The sun dipped lower in the sky as Lucian and Leo traversed the desolate path northward.

  The silence of their surroundings weighed on them like a heavy cloak. T

  The few villages they passed through were all eerily quiet, the houses stripped of anything valuable, their windows gaping like empty eye sockets.

  "It's the same as the last one. Looks like it's been abandoned for weeks," Leo remarked, his sharp eyes scanning the area.

  Lucian crouched by a patch of disturbed soil, brushing aside loose dirt to reveal broken pottery. "No signs of life. No livestock, no scavengers. Should we be relieved that there are no corpses?"

  Leo's ears twitched, his gaze darting to the distance. "It's too quiet. No birds, no wind... nothing. We shouldn't linger."

  "Agreed," Lucian said, rising to his feet. He glanced at the system timer hovering in his vision. The countdown ticked on relentlessly.

  5 months, 26 days left.

  They moved on, their conversation sparse as the road stretched endlessly before them. As dusk fell, the two set up camp near the ruins of what might have once been an inn.

  The fire crackled, its light flickering across their tense faces.

  Lucian sat cross-legged, flipping through one of the few books he'd brought, while Leo kept watch, his claws flexing idly as his golden eyes scanned the darkness.

  "You're too calm," Leo said, breaking the silence.

  Lucian didn't look up. "And you're too tense."

  "There's something wrong about this place. Villages don't just vanish without a trace," Leo muttered, his voice low.

  "They do when there's something they're running from," Lucian replied, his tone measured.

  He closed the book and looked at Leo. "Don't worry, we'll return when it gets too dangerous."

  Leo scoffed before grinning. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to carry us when things go south."

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  Lucian smirked. "Just think of it as extra training."

  Leo rolled his eyes, smiling softly, but said nothing more. The silence stretched on, broken only by the occasional pop of the firewood.

  ---

  By the next day, the landscape had grown more rugged. The air was even colder, as the sun hid behind gray skies, and deep fog embraced the barren land.

  They came to a halt at the edge of a ravine.

  A massive bridge, once a feat of engineering, now lay in ruin before them. Its stone supports jutted out like broken teeth, while wooden planks hung precariously from rusted chains.

  "This is it," Leo said, gesturing to the castle visible in the distance. Its silhouette was faint against the horizon, shrouded in mist.

  Lucian studied the bridge, his brow furrowed. "It's impassable. We'll need another way across."

  Leo crouched near the edge, peering down into the ravine. "I could probably carry you if we find a narrow spot."

  "Or we could try-," Lucian suggested, but his words trailed off as his gaze swept the area. "Wait… something's wrong."

  Leo turned to him. "What is it?"

  Lucian crouched on the ground. "Traces of battle."

  Scattered debris—splintered wood, shattered weapons, and burned-out wheels—littered the area. Scorched earth and blackened corpses told a grim story.

  "This wasn't just an attack," Lucian muttered. "It was an ambush."

  Before Leo could reply, his ears twitched.

  In an instant, he lunged forward, shoving Lucian to the ground just as a hunting rope snapped taut where Lucian had been standing.

  Robed figures emerged from the shadows, their movements swift and coordinated.

  They immediately surrounded the two in a tight circle, their weapons gleaming in the fading light.

  "Stay behind me," Leo growled, his claws extending as his body tensed like a coiled spring.

  The attackers didn't hesitate.

  They lunged toward Leo, their agility matching his inhuman speed.

  Leo fought with feral precision, his claws raking through fabric and flesh alike.

  But despite his strength, the assailants were skilled, dodging and countering with unnerving synchronization.

  Lucian, meanwhile, found himself fending off two attackers.

  His hands glowed faintly as he cast healing spells, flooding his assailants' bodies with an excess of divine power.

  Sleep!

  They staggered, their limbs growing heavy as they succumbed to drowsiness.

  "Lucian!" Leo called out, but his warning came too late.

  A figure darted from the side, seizing Lucian by the arm and pulling a blade to his throat.

  "Stop, or he dies!" the assailant barked.

  Leo froze mid-strike, his claws mere inches from another attacker. His eyes burned with fury as he growled low in his throat.

  "You don't want to do this," Lucian said calmly, his tone cutting through the tension. "Let's talk this out."

  "Talk?" the assailant sneered. "We don't negotiate with outsiders. Especially with humans."

  Lucian's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "Then you—."

  Before he could say more, a sharp blow struck the back of his head.

  I'm still speaking, you rude fucker!

  Darkness closed in as he collapsed to the ground.

  *

  *

  *

  The sound of dripping water roused Lucian from unconsciousness.

  His head throbbed, and his vision blurred as he blinked against the dim light.

  The air was damp and cold, the unmistakable scent of mildew filling his nostrils.

  He sat up slowly, his hands brushing against the rough stone floor.

  Bars lined one side of the cell, and beyond them, the faint outlines of other prisoners huddled together.

  Lucian's heart sank. "Leo…"

  The demi-human was nowhere to be seen.

  A voice came from the shadows of the cell. "Don't bother calling for anyone. They separated us the moment they brought us here."

  Lucian turned toward the speaker—a gaunt man with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes.

  "Where is this place?" Lucian asked, his voice hoarse.

  "Somewhere below the castle," the man replied.

  "who are those people?"

  The man hesitated, glancing toward the door as if fearing it would open. "Monsters Demons. Call them whatever you want, but they're definitely not human."

  Lucian leaned back against the wall, his thoughts racing.

  Leo's out there somewhere. And whoever these people are, they've made a mistake by keeping me alive.

  For now, he had to gather information. Patience would be his weapon, and escape his priority.