Capítulo 9: Siblings
Erena sprinted through the dense underbrush, her heart pounding as adrenaline surged through her veins. The sounds of the soldier's heavy boots crashing through the leaves echoed behind her, urging her to run faster. Branches whipped past her, scratching her arms and leaving thin lines of pain. Fear propelled her forward, the thought of capture driving every step.
She couldn't look back; the image of the soldier haunted her mind, and the stinging of her wounds felt like a constant reminder of the danger. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fought against the fatigue clawing at her limbs. **What would they do to her if they caught her?** The thought made her stomach churn, and she felt sick with dread.
Her legs began to falter as exhaustion settled in. Just when she thought she had gained some distance, she stumbled over a gnarled root, falling to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. The forest floor was cool beneath her, but she could feel the darkness creeping in as panic surged. Erena gasped for breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
"I can't give up," she whispered to herself, forcing her trembling body to rise. But the sound of the soldier's footsteps drew closer, each thud a reminder that he was still behind her. With one final push, she sprinted deeper into the thicket, desperate to lose him.
But the forest felt alive around her, each rustle and creak a threat, and her strength was waning. Tears of fear and frustration filled her eyes as she dashed through the trees, her mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead. She couldn't let them catch her. She had to find a way out.
As she ran, the branches clawed at her, leaving scratches on her skin, but the pain was a distant concern. All that mattered was putting as much distance between herself and the soldier as possible. She pressed on, her breath coming in ragged gasps, but the fatigue settled deeper with every step.
Then, in an instant, everything changed. She tripped over a root and fell again, the ground rushing up to meet her. Erena gritted her teeth, pushing herself up, but her limbs felt heavy, as if the forest itself were pulling her down. Panic surged through her veins. She needed to move.
But as the soldier's footsteps faded momentarily, Erena felt a wave of relief wash over her. She collapsed onto the forest floor, clenching the dried leaves covering the ground as she gasped for air. Her vision blurred, and darkness crept in as exhaustion overcame her.
When she finally opened her eyes again, the forest was eerily silent. Erena blinked against the light filtering through the trees, confusion clouding her thoughts. Desperation gripped her as she reached for her backpack, searching frantically for water to quench her burning thirst.
Her heart sank when she found the nearly empty bottle, just a few drops remaining. With a cry of frustration, she hurled the bottle away, not realizing it struck a lurking creature in the underbrush.
As she lay there, struggling against her thirst, the wolf watching from the shadows sensed the opportunity. It moved closer, eyes glinting with predatory hunger.
---
Meanwhile, Garren had been running in the opposite direction, fear surging through him as he sprinted away from the soldier. He could feel the ground beneath him shift, the pain in his feet growing sharper with every step. The thorns that had snagged him were seeping their venom into his body, dulling his senses and sapping his strength.
"What's happening to me?" he thought, panic rising as he stumbled over a gnarled root. The world around him started to blur, and he fought against it, shaking his head to clear the fog, but the effort only seemed to worsen his condition. The soldier's footsteps echoed closer, and Garren pushed himself harder, determined to escape.
But the thorns dug deeper, each step sending jolts of pain up his legs. The forest closed in around him, and the nausea intensified. Garren's thoughts raced—how far could he run? But as fatigue set in, his limbs felt like lead.
He veered sharply to the right, hoping to lose his pursuer among the dense foliage, but it only made him stumble. The sharp pain in his feet was overwhelming, and he struggled to maintain his footing.
"No! I can't faint now!" he thought, but his body began to betray him. He felt his strength waning, and with one last push, he collided with a tree, trying to steady himself.
The soldier's shadow loomed closer, and just as Garren thought he might have gained some distance, the pain in his feet became unbearable. His knees buckled beneath him, and he crumpled to the ground, the darkness closing in.
As he faded into unconsciousness, the last thing he felt was the weight of fear pressing down on him. The soldier was still coming, and he was completely alone in the shadows of the forest.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder