Seth sat on the edge of the carriage with his elbows on his knees, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his chin.
His knuckles were raw, his shirt torn, and his body buzzed with exhaustion and adrenaline in equal measure. For a long moment, all he could do was breathe.
Beside him, Eldran wiped his blade with a strip of cloth, calm as though he'd just swatted flies rather than fought off a gang of killers.
The horses stamped nervously, still jittery from the chaos, but the old man soothed them with a quiet hum and a steady hand on the reins.
The silence after the fight felt scary for some reason. Seth finally let himself slump backward into the hay, staring at the warped stars above.
Ding!
The System's glow flickered into view.
[Battle Complete.]
[EXP: +250.]
[System Points: +5.]
[Level Up: 1 → 2.]
[Unspent Stat Points: +5.]
Seth let out a shaky laugh. "I leveled up. I actually… leveled up."
The thrill that surged through him was almost childish. He clenched and unclenched his fists, still not used to the strength thrumming in his muscles. His first real fight, and he hadn't died. In fact, he'd won.
"Don't look so proud of yourself," Eldran said without looking up. His voice was steady, his words clipped. "Winning a fight doesn't mean you've learned how to live."
Seth blinked, glancing over. The old man's pale gray eyes reflected the starlight. Calm, sharp, like steel that had seen too many battles.
"You fought messy," Eldran continued, cleaning the last smear of blood from his blade. "Too much wasted motion. Too much panic. You were lucky your enemies were sloppy."
Seth bristled but swallowed his retort. He knew Eldran was right. That fight had been nothing but desperation and stat boosts carrying him through. He'd been a man drowning who'd managed to flail his way back to the surface.
Eldran finally slid the blade back into its sheath and turned toward him. "Luck won't always save you. Out here, in the Shattered Realms, hesitation is death. Mercy is death. And pride…" He paused, his expression softening just a fraction. "…pride is the fastest way to the grave."
Seth looked away, lips pressed tight. The words stung, but they weren't cruel. They were… honest.
For a long moment, neither spoke. The night pressed in on them, broken only by the creak of the carriage and the distant call of some twisted bird in the forest.
Slowly, Seth felt the knot in his chest ease. The pounding in his ears quieted. He almost let himself believe it was over. The bandits had run. He and Eldran were alive. They'd make it to Draemhollow by dawn.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Seth let himself relax.
"Maybe things are finally turning around," he muttered under his breath.
That was when he heard it.
Tshh... Tshhh...
The crunch of boots on gravel. The distant rise of voices. The horses tossed their heads, ears flicking nervously.
Eldran's head lifted at once. His hand tightened on the reins.
"…No." His voice dropped low, grim. "Not yet."
Seth sat up sharply, his stomach dropping. "You've got to be kidding me—"
The forest spat them out.
The scar-faced bandit strode into view, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with hatred. But this time, he wasn't alone. Behind him came the battered remnants of his gang—and reinforcements.
A hulking figure in dented plate armor, dragging a cleaver as long as Seth's torso. A wiry woman cloaked in tattered robes, her hands alive with flickering violet sparks. Two more men with crossbows slung over their shoulders.
The scarred leader spread his arms wide, grinning like a man who already saw blood on the ground.
"Thought you could walk away, eh? Thought you could humiliate me in front of my men?" His voice cracked with rage, his teeth flashing. "You're not escaping this time."
The new arrivals spread out, blocking the road, cutting off both sides. Their presence thickened the air, heavier than before, pressing down on Seth like a weight on his chest.
His throat went dry. His heart started hammering all over again.
"This…" Seth whispered, "…this is bad."
Eldran said nothing. He only straightened, the calm mask slipping from his face, replaced by something harder. Something final.
The night was about to break open again.
Eldran's jaw tightened, the lines in his face deepening as he slid down from the driver's seat. His boots crunched against the dirt as he drew his blade, the steel catching the faint shimmer of warped starlight.
He didn't look at Seth when he spoke. His voice was low, steady, but there was no mistaking the edge beneath it.
"Run. Draemhollow lies east—follow the cracked riverbed and you'll find its gates by dawn."
Seth's stomach dropped. He lurched forward, grabbing the old man's sleeve. "What are you talking about? I'm not leaving you here. We can fight together! I've got a way, I can—"
Eldran turned sharply, cutting him off with a glare Seth hadn't seen before. It was fierce, unyielding, and for the first time, frightening.
"Run, boy. If you stay, you'll only die with me."
The words struck harder than any blow. Seth froze, his hand falling from Eldran's sleeve.
The bandits were closing in now, the scar-faced leader barking orders, the mage's sparks dancing brighter with every second. The armored brute dragged his cleaver in slow arcs across the dirt, leaving gouges in the earth.
Tudum! Tudum!!
Seth's heartbeat roared in his ears. He wanted to scream, to argue, to refuse. But before he could, the System pulsed into his vision.
Ding!
[New Sub-Mission Generated.
Objective: Escape to Draemhollow. Do not turn back.
Failure: Death.]
The words burned in his sight, absolute and merciless.
Seth's mouth went dry. He didn't even realize his legs were shaking until Eldran stepped past him, blade raised.
"Go," Eldran said, softer now, almost like a farewell. "You're not ready for this fight. But one day, you will be. Live long enough to prove me right."
And then he moved.
The scarred bandit lunged with a roar, but Eldran's blade flashed like lightning in the late night hour. Steel met flesh, and the man reeled back, clutching a bleeding arm.
The old man pressed forward, striking with a relentless effort that made Seth doubt his age. His every movement was measured, efficient, the mark of someone who'd survived countless battles before.
Seth stood frozen for one more heartbeat—watching as Eldran threw himself into the circle of wolves—before the System's harsh glow seared his vision again.
[Mission Reminder: Escape]
He clenched his fists, teeth grinding, tears burning behind his eyes.
"Damn it!"
And then he ran.
The forest swallowed him whole. Branches slapped his arms, roots snagged at his boots, but he forced himself forward, heart pounding like a war drum. Behind him, the clash of steel rang out, punctuated by shouts of rage and pain.
Every sound stabbed into him like a blade. He could picture Eldran's silhouette, alone against the tide, fighting not for victory but for time. For him.
Guilt gnawed at his gut. Each step forward felt like betrayal. But the System's warning loomed above it all, cold and unrelenting.
"Do not turn back. Failure is Death."
The path twisted, the shadows deepened, and still he ran. He stumbled once, nearly sprawling in the dirt, but pushed himself upright with a growl. His lungs burned, his legs ached, but he didn't dare slow.
When he finally risked a glance over his shoulder, the trees had swallowed the carriage from sight. Yet the sounds carried faintly—steel clashing, voices shouting, the distant bellow of the armored brute.
And above it all, one steady, unwavering presence: Eldran's voice, sharp and commanding, holding them back.
Seth bit his lip until it bled. His vision blurred with hot, frustrated tears.
"I'll come back," he whispered hoarsely to the night. "I swear I'll come back. Just hold on a little longer, old man."
But he kept running.
The cracked riverbed stretched before him, pale under the fractured sky, guiding him eastward like a lifeline. His body screamed for rest, but he pushed harder, guilt and fear clawing at his heels.
At last, when his legs nearly gave out beneath him, he risked a final glance behind.
Far in the distance, faint through the trees, he caught a glimpse of Eldran's silhouette. Surrounded. Outnumbered. Blade flashing, refusing to yield.
And then the night swallowed him.
Seth turned back, choking down a sob, forcing his body onward.
The only thing he could do now was run.