The distant sound of rustling leaves and hurried footsteps stirred Keth from his uneasy sleep. At first, he thought it was just the wind—but then, voices. Harsh, urgent voices. Soldiers.
They had found them.
His instincts kicked in.
Keth leaned close, his voice barely above a whisper as he gently shook his wife shoulder.
"Wake up. Now."
His tone was soft, but the tension in it made clear—something was wrong."
Zillah sat up instantly, her golden eyes sharp with alarm. Rex and Maingan groggily pushed themselves upright. But Mariah—she was still curled up, fast asleep, her tiny body rising and falling with each breath.
Zillah whispering urgently
"Keth, she's still asleep!"
There was no time. The footsteps were getting louder. Without hesitation, Keth scooped Mariah into his arms.
"We have to run."
They darted through the dense foliage, their bare feet crunching against the damp earth. The scent of wet leaves filled the air, mixing with the metallic tang of fear.
A twig snapped behind them.
Soldier shouting as he sees them moving
"They're heading toward the cliffs!"
The cliff.
It loomed ahead, a jagged drop-off into the unknown. The moonlight reflected off the sheer rock face, making the drop seem even more menacing. Keth's heart pounded. There was no turning back.
Rex panting as he tries to catch his breath
"What do we do?!"
Zillah turned to Keth, her face set with determination.
Zillah
"We jump."
Keth firmly as he slowly moves away from the edge of the cliff
"No, it's too dangerous—"
Before he could finish, an arrow sliced through the air, its sharp whistle breaking the night's stillness.
Zillah gasped, stumbling as she clutched her side.
Keth panicking lets out a loud scream
"Zillah!"
She gritted her teeth, steadying herself, but blood seeped between her fingers. The wound wasn't deep, but the pain made her footing unsteady. She reached for Keth—
And the ground beneath her crumbled.
Zillah shouting as she tries to hold on to anything
"Keth!"
She fell.
Keth lunged forward, his free hand grasping at empty air. A scream tore from his throat as she vanished into the darkness below.
Rex horrified
"Mother!"
The ground trembled. More arrows rained down, whistling past them. Keth turned to Rex and Maingan, his mind spinning.
Then—Rex and Maingan slipped.
Maingan yelling, trying to reach Rex
"Rex—!"
Their figures disappeared over the edge.
Keth's mind screamed, but before he could process the loss, the earth beneath him gave way.
He fell.
A few minutes earlier…
The commander stood at the edge of the forest, watching the glowing golden eyes disappear into the thick trees.
"They run like cornered animals. But they won't escape."
A scout stepped forward, bow in hand.
"They're fast. Too fast. Should we wait for backup?"
The commander's gaze darkened.
"You don't wait when dealing with their kind. You finish the job before they can fight back."
Another soldier, his expression unreadable, hesitated before speaking.
"Sir, they have children with them. If we strike too hard—"
Commander coldly
"You think their children will show us mercy when they're older? If we don't end this now, we'll regret it."
Silence.
Then—
Commander raising his hand
"Fire."
The first arrow was loosed.
The scout released his breath and pulled back his bowstring. His shot was aimed true—
A blur of motion.
Zillah gasped, clutching her side.
Scout muttering
"Hit her… but it's not enough."
The commander's face twisted in frustration as the family reached the cliff.
Commander gritting his teeth
"They have nowhere left to go. Keep firing!"
But then—something they didn't expect.
The ground beneath the fugitives crumbled.
One by one, they fell.
Scout wide-eyed
"Did we…?"
The commander stepped forward, staring into the dark abyss below. There was no sound. No bodies. Just the sound of rushing water beneath the cliffside.
Commander quietly "Find them."
The hunt wasn't over. Not yet.
–Meanwhile
The world spun wildly around Keth. The roar of rushing water filled his ears as his body hurtled down a natural slide—a tunnel of rock and churning currents that carved its way down the mountainside.
Keth clutched Mariah tightly against his chest, shielding her from the jagged rocks scraping against his back and arms. Pain burned through him, but he refused to loosen his grip.
Keth gritting his teeth
"Hold on, Mariah!"
But Mariah didn't respond.
The tunnel twisted sharply. Keth barely managed to shift his weight, but Mariah's small frame was flung sideways, her head colliding with the rock wall.
A sickening crack echoed through the tunnel.
Keth's stomach dropped
"Mariah?!"
No answer.
His breath came in ragged gasps as the tunnel spat them out into the open air—
Then, a drop.
For a terrifying moment, they were weightless.
Then—impact.
A freezing lake swallowed them whole.
The cold shocked the air from Keth's lungs. He fought against the pull of the water, forcing himself to the surface. His arms ached, but he never let go of Mariah.
Keth gasping
"Mariah?!"
The moon cast its pale light over the lake's surface, revealing a horrifying sight.
Mariah floated beside him, unmoving. Her golden hair spread around her like a halo, but a dark pool of red swirled in the water around her head.
Keth's breath caught in his throat.
"No—no, no, no."
He pulled her close, his trembling hands cradling her face. Her skin was too cold. Her tiny body too still.
Keth choking on emotion
"Mariah, wake up."
He pressed his forehead against hers, his body shaking.
Keth whispering
"Please…"
But her tiny chest remained still.
Mariah was gone.
---