The moon hung high, its silver light slicing through the veil of darkness, casting a faint glow across the forest canopy, and the stars shimmered gently like scattered embers floating in an endless sea.
Though cloaked in night, the forest stirred with quiet life.
The hum of insects blended with the soft coos of unseen nocturnal creatures, creating a symphony of whispers in the still air.
Kael stood among it all, motionless.
To others, this blend of shadows and soft sound might have been eerie, but to him, it was oddly peaceful.
There was a calm in it, a rhythm to the world that felt untouched by fear or chaos.
He looked up at the moon, its luminous face serene, and for a fleeting moment… he felt the same.
'Where are we headed? How long will it take for us to reach there?' Kael questioned as he stared at the distant horizon.
There was no answer, just the same quiet silence.
He lowered his gaze and clenched his fist, recalling the earlier moment, 'This power is real and so is my God. I'm sure he's leading us to a better place.'
Under the gentle glow of the moon, Kael's eyes glistened with determination.
Just then, Thran, who had been knocked unconscious, woke up from his slumber. He felt a dull throb in his head as if someone had stabbed a dull blade in his temple.
"Argh…" He grunted as he regained his consciousness.
"Where…?" He blinked in confusion.
The silver glow of the moonlight illuminated the surroundings around him, and he found a solitary figure draped in moonlight, sitting some distance across from him.
"Who?"
The image was a blur, making it hard to distinguish.
He rubbed his eyes hard, attempting to clear the blur. Just as his vision cleared, he found the figure belonging to Kael.
The sight of Kael relieved him. However, at the same time, it evoked a sense of awe. Under the silver glow of the moon, Kael's figure looked ethereal. It seemed as if he was harnessing the blessing of the moon.
"You're awake, Thran," Kael addressed, rolling his eyes to look at Thran. "How are you feeling now?" Kael's voice was gentle and full of concern.
Thran tried to stand, but as he tried, a stinging pain assaulted him.
His expression contorted in agony as he winced, "Argh… What happened to me?"
Then he noticed some sticks tied with vines to immobilize the bone wrapped around his legs. He could tell from a glance that he had broken his bone, and someone had treated him.
But he couldn't recall the moment he broke his bone.
"When did I break my leg?" Thran felt perplexed upon seeing the splints applied to his legs.
The method of splinting was rough, but it held his broken bones in one place, immobilizing his legs. Their tribe members often used this technique to treat fractures.
"Don't force yourself, Thran," Kael advised.
However, rather than being worried about his state, Thran felt an uncomfortable feeling of guilt welling up inside him. Now that he had broken his bone, he had become a burden to the tribe.
His brows arched as he gnashed his teeth and clenched his fist. Intense rage welled up from deep within. However, the anger wasn't directed at others but at himself.
Seeing his expression contorted in guilt, Kael knew what he was going through. He could tell that he was blaming himself for being a burden on the tribe.
Casting a pitiful gaze at Thran, Kael proceeded to console Thran, "You don't have anything to be ashamed of, Thran. You fought valiantly, and you protected the tribe. If it weren't for your efforts, we would have suffered many casualties."
Though Kael's words sounded assuring, Thran still couldn't bring himself to forgive himself. He couldn't even remember what injured him.
He continued to suffer as his fingers dug deep into his palm.
Kael stood and walked towards him. Thran, however, couldn't bring himself to look at Kael.
"Thran, my friend. Don't blame yourself. You encountered a Ravager. It's even a miracle that you escaped with your life intact, and we are glad that you are here with us," Kael said, placing his hands on Thran's shoulder.
For some reason, Kael didn't feel like hiding the topic of the beast from him. But before speaking of it, he made sure the others around him were asleep.
"Rava—"
Thran's eyes widened as he heard about the beast. He hadn't expected to encounter one such beast here.
But before he could blurt it out, Kael stopped him.
Thran understood Kael's intention. Thus, he didn't delve further into that matter. He could tell that Kael must have kept it a secret from other tribe members to avoid panic in the tribe.
Upon hearing the truth, Thran couldn't bring himself to keep lamenting his state. Just like Kael said, it was a miracle that he even escaped with his life intact.
Though Thran calmed down, something still didn't feel right.
If what Kael said was the truth, then how did he and the others manage to survive?
From what he could tell, there wasn't anyone powerful enough in the tribe to stop a beast of that caliber.
Kael could guess what he was pondering. However, instead of telling him, he decided to show him. The cooldown for the blessing had ended, and he could use it again.
Though it was better to conserve the power of blessing for the moment of predicament, Kael still had to scout the area. He still couldn't believe that the beast had left them alone.
Upon activating the blessing, Kael's figure vanished in thin air, leaving Thran stunned and horrified.
"Where?"
He scanned around in shock as he tried to locate Kael, but he was nowhere to be seen. Thran found his heart rate quickening, and his breathing hurried.
Lira, who had been pretending to sleep to eavesdrop on their conversation, was equally stunned. Though she had seen Kael do the same before, she couldn't bring herself to believe it.
But now, upon seeing it for the second time, she was convinced that Kael had some supernatural power.
Then she remembered the conversation she had with Kael— the conversation about God.