The green sphere drifted toward them, expanding. When it reached them, emerald light swallowed their bodies whole. The forest, the shadows, even the screams faded beneath its glow.
Yaksha's laughter echoed one last time. "I had fun playing." Then he vanished.
Night passed in uneasy silence. When dawn finally rose, pale sunlight filtered through the twisted branches, and consciousness returned to them one by one. Ziva jolted awake and immediately rushed to Horus's side. Kneeling beside him, she placed her hands over his wounds, releasing a gentle healing light. As his breathing steadied, confusion crept into her voice. "How are we still alive?" They had collapsed in the heart of the forest unprotected, defenseless. This was a place where predators tore travelers apart on sight, where screams rarely echoed twice. Horus opened his eyes slowly.
"It's because of Yaksha," he said. "They're known as the guardians of the forest. As long as his presence lingered… no creature here would dare approach us." Before relief could settle Steel screamed through the air. Two knives flew straight toward Cato. He barely had time to turn. The first blade tore into his shoulder, blood spraying as the impact knocked him back. Pain exploded through his arm. The second knife followed instantly, spinning toward his head.
Far away, within a massive, lightless mansion, two figures knelt on the cold stone floor. Shadows swallowed the walls, pressing in like a suffocating tide.
A huge man stepped into the hall his form cloaked entirely in darkness. The moment he entered, pressure crushed down on them. Their bodies convulsed. Breath refused to come. They clawed at their throats, mouths opening, but not a single sound escaped. "The man who led the village on Neutral Island," the shadowed figure spoke, his voice hollow and cruel, "is missing." The air trembled. "He was defeated," he continued, "by two children."
The silence that followed was lethal.
Without warning, darkness surged. One of the kneeling men was sliced cleanly in half, his body collapsing before blood could even splash the floor. The man turned to the survivor. "Find them," he ordered. "Take care of both children." His presence sharpened. "You have five days."
Back in the forest, Cato forced his body to move. Twisting sideways, he narrowly avoided the blade as it sliced past his cheek, cutting strands of hair as it buried itself in a tree behind him. He gritted his teeth and drew his bow with his uninjured arm. Ignoring the pain burning through his shoulder, he released an arrow toward the direction the knives had come from. The arrow tore through the air. A figure emerged from the shadows at the last moment, twisting aside as the arrow grazed past his hood revealing a tall man clad in dark armor, his eyes cold and calculating. Without hesitation, the attacker lunged forward. His target Ziva. She barely had time to react as the man closed the distance in a blink, dagger raised. But Cato moved first. Another arrow flew. The blade meant for Ziva was forced off course as the arrow struck the man's arm, sparks flying on impact. He hissed in irritation, retreating a step. "Stay back!" Cato shouted, planting his feet despite the blood soaking his sleeve. The man laughed softly. "Impressive," he said. "Wounded… and still fighting." He vanished again, melting into the shadows. The forest went deathly silent.
Horus struggled to his feet, eyes sharp despite his injuries. From every direction, branches creaked. Footsteps circled them. The shadow warrior lunged straight for Horus, sensing him as the only true close-combat threat. Its blade swept low, then high fluid, merciless. Horus met it head-on. Steel clashed against shadow as Horus barely deflected the strike, the impact numbing his arms. He twisted aside just as a black arrow hissed past his shoulder—Cato's warning shot forcing the warrior to retreat half a step. Another arrow followed. The shadow warrior dissolved into mist, reappearing behind Horus in the same breath. Horus dropped, the blade cutting air above him, and drove his elbow back into the thing's ribs. It staggered—not wounded, but surprised. Cato didn't hesitate. Three arrows flew in rapid succession, boxing the warrior in. Horus surged forward through the opening, blade raised, eyes locked on the shifting shadow. He understood it then if the fight dragged on, they would all die. He loosened his stance on purpose. His guard dropped, just enough to look like exhaustion, just enough to invite a killing blow. The shadow warrior took it. It surged forward, blade thrusting straight for Horus's heart.
At the last instant, Horus twisted aside. Steel tore through his shoulder instead, the pain white and blinding. Blood spilled as he clutched his mouth, choking back a scream, forcing himself to stay upright. The shadow laughed, certain of victory. That was the moment Horus spoke . Ignoring the pain, he drove his sword upward, locking the enemy's blade in place, holding it there with his own body as the price.
The arrow came. It cut clean through the shadow's chest, ripping the darkness apart from within. The laughter died mid-breath as the warrior froze, then shattered into drifting black fragments that scattered into the night. Horus finally collapsed to one knee, blood dripping from his fingers.
The forest was silent again but the silence felt like it was watching them.