For the second time in just as many days, Lila found herself running for her life.

Everything burned.

Her legs dragged.

Her vision blurred.

Her breath hitched.

But she couldn’t stop.

Even as she approached the brambles covering the main entrance, she didn’t falter. Her hand instead lowered to unsheathe the dagger on her hip.

The sharp blade gleamed as she brought it down in a great slash.

There was no resistance. 

Recoil bent her arm back, sending the dagger clattering against stone. Lila instinctively released the boy’s hand as she stumbled, sending him crashing hard to the ground. 

She didn’t understand. 

It…was open.

No branches, no leaves. 

A sharp pain struck behind Lila’s eyes.

…She needed to get away from here.

Her attention shifted to the muffled sobs coming from the ground.

Aleydis hadn’t gotten back up.

Lila clenched her teeth. 

“We have to keep moving.”

“…”

“…fine.”

She took a knee, resting a palm against the boy’s cheek before striking him hard across the face.

It stung.

“Tell me how you got here.”

His cries faded into silence.

Lila leaned in, unwilling to waste any more time.

“I want to live. Tell me.” 

Aleydis remained distant.

Lila grabbed his face, yanking it towards her own. Her voice was a low growl.

“You want us to die like Kateri?!”

He swallowed hard, his glassy eyes drifting towards the dome. It was only after shedding a few more tears that he was able to finally choke out a response. 

“…There’s another path behind the Temple. It’s forbidden but I used it anyway.”

“Can you open it?”

“Yes but…”

Lila shook her head.

“Can. You. Open. It?”

“…yes.”

“Alright.”

She released his face.

“Can you run?”

Aleydis hesitated. Lila followed his gaze to his swollen ankle.

Dammit.

She turned and squatted before him.

“Get on.”

It didn’t take long to secure him to her back. She stood, lightly hopping in place to better distribute the extra weight. 

“Lila!”

The whisper was urgent against her ear. She turned. 

“Fuck.”

The vines had caught up.

In an instant Lila took off in a sprint towards the back of the Temple. 

Slithering broke into a roar behind her, eliciting a gasp from Aleydis. She took a sharp turn around the edge of the dome.

Fortunately it wasn’t as wide as it was tall. 

They swiftly approached the final edge. Sweat dripped from her brow as she yelled to Aleydis.

“Where is it?!”

He pointed a finger out from around her neck.

“That arch!”

Ahead stood a stone arch guarded by an ornate wood door.

“Open it!”

Lila could feel the lick of vines at the back of her feet.

Aleydis stiffened. An overwhelming sweetness flooded the area as the door began to groan.

Snap.

Lila glanced down to see a small tendril fall from her ankle.

Desperation edged into her voice. 

“Aleydis open the door!”

“I am!”

“It doesn’t look open!”

“Shut up!”

Why had she trusted him?! 

“Aleydis!”

Lila closed her eyes, prepared to ram directly into the heavy door.

“Got it!”

A strong gust of wind burst from Aleydis, sending both the vines and the door reeling. The second Lila’s foot crossed the threshold she screamed.

“Close it!”

Aleydis summoned the gust again. The door slammed closed just as Lila collapsed to the ground. 

Her breaths were shaky and labored.

“Did any vines get in?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That’s—“

Her words were cut off by bile rushing up her throat. She barely managed to lift herself up in time to vomit.

It took three painful rounds of spasms for her stomach to finally settle.

She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the stone ceiling strewn with glowing pods.

Something cool and soft lightly tapped against her cheek. Aleydis was holding the waterskin.

Lila gingerly sat up and crawled over to the wall. Once propped against it, she took the waterskin from Aleydis to rinse her mouth. 

He was the first to break the silence.

“They’re all dead.”

His head was tucked between his knees. 

“That…thing killed them.”

Lila bit her lip. 

She didn’t want to think about what happened just yet.

“Where does this tunnel lead?”

Aleydis scoffed.

“That’s all you have to say?”

The hurt in his voice was palpable even as he continued to answer. 

“To my old home.”

“Is it safe?”

“…”

This time, Lila didn’t push.

It took a while for Aleydis to lift his head again. He didn’t face her.

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Lila stood, reaching down to grab her satchel.

“Let’s go.”

She grabbed Aleydis’ wrist, dragging one of his arms across her shoulders to lift him. He didn’t resist…but still refused to meet her eyes. 

…

…Perhaps she deserved that.

—————————

“What did you say?”

Lila furrowed her brow at the sudden demand that broke the silence of their trek.

“I said be quiet when we enter.”

“…Why?”

Aleydis removed himself from her shoulder. He extended both arms towards the simple wooden door ahead.

“Just be quiet.”

It wasn’t a particularly difficult request.

She could let him have this.

“Sure.”

Aleydis tensed, not expecting her to so easily comply. Lila watched him as he tried to ignore her stare.

The sweetness and subsequent gust came about quicker this time, almost gentle. As soon as the door opened Aleydis stepped forward, gesturing for her to follow. 

The first thing Lila noticed was the dimness. Night had long since fallen during their walk, leaving only the pale light of the River above to illuminate the room. 

It was organized similarly to the other dwellings she had seen — moss floors, root furniture, leaf basin — with the exception of a long hall that seemed to extend to other rooms. Lila brushed a finger against the nearest fixture, checking for dust. It came away dark.

“Ley?”

A soft and melodious voice startled her into action. She reached for the dag—

Shit.

She never picked it back up.

Aleydis had jumped as well, though his hunched shoulders insinuated guilt rather than fear. 

“Ley, I know it’s you. Come here.”

She glanced at the boy whose face had contorted. 

It was time for her to leave.

She took a single step towards the exit.

“…who is with you?”

Goosebumps prickled her skin as her head whipped back to the dark hall. The voice continued.

“Bring them here too.”

Lila could feel Aleydis’ accusatory glare on her back. She hadn’t expected a single step to give her away.

Well, if she was already compromised…there was only one thing to do.

“Hey!”

Aleydis whispered harshly, hobbling after her on one foot.

Lila didn’t wait for him. She made her way down the hall to the room whose leaf door was already parted in anticipation. Her mouth lowered into a frown as she took in the scene. 

Sallow, gaunt cheeks framed by thinning silver hair. Blank eyes that held nothing but sclera. Pulsing blackish-green veins that jutted out from beneath the skin.

The female elf that sat here was living on borrowed time…yet still greeted her with a calm smile.

“Will you introduce yourself, stranger?”

That calm twisted her stomach.

“Lila Firenca.”

“Apolnia Aquinan. You’re not from here.”

“I’m not.”

Apolnia nodded.

“Aleydis.”

He flinched.

“Explain.”

“I—“

Aleydis struggled to continue as tears slid down his face. Apolnia was relentless. 

“Then I’ll say it. You used the Priest’s Path, didn’t you? And went to the Divine Sanctum?”

The room went silent.

Aleydis stared hard into the floor. 

Apolnia clenched her hands into a feeble fist held with surprising resolve.

“You endangered us all.”

“Nia, I—“

“Don’t. I won’t hear it.”

She took a centering breath.

“Lila was it? Tell me what happened.”

An image of Kateri and the Rangers flashed through her mind, loosening something fragile within her chest.

Stop it. 

Just give the facts. 

“A monster killed seven Rangers. We barely escaped.”

The control in Apolnia’s voice melted into something raw and tender. 

“What?! None of you should’ve been there!” 

Her words lingered in the air, stillness broken only by her increasingly uneven breaths. A faint ripple passed under her skin. She doubled over. 

Aleydis rushed forward but stopped when Apolnia raised a quivering hand.

“Come—“

Her voice trembled now.

“Come back and see me in the evening. I need some time to rest.”

“Nia…”

“Alright.”

Lila didn’t need to be told twice.