The wind howled against the cliffs. Aelric and Elara moved slowly, following the faint trail carved into the mountainside. Loose stones tumbled beneath their boots, skittering into the abyss below.
Elara's lantern swayed in her hand, its light too small against the expanse of night creeping in from the east. She tightened her cloak and glanced at Aelric.
He was ahead of her, moving with that uneven gait now so familiar—half-leaning on his pipe, half-dragged by the corrupted arm. His back was rigid, his head held low, but he never faltered.
"Slow down," she called softly. "You'll tear yourself apart."
He didn't answer, only pressed forward. The veins crawling up his neck glowed faintly in the dim light.
Elara bit her lip. He wasn't ignoring her; he was fighting something she couldn't see.
---
Far below, in the valleys they had left behind, other footsteps followed.
The hunters moved like shadows. Cloaked, masked, armed with weapons forged for one purpose: killing those who strayed too far from humanity.
At their head walked Kaelen.
He needed no mask. His face was sharp, unreadable, his eyes colder than the steel blade strapped to his back. The hunters followed him without question.
One of them spoke at last, voice muffled behind the mask. "If the corruption reaches the heart, we'll be too late. Shouldn't we strike now?"
Kaelen didn't turn. "No. We wait until the system confirms the next toll. Then we move."
The hunter hesitated. "And if the girl interferes?"
Kaelen's hand brushed the hilt of his blade. "She won't. Not for long."
---
Elara and Aelric stopped near a cliffside hollow, small enough to serve as shelter. The lantern light spilled into the shallow cave, chasing away shadows that clung stubbornly to the stone.
Elara set down the satchel and exhaled. Her legs ached, her shoulders burned, but she said nothing. Complaining would only add to the weight Aelric already carried.
He sat heavily against the wall, breathing hard. His corrupted arm twitched violently, tendrils scraping against the stone floor.
Elara knelt beside him, pulling out the flask. "Drink."
He took it, gulping greedily before coughing. Water dribbled down his chin. He wiped it with his sleeve, eyes burning.
"You shouldn't be here," he muttered suddenly.
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Every step I take, this thing inside me grows stronger. Every toll pulls me deeper. And you—" His voice cracked. "You're still human. Still whole. You could run, Elara. You could live."
She grabbed his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her. "Stop. Stop saying that. If you think I'm leaving, you don't know me at all."
His breath caught. For a moment, his eyes softened. Then he chuckled, though it was bitter. "You're either the bravest person I've ever met… or the stupidest."
She smiled faintly. "Maybe both."
---
Hours passed. The lantern dimmed, its flame shrinking. Aelric drifted between restless sleep and waking fever, murmuring words Elara couldn't always understand. She sat beside him, sharpening her dagger, listening to the faint ticking echo that seemed to follow them everywhere now.
Then she froze.
Not ticking. Footsteps.
Her heart pounded as she snuffed the lantern. Darkness swallowed the cave. She pressed her hand against Aelric's chest, silencing him before he could stir.
Outside, faint voices carried on the wind.
"…north trail… they'll rest before dawn…"
Elara's stomach turned. Hunters.
She crouched low, barely daring to breathe. The footsteps drew nearer, paused, then continued past. She waited until the sound faded completely before releasing the breath she held.
Aelric's eyes opened, faintly glowing in the dark. "Hunters?"
She nodded.
He clenched his jaw. "Then we don't have much time."
---
At dawn, the hunters gathered on a ridge overlooking the trail. Kaelen studied the faint smoke curling from a lantern Elara had carelessly left behind. His gaze lingered, then shifted toward the mountains.
"They know we're close," he said.
A hunter knelt beside him. "Orders?"
Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "Drive them upward. Don't strike yet. I want him cornered when the next toll comes."
The hunter hesitated. "And the girl?"
Kaelen's silence was answer enough.
---
By midday, Aelric and Elara reached a plateau. The air was thinner, harsher. Snow streaked the jagged peaks above them.
Elara scanned the landscape nervously. "If they're behind us, we'll have nowhere to run."
Aelric's grin was grim. "Good. Then we don't have to."
She glared at him. "That's not funny."
"I wasn't joking," he said quietly.
Before she could reply, the sky shuddered. A deep, resonant toll echoed through the mountains, vibrating in their bones.
> [Night 6 Commences.]
Elara's dagger slipped from her hand, clattering against the stone. She bent to grab it, but her knees shook.
Aelric's corrupted arm lashed out violently, slamming into the ground. His teeth clenched as black veins surged further across his chest.
"Elara," he rasped. "Run."
"No." She raised her dagger, planting herself in front of him. "Not this time. We fight together."
Above them, the first hollow forms began to emerge from the snow.
And far across the ridge, Kaelen watched, blade already in hand.
The hunt had begun.