The clearing's silence was broken only by the rustle of wind through Black Stone Forest's gnarled branches. Lin Che sat with his back against a moss-covered boulder, turning the glowing crystal over in his hand. Its silver light matched the Star Marrow on his wrist, and when he pressed them together, a faint hum echoed—like two pieces of a puzzle recognizing each other.
Su Qing knelt beside him, dabbing a cloth soaked in herbal water on the cut on his forehead. "Zhao Hu's men won't stop looking for us," she said, her voice tight. "The Zhao family's never let anyone escape with something they want—especially not the Star Marrow and this crystal."
Xiao Ya, who'd been wandering the edge of the clearing talking to a patch of clover, walked back, her brow furrowed. "The clover says there are men nearby—lots of them. They're moving in a circle, like they're searching for tracks. And… they're carrying something heavy. Metal. Like cages."
Lin Che's jaw tightened. Cages. They weren't just hunting—they were planning to capture them. He stood, slipping the crystal into the pocket of his tattered jacket. "We need to move. If they're circling, they'll find this clearing soon."
Su Qing nodded, grabbing her Arcane Manual. "The forest's eastern edge has an old lumber camp—abandoned for years. My grandmother used to hide there when the city patrols came looking for her. It's got a cellar—we can wait them out until dark."
They set off at a quick pace, Xiao Ya leading the way. She kept her hands near the ground, pausing every few steps to murmur to the grass or the small ferns that grew between the trees. "The plants are scared," she said once, her voice small. "They say the men have been cutting down the underbrush—hurting the forest to find us."
Lin Che's chest ached. He thought of Ling An's vision—the Guardians protecting the forest—and felt a surge of anger. The Zhao family didn't care about the forest, or the ruins, or anyone but themselves.
They'd walked for nearly an hour when Xiao Ya suddenly froze. "Stop," she whispered, grabbing Lin Che's arm. "The thorns. They're warning us. There's a trap ahead."
Lin Che squinted through the mist. Up ahead, the path was blocked by a thick wall of blackberry thorns—taller than a man, their branches tangled into a dense barrier. But something was off— the thorns were too neat, too perfectly arranged.
"Zhao Hu did this," Su Qing said, her voice sharp. "He knows the forest—he used to hunt here as a kid. He's herded us toward this trap."
Before they could turn back, a shout echoed from behind them. "There they are!"
Lin Che spun around. Five of Zhao's thugs stood at the edge of the clearing, their clubs raised. Behind them, Zhao Hu emerged, a cruel smile on his face. "Thought you could outrun us? The thorns block the path forward—and we've got you surrounded."
Xiao Ya stepped forward, her hands glowing green. "The thorns won't stop us," she said, her voice steady. She closed her eyes, murmuring to the barrier, and the thorns began to twist—slowly, at first, then faster. A gap opened in the middle, just wide enough for them to slip through.
"Go!" Lin Che shouted, pushing Su Qing and Xiao Ya toward the gap. He turned, grabbing a fallen branch from the ground, and swung it at the nearest thug. The man grunted, stumbling back, and Lin Che darted after the others.
The thorns closed behind them as they slipped through, trapping the thugs on the other side. But Zhao Hu's laugh echoed through the trees. "You think that'll stop me? I've got more men! We'll find you! And when we do—"
His voice faded as they ran, but Lin Che didn't slow down. He could hear the thugs hacking at the thorns behind them, their shouts growing louder.
They reached the lumber camp ten minutes later. It was a cluster of rotting wooden shacks, their roofs caved in, their windows broken. Su Qing led them to the largest shack, pushing open its creaky door. Inside, the floor was covered in dust and broken planks, but in the corner, a trapdoor was hidden under a pile of old sacks.
"Help me move these," she said, grabbing a sack. Lin Che and Xiao Ya joined her, and together they pulled the sacks aside. The trapdoor was made of metal, rusted but still strong. Su Qing pulled a small key from her pocket—her grandmother's, she said—and unlocked it.
The cellar below was dark and damp, but dry. Lin Che climbed down first, then helped Su Qing and Xiao Ya. He pulled the trapdoor shut above them, leaving only a small crack for light.
They sat in silence for a while, their breaths echoing in the small space. Xiao Ya curled up against a wall, her eyes heavy with fatigue. Su Qing leaned against Lin Che's shoulder, her hand resting on his wrist—where the Star Marrow glowed faintly.
"We'll be safe here until dark," she said, her voice soft. "Then we can head for the city's outer slums—no one from the Zhao family goes there. We can find a place to hide, figure out what to do with the crystal."
Lin Che nodded, but something felt off. He thought of Zhao Hu's smile, of the way the thugs had herded them toward the thorn trap—like they'd known exactly where they were going. Like someone had told them.
He looked at Su Qing, then at Xiao Ya. No—they wouldn't betray him. Xiao Ya had risked her life to help them. Su Qing had sacrificed herself to protect the crystal.
But the thought wouldn't leave him. Who else knew about the lumber camp? Who else knew Su Qing's grandmother's hiding spot?
A faint creak from above made him freeze.
Su Qing sat up, her hand going to the knife at her belt. "What was that?"
Lin Che held a finger to his lips, listening. He could hear footsteps—heavy, multiple—above them. Then, a voice.
"Zhao Hu said they're in the cellar. Break the door down."
It was one of the thugs. But how had they found them so fast? They'd only been in the cellar for ten minutes.
The trapdoor shook as someone kicked it. Dust fell from the ceiling. Xiao Ya whimpered, huddling closer to Lin Che.
Su Qing's face paled. "They couldn't have tracked us this quickly. Not unless—" She stopped, her eyes widening. "The crystal. It's glowing. They must have a detector—something that picks up its energy."
Lin Che pulled the crystal from his pocket. It was glowing brighter now, its light seeping through the fabric of his jacket. He wrapped it in the cloth, but the light still shone through.
The trapdoor shook again, and a crack appeared in the metal. "They're going to break through," Su Qing said, her voice urgent. "We need to find another way out."
Lin Che looked around the cellar. The walls were made of stone, but in the corner, there was a small drain—too small for an adult, but maybe…
He looked at Xiao Ya. "Can you fit through there?" he asked, pointing to the drain. "It might lead to the forest."
Xiao Ya nodded, scrambling to her feet. She knelt beside the drain, pulling at the metal grate. It was rusted, and with a little effort, it came loose.
"Go," Lin Che said, handing her the wrapped crystal. "Take this. Find the ivy by the old stone arch—wait for us there. We'll meet you, I promise."
Xiao Ya hesitated, then took the crystal. "Be careful," she said, squeezing his hand. She climbed into the drain, and a moment later, her voice echoed back: "The path is clear! Hurry!"
The trapdoor shattered above them. Light flooded the cellar, and a thug leaned down, his club raised.
"Now!" Su Qing shouted, tackling the thug. He grunted, falling into the cellar, and Lin Che grabbed his club, swinging it at the next man.
He fought blindly, his mind racing. They had to get to the drain. They had to find Xiao Ya.
Su Qing stabbed a thug in the leg with her knife, making him scream. "The drain!" she shouted, pointing.
Lin Che nodded, backing toward the corner. He swung his club at another thug, knocking him off balance, then dived into the drain. Su Qing followed, pulling the grate back into place behind them.
The drain was narrow, dark, and filled with slime. They crawled forward, their hands and knees scraping against the stone. The sound of the thugs' shouts faded behind them, but Lin Che knew they'd be chasing.
They emerged from the drain ten minutes later, into a small stream in the forest. Xiao Ya was waiting for them, the crystal still in her hands.
"Are you okay?" she asked, rushing to Su Qing's side.
Su Qing nodded, coughing up water. "We're fine. But we can't stay here. They'll be looking for the drain."
Lin Che stood, brushing slime from his clothes. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed faintly, and he thought again of the thugs' quick arrival. Of the way they'd known exactly where to find them.
He looked at the crystal in Xiao Ya's hands. It was glowing softer now, but its light was still visible. "We need to hide the crystal," he said. "If they can track it, we'll never be safe."
Su Qing nodded. "My grandmother had a hiding spot—by the stream, under a pile of stones. The plants will cover it. They'll keep it safe."
They walked to the stream, and Xiao Ya helped Su Qing bury the crystal under a stack of smooth stones. She whispered to the nearby ferns, and their leaves curled around the stones, hiding them from view.
"Now what?" Xiao Ya asked, looking up at Lin Che.
Lin Che took a deep breath. The sun was setting, painting the sky pink and orange. The mist was thickening, making it harder to see.
"Now we run," he said. "We head for the slums. And we don't stop until we lose them."
They set off again, the forest growing darker around them. Lin Che could hear the distant shouts of the thugs, but they were getting farther away.
But the thought of betrayal lingered. Who had told the Zhao family about the lumber camp? Who else was watching them?
He glanced at Su Qing, who was walking beside him, her hand in his. She squeezed his fingers, as if sensing his worry.
"We'll be okay," she said, her voice soft. "Together."
Lin Che nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone— or something—was still hunting them. And this time, it wasn't just the Zhao family.