Behind them, the village burned.
Ashren didn’t dare look back again.

He pulled the princess along the forest’s edge, breath trembling, boots slipping over roots and ash. The sun was still up—late morning—but everything felt darker after what had happened.

The princess finally found her voice.

“Ashren… there is no use,” she said, breath shaking.
“The Night Hunters use tracking magic. They can sense me anywhere. And they have fast vehicles—we’ll never outrun them.”

Ashren’s jaw tightened.
His voice steady:

“Trust me.”

“But—”

Ashren cut her off, finally glancing at her.

“I couldn’t find another way to rescue you and the villagers,” he said, breath uneven.
“If we stayed there, that leader would have killed someone. He would have. And I couldn’t let that happen.”

She stared at him, stunned.

“That’s why,” Ashren continued, voice raw,
“I dragged them out of the village. And I dragged you with me. It was the only chance we had.”

Her chest tightened.

“Ashren… I…”

“Just stay with me,” he said softly.
“We’ll be safe soon.”

Back in the burning village, the Night Hunter mage knelt before a glowing tracking circle.
Blue sigils pulsed outward.

“My lord,” the mage said,
“They are close. Very close.”

The leader’s voice was calm.
“Then hunt them.”

The forest grew thicker, darker.
But Ashren knew the path.

He veered left, pulling the princess behind a wide, ancient tree.

“Where are we—?” she began.

Ashren dropped to his knees, pushing aside leaves and branches piled near the roots.
Beneath them, hidden under soil and brush, was a metal hatch.

The princess’s eyes widened.

“What is this?”

Ashren lifted the hatch with effort.

“My uncle built this,” he said, voice softer now.
“A hidden room. We used it while hunting—when storms hit or beasts came too close. Only the two of us knew it existed.”

He motioned for her.

“Inside. Quickly.”

She hesitated.

“But the tracking magic—”

“Won’t work here,” Ashren said.
He looked at her, eyes full of conviction.
“This place blocks everything. Magic won’t reach you. They won’t sense you.”

Her breath trembled.

“You… you knew this?”

“I hoped it would work,” Ashren admitted.
“This was our best chance.”

The princess swallowed, then climbed down into the underground shelter.
Ashren followed and closed the hatch over them.

Inside, it was small, dusty, and built for survival—not comfort.
But it was safe.

Ashren sat across from her, chest still rising and falling with hard breaths.

He stared at the floor.

“I’m sorry… for what I said back there.”
His voice shook slightly.

“I didn’t mean the words. I was angry… I didn’t know how else to reach you. I… I just wanted to stop him from hurting anyone.”

The princess looked at him with soft, tired eyes.

“No,” she whispered.
“I’m the one who should be sorry. Everything happened because of me.”

Her tears shimmered again, but she held them back this time.

The Night Hunter mage froze.

“Sire… the signal…”

The magical circle flickered.

“…It’s gone.”

The leader stared at the empty forest line.

“Impossible.”
He took one step forward.

“They can’t run that far in so little time.”

He turned to his soldiers.

“Search the forest.
Every corner, every root, every shadow.”

His voice darkened.

“They are hiding.
And I want them found.”

To be continued…
❤️ If you’re enjoying it, please Like & Subscribe — it helps a lot!