Kael's grip on the radio tightened, his knuckles going pale as he listened intently. Elara stood a few feet behind him, her body rigid with the growing sense of unease. She had seen Kael in moments of vulnerability before, but this was different. There was something about this transmission that made the air around them crackle with danger.
The static on the radio hissed, then cleared slightly. The voice on the other end sounded clearer now, but still distant, distorted.
"Kael, you have to answer me," the voice pleaded. "We don't have much time. They're coming."
The urgency in the voice sent a cold shiver down Elara's spine. She took a cautious step forward, but Kael didn't move. His eyes remained fixed on the radio, his jaw clenched tightly as if holding back a storm.
"Who is this?" Kael asked, his voice low but sharp.
A moment of silence stretched on before the voice responded. "It's Vale. From the old network. You've been gone for too long, Kael. We've tried to make contact—"
"Vale," Kael interrupted, his tone hardening. "I thought you were dead."
The voice chuckled bitterly, though there was no humor in it. "I should be, considering how many times you've left me for dead, but somehow I'm still here. Still trying to save your ass."
"Where are you?" Kael asked, his voice a mix of frustration and relief. "We need to get off this road. It's too dangerous."
Vale's voice crackled again, louder now, as if the storm was rolling in. "You're already too deep, Kael. The road… it's cursed. The bones—" His voice faltered, then came through clearer. "Listen to me. They're coming for you. If you don't move now, you'll be dead before the end of the day."
Elara felt her pulse quicken. "Who's coming for us?" she asked, her voice cutting through the static, though she could tell from Kael's expression that he hadn't expected her to speak.
"Too many to count," Vale responded grimly. "You don't understand. This isn't just some scavenger hunt. The Road of Bones is sacred to them. It's their place. Their hunting ground. And you're trespassing."
Elara's breath caught in her throat. The phrase hunting ground echoed in her mind, the image of the bones lining the road too vivid to ignore. She took a step back, her mind racing. Whatever this was, it was not the kind of danger they could handle with the little gear they had left.
Kael muttered something under his breath, words that Elara couldn't make out. His grip on the radio tightened again, his eyes darkening as he processed Vale's words. There was a pause, then Kael's eyes flicked to her, locking with hers. There was no fear in his gaze, but there was something else — something sharp, urgent.
"We need to get off the road. Now." He snapped, the words decisive. "Pack up."
"Wait," Elara protested, the sense of urgency building in her chest. "What does Vale mean by 'they'?"
Kael shook his head, stuffing the radio into his pack with a force that made the air vibrate. "We don't have time for explanations. Move."
He began pulling together their things, but Elara wasn't ready to go without answers. Not this time. She grabbed his arm, stopping him, her grip firm.
"Who is coming for us?" she demanded again.
Kael met her gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He hesitated, then spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking the words aloud would make them real.
"The Yekhalk." He paused, as if letting the weight of the name sink in. "They're... not human, Elara. They've survived the war, they've adapted. They've been hunting anyone who dares walk this road for generations."
Elara's mind raced, struggling to process the word, the threat. "Not human?" she echoed, her voice rising in disbelief. "What are they?"
Kael's jaw tightened as he glanced down at the ground. "A twisted reflection of what's left of humanity," he said quietly. "We're in their territory now. This road belongs to them."
Elara's stomach turned, the implications of his words settling heavily in her gut. Her fingers clenched at her sides. "Then we have to leave. We can't keep going."
Kael didn't answer immediately, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. He was already planning their next move, thinking, calculating. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke again, his tone heavy.
"We'll move fast, stick to the cliffs. Stay in the shadows. No one should see us. We can't afford to make noise." He turned back toward the path, his expression set in grim determination. "We move now. They'll be on us soon."
Elara nodded, swallowing hard as she fell into step behind him. The air felt thick, charged with an energy she couldn't quite place. It was as though the land itself was holding its breath, waiting.
They walked quickly, their steps careful and deliberate, avoiding the bones that littered the path. Elara's thoughts kept drifting to the name Kael had uttered — the Yekhalk. She had never heard of them before, and yet something about their name felt ancient, as if it had been buried beneath layers of history, too dangerous to be remembered.
The further they went, the darker it grew, the mist enveloping them, closing in around them like a living thing. The wind howled through the jagged mountain peaks, and the bones beneath their feet seemed to whisper in the wind. It was impossible to shake the feeling that they were being watched.
Kael was right. The road was dangerous, but not in the way they had expected. It was more than just a physical threat — it was a place that seemed to breathe with a life of its own, haunted by something far older and more dangerous than they could have imagined.
After a few more miles, they came to a narrow crevice between two rock formations, barely wide enough to squeeze through. Kael glanced over at her, his eyes flicking to the cliffs above them, then back at the path behind them.
"We can rest here for a bit," he said quietly. "But stay alert."
Elara nodded, her pulse still racing. She didn't speak, but the weight of the silence between them felt heavier now. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones. They were being hunted, and they weren't alone.
They set up camp in the small crevice, huddling together in the shadow of the rocks. Kael kept his eyes on the road, scanning the horizon for any sign of movement. Elara couldn't shake the feeling that the Yekhalk were out there, somewhere, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Night fell quickly, and the temperature dropped, the cold creeping into their bones. Despite the dangers they faced, Elara found herself strangely comforted by Kael's presence, by the quiet way he moved and thought, as though he had always known this kind of life — a life of constant vigilance, of survival.
She didn't know how long they sat in silence, but eventually, Kael spoke again, his voice low and even.
"They won't stop coming," he said. "They're relentless."
"Then we fight," Elara said firmly, her gaze locked on his.
Kael met her eyes, his lips curling into a grim smile. "You might just be the only person who understands that."