Chapter 10

The road stretched long beneath their feet, a winding path of dirt and stone cutting through the quiet expanse of the open wilderness. Trees loomed on either side, their skeletal branches swaying against the wind. Every step sent a dull throb through Silas's back, but he adjusted his grip and kept moving.

Nick was still unconscious, slung over Silas's shoulder like dead weight. His breathing was steady but shallow, his body limp from exhaustion and injury.

Silas led the way, moving with that same effortless confidence, his boots crunching against the ground. Renn walked beside him, talking more than anyone had asked for.

"So, Eldenmere." Renn's voice broke the quiet. "We're actually going there."

Elira adjusted the sling supporting her broken hand. "Is it really as peaceful as you said?"

Renn scoffed. "Peaceful? Yeah, in the way a library is. Quiet, orderly, but if you make the wrong noise, you're out." He exhaled, kicking a loose stone ahead of him. "Eldenmere doesn't tolerate disruptions. They keep their streets clean, their laws firm. No chaos, no war. It's probably the safest place we could go."

Elira wrinkled her nose. "Sounds a little too perfect."

"It is. But after everything that's happened, I'll take boring over" Renn gestured vaguely behind them. "All that."

Silas didn't comment. He kept walking, shifting Nick's weight to ease the strain.

Renn continued, unfazed. "The kingdom sits near the Silverwood River, surrounded by natural defenses. No one invades Eldenmere. They don't start fights, but they don't lose them either. The people there," he hesitated. "They're decent. Suspicious of outsiders, but they won't turn you away unless you give them a reason."

Elira sighed. "I just hope they don't have a problem with travelers. We already stand out enough."

Renn smirked. "Well, considering one of us is unconscious and being carried like a sack of potatoes, I'd say we blend in just fine."

Silas snorted but didn't look back. "You're welcome to carry him instead."

"Hard pass." Renn grinned. "I like my spine intact."

Time passed in slow silence. They walked for hours, the road stretching endlessly before them, the landscape shifting subtly from rolling plains to thickening woods. It wasn't until Renn stopped to adjust his boot that he finally looked up at the surroundings—

And frowned.

He turned slowly, scanning the terrain, then twisted toward Silas. "Hey… hold on a second."

Silas took another step forward.

"Silas." Renn's voice was sharper now. "Where the hell are we?"

Elira exchanged a glance with Renn.

Silas stopped but didn't turn. "On the right path."

Renn's eyes narrowed. "No, we're not. Eldenmere is that way." He pointed to the distant, misty peaks. "You've been leading us west. That's not—" His expression shifted, realization dawning. "You knew, didn't you?"

Silas finally turned to face him, his gaze unreadable. "We're not going to Eldenmere."

Renn blinked. "What?"

Silas nodded toward the distance. "We're going to the Crimson Citadel."

Silence. A long, heavy silence.

"The hell we are." Renn's voice rose, sharp and incredulous. "You can't be serious. The Crimson Citadel? Are you out of your damned mind?"

Elira stiffened. "Silas, why?"

Silas exhaled. "Eldenmere is peaceful, yes, but they're also strict. You think they haven't heard what happened in Ravengarde? That they don't know who we are?"

Renn shook his head. "They wouldn't—"

"They would," Silas snapped. "Ravengarde is their ally. They'd arrest us the moment we stepped through the gates."

Elira clenched her good hand into a fist. "And you think the Crimson Citadel is a better option? The place is crawling with slavers, mercenaries, killers."

"They don't care about Ravengarde," Silas interrupted. "They're not allies. They don't take orders from them." He exhaled, his voice dropping lower. "The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Or at least, your neutral."

Renn ran a hand through his hair, pacing in tight circles. "You don't understand. The Citadel isn't just dangerous, it's evil. People disappear there. The entire kingdom is ruled by blood and greed."

Silas didn't argue. He just stared at him.

Renn stopped dead in his tracks, hands clenched into fists, his face twisting with disbelief. "I can't believe this. You lied to us."

Silas turned, adjusting Nick's weight. "I did what I had to."

Renn let out a sharp laugh, but there was no humor in it, fury bubbling beneath the surface. "Unbelievable. You dragged us halfway across the damn countryside just to drop this on us? We trusted you!"

Silas's expression remained unreadable. "You trusted me to keep us alive. That's what I'm doing."

Nick stirred on Silas's back but didn't wake. His soft, pained breath was the only sound in the growing tension.

For a long time, no one spoke. Then, Renn exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath. "I swear, if we die in that hellhole, I'm haunting you."

Silas resumed walking. "Get in line."

Renn groaned loudly, running both hands through his hair in frustration. "I swear, you're impossible."

Elira huffed. "And stubborn."

Silas smirked, not slowing his pace. "I prefer determined."

Renn threw his hands up. "Oh, yeah, that's a nice way to say 'leading us straight into a death trap.'" He shot Elira a look. "Can you believe this guy?"

Elira sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."

The path narrowed, twisting through thickening trees, forcing them into single file. Silence settled again, but it was heavy, tension woven between every footstep. The crunch of leaves and the distant call of some unseen bird were the only sounds that accompanied them.

Then, up ahead, something broke the monotony.

A cart sat off the road, partially concealed by overgrown branches. Its canvas covering fluttered in the breeze, revealing glimpses of crates and supplies underneath. There were no horses, no sound of an owner rummaging through goods, just the eerie stillness of something waiting.

Silas slowed. Renn noticed. "What?"

Silas shifted Nick's weight on his back, nodding toward the cart. "Someone's here."

Elira frowned. "You're sure?"

Renn squinted. "Doesn't matter. Let's keep walking."

Too late.