That night passed in uneasy silence.

  Adrian lay awake, Kaverth’s words gnawing at him. They left a bitter taste, a reminder of the tales from his world, where witches were burned at the stake and condemned for being different. Those were probably just myths.

  But this… this was real. The cursed survived the Ghast, endured horrors that should have broken anyone, only to face execution afterward. He didn’t know how to process it.

  With those thoughts, sleep took him in.

  In the morning, they shared their ritual cup of coffee before heading out. At the edge of the village, Sylmara and Draveth were already waiting.

  “Ready?” Draveth asked. Dark circles hung under his eyes.

  “Yeah. We’ve got everything,” Adrian said, patting his bag.

  Sylmara paced restlessly, fingers clutching the end of her sleeve. Then she stopped in front of Adrian. “The gun. I’ll take the gun.”

  Adrian smirked. “Smart choice.”

  Her shoulders eased, and a small smile touched her lips.

  He handed her the pistol, two magazines, and a box of bullets. Then, without another word, they set off on their journey.

  Adrian was confident there was another mission waiting for them, likely tied to the Ghast’s sudden appearance. Still, he didn’t mind. They were already doing him a favor by bringing them to the city. That alone was enough. At least he wouldn’t be stuck in the forest any longer than needed.

  They followed a path that had been carefully mapped out, one that the villagers used whenever they traveled to the city. Along the way, they had resting spots prepared for overnight stays. Adrian knew they wouldn’t have that kind of safety if they were going alone, and he was grateful for it.

  “This is Ash Moss,” Sylmara said, pointing to a tree draped in gray growth. “It helps with cuts, scrapes, even larger wounds.”

  “Why is everything called Ash?” Adrian asked.

  “The region was once covered in ash. The name never left.”

  Adrian’s mind drifted to the thought of a volcanic eruption, but this was another world; it could have been something entirely different.

  "Covered in ash?" He asked.

  She stared at the moss. “That’s all I know. Living in the middle of a forest, it’s not like we’ve got a library hidden under the trees.” She chuckled.

  Adrian also chuckled, "Makes sense."

  Every so often, they slowed their pace, and Sylmara would point out a plant or flower along the path. She explained its uses, what it remedies, when it grows, and where to find it. There seemed to be a remedy for everything: pain, cuts, burns, even stomach troubles. For nearly every ailment, she had a herb to match.

  Sylmara was truly in her element among the trees. She seemed less like the hardened huntress they had first met and more like a girl her age. Her smile was brighter, and the energy she radiated made the forest feel alive. He couldn’t help but watch her, struck by how effortless she seemed here, how different from the woman he thought he knew.

  For the first time since arriving, he felt truly alive. He was enjoying this part of the journey—exploring, learning, discovering the world around him. It gave him a sense of purpose he had never known before, something beyond just surviving, beyond fighting for the next meal or the one after that.

  The first two days of the journey passed without incident.

  Adrian and Alex were finally having fun, discovering more about the world around them with each passing day. Sylmara continued teaching them about the forest’s plants, while Draveth focused on its creatures, showing them the animals and explaining their habits.

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  "It's different here," Alex blurted out.

  "Different?" asked Sylmara.

  He looked tough, "It's... It just feels eerie. Can't explain it."

  "I feel it too," added Adrian.

  Sylmara and Draveth just stared at them, brows furrowed.

  "I don't feel anything different," said Sylmara. Draveth just nodded in agreement.

  Adrian stood still, musing. Something stirred within him—an unplaceable feeling. He was sure he had sensed it before since coming to this world, but he couldn’t remember where or what it was.

  “It’s like… I’ve felt it before,” he shook his head. “Like… it’s dreamy.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s the best description I got.”

  “Yeah, something like that,” Alex added.

  They couldn’t figure out what it was or why they felt it, so they pressed on along the path. Still, the feeling lingered.

  It was the fourth day, and they were nearing the edge of the forest. Adrian couldn’t wait to see the city and catch a glimpse of how people lived. He was daydreaming about the world when suddenly—

  “Quiet,” whispered Sylmara. Adrian froze and followed her lead. A few steps later, he stepped on a branch. It snapped loudly in the stillness of the forest.

  Sylmara shot him a look and let out a heavy sigh.

  “Sorry,” he mouthed, careful not to make a sound. Still, he could feel her disappointment radiating toward him.

  They were in the middle of a hunt. What they were hunting, Adrian had no clue. He held a bow in his right hand and three arrows in his left.

  They had run out of fresh meat, so the hunt was necessary. Finding food outside the forest was difficult—or so he was told. He still had some rations, but the good ones were long gone. Fresh meat was a better option.

  Suddenly, Sylmara lifted her hand. Adrian froze. Their prey was somewhere ahead, though he couldn’t see it.

  With deliberate, careful movements, Sylmara nocked an arrow to her bow. Slowly, she drew the string without a sound. She took a deep breath, adjusted her aim, and let it fly. The arrow whistled through the air before hitting something with a loud thud. Something up ahead darted away.

  "Damn it." She cursed, her shoulders slumped.

  Adrian chucled, "Missed?"

  She didn’t say a word and kept moving forward, occasionally checking the tracks on the ground.

  After a few hours of hunting, still without any success, they sank down in a clearing, panting.

  “That was something,” Adrian said.

  “Yeah,” she acknowledged.

  “Do you always miss three in a row?” he teased.

  She glared at him, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “NO!”

  He chuckled lightly. “Why not use the crossbow?”

  She relaxed slightly before answering. “We don’t have the materials to make them, and they’re expensive in the city. I only use them on big game, when it’s worth the expense.”

  Adrian nodded, understanding.

  They tried hunting on the way back, but had no luck. Sylmara muttered a few curses under her breath, while Adrian simply enjoyed his first hunt. He hadn’t even had a chance to fire an arrow—Sylmara hadn’t let him.

  They entered the small cave that served as their temporary shelter. Alex and Draveth were already inside.

  Alex glanced up. “Empty-handed?”

  Sylmara shook her head, shoulders slumped.

  “Losers,” Alex smirked. Then he pointed toward the back of the cave, where Draveth was gutting the small game they had caught. “Dinner’s on us!” he said, a proud grin on his face.

  They spent the night eating and joking about their hunt, but the feeling lingered, gnawing at Adrian. He still had no idea what it was, yet it made him restless and uneasy. Most of the time, his hand stayed on the grip of his gun, ready for anything.

  The next day, they had an early start. Throughout the day, the feeling grew stronger and stronger. He really didn't like that.

  “Something bad is about to happen. I can feel it,” muttered Alex.

  “I feel it too,” Adrian said, eyes darting around as if something could leap from the trees at any moment.

  Sylmara and Draveth didn’t understand what was going on, but they helped scan the area, searching for whatever was causing the unease. There was nothing. After a tense moment, they continued on.

  Alex and Adrian moved like hawks, scanning every shadow. Their guns were drawn, safeties off, ready for whatever might come.

  The path ahead offered no comfort. Adrian and Alex jumped at every shadow, every rustle, every faint sound, or even smell, pointing their guns at anything that hinted at movement.

  Their erratic behavior unnerved Sylmara and Draveth. They didn’t know whether the two were playing games or if something was genuinely wrong. They had never seen anyone act like this.

  As Alex and Adrian grew more and more tense, their pace slowed considerably. Eventually, they decided to take a break.

  They set up in the largest clearing they could find, a place where nothing could hide. It was Adrian and Alex’s request.

  For the next few minutes, no one spoke. Some were tired from the events of the last few hours. The others, Adrian and Alex, scanned the area relentlessly, as if the forest itself might attack them at any moment.

  Then, something moved behind a distant bush.

  Instantly, two guns swung toward the movement.

  Adrian’s heart pounded in his chest. Fear gripped him, raw and unrelenting. For hours, he had remained constantly alert, sensing that everything was about to go wrong, and now it was happening.

  A leg emerged—just a single leg, moving into the clearing.

  Bullets tore through the air. The forest erupted with the deafening roar of gunfire.

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