The Price on His Head

Darkness.

It stretched on endlessly, neither warm nor cold, just a vast, empty abyss. Somewhere in the void, voices echoed—distorted, distant, fading in and out like waves on a restless shore.

Then—pain.

A dull, relentless ache spread through Liam's body, dragging him back toward reality. His mind surfaced, sluggish and disoriented, his limbs heavy as if weighed down by invisible chains. His fingers twitched against something rough—fabric. A blanket.

The world sharpened.

His eyes fluttered open, meeting the sight of a wooden ceiling, lantern light flickering dimly against aged beams. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and old cloth. He could hear the faint drip of water somewhere, along with the slow, steady breathing of someone nearby.

Where…?

Not the ruins.

Liam's muscles tensed instinctively. The last thing he remembered was—the Sentinels. The escape. The water dragging him upward. Then, nothing.

A groan sounded to his right.

He turned his head, his vision still adjusting. Iris was slumped in a chair beside his cot, arms crossed, her chin resting against her shoulder. Even in sleep, her expression was sharp, brows furrowed as if scowling at some unseen enemy. Dried blood stained her sleeve.

She was alive.

His gaze flickered further across the room. Ileana. She sat near the far wall, hood pulled low, her bow resting against her knee. She wasn't asleep, but she was still—watching. Guarding.

A weak breath of relief left his lips.

They made it.

They survived.

His chest ached as he forced himself to sit up, a wave of dizziness hitting him immediately. He gritted his teeth, shaking it off, but the slight movement was enough to stir Iris.

Her eyes snapped open in an instant.

She inhaled sharply, fingers twitching toward her dagger before she fully registered what had woken her. When she saw Liam awake, she exhaled harshly and ran a hand through her hair.

"Took you long enough."

Liam winced at the rasp in her voice. His throat was dry as he croaked out, "Where…?"

Ileana spoke before Iris could. "Some abandoned outpost. We found shelter after the ruins spit us out. You've been unconscious for three days."

Liam blinked.

Three days?

His stomach twisted. He'd expected to be out for a while—especially after Stat Fusion's side effects started creeping in—but three whole days? That was dangerous.

He barely had time to process the thought before his status window flickered to life.

[Status Update: Condition Stabilized.]

[Recovery Progress: 79%]

[Unconscious Duration: 3 Days, 14 Hours.]

[Warning: Hostile Presence Detected Nearby.]

His blood ran cold.

Hostile presence?

His body tensed on instinct, his senses sharpening. He scanned the small, dimly lit room. A table. A few old supplies. The wooden walls were thin, barely sturdy enough to block out the chill. But behind them—

Voices.

Muffled, low, just outside the door.

Liam's pulse spiked.

Iris must have noticed the shift in his expression because her scowl deepened. She reached into her belt and pulled something free—a folded paper. Without a word, she tossed it onto his lap.

Liam's stomach twisted as he unfolded it.

His own face stared back at him.

A wanted poster.

His name was bold, black ink scrawled across the page like a death sentence.

And below it—

[Bounty: 75,000 Silver Marks]

[Wanted for: Espionage, High Treason, and the Use of Forbidden Arts]

His grip tightened.

Seventy-five thousand.

That was more than triple what it had been before.

A bounty like this? It wasn't just a manhunt anymore.

It was an execution order.

Liam's throat was dry. "…Seventy-five?"

Iris exhaled sharply. "Yeah. You really pissed someone off this time."

Ileana was watching him carefully. "We don't know who put in the increase, but it happened fast. Word's already spreading."

Liam swore under his breath.

It wasn't just Cain after him now. Every bounty hunter, mercenary, and faction assassin in the region would be gunning for him.

And judging by the low voices outside…

Some were already here.

Nowhere to Run

Iris peered through a thin crack in the wooden planks. "Four of them. Maybe five. Armed. Talking about collecting your bounty."

Liam clenched his jaw.

Ileana crossed her arms. "They haven't come in yet. Probably debating if it's worth the risk."

Liam knew exactly why.

People who escaped the ruins didn't do so by accident.

To everyone else, he was no longer just a wanted man. He was an anomaly. A dangerous one.

And dangerous people were always unpredictable.

Iris exhaled. "We need a way out."

Liam glanced around the room. The walls were too thin for proper cover. The back exit? Probably an ambush waiting. His ink reserves were still recovering, and his body wasn't at full strength. A direct fight—

A shadow moved outside the window.

Ileana stiffened.

Too late.

The murmuring outside had stopped.

Then—a decision.

A voice hardened. "Enough waiting. We take him now."

Boots stomped toward the door.

Iris's dagger was in her hand instantly. Ileana reached for her bow.

Liam inhaled sharply, ignoring the lingering ache in his limbs.

He wasn't ready for this fight.

But ready or not—

The hunt had begun.

To Be Continued…