Chapter 108 – The Choice at Black Hollow
The ridge path narrowed until it was no more than a ledge carved into the side of the mountain. To the left, a sheer drop vanished into fog; to the right, a jagged wall of stone rose high enough to blot out half the sky. The wind funneled through the gap in violent gusts, carrying flecks of ice that stung their skin.
Kairo led the way, his steps steady despite the treacherous footing. Behind him, Elira moved with deliberate care, keeping one hand against the wall. The stranger brought up the rear, silent as ever, though his sharp eyes missed nothing — not the cracks in the stone underfoot, not the darker shapes shifting in the mist ahead.
Half a mile on, the ledge widened abruptly into a natural platform. The rock here was pitted and blackened, as if scarred by old fire. In the center, a massive pine jutted from the stone, roots gripping like claws. Beneath its shadow yawned a wide fissure in the cliff — the mouth of a cave.
Kairo stopped just shy of the entrance. "Black Hollow," he said quietly.
Elira's breath formed pale clouds. "That's… not on the map."
"It wouldn't be," the stranger replied. "Places like this… the wrong kind of people know them. Smugglers. Cutthroats. Those who need to disappear."
Kairo's gaze swept the ground — faint bootprints led into the darkness. Recent. Too recent.
"They're ahead of us?" Elira asked.
"Or they've been waiting." Kairo knelt, brushing his gloved fingers over the tracks. The tread was worn, uneven. "Two, maybe three people. Heavy packs."
The stranger adjusted the rifle on his shoulder. "Could be Feretti's scouts. Could be someone worse."
Kairo's eyes narrowed. "There's no 'worse' right now."
They stood at the cave's mouth, the air inside unnervingly still. Beyond the first few feet, the darkness was absolute. Somewhere deep inside, faint echoes suggested movement — not the restless scurry of animals, but the deliberate rhythm of human steps.
Elira's pulse quickened. "If they're inside, we have the advantage out here. Why go in?"
Kairo's answer was immediate. "Because the ridge ends ahead. This cave cuts through the mountain. Without it, we double back into Feretti's path."
The stranger studied him for a beat, then smiled faintly. "So we walk into the dark with people we might have to kill."
"Exactly," Kairo said, already stepping inside.
The darkness swallowed them almost instantly, the sound of the wind fading until the cave was filled only with the drip of unseen water. Their footsteps echoed in a slow, deliberate cadence. Kairo's hand brushed the rough wall, feeling the cold seeping through his gloves.
They moved for what felt like an eternity before the faint flicker of firelight appeared ahead. A camp.
Kairo motioned for silence. They crept closer until the shapes by the fire took form — two men, hunched over steaming mugs, their rifles propped within easy reach. Both wore the heavy coats and armbands of Feretti's enforcers.
Kairo's mind worked fast. Two inside meant more could be nearby. He counted the seconds between their movements, noting when they glanced toward the tunnel.
Elira's whisper was barely audible. "We could slip past while they're—"
"No," Kairo murmured. "They'll see us. And they'll follow."
The stranger leaned close, his breath warm against Kairo's ear. "We take them out, quick and quiet. But if you do that, you can't turn back from what comes next."
Kairo's eyes stayed on the guards. His jaw set, every muscle tight with decision.
When he finally spoke, it was in a tone that brooked no argument.
"We finish this here. Tonight."