Lila watched him from behind, her heart pounding as he moved effortlessly — silent, fast, each strike calculated. Every bandit that attacked him fell within moments, none able to touch him. She could hear the clash of steel, the groans of men collapsing one after another.
Then suddenly, the reins holding the horses snapped. They panicked, rearing wildly and running off, causing the carriage and the coachmen to fall. The coach man fell unconscious and Lila lost her grip and hit the side of her head on a wooden surface, blood dripping down slowly.
Davien fought like a shadow; within moments, half of the ambushers were already down. But in the middle of the fight, he didn't notice the figure sneaking toward the carriage from behind.
Lila gasped as a rough hand suddenly covered her mouth.
"Say one word and you are gone," a harsh voice whispered in her ear.
She struggled, but the man's grip tightened around her waist, pulling her closer to his body.
"Let… let me go," she tried to say, but her words were Hushed, panic rising all over her.
The man dragged her out of the carriage, pressing a sharp blade to her neck.
"Don't move!" the man shouted, his voice trembling but loud enough to stop everyone around them.
Davien froze, his eyes darkening, short blades still in his hands.
"One more move and she dies!" the man warned. "Drop the weapon," he said, pressing the blade closer to her neck. A small drop of blood trickled down her skin.
Lila's eyes widened, tears threatening to fall — pain flooding through her, heart pounding.
Davien's jaw tightened. The air around him grew colder as he took a slow step forward.
"Let her go," he said, his voice low and Dangerous.
"I said drop them now!" the man shouted, pressing harder,fear in his eyes.
Davien didn't move, his deep blue eyes fixed on Lila. Then, slowly, he let the blades fall to the ground with a soft clink.
"Good," the man sneered.
Before he could finish, Davien's hand flicked — a small blade, shaped like a star, flew through the air.
A sharp thud.
The man's eyes widened. The blade had buried itself neatly in his shoulder, forcing him to release Lila. His other members ran away back into the forest upon seeing the disadvantage they were in.
"Arghhh! How dare you!"the man groaned. "Don't come closer",he said to davien staggering back slowly holding onto the stabbed hand.
"Lila, move!" Davien shouted.
Lila, barely able to think or move, managed to shift her body slightly. The second blade flew past her, missing by an inch.
The man barely had time to react before Davien's hand caught his wrist, twisting it until he dropped his knife.
With one Quick motion, Davien pushed him back, sending him crashing into the carriage wheel. The man slumped, groaning.
Davien walked up to him, stepping on one of his hands. The man screamed in pain.
"Please! Please, spare me!" he begged, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Who are you?" Davien demanded, his tone cold.
"We... we're just mountain bandits," the man stammered.
Then Davien bent down in front of the man, his hand moving toward the blade on the man's shoulder. He pressed and twisted it.
"Arghhhh!" the man screamed in pain. "I swear, we are mountain bandits and nothing more!" he said.Davien didn't say anything again,he just turned and looked at Lila.
Lila sat frozen, trembling, staring at Davien. His eyes were colder than usual. Strands of his silver hair fell loosely over his face, his expression unreadable.
Davien stood up and walked toward her, his tone suddenly gentle.
"How are you feeling?"
She just shook her head slowly, unable to speak or move.
Davien went closer, bending down in front of her. His gaze lingered on the faint red line on her neck. He reached out, brushing her skin lightly with his thumb, wiping away the blood—his touch surprisingly soft.
"Next time," he murmured, his voice low and rough, "listen when I tell you to stay down."
Lila looked up at him, her eyes wide.
"You think I wanted to come out? He almost killed me!" she said.
For a moment, their eyes met—silence hung between them. Then he turned away, scanning the forest.
"We can't stay here much longer," he said, then lifted her up.
Lila wrapped her hands around his neck, her heart racing as they walked toward a tree not too far from the carriage. He gently placed her down, her back leaning against the trunk.
"Rest here for a bit. Let me pack our things. Now that the horses are gone, we'll have to travel on foot."