Ahhhhh!
A scream cut through the dense air of the forest. Leaves trembled as something crashed through the undergrowth, and dark stains marked the green grass.
A man lay cold on the damp earth, his body unnaturally still. The forest seemed to hold its breath around him, leaves trembling as if they had witnessed something they wished to forget.
As he lay on the floor, behind him stood two women and a man, frozen in worn leather armor. The party of four was surrounded by six figures, their circle tightening with every passing second.
"Stay back," Josh said, stepping in front of the two women and taking a defensive stance.
Josh moved before either of the girls could stop him. He stepped forward, weapon raised, forcing himself between them and the figures closing in. The clash that followed was quick and overwhelming. Every sound, the thud of boots, the sharp breath drawn in pain, made the girls flinch.
One of the girls covered her mouth, her eyes wide as Josh staggered under the pressure. Fear tightened her face, but she couldn't look away. The other girl took a step back, her hands trembling as she reached for Josh, only to freeze when he was struck again with a mace.
"Josh…" she whispered, her voice low.
When he fell to his left knee, both girls gasped. Their faces drained of color as his weapon slipped from his hand. One shook her head in disbelief, tears welling as she realized he couldn't get back up.
"Brother…" Hera screamed, her voice breaking.
Josh remained between them, struggling to rise even as his strength failed him. His muscles failed him, and he lost grasp of his sword.
The girls stood frozen in fear, watching the one person protecting them being slowly overwhelmed, helpless to do anything but hope someone, anyone, would come.
The attackers took a firm grip of their weapons, closing in on Josh as he struggled to lift himself from the ground. One stepped forward, arm drawn back, ready to strike him down.
As the attacker raised his sword, a sharp whistle cut through the air.
The attacker froze mid-motion as an arrow struck his skull, dropping him instantly. His body collapsed to the forest floor before anyone could react.
Silence followed, brief and stunned.
From the shadows, Zodac stepped out of the shadows, bow already lowered, his expression calm but deadly focused. The remaining attackers turned just in time to see him.
They didn't get the chance to move.
A blur of motion erupted beside him.
Olivia lunged from the undergrowth, her movements fast and fluid, striking with terrifying precision. One by one, the remaining figures were driven back, disarmed, or sent fleeing into the trees, unable to withstand her speed and strength.
In moments, it was over.
The forest grew silent again, broken only by the sound of unsteady breathing. Zodac lowered his bow and moved toward Josh and the girls squating beside him, while Olivia stood watch, her eyes scanning the forest, alert and protective.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
The girls flinched at first, still shaken, eyes darting between him and Olivia before gently nodding. Hera swallowed hard, struggling to find her voice. The other stayed silent, her hands clenched tight as she steadied her breathing.
Josh pushed himself up with the Zodac's help, wincing. "I… yeah," he said, though the strain in his voice told a different story. "Thank you."
Zodac glanced at him, then at his wounds, his expression tightening slightly. "You're hurt," he said. "You won't make it far like this."
Olivia remained close, watchful but no longer aggressive, her presence a silent warning to the forest around them.
Zodac gestured toward the deeper part of the forest. "There's a place nearby," he said. "You'll be safer there."
They exchanged uncertain glances, but after what they had witnessed, none of them argued.
Josh leaned heavily against one of the girls as they followed. Olivia took the lead, moving effortlessly through the trees, occasionally pausing to look back as if ensuring nothing followed them. The forest seemed to part for her, branches swaying aside as they passed.
After a long, quiet walk, Zodac stopped beneath a towering tree. He looked up, then reached for a rope hidden among the bark.
"Up here," he said.
Hera and the others stared upward in disbelief as Zodac pulled the rope, revealing a concealed path above. High in the branches, something solid was hidden among the leaves, safe and unseen.
For the first time since the scream echoed through the forest, they felt a fragile sense of relief.
"Just wait down here," Zodac said, gripping the rope as he began to climb.
They watched in silence as he moved upward with practiced ease, disappearing into the leaves above. The rope swayed gently after him, the forest setting into an uneasy quiet.
Olivia remained below, sitting near them, her tail flicking slowly as her eyes scanned the forest. Josh and Hera exchanged glances, unsure whether to feel comfortable or afraid with such a beast standing guard.
As they sat and waited, Hera couldn't shake the feeling that something about the one who saved them was familiar. It wasn't his face or his voice. She couldn't just place the piece together.
Like she had known him before.
Long before this moment.
This thought unsettled her. She frowned, trying to place the feeling, but it slipped through her grasp like a half-remembered dream. Whatever it was, it stirred something deep within her, something she didn't yet understand.
She glanced up toward the tree where Zodac had vanished, her unease growing quietly.
Zodac maneuvered down as he usually did, his movements swift and controlled. But as his feet touched the rope, a whisper slid through his thoughts.
"Can you trust them?" the cloak whispered, gently almost cautious.
Zodac remained silent. He paused mid-descent, fingers tightened around the rope as doubt crept in. He listened to the forest, to the forest, to the slow rhythm of his breath, wondering if helping them had been a mistake… or if walking away would have been worse.
As he reached the forest floor, the evening drew closer, the light fading between the trees. He moved past them briefly, the returned with coats stitched from animal skins.
"Here," Zodac said, handing them over. "Put these on."
They hesitated, then accepted them gratefully, pulling the warmth around their shoulders. Zodac's gaze moved toward Josh, observing his injuries, his expression focused.
"For your wounds," he continued, "I have something that can help. But first, I must make a fire."
Zodac knelt near the edge of the clearing and gathered dry branches with practiced speed. He struck a flint against steel, sparks catching quickly as small flame came to life. He fed it carefully, shielding it from the wind until the fire grew steady, casting warm light across their faces and the forest floor.
The girls drew closer instinctively, the chill of the evening easing as the heat reached them. Shadows danced against the trees, and for the first time since the attack, the forest felt less hostile, almost quiet.
Zodac turned his attention to Josh.
"Come closer" Zodac said, gesturing Josh towards a space beside him.
Josh obeyed, coming closer with a wince. Zodac crouched beside him and reached inside his cloak, pulling out crushed leaves and dark resin bound together in a cloth. He pressed the mixture carefully against the worst of wounds, his touch firm but controlled.
"It will sting," Zodac warned.
Josh clenched his jaw tight as the salve was applied, a sharp burn spreading for a moment before slowly dulling. Zodac wrapped the area tightly, securing it in place.
"This will stop the bleeding and keep infection away," he said. "You will heal… if you rest"
Olivia settled nearby, watching silently as the fire crackled. The warmth, the light, and Zodac's steady presence slowly unraveled the fear that had knotted the air.
The fire crackled softly as the silence stretched.
Josh was the first to break it. "So... he said carefully, glancing at Zodac. "Who are you?"
Zodac didn't look up. He adjusted the bandage once more, then leaned back slightly.
"I'm no one," he replied. "Just someone passing through."
Hera frowned. "No one doesn't live alone in the forest," she said. "No one doesn't fight like that or survive out here."
Zodac's fist tightened. He turned his gaze toward the flames curl and shift. "What I do here," he said quietly, "isn't your business."
The words came out colder that he meant.
A flicker of something crossed his face, regret, maybe. He hadn't always been like this. He knew that. Once, he had friends, trusted too much. That part of him felt distant now, like a voice buried under years of silence.
Josh exchanged a glance with Hera but didn't push. "We're not trying to pry," he said. "You saved our lives. We just… want to understand."
Zodac said nothing.
"By the way my name is Josh, this my is sister, Hera," Josh said gesturing toward Hera. "And this is Emily," he continued pointing toward the other girl sitting beside Hera.
In that moment, Zodac froze, he said nothing though his heart felt heavy. Memories of his childhood flooded his mind like a river. It could just be a coincidence, that this people before him had the same name as his childhood friends.
He decided to shove off the feeling. As doubt crept in again, the cloak's whisper echoing faintly in his mind. Don't trust them. He clenched his fist once again, trying to shake the thought away.
Hera studied him more closely now, the way he held himself, the familiar calm in his movements, trying to place the piece together. Her eyes widened, as if a memory were clawing its way back to the surface.
Then she froze.
"No…," she murmured, her eyes glistening in realization.
Zodac looked up sharply.
Josh turned his gaze to Hera, confusion giving a way to realization. His breath caught. "Wait," he said slowly, eyes widening. "That hair, those eyes… it can't be a coincidence."
Zodac stood still as he heart pounded on his rib cage as though it would shattered.
It couldn't be.
He stood abruptly, turning away, his thoughts racing. Years vanished in an instant, laughter, names shouted across open fields and pavements, promises made too young to understand the cost.
Zodac inhaled slowly, then turned his gaze to them. The firelight shone across his face, stripping away the shadows he'd hidden behind for years.
"…It's me," he said at last. His voice was barely above a whisper.
He stared to the ground, guilt tightening his chest, regrets echoing from years he had disappeared. How would he explain the silence, the absence, the damage?
Josh stared. Hera's eyes filled instantly.
"Zodac, is it really you?" Hera said, as tears filled her eyes
"Yes," Zodac replied calmly.
Emily shifted slightly uneasily. "Um… I think I should give you guys some space," I… think I will step away for a moment."
Her voice faded into the background.
Zodac signaled Olivia to follow her.
As the they three friends, stood apart from one another, memories rushing in like wind. Hera closed the gap between her and Zodac with a tight hug, dragging Josh into the hug.
Zodac felt a sense of peace, he had not known in years, eight years of being alone and finally it had found peace. The hug lasted a while, then they stepped back, they remained silent, then Zodac broke the silence.
"We should rest, tomorrow we will talk tomorrow." Zodac said.
Everyone agreed, Emily had returned from her walk and Olivia stood guard. As they lay down on the hay sack Zodac provided, thoughts ran through their mind.
Zodac thought to himself, everything seemed right, but something also seemed off. Could it be his childhood friends, the new girl, or could he just be overthinking… the cloak seemed to be colder now, heavier on his shoulders, as if warning him.
The air stood still, heavy, impossible, and real.
And nothing would ever remain the same.