After running to a safe distance, Juwon and Trinity found a quiet spot to rest. They settled on a wooden bench under the roof of a closed shop, hidden from view in the empty streets. The night was silent, with only the occasional drip of water from a nearby tap breaking the stillness.
Trinity winced, looking down at the cut on her arm.
"This hurts more than usual. It's like they rubbed pepper on their machete," she muttered.
Juwon grabbed a piece of cloth, soaked it with water from the tap, and hurried back to her side. Carefully, he cleaned her wound, and they sat in silence until he finished wrapping her hand with the cloth.
Trinity tested her hand, glancing around.
"Security will start patrolling the water soon, but with the darkness, we can still sneak by," she said.
Juwon nodded. Trinity stood, pointing in the direction ahead.
"We'll head straight to Snake Island now. Shouldn't take more than an hour if we run in a straight line."
Juwon hesitated, a little unsure.
"Snake Island? I've never been there, but if she says it's not far, then let's go."
Juwon thought to himself.
With that, they started off, winding through empty streets, slipping past the rare, slow-moving cars.
Within minutes, Trinity was already way ahead, while Juwon struggled to keep up. His breaths came heavy, each step harder than the last.
Finally, Trinity slowed, letting him catch up.
"Juwon, you have to pick up the pace,"
She said, a bit impatient.
"Is this your fastest?"
He managed to gasp, "I'm... trying... to keep up."
Trinity shook her head.
"I'm using soul harmony to stabilize my movement, it helps me conserve energy while running. It's why I can maintain my top speed."
Juwon nodded, taking in the tip, but sighed.
"I can't use soul harmony technique yet... I haven't even located my soul."
Trinity shot him a determined look.
"If you can't find it, then I'll pull it out by force."
With a quick grin, she bolted forward, calling back,
"Now keep up!"
They pushed forward, but with all the breaks Juwon had to take to catch his breath, what was meant to be a one-hour run stretched out.
Finally, as the early sun began to rise, they reached the shore. Juwon dropped to his knees, exhausted, staring at the wide stretch of water that separated them from Snake Island.
Trinity scanned the water, spotting a few boats moving along the river...some carrying tourists, others with security guards. She frowned.
"We missed our cover of night. The sun's up enough for people to see us now. I was going to hire an agunmawe for you, but that's not an option anymore."
Juwon forced himself to stand, though he looked disheartened.
"Purist Trinity, just go. I'm only slowing you down. If you use that speed to run across the water, no one will even notice you."
She looked back at him.
"I can't leave you here alone like this."
His head hung low, his eyes tired.
"Please, just go."
Trinity saw the exhaustion and frustration on his face, and after a moment's hesitation, she nodded.
"Alright. I'll see you soon."
She gave him a last look, then turned, taking off at incredible speed across the water, her figure growing smaller as she sped into the distance.
Juwon sank back down, watching the vast stretch of water before him. As he sat there, breath heavy, his eyes stayed fixed on the horizon, where Trinity's figure had already disappeared.
The sun rose higher, casting light across the water, but Juwon barely noticed, the waves lapping gently at the shore as he sat, motionless and deep in thought.
To be continued...