To be ho, Leo expected the opposing group to attack him the moment he finished speaking. Yet, they didn't. At most, they took another few steps back, but apart from that, they all had their eyes trained on Holden, waiting for the man's and. Hell, not even the only woman among them decided to attack. Although, that might be because she didn't want to lose any more arrows.

  What will you do? Leo mused, watg the leader as the man almost scowled openly. You had your ow it's time to listen.

  "You're putting me in a difficult situation, Hale," Holden replied, voice cold as stone.

  Leo chuckled, shaking his head. "No. I'm really not. I just want to see my family first. After that, I will help you with whatever you want. Isn't that fair?"

  "It doesn't matter if it's fair or not," the man shot back. "I have people to protect! I 't just let someone like you step inside our hideout as if you are one of us. We both know that won't work. I need some time to run damage trol first."

  All good points, but there is one important problem. You pyed your cards and lost. Now you have to deal with it. Leo narrowed his eyes at the man. "You will get your time. Just not aire day. I won't wait that long."

  Holden took a deep breath. "I see... I don’t like it, Hale, but go on. Tell me those terms of yours?"

  Leo smiled just a bit. Time to find out if his offer would spark a fight.

  "Simple. You will get an hour, you and Dyn," Leo began, the tension rising even higher with his words. "I 't let you all go back. I'm not that stupid, so your three minions will stay here with me. If they e back, that’s on you."

  "You would kill us even if we did nothing against you?" Cra hissed, which, in Leo's humble opinion, was quite hypocritical. Wasn't she the oo already fire two arrows at him after all?

  "Maybe, maybe not. Don't push me, and we won't have to find out," Leo growled, letting the words hang.

  He didn't want to kill anyone if he absolutely didn't have to, but sometimes, one had to make the hard choice to keep their promise. And Leo couldn't hesitate now. Not when Ava and Adam were so close.

  "And what if we just walk away?" Holden's voice cut through the b of silence. "Will you kill us or let us go, Hale? I won't lie. Assistance from someone like you could go a long way to giving us a ce to survive another day. But, if you are to bee just ahreat to my people, then I would rather us part ways now."

  Really? Leo quirked an invisible eyebrow. There is no walking away now, my friend. That option disappeared the moment Dyn firmed your words... Still, you want an answer? I will give you one...

  "Even if I let you walk away, this won't be the st time you see me. Dyn already told you, family is everything to me. I won't leave without at least seeing them once. If that means breaking into your Safe Zone, so be it."

  Holden's grip on his sword sed as he sighed. "That's what I thought..." Meeting Leo's gaze, the man tinued, "We will go with your pn, Hale, but you four will wait in the forest behind the hideout, not here."

  Leo nodded and opened his mouth to answer, only to be beaten to it by one of the other men. "You 't be serious, Tony! You want us to py hostages?"

  Holden spun to face the speaker, his face devoid of emotions. "That's exactly what I want you to do, Robert. Or do you maybe have a better idea?"

  The other man gritted his teeth, eyes darting towards Leo. However, a single g a bde sliding out of the cover of his cloak was enough for Robert to avert his gaze, a grimace painted over his face.

  "This better work, Tony. We’ve put all our trust in you; don't squa."

  Iing... Leo noted, Hunter humming in agreement.

  "I won't," Holden reassured his panion and turo Leo again. "Before we go, I need something from you to firm your identity with Ava. Even if she is your family, I won't let her go in blind. That's noiable. She deserves to knoants to see her."

  That she does. Though it go sideways real fast if they tell her too much... sidering what happeo Adam, my appearance bee a bigger problem than I expected... Shit.

  After evolving, Leo didn't pn to show his face to what remained of his family, at least nht away. As long as the hearts in their chest kept beating, he didn't care if they knew about him. It was unimportant.

  But now? With Adam spiraling into the Void's grasp, he couldn't stay away. Leo had to see what happeo his godson with his own two eyes. He had to find a way to help him before it was too te.

  If there ever was a time to wake up, now would be it, Nikra...

  "Nick's third attempt at proposing. Mention it to Ava, and she will agree to see me," Leo finally replied, an ache f in his chest at the memory of his brother.

  "Will do," Holden nodded. "Now, let's move out! We've wasted enough daylight."

  The group didn't need another order to follow their leader. They all fell into a steady pace while Leo trailed slightly behind, keeping a for surprises. While he doubted Holden wao lead him right into an ambush, it didn't hurt to be careful just in case...

  The detour they took to reach the dense forest behind the Safe Zoretched out lohan Leo expected. Between the occasional Voidling and the distance alone, almost half an hour escaped them in the blink of an eye.

  Really, if Leo doubted that Holden didn't want ao see him before, he believed it now. Though, he still thought it was a bit of an overkill...

  Doesn't matter. If he wants to be careful, who am I to stop him? Leo mused as the group paused at a small clearing in the forest. The Safe Zone was nowhere in sight, but if he had tracked the path right, then they couldn't be that far away. Maybe five minutes of walking, at best...

  Surveying the area inch by inch, Leo sighed as not a sihing seemed to be out of pce. He even fired off a Hunter Pulse, but just like with every attempt on the way here, the ability didn't return with any warning about other survivors.

  I'm almost disappoihat this wasn't just a ploy to ambush me. Almost...

  Leo averted his gaze from the Void forest and looked at Holden, who fialking with the hostage trio. And wow, look at me. itting a war crime. He snorted as the man stopped a few steps away from him.

  "This is where we part ways, Hale," Holden announced. "Like we agreed, Evan, Robert, and Cra will stay with you. I just hope I trust Dyn's judgment of you and that my people will return in one piece."

  Thank you again, Dyn, for being a det person...

  "As long as you keep your end of the deal, no hair will fall from their heads," Leo vowed. "I'm not here to murder anyone. I just want to see my family, that's all. Give me that, and I will help you with whatever you need."

  "I will hold you to that," Holden stuck his hand out.

  Without much thought, Leo accepted the handshake, the first oween a human and an Akirian oh. Though it cked any magical power, this simple a still held a meaning, a meaning that could ge the future...

  "We will be ba an hour, two at tops."

  Despite not agreeing oeime, Leo nodded. "I will be waiting. Good luck."

  Holden didn't answer and just spun on his heel, Dyn joining his side a moment ter. Soon, the two disappeared into the crimson flora of the forest, and everyone remaining in the cleariled down in their own er, happy to wait for the others in silence.

  Yet, even though the ‘hostages’ didn't speak a single word, Leo couldn't help but feel the two eyes burning a hole in his head.

  "What?" He grumbled to the only woman among them.

  "You are an ugly fucker, you know that, right?"

  Leo snorted. "Thanks. You too."

  "That could have goer," Dyn finally spoke up as he and Anthony trudged through the forest. He kept silent in the beginning to let the man think in peace, but there was only so much tension he could handle in the long run.

  "I uimated what you told me about him," his new leader answered after a moment. "Worst of all, I uimated how strong he is. You felt it tht? Felt the weight on your shoulders when I refused him?"

  Of course, I did. Not quite as intense as during the night, but still scary enough. Dyn nodded with a shudder. "He couldn't do that before... at least, I believe so... And you didn't miscalcute, mate. Leo just somehow gaiwo more levels since I st saw him."

  "Aye, and that's even more w. I have the highest level out of everyone here, and a big part of that is my job... To think that someone is already that far ahead..."

  Dyn hummed, "It's bloody scary, ain't it?"

  Holden grimaced. "That's one way to put it... I thought we could at least meet as equals with our number advantage, but I was wrong. rey to him, Dyn. A means to an end."

  't agree, but 't disagree either. Leo's evolution ged him to some degree; that's true. But, I don't believe he's gone so far as to view others as prey. That's just the persona you forced him to assume. That we are alive only proves that my read on him isirely off.

  With those thoughts in mind, their walk tinued in silence for another minute or so. Yet, as the rowth grew thinner and thinner, Dyn couldn't help but ask again. "What will you do now?"

  Holden's steps slowed ever so slightly as the man gave him a side gnce. "Now? Now, I'm going to keep my end of the bargain and prepare for the worst-case sario. Hale might be strong, but even the mighty fall, and until he proves to be somewhat trustworthy, I 't leave anything to ce."

  "The's hope everything goes smoothly," Dyn muttered. "I really don't want this to turn into a plete disaster."

  "her do I, Dyn... her do I."

  A bit over an hour of plete silence passed before a distant rustle of grass alerted Leo of someone approag. Until now, he and the trio just sat as far away from each other as possible, tent to ighe other party and wait for this shit show to end.

  And it finally did. Leo sighed, climbing to his feet as Dyn and Holdeered the clearing. While the former went right for the hostages, the tter approached him, a sa hand.

  "Here," Holden threw the pack at him. "Use this to cover your head and whatever else you o. With that cloak of yours, it should be enough."

  Frowning, Leo reached into the sack, removing a bundle of scarves along with the rgest trousers he had ever seen. Huh, those pants work, and I create a makeshift bandana out of these.

  With a shrug, Leo did just that, and once he put his cloak's hood ba, Holden nodded. "That should do it... Now e, we have no time to waste."

  "Lead the way then," Leo dipped his head and followed after the man. The time had e to meet the first remnants of his family.

  Ava, Adam. I'm here.