Suddenly, cloak became alert, correction, the boy disguised as cloak became alert. "Shhh!" he hissed, his voice a mere whisper against my ear, "Someone's coming." his grip on my hand tightening to the point of pain. He strained to hear, every sense on high alert. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed under his breath, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's her! Run!"
And then we were off, a whirlwind of fear and adrenaline. He pulled me along, his strides long and desperate.
A chilling sensation snaked down his spine, a primal fear that threatened to consume him. His body reacted instinctively, a surge of adrenaline flooding his system, his muscles tensing, preparing for flight.
"Got you!" The taunting voice echoed through the trees, sharp and triumphant. That boy pushed me and rolled to the side, narrowly escaping the deadly arc of the sword, the wind whistling past his ear as it sliced through the air where he'd been standing. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding like a drum, his eyes frantically searching for an escape route.
Emerging from the shadows was Seraphine, a vision of deadly grace, her eyes gleaming like chips of obsidian in the gloom. Her expression was a chilling blend of amusement and predatory intent, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Nice dodge, Kaz," she purred, her voice a silken caress that sent shivers down his spine.
His eyes widened in surprise, his breath catching in his throat. "You know me?"
A predatory glint entered Seraphine's eyes, her smile widening into a predatory grin. "Oh, I know you, cutie," she drawled, a dangerous lilt in her voice. "And now, it's time for you to pay for making a fool out of me."
The jungle at night was a suffocating blanket of darkness. The dense foliage, impenetrable even in daylight, now absorbed every sliver of moonlight, leaving us shrouded in an oppressive gloom. The air hung heavy and still, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures and the distant hoot of an owl.
"Leon, he's an imposter! He wants to kill you!" Seraphine's voice, sharp and panicked, echoed through the trees, but the dense foliage effectively concealed us.
Kaz, his face grim, caught my hand. "Leon," he whispered, his voice low and urgent, "after the leveling you have become incredibly powerful and fast. I'll distract Seraphine, you take Sarah and run."
He paused, his eyes searching mine. "I know you're hesitant, unsure whether to trust me. But trust isn't necessary. Take Sarah wherever you think is safe. There's a human kingdom to the right, but avoid it. Head in any other direction, and you'll find a village within a few days."
"I understand," I replied, my voice trembling slightly.
"In the meantime," Kaz continued, "try to change your clothes if you get the chance. People here shouldn't know you're from another world."
The air hung heavy with the scent of fear and impending doom. Kaz's words, though urgent, echoed hollowly in the suffocating darkness of the jungle. "Leon, During this time interval," he had said, his voice strained, "if you both get a chance to change your clothes then do so. Remember, people of this world should not be able to know that you have come here from another world."
And then, he was gone, melting into the shadows like a wraith.
Panic clawed at my throat. I grabbed his hand, my fingers digging into his calloused skin. "I have decided," I blurted out, "I want to trust you. Where can we meet after running away from here?"
Kaz stopped, his gaze fixed on the dense undergrowth. "You can't meet me," he said, his voice grim. "It seems Seraphine has used tracking magic on me. That's how she found us. Tracking magic is a powerful spell, limited to only three targets in a lifetime. I believe she initially targeted me, mistaking me for the Cloak, intending to eliminate me later."
"Can't we cancel it?" I pleaded, desperation lacing my voice.
"Now is not the time for anything else," he said, his voice clipped. With that, he was off, a blur of motion against the emerald backdrop of the jungle.
The air crackled with Seraphine's fury as she unleashed a barrage of arrows. Each one was a blur of motion, loosed with the practiced ease of a seasoned hunter. Kaz, despite his agility, was outmatched. Seraphine's arrows were not mere projectiles; they were imbued with a chilling magic, each one seeking out his life force with uncanny precision.
The first arrow whizzed past Kaz's ear, the wind from its passage ruffling his hair. He gritted his teeth, the near miss sending a shiver down his spine. He continued his desperate dance through the undergrowth, but Seraphine was relentless. Another arrow grazed his arm, leaving a stinging scratch that quickly began to bleed.
Kaz's movements were now more cautious, the constant threat of the arrows forcing him to be more deliberate. He dodged and weaved, his eyes constantly scanning for the next arrow. An arrow skimmed his leg, leaving a shallow cut. He hissed in pain, but refused to slow down. He knew that if he stopped, he would be a sitting duck.
Seraphine, frustrated by her inability to land a significant hit, unleashed a flurry of arrows. They whistled through the air, a deadly rain of projectiles. Kaz, agile and evasive, managed to avoid most of them. A few grazed him, leaving behind a trail of minor scratches. He felt a growing sense of desperation. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever.
Seraphine, finally losing patience, drew her sword. It shimmered with an eerie light, the blade humming with dark energy. Kaz, his face pale and drawn, was a whirlwind of motion, desperately dodging Seraphine's relentless assault. He was a cornered animal, fighting for survival, but I knew he couldn't last.
Damn, what am I even doing? I have to take sarah and get out of here. With a surge of adrenaline, I raced towards Sarah. My movements have become much faster because of the leveling. "We have to go, now!" I urged, fear lending urgency to my voice.
"Wait, we will have to trust Seraphine." She said
"I can't," I confessed, my voice hoarse. " Because I'm already putting my trust on kaz."
"You're insane!" Sarah cried, her voice rising. "He wants you dead! He even wrote it in a letter!"
But he had told me that he wrote something different. Wait… he wrote that he was going to kill me… to lure Seraphine into a false sense of security.
A chilling thought struck me. "Sarah," I asked, "did he mention anything about you being the 'key'?"
"Yes," she replied, confusion clouding her features. "But why?"
"I have to choose," I said, my voice firm. "Trusting either of them is a gamble, but… I choose Kaz. He's risking his own life to save mine."
"You're wrong! I know I am not as smart as you but this time I'm sure." Sarah insisted, her voice filled with conviction. "We must trust Seraphine, and I know it's the right choice."
"How can you be so sure?" I demanded.
"Because," she hesitated, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper, "because she's your sister."
My breath hitched. What? Wait, this makes sense. My elder sister was very beautiful and she disappeared 6 years ago. But such a big coincidence cannot happen, or can it happen?
"What did she tell you?" I pressed, my mind reeling. "If this is true, she must have some proof."
"Her name was Akari, she said she arrived in this world when she was fourteen, just four years ago," Sarah explained. "She mentioned a younger brother, his name… was shishio Leon. She even knew our school name. And your birthday… November 17th, et Cetera."
She is definitely my elder sister! It had to be her. But, how does she remember so much till now? Even I don't remember when my birthday is, I only know that it's in november.
She disappeared from there 6 years ago and has been here for 4 years, meaning 1 year here is equal to 1.5 years there. And I thought that someone has kidnapped her, thank God she's safe.
A horrifying realization dawned on me.
I had to stop this fight. I had to find them.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I burst into action, sprinting towards the direction where I had last seen them, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilarating hope.