Renji rushed into the room, almost slamming the door against the wall. He was breathing heavily, sweat ran down his temples, and his eyes were filled with a fear Tiberku had never seen before. Lio, frightened, recoiled back onto the bed.
— "Renji, what happened?" Tiberku asked, immediately standing up.
Renji closed the door and leaned against it, trying to catch his breath. He ran his hand across his face, but the trembling didn't go away.
— "He was there," he said through clenched teeth. "The soldier. The one with the demon arm. He grabbed me on the street just before I entered the inn."
Tiberku froze for a moment. He stepped forward quickly.
— "Did he attack you?"
Renji shook his head, his gaze distant.
— "No. He grabbed me, lifted me off the ground like a toy. He said something… something strange."
— "What did he say?"
Renji clenched his fists.
— "That he senses a smell on me. A demonic smell connected to me. He said if he catches me again where trouble arises, I won't get a second chance."
Tiberku frowned, running his hand over his mouth thoughtfully.
— "So he's hunting you. He knew exactly where to find you."
— "Yes," Renji replied. "And he moved as if he appeared out of thin air. I didn't hear anything, didn't feel anything until he grabbed me."
Tiberku took a few steps across the room. The fire crackled in the stove, but the warmth didn't reach them.
— "That means he knows where we are. The inn isn't safe anymore."
Renji nodded.
— "And there's more. When he held me, I felt a strange energy. It wasn't like the demons. It was cold, controlled, yet… familiar. As if a part of me recognized it."
Tiberku studied him closely.
— "You mean the energy resembles yours?"
Renji lifted his gaze to him, silent for a few seconds.
— "Yes. Exactly that."
Lio, who had remained motionless until then, slowly approached.
— "Master Renji… is he coming after us?"
Renji looked at him. His lips trembled, but his voice was calm.
— "No. As long as you're with me, no one will touch you."
Tiberku placed his hand on the table and spread out an old map.
— "If he wants something from you, he won't give up. We have to leave before he returns."
Renji leaned over and peered at the map.
— "Where?"
Tiberku pointed to an area on the outskirts of the city, marked with a red circle.
— "Here. An old shelter of the Order. Eris said hunters hid there during the siege ten years ago. It's fortified, and demons can't enter."
Renji looked at the map, then closed his eyes briefly.
— "Then we go there. But before we leave, I want to know something. If this soldier isn't just a man corrupted by demons, but something created, then someone controls him."
Tiberku looked at him directly.
— "Or someone sent him."
Renji nodded.
— "And if he knows about me, he knows about Megan too."
Tiberku clenched his jaw.
— "Then we need to reach her before him."
The innkeeper arranged some glasses on the counter when she heard the commotion from the upstairs room. Hasty voices, raised tones, and hurried footsteps. She paused from her work and looked toward the ceiling. She recognized Renji and Tiberku's voices. They sounded uneasy.
She set down the glass in her hand and slowly climbed the stairs, trying to make no noise. When she reached near the door, she heard clearly.
— "We have to leave before he returns," Tiberku said. "If the soldiers keep patrolling, we won't be able to get out of the city."
The innkeeper brought her hand to her mouth, frightened. Her heart raced. She didn't understand everything, but one thing was clear: they were leaving, and the city was no longer safe. She immediately thought of Lio.
She took a step back, almost holding her breath. The floor creaked slightly, and Renji turned toward the door for a moment. The innkeeper pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath, then quickly descended the stairs, trying not to be seen.
Once downstairs, she leaned her hands on the counter and closed her eyes for a second. She knew Renji and Tiberku were no ordinary men, but now she understood they were involved in something much larger.
Renji descended a few minutes later, followed by Tiberku. They stopped in front of the counter, and the innkeeper watched them without speaking. Silence stretched for a few seconds until Renji broke it.
— "You already know, don't you?" he asked calmly.
The woman nodded.
— "I heard enough to realize you're leaving. And that the city isn't safe anymore."
Tiberku approached and placed a small leather pouch on the counter.
— "We don't want to drag you into trouble. Here's money for damages and for your silence."
She pushed the pouch back.
— "I don't want your money. I just want to know if my family is in danger here."
Renji looked at her carefully.
— "Not directly. But if the soldiers find out we stayed here, they'll think you knew something. Keep him away from the market the next few days. Searches will start."
The innkeeper bit her lip, trying to hide her fear.
— "And you? Where are you going?"
Tiberku looked toward the small window above the door.
— "To the outskirts, where there's a shelter. It could be safe so we don't create problems for others."
The woman clasped her hands.
— "If you mean the old Order shelter, you can take the old road through the salt warehouses, it's clear, but it's full of sentries."
Renji smiled briefly.
— "Then that's the way we'll go."
Tiberku placed a hand on his shoulder.
— "Don't tell anyone you saw us."
— "I won't," she replied in a low voice. "But promise me you'll send a signal if you arrive safely."
Renji nodded.
— "If you see a lantern lit three nights in a row on the hill across the river, know we're safe."
— "I want to thank you," the innkeeper said, smiling faintly. "If you hadn't gone with the boy from the pharmacy today, I don't know how hard it would have been to make the trips alone."
Renji looked at her attentively.
— "I'm glad we could help."
— "It was a relief not to go alone with the child," she added. "I'm grateful to you."
— "Be careful not to go out too much," Tiberku said. "The city isn't safe anymore."
The innkeeper nodded and retreated gently, leaving Renji and Tiberku to go up to their room.
Renji entered and closed the door behind him, leaning against the wall for a moment. He arranged his backpack with supplies and maps, while Tiberku checked the weapon hidden under his coat.
— "Are we ready?" Tiberku asked, looking at Renji.
— "Yes," he replied. "We must leave before the innkeeper gets involved in our problems."
Renji and Tiberku looked at each other, the tension between them cutting through the air in the room. Renji tightened his backpack and drew his sword closer.
— "We have to do this now," he said calmly but firmly. "We need demon blood before we leave. Without it, I'll always be helpless."
Tiberku nodded, checking his weapon.
— "I know. But we need to move fast. The demon won't wait."
Renji held the map and pointed to a hidden area on the edge of the city.
— "It was last seen here. If we move now, we can catch it and get the blood without endangering people."
Tiberku tensed his muscles and looked at Renji.
— "After we finish, we leave immediately for Eris. No time to wait."
Renji nodded and adjusted his backpack with supplies and weapons.
— "Then let's go. Every second counts."
The two slipped out of the room, moving quickly and silently through the dark streets. Everything was quiet, but the tension in the air was palpable. They knew that after obtaining the blood, the journey to the shelter and to Eris would be even more dangerous, but they had no other option.
Renji glanced back, thinking of the innkeeper and her child.
— "Let's hope we make it without drawing attention."
Tiberku placed a hand on Renji's shoulder.
— "We'll make it. We always find a way."
With that, they headed toward the place where the demon had last been seen, prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect Megan and leave the city as quickly as possible.
On the way, Renji and Tiberku passed the city forge. The clanging of metal and the crackling of hammers echoed loudly.
Renji turned his gaze toward the forge. A wave of guilt tightened in his chest.
— "Wait a moment," he said, stopping.
Tiberku looked at him, surprised.
— "What are you doing? We don't have time to waste."
— "I have to do this," Renji replied quietly. "I wasn't at work and I was a liar. I need to apologize."
Renji approached the forge door and knocked lightly. The sound of hammers and fire in the furnace dimmed as the blacksmith looked up, surprised to see him.
— "Hello," Renji said, keeping his head bowed. "I want to apologize. I lied and didn't do my work properly. I'm sorry I left you to handle everything alone."
The blacksmith looked at him for a few seconds, then raised an eyebrow and sighed.
— "It's okay. You're young, and you make mistakes. Don't dwell on it."
Renji felt a discreet relief, but his gaze was drawn to the workbench. On it lay a strange sword, with an unusually fine blade and inlays that resembled the model Renji had long desired.
— "This… it looks like what I wanted," Renji whispered.
The blacksmith looked up and smiled slightly.
— "I'm working on something special. It's not finished yet, but it's a very special commission."
Renji nodded, feeling some of the tension lift.
— "It looks incredible, you're a very skilled blacksmith," he said.
The blacksmith smiled again.
— "A few adjustments remain, but I still have time to finish the work."
Renji headed toward the exit but paused briefly, looking back at the blacksmith.
— "Take care. The city isn't safe," he said gravely.
The blacksmith shrugged and nodded.
— "I'll be careful. You and your friend, be careful too."
Renji stepped onto the street and met Tiberku a few steps away.
— "We have to leave," Tiberku said, looking around carefully. "We can't stay here. The demon won't wait to be hunted."
Renji nodded and tightened his backpack.
— "Let's move quickly."
Renji and Tiberku left the city through a side road, avoiding people. Empty streets sank into darkness, their footsteps mixing with the rustle of leaves and the cold wind.
— "We're close," Renji said, looking at the map in his hand. "This place is marked here, near the old warehouses."
Tiberku nodded, eyes scanning the surroundings.
— "Stay alert. The demon could be anywhere, and if it senses our scent, it will react immediately."
They stepped into an open field, the moonlight reflecting off the tall grass. The old warehouses and abandoned buildings stretched before them, and the atmosphere was thick with tension.
Renji drew his sword and adjusted his cloak.
— "The map shows the demon should be here," he said. "We have to move slowly and make no noise. If we catch it quickly, we get the blood and leave."
Tiberku nodded and crept forward, almost invisible among the warehouses. Renji followed, feeling adrenaline quicken his heartbeat.
Around them, the shadows of abandoned buildings merged with the night. The area was quiet, but both knew silence could be just before the storm. The demon was there, waiting, and they had to be ready for anything.
Tiberku moved a few steps ahead among the old warehouses, attentive to night sounds, but his focus began to waver. In an instant, a heavy, cold scent hit him from the air, and from a dark shadow leaped a demonic creature, with long claws and glowing red eyes.
Renji immediately sensed danger.
— "TIBERKU!" he shouted, alarm cutting through the night.
Without hesitation, Renji lunged forward and pushed Tiberku out of the trajectory of the demon's claw. The creature struck where Tiberku had been, the impact echoing through the warehouses.
Tiberku fell to the ground, shocked, while Renji pulled him behind him, shielding with his body. The demon paused briefly, surprised by the quick move, giving them a short window.
— "Are you insane?!" Tiberku said, breathing hard, still in shock.
— "Watch next time!" Renji replied, rising and tightening his grip on the sword. "We can't afford mistakes here!"
The demon hissed and stretched his claws toward them again. Renji and Tiberku rose, ready to react, each aware that a moment of inattention could be fatal.
— "We need to catch it quickly," Renji said in a low voice, eyes flashing with determination. "We get the blood and leave. No unnecessary risks."
Tiberku nodded, trying to recover and fully focus. In the cold night air, adrenaline made them aware of every sound and every movement of the creature threatening them.
Renji and Tiberku were recovering from the near-fatal attack, but something felt off. The air was too dense, darkness seemed to vibrate, and the shadows of the warehouses were no longer just still.
— "Renji… something's wrong," Tiberku whispered, looking up.
In an instant, from the darkness, forms emerged from all directions. It wasn't a single demon—they were multiple, surrounding them, their red eyes glinting in the night, claws and fangs shining under the moonlight.
Renji felt a knot in his stomach.
— "The trap… it wasn't just one demon!" he shouted, drawing his sword closer. "We're surrounded!"
Demons echoed among the warehouses, weaving through shadows like ghosts. Renji and Tiberku stood back to back, ready to fight, but felt the overwhelming number around them.
— "We need to hold our ground and move fast!" Tiberku shouted, trying to find an exit.
— "There's no easy escape," Renji replied, eyes fixed on each movement of the demons. "But we have to survive for Megan and Eris."
Around them, demons of all sizes approached, chirping, growling, shaking the air with their power. Every misstep could be fatal, and Renji and Tiberku immediately understood that this encounter wasn't a simple attack—it was a trap, and their chances of escape now depended on every reflex and precise movement.
— "Stay close to me!" Renji shouted, preparing to face the first strike, while Tiberku raised his weapon, ready to fight side by side.
The shadows of the demons drew nearer, and the night seemed heavier, tighter, surrounding them completely. With no way out, the only option was to fight or be caught.