The cave smelled faintly of smoke and damp moss. Outside, the forest was still dripping from last night's storm, every branch shedding silver droplets into the quiet air.
Iris stirred first, waking to the faint warmth of Luna's arm curled protectively around her waist. The fire had died to embers, and their clothes, though drier than before, still clung coldly to their skin.
For a long while, Iris didn't move. She simply listened—to Luna's heartbeat pressed faintly against her back, to the silence of the world outside. After everything—the shadows, the river, the fight—they were still alive.
She turned slowly, watching Luna's face in the dim light. Strands of pale hair had fallen across her cheek, her lips slightly parted in sleep. Even now, even after the chaos, Luna's grip had never slackened.
Iris reached out, brushing the hair away gently. "You look so strong," she whispered, "but you're just as breakable as me."
Luna stirred, eyes fluttering open. When she caught Iris watching her, she managed a faint smile. "I'm not used to being woken by someone staring at me."
"You'll have to get used to it," Iris teased softly. "I could watch you forever."
The smile deepened, though shadows lingered in Luna's gaze. She sat up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. "We can't stay here. They'll sweep this whole forest."
Iris nodded, pushing aside her blanket. "Then we go to the village?"
Luna hesitated. "It's dangerous. Crowds make it easier for them to blend in. But… we need supplies. And information."
"And maybe rest," Iris added quietly.
Luna's silence was her answer.
They set out soon after, leaving the cave hidden by moss and stone. The forest felt different today—less like sanctuary, more like a living thing watching them. Every snap of a branch made Iris tense.
Luna walked ahead, senses sharp, her hand never straying far from the dagger at her hip. Iris followed close, clutching the strap of the pack, her sketchbook safe inside.
After hours of silence, Iris spoke. "Do you ever wish we could just… blend in? Like normal people in a crowd?"
Luna glanced back briefly. "Once. A long time ago."
"And now?"
"Now blending in is the fastest way to get killed."
The bluntness cut, but Iris understood. Still, a part of her longed for it—to be nameless in a crowd, to hold Luna's hand openly without fear of shadows lurking behind every glance.
By late afternoon, the trees thinned, giving way to rolling fields. Beyond them, smoke curled from chimneys, and the faint sound of voices carried on the wind.
Iris's heart leapt. "The village."
Luna stopped, scanning the horizon. Her jaw tightened. "Stay close to me. Don't speak to anyone unless I tell you to. And if anything feels wrong—anything—you run."
Iris swallowed hard and nodded.
The village was modest, its streets narrow, lined with wooden houses weathered by time. Lanterns hung above doorways, their flames trembling in the breeze. The scent of bread and smoke filled the air, mingling with the sound of children laughing, merchants calling, hammers striking iron.
For Iris, it was overwhelming. After so long in the quiet of the cabin and forest, the noise and life pressed in on her, dizzying and strangely beautiful.
Luna, however, moved with tense calculation. Her eyes swept the crowd, noting exits, threats, shadows where someone could hide.
They walked side by side, close enough that their shoulders brushed. To anyone watching, they might look like two travelers weary from the road.
But Iris felt the coil of danger in every step.
"Where first?" she whispered.
"Supplies," Luna said. "And a place to sleep—hidden, if we can find one."
They stopped at a stall selling dried meat and bread. The merchant, an older woman with sharp eyes, studied them with interest.
"Long road?" she asked, handing over the food.
"Long enough," Luna said curtly, dropping coins onto the counter.
The woman's gaze lingered a moment on Iris before turning away. "Safe travels."
Iris exhaled once they moved on. "She knew something."
"She knew we were outsiders," Luna corrected. "That's enough to draw attention."
They found lodging in a small inn on the edge of the village. The innkeeper, a broad man with a friendly smile, gave them a room upstairs overlooking the fields.
It was there, while Luna secured the door and checked the windows, that Iris caught sight of someone below in the courtyard.
A woman—tall, dark-haired, dressed in travel-worn clothes—was watching the inn with sharp, assessing eyes.
"Luna," Iris whispered, pulling her to the window. "Do you see her?"
Luna froze. Her entire body went rigid.
"I know her," she said, voice low and edged.
"Who is she?"
Luna's jaw clenched. "Her name is Selene. She was once… allied with my family. Before everything."
"Can we trust her?"
Luna's silence stretched long. Finally, she muttered, "I don't know."
But trust or not, Selene had already turned her gaze upward—directly to their window. And when her eyes met Luna's, she gave a faint, deliberate nod.
That night, Luna agreed to meet her—though only in the shadows behind the inn, where the lanterns didn't reach.
Iris stayed close, her hand brushing Luna's as Selene stepped from the dark.
"You're harder to track than I expected," Selene said softly. Her voice carried both amusement and weariness.
"Tracking me, were you?" Luna's tone was cold.
"I was looking for you. There's a difference."
Selene's gaze shifted to Iris, studying her with quiet curiosity. "And this is the one you've been protecting."
Luna stepped slightly in front of Iris, protective. "Leave her out of this."
Selene raised her hands in mock surrender. "I mean no harm. If anything, I'm here to offer help. The shadows grow bolder. They won't stop until you're both caught—or worse."
Iris's pulse quickened. "Why would you help us?"
Selene's smile was faint, almost sad. "Because once, Luna's family saved mine. And debts like that don't vanish. Not even in times like these."
Luna's eyes narrowed. "Or maybe you're bait, sent to lure us."
"Then why warn you?" Selene countered. "You've been marked since the cabin burned. Every village, every road—they'll follow. You need more than each other now. You need allies."
The words hung heavy in the night air.
Back in their room, Iris paced restlessly. "She's right. We can't outrun them forever. Maybe we need her."
Luna leaned against the wall, arms crossed, expression hard. "Or maybe she'll lead them straight to us. I can't risk it."
"You can't risk shutting everyone out either," Iris argued. Her voice cracked, raw with exhaustion. "It's always you against the world. But we're not strong enough alone, Luna. I'm not strong enough."
Luna's eyes softened at that, though her voice remained firm. "You're stronger than you know, Iris. But trusting the wrong person will cost us everything."
Iris stepped close, pressing her forehead to Luna's. "Then trust me. I feel it—she's not lying."
Luna closed her eyes, torn between instinct and hope.
After a long silence, she whispered, "One chance. No more."
Later, when the village slept and the world grew quiet, Luna dried Iris's hair by the fire in their small room, fingers combing gently through damp strands.
Iris leaned back into her touch, sighing softly. "If I close my eyes, I can almost pretend this is normal."
Luna smiled faintly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "Almost."
They shared a small meal of bread and fruit, sitting cross-legged on the bed, their knees touching. And when the night grew colder, Iris curled against Luna beneath the blankets, whispering, "Promise me tomorrow we'll still wake up together."
Luna tightened her hold, voice steady despite the storm in her heart. "I promise."
But promises were fragile things.
Near midnight, screams shattered the stillness. Iris bolted upright as Luna leapt from bed, knife already in hand.
From the window, torches flared—the shadows had infiltrated the village.
"They've found us," Luna hissed.
The inn shook as boots thundered below. The door rattled. Iris clutched Luna's arm, terror spiking.
Then, suddenly—the clash of steel outside their room. A voice shouting:
"Go! I'll hold them!"
It was Selene.
Luna's eyes widened. For a heartbeat, doubt warred with trust. Then she grabbed Iris's hand. "Move!"
They fled through the window, dropping into the night as Selene's sword sang behind them, cutting down the shadows who'd breached the inn.
For the first time, Iris realized the truth: Selene wasn't hunting them. She was fighting for them.
They ran through the fields under the silver light of the moon, Selene catching up minutes later, blood on her blade but not her body.
"You see?" she panted. "I'm not your enemy."
Luna's grip on Iris's hand never loosened. But she glanced at Selene, eyes sharp and conflicted.
"For now," Luna said, breathless. "You're with us. But if you betray us…"
Selene gave a grim smile. "I won't. The shadows are hunting me too."
Together, the three disappeared into the darkness, the village burning behind them, torches flickering like dying stars.