The rain did not stop until nightfall. Several kilometers from the city center, the three of them finally slowed to a walk. They had escaped. Barely.
The forest surrounding the abandoned highway was quiet. Only the sound of dripping water broke the silence.
Kai leaned against the rusted guardrail and caught his breath. His ribs still ached from the Hunter's kick. His mind hurt even more. The voices had grown quiet again. That frightened him. Whenever they became silent, he wondered what they were waiting for.
Mira dropped her backpack onto the ground with a groan. "I officially hate Hunters."
Kai managed a faint smile. "I thought you hated everyone."
"I do." She paused. "They're just winning the competition."
Lira didn't smile. She stood a short distance away, staring at Kai. Her silver ribbon still glowed faintly.
Kai noticed. "Lira."
She looked at him.
"You've been watching me ever since we escaped."
She hesitated. "There is something I need to tell you."
Mira glanced between them. "I'll... check the road."
Without waiting for an answer, she walked several meters away, giving them privacy.
Kai waited.
Lira took a slow breath. "The ribbon on my wrist isn't ordinary."
"I guessed that."
"It lets me see Fate Threads."
Kai frowned. "You've mentioned them before."
"I've never explained what they are." She looked toward the dark forest. "Every living person carries invisible threads. They represent possibilities. Choices. Different futures."
Kai listened quietly.
"Most people have hundreds of threads. They appear and disappear every moment. They change whenever someone makes a decision."
Kai nodded slowly. "And mine?"
Lira's expression grew serious. "Yours are different." She met his eyes. "Your threads break and reconnect. They split apart. They disappear. Sometimes they become impossible for me to follow."
Kai remembered the strange look on her face whenever she watched him. "So that's why you keep staring at me."
Lira gave a small nod. "I've never seen anyone like you."
Kai looked down at his hands. "The Echoes."
"Yes. They're changing your fate."
A cold breeze swept through the trees. Kai was silent for a long time. Finally, he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind. "The black thread... the one you saw today... what was it?"
Lira's fingers tightened around the silver ribbon. For the first time since they met, she looked genuinely afraid.
Lira lowered her eyes. For several long moments, she said nothing. The wind rustled through the trees. Rainwater dripped from the branches onto the cracked highway.
Finally, she spoke. "It was a Death Thread."
Kai remained silent. "A Death Thread?"
Lira nodded. "It appears when someone's fate is moving toward death. It doesn't always mean they will die. But it means death has become a real possibility."
Kai looked at her quietly. "You've seen them before?"
"Many times." Her voice grew softer. "I saw one around my father. He died three days later. I saw another around my teacher. She never returned from her mission."
Kai could hear the sadness in her voice. "You couldn't stop it?"
Lira slowly shook her head. "I tried. I always tried." She looked away. "Sometimes fate changes. Sometimes..." She paused. "...it refuses to."
Silence settled between them. Kai leaned against the guardrail and stared into the dark forest. "So now there's one around me."
"Yes."
"And you think I'm going to die."
Lira answered immediately. "No."
Kai looked at her.
"I think you're standing at a crossroads. The thread wasn't fully formed. It was unstable. That means your future hasn't been decided yet."
Kai let out a quiet breath. "So there's still a chance."
"There is." She paused. "And I'll do everything I can to make sure you survive."
Her words were calm. Simple. Honest.
Kai looked into her eyes. "Why?"
Lira held his gaze. "Because I chose to stay."
The answer was so quiet that it almost disappeared into the wind. Kai didn't know what to say.
Before either of them could speak again, footsteps approached. Mira returned, brushing leaves from her jacket. "I gave you two enough time to have your mysterious conversation." She looked between them. "So... did anyone confess their undying loyalty?"
Kai laughed despite himself. "No."
Mira sighed dramatically. "What a waste. I leave for five minutes, and nothing interesting happens."
Lira smiled faintly. "You really can't stay serious for long, can you?"
"If I do, I start thinking. And that's dangerous."
The three of them shared a brief laugh. It was small. But after everything they had survived, it mattered.
As the laughter faded, Lira's smile slowly disappeared. She looked at Kai again. The silver ribbon around her wrist glowed softly.
For just an instant, she saw countless silver threads stretching away from him. Most disappeared into darkness. One suddenly darkened.
In that brief vision, Kai stood alone. His hand was raised. Lira and Mira lay motionless at his feet. His eyes glowed with the light of the Echoes.
Then the vision shattered. Lira gasped. The threads vanished.
Kai immediately noticed. "Lira?"
She forced herself to remain calm. "It's nothing."
But she knew it wasn't. For the first time, she had seen a possible future. One where Kai survived only to betray the people standing beside him.
Far above the silent forest, hidden on a distant ridge, a lone figure watched through a pair of binoculars. He lowered them slowly. A faint smile crossed his face. "The Echo Weaver is changing faster than expected."
He turned and disappeared into the darkness. The hunt had only just begun.