Morning arrived quietly.
The shelter they had relied on was soon left behind, swallowed by the mist as the group moved deeper into the forest. The air was cold, heavy with the scent of damp earth and leaves. Each step forward felt like a step away from safety.
Ray couldn't stop glancing at Horus.
It didn't make sense. Yesterday, Horus had been torn apart by injuries that should have left him bedridden for weeks—yet now he walked as if nothing had happened.
Ray finally broke the silence.
"Horus… how in the world did you heal in a single day?" he asked. "With injuries like that, you should barely be standing."
Horus slowed his steps but didn't turn around.
"…I've always healed faster than normal people," he replied. His voice was low. Heavy. Almost hollow.
They continued forward until a sudden scream shattered the calm.
"Help!"
Ray shouted, pointing ahead. "A beast it's chasing a woman!"
Horus's expression hardened instantly. His brows twisted, sharp eyes locking onto the chaos ahead. Without a word, he launched forward like an arrow released from a bow.
The beast burst from the undergrowth, fangs bared, closing in on its prey.
Thwip.
An arrow cut through the air.
Cato's shot pierced straight toward the creature's chest, staggering it mid-charge. Before it could recover, Horus was already there.
One clean strike.
The beast collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Silence returned to the forest.
Ziva rushed past them and knelt beside the woman, her hands already glowing faintly.
"You're injured," she said quickly. "Please, let me help."
The woman raised a hand, stopping her. "I'm not hurt."
She stood up, brushing dirt from her clothes, eyes sharp despite her trembling breath.
"Thank you for saving me," she said. "My name is Espion."
Ray blinked. "You're… not injured?"
She shook her head.
Ray frowned, studying her carefully. "Then what is a woman like you doing alone in a forest like this?"
Espion hesitated. "Ah…" she forced a small smile. "I got lost. That's all."
Horus watched her in silence.
"Royalty doesn't simply get lost in the woods," he said, his voice darkening. "Who are you really and why are you here?"
Espion's composure finally broke.
Tears welled in her eyes as her shoulders trembled. "M-my country was attacked," she sobbed. "My father… His Majesty… he was captured."
Her voice cracked.
"He stayed behind to buy me time. He sacrificed himself so I could escape." She clenched her fists, forcing the words out. "While I was running, I entered the forest. I managed to lose my pursuers… but then a beast attacked me."
She looked up at them, eyes red and desperate.
"That's when you appeared. I swear that's the whole truth. Please…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Please don't leave me alone in this forest."
Ray shot Horus a sharp look.
"Hey. You made her cry."
Ziva moved beside Espion and gently placed her hands on her shoulders, a soft glow spreading from her palms.
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "We're not going to leave you. And no one here is going to hurt you."
Cato, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Are you from the Kingdom of Aleborn?"
Espion's eyes widened.
"Y-yes… You know my country?"
"We were heading there," Cato replied. "Horus needs a new sword."
Espion's expression dimmed.
"Aleborn was famous for its craftsmen," she said softly. "But now…"
Her gaze fell. "Everything is being destroyed"
I'll fix it by tightening, grounding, and reducing blunt brutality while preserving darkness and meaning.
Below is a revised version of your passage, not commentary.
They weren't enslaving people.
They were erasing them.
Anyone who showed even the potential to resist was removed without hesitation. Age offered no mercy. Those too old to run were silenced before they could flee. The younger ones were left broken—alive, but stripped of any chance to fight back again.
Those who refused to submit were dragged away in chains.
Slaves.
And even that word felt too gentle for what they became.
A crushing weight suddenly pressed down on the forest.
Ray staggered, his breath hitching.
"What… is this?" he muttered, his vision swimming.
Ziva swayed beside him, a hand flying to her head.
"I feel… sick," she whispered.
Their knees buckled.
Before they could fall, Horus moved—one hand gripping Ray's arm, the other steadying Ziva, forcing them upright through sheer strength.
"Breathe," he said, low and firm. "Don't let it take you."
Ray clenched his fists, forcing air into his lungs as he looked at Espion.
"We'll help you," he said, his voice shaking—but it didn't break. "No one should lose their family like that."
He gestured toward the others.
"Horus and Cato are strong. Stronger than you think. And Ziva—she can heal. She saves lives."
Espion stared at them, tears trembling at the edge of her eyes.
"Y-you really mean it…?" she asked. "You can stand against them?"
Ziva nodded, though her hands still shook.
"We'll make them leave," she said quietly. "I promise."
For a brief moment, the weight eased.
The forest seemed to breathe again.
But Horus said nothing.
Neither did Cato.
They stood still, eyes shadowed, gazes fixed beyond the trees.