The ravine stretched across their path like a wound in the earth.
Deep.
Wide.
Merciless.
Cold wind rushed upward from the darkness below, carrying the sound of distant water crashing against jagged rocks.
The drop was steep.
Far too steep.
Arin's heart pounded violently in his chest.
His legs trembled.
His breath came in short, uneven bursts.
Behind them—
Branches snapped.
Leaves rustled.
Footsteps closed in.
The hunters were coming.
The knight stepped to the edge of the ravine and looked down quickly.
His eyes measured the distance.
The slope.
The angle.
The risk.
He turned sharply.
Decision already made.
"We jump," he said.
The words struck like thunder.
Arin's eyes widened.
Shock flooded his face.
"Jump?" he repeated.
He stepped closer to the edge.
Looked down.
And froze.
The bottom of the ravine looked impossibly far away.
Sharp rocks jutted from the sides.
Water roared below.
Wild.
Violent.
Unforgiving.
Fear wrapped tightly around his chest.
Cold.
Paralyzing.
"We'll die," he whispered.
The knight met his gaze.
Steady.
Certain.
Unshaken.
"If we stay," he said,
"we die anyway."
The truth settled heavily in the air.
Behind them—
Voices echoed through the forest.
Closer now.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
"Spread out!" one of the hunters shouted.
Time was running out.
The wounded man on the knight's shoulder groaned weakly.
His breathing shallow.
His strength fading.
The knight tightened his grip.
Adjusted his stance.
Prepared.
He looked back at Arin.
His voice calm.
But firm.
"Listen carefully."
Arin swallowed hard.
Fear tightening his throat.
"You trust me?" the knight asked.
The question felt simple.
But carried enormous weight.
Arin looked into the knight's eyes.
Strong.
Steady.
Protective.
The same eyes that had stood between him and danger again and again.
He nodded.
Slowly.
"Yes."
The knight placed one hand firmly on the boy's shoulder.
Grounding.
Reassuring.
Certain.
"Then don't hesitate," he said.
Behind them—
The hunters burst through the trees.
Weapons raised.
Faces hard.
Relentless.
"There they are!" one of them shouted.
The knight stepped to the edge of the ravine.
Wind whipped against his cloak.
Cold.
Fierce.
Unforgiving.
He looked down once more.
Then forward.
Then at the boy.
His voice dropped to a low, steady tone.
"Close your eyes," he said.
Arin obeyed instantly.
The knight bent his knees slightly.
Muscles tightening.
Body preparing.
The sound of rushing footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Deadly.
An arrow flew.
WHISTLE.
It struck the ground beside them.
Too close.
The knight did not wait.
Did not hesitate.
Did not doubt.
He jumped.
For a single moment—
The world went silent.
The ground disappeared beneath their feet.
The air rushed past them.
The wind roared in their ears.
They fell.
Fast.
Weightless.
Unstoppable.
Arin's stomach dropped.
Fear exploded inside his chest.
His heart hammered wildly.
He forced his eyes open.
The world spun around him.
Sky above.
Cliffs rushing past.
Water below.
Too fast.
Too far.
Too dangerous.
Then—
The knight shifted his body.
Turning midair.
Positioning himself between the boy and the rocks.
Shielding him.
Protecting him.
Always protecting.
The river below surged violently.
Foaming white water crashed against the stones.
Wild.
Unpredictable.
Merciless.
Impact came suddenly.
SPLASH.
Freezing water swallowed them whole.
The current dragged them downward instantly.
Spinning.
Pulling.
Crushing.
Arin struggled to breathe.
Water filled his mouth.
His chest burned.
His lungs screamed.
Strong hands grabbed him.
Firm.
Steady.
Unyielding.
The knight.
He pulled the boy upward.
Fighting the current.
Forcing them toward the surface.
They broke through the water.
Arin gasped.
Air rushed into his lungs.
Sharp.
Painful.
Glorious.
The river carried them downstream.
Fast.
Relentless.
Uncontrollable.
Behind them—
At the edge of the ravine—
The hunters skidded to a stop.
They stared down into the rushing water below.
Searching.
Waiting.
Calculating.
The leader stepped forward slowly.
His expression dark.
Frustrated.
Cold.
He watched the river carefully.
For a long moment.
Then—
He turned away.
"They won't survive that fall," he said.
But his voice carried doubt.
Far downstream—
The current finally weakened.
The river slowed.
The water calmed.
The knight dragged himself onto the muddy riverbank.
Exhausted.
Soaked.
Breathing heavily.
Arin lay beside him.
Shivering.
Coughing.
Alive.
For several long seconds—
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
Then—
The knight forced himself to sit up.
His eyes scanned the surrounding forest.
Alert.
Careful.
Ready.
They had escaped.
For now.
But survival came with a cost.
Arin's vision blurred.
Darkness crept slowly into the edges of his sight.
His body felt heavy.
Weak.
Empty.
The last thing he heard—
Before losing consciousness—
Was the knight's voice.
Low.
Steady.
Certain.
"Stay alive."
Because the journey had only just begun.