Chapter 5: The Hunt Begins

Dawn broke in pale shades of gray, the first light filtering through the dense canopy of trees surrounding their camp. Serenya woke with a start, her body aching and her mind still clouded with fragments of restless dreams.

Across from her, Drenic was already awake, his dagger glinting as he sliced through the remains of a stale loaf of bread. His movements were casual, almost lazy, but his sharp gaze swept the forest around them in quiet vigilance.

“You sleep like the dead,” he remarked without looking up. “We could’ve been ambushed, and you wouldn’t have noticed.”

Serenya sat up, brushing the damp leaves from her cloak. “Considering I saved us from the shadowbeast, I think I’ve earned a little rest.”

Drenic smirked. “Fair point. Here.” He tossed a piece of bread in her direction.

She caught it, eyeing the hardened crust with suspicion. “This looks more like a weapon than food.”

“Eat or starve. Your choice.”

Biting back a retort, Serenya took a tentative bite, wincing as the dry bread crumbled in her mouth. She chewed reluctantly, her mind already shifting to the day ahead.

“How far are we from the next town?” she asked, breaking the silence.

Drenic wiped his blade clean and tucked it back into his belt. “Half a day’s walk, if we don’t run into trouble.”

“And what are the odds of that?”

He gave her a wry grin. “With you around? Terrible.”

Serenya frowned but said nothing. The truth was, she shared his unease. Whoever had sent the shadowbeast wouldn’t stop at one attack. If they were to survive, she needed to keep moving—and stay ahead of the growing danger.

The forest was quieter than it had been the night before, the eerie stillness broken only by the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustle of leaves in the wind. Serenya followed closely behind Drenic, her cloak pulled tightly around her shoulders as she scanned their surroundings.

Drenic moved with the ease of someone who had spent his life navigating dangerous paths. He didn’t speak much, his attention focused on the trail ahead, but his hand lingered near his dagger.

“Do you always travel like this?” Serenya asked, trying to distract herself from the creeping tension.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re expecting an ambush at any moment.”

Drenic glanced over his shoulder, his smirk returning. “When you’ve lived my life, you learn to expect the worst. Keeps you alive.”

“And what kind of life is that?”

“The kind that doesn’t end with me bleeding out in a ditch,” he said lightly.

Serenya sighed, deciding it was pointless to press him further.

The path they followed wound through dense undergrowth, the sunlight barely penetrating the canopy above. As the hours passed, the silence began to wear on her nerves.

“Do you hear that?” she asked suddenly, her steps faltering.

Drenic stopped, his head tilting as he listened. The forest was quiet—too quiet.

“Stay close,” he muttered, his tone low.

Before she could respond, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Drenic reacted instantly, shoving Serenya behind a tree as an arrow buried itself in the dirt where they had just stood.

“Ambush,” he growled, drawing his dagger.

The forest erupted into chaos as figures emerged from the undergrowth, their faces obscured by masks and their weapons gleaming. Serenya counted at least six of them—mercenaries, by the look of their mismatched armor and ruthless efficiency.

“Give us the girl!” one of them shouted, his sword pointed at Drenic.

Drenic laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. “Sorry, boys. You’ll have to do better than that.”

The mercenaries charged.

Drenic moved like lightning, his dagger flashing as he parried the first attack. He ducked beneath a wild swing, driving his blade into his opponent’s side before spinning to meet the next.

Serenya pressed herself against the tree, panic clawing at her chest as the battle unfolded. She had no weapon, no way to defend herself. All she could do was watch as Drenic fought, his movements fluid and precise.

But he was outnumbered.

One of the mercenaries broke away from the fight, his eyes locking onto Serenya. She stumbled backward as he advanced, his sword raised.

Her heart raced as she fumbled for the pendant beneath her cloak, her fingers curling around its cool surface. She didn’t have the strength for another vision, but if she didn’t act, she’d be dead within seconds.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the faint hum of magic within her.

“Show me the outcome,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

A flash of light erupted behind her eyes, and for a brief moment, time seemed to slow. She saw the mercenary’s movements before he made them, the arc of his blade as it swung toward her.

When the vision faded, she ducked, the sword slicing through empty air. The mercenary stumbled, caught off guard, and Serenya seized the moment to grab a broken branch from the ground.

With all the strength she could muster, she swung the branch at his head. The impact sent him sprawling, unconscious.

By the time the fight ended, three of the mercenaries lay dead, and the others had fled into the forest. Drenic stood over the bodies, his chest heaving as he wiped blood from his blade.

“That was close,” he muttered, glancing at Serenya. “You all right?”

She nodded shakily, still clutching the branch.

“You took him down with that?” Drenic asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Serenya replied, her voice tight.

Drenic chuckled, his smirk returning. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

As they resumed their journey, the tension between them shifted. Serenya could feel Drenic’s gaze on her more often, his usual amusement tempered by something she couldn’t quite place.

“You handled yourself better than I expected,” he said after a while.

“I had help,” she admitted.

He frowned. “Your magic?”

She nodded, her hand brushing the pendant beneath her cloak. “I saw his attack before he made it.”

“And what did that cost you?”

Serenya hesitated. She could already feel the toll—the faint tremor in her hands, the dull ache behind her eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”

Drenic’s expression darkened, but he didn’t push further.

When they finally emerged from the forest, the sight of the town in the distance brought a wave of relief. It was small and unremarkable, a scattering of stone buildings surrounded by fields, but it offered safety—at least for now.

“Let’s find an inn,” Drenic said, his tone brisk. “You look like you’re about to collapse.”

Serenya didn’t argue. She followed him into the town, her steps heavy but determined.

Far behind them, in the shadows of the forest, the remaining mercenaries knelt before a cloaked figure.

“We failed,” one of them said, his voice trembling.

The figure stepped forward, the crimson glow of their eyes piercing the darkness. “She is more resourceful than I anticipated,” they said, their voice smooth and cold.

“What should we do?”

The figure’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Send word to the others. The Oracle will not escape me. Not this time.”

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