The smell of ash still hung in the village air, and the scars of Eren's battle with the hunters were evident in the scorched earth and blackened tree limbs.
People watched Eren from afar, their eyes filled with fear and amazement, whispering among themselves:
"We saw him fly with wings of fire..."
"He's not human... He carries the curse of fire!"
In a small hut on the outskirts of the village, Leylin packed dry bread and some water into a small bag, while Eren stood by the door, watching the sky begin to light up with the cold color of dawn.
"Do we really... have to leave?"
He asked hesitantly, his hand touching the palm on which the inscription had appeared that night.
Leylin looked up at him, her golden eyes shining with determination.
"As long as the contract remains between us, the hunters will return again... This village will not be safe."
Eren sighed slowly, looking at the simple home he had lived in for so many years, all the memories falling before his eyes like autumn leaves.
But when he looked at it, he knew that fate had moved, and that returning to his former life was no longer possible.
Before sunrise, the two of them left the village, passing along the dirt road lined with pine trees. Behind them, the quiet smoke rose from the village chimneys.
Silence reigned between them, the only sound they could hear was their footsteps on the damp ground.
Eren finally broke the silence:
"Where do we go now?"
Lylin answered, staring at the road ahead.
"We need to find the First Book of Flames. It's the only one that contains the spell to undo the bond between fire and wind."
"The First Book of Flames?"
"It's in an ancient fire temple, located in the Astra Mountains, but the journey there is perilous. Hunters will be searching for us everywhere."
Eren felt a faint fear in his heart, but he remembered the warmth he'd felt when he'd saved her, and the power that had swept through his body when the fiery wings had appeared.
"I'll go with you... to the very end."
Lylin paused, turned to face him, a look of gratitude he'd never seen before.
"Thank you... Heir of the Wind."
Continuing, they reached the edge of the forest, where the familiar path ended and the dense, dark woods began, filled with the sounds of strange birds and the wind passing through the ancient trees.
At that moment, Leylin took out a small red stone, took Eren's hand, and said,
"Since the hunters are hunting our fiery aura, we must cover our tracks."
She pressed the stone against Eren's palm, and a faint red inscription glowed, then slowly faded. He felt as if something warm was lurking in his chest, but invisible.
"Now, they can't track us so easily."
They continued walking through the forest, dark clouds gathering in the sky and the distant rumble of thunder threatening to bring more rain. Their next chapter in an unforgiving world began: a journey to find the Book of the First Flame, a quest for freedom and to untie the knot that forever bound their destinies.
But deep down, Eren sensed that this journey wasn't just about untie...
It was the beginning of his transformation from a weak boy to the heir to the True Wind.
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