. Renji watched him closely. The boy's eyes glimmered faintly with a reddish tint. He bit his lips and turned away quickly, so as not to show what he felt.
— "If you hurry, you have a day until the gates of Lioren," the old man said. "But the roads are patrolled by people… they are no longer people. If you meet them, run. You cannot stop them."
Tiberku looked at him directly.
— "We cannot run. If they appear, we will face them."
The refugees stepped back a few paces as if the very idea frightened them. The old man only nodded with a weary look.
Tiberku's group continued on their way. And as the old man had said, it was not long before the first patrols appeared. Three silhouettes walked along the road, with rigid steps and eyes shining red. They held spears, and their skin was full of black cracks.
Tiberku raised his sword.
— "We cannot hide. We must pass them."
Renji felt the voice awaken again within him.
— "Leave the others. Kill them yourself. You are stronger than them."
The elf grabbed his hand.
— "No, Renji. Hold on. Together we can bring them down."
The patrol approached slowly, spears glinting in the moonlight. Their steps were heavy and rhythmic, like puppets pulled by strings. From their red eyes a diffuse light spread that made the ground look sick.
Tiberku raised his sword and took a step in front of the others.
— "It ends here."
Renji felt the voice strike his mind like a hammer.
— "Enter the fight! Kill them! Their power is yours!"
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, holding himself in place. He must not give in. Not now.
The elf raised his hands, light gathering between his palms like a living flame. He trembled, but did not take his eyes off the patrol.
The three silhouettes stopped a few paces away. The wind calmed for a moment, as if the whole forest awaited the strike.
And then, the patrol launched their attack all at once.