The Assassin | KITTYZ

Chapter 16: Through Blade and Blood

HAERIN'S POV

The morning sun peeked through the trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor. I had barely slept, my mind spinning with the tension building between us and the inevitable confrontation with the palace's guards. Hanni was still asleep, but her face was restless even in slumber. The weight of her decision to stay with us must have been gnawing at her just as much as the danger surrounding her.

"They're getting closer," Danielle's voice cut through the silence. She and Hyein stood at the edge of our small camp, their eyes scanning the dense trees.

I joined them, my pulse quickening. "We need to move, now," I said firmly. The guards wouldn't be far off.

"Haerin," Hanni's voice, still sleepy, called from behind me. She was awake now, her eyes clouded with the remnants of sleep but laced with determination.

"We have to go," I repeated, urgency creeping into my tone. "We can't stay here any longer."

The sound of snapping twigs interrupted me, and suddenly the stillness of the forest was shattered by the appearance of several figures emerging from the trees. The palace guards. They had found us.

"Run!" I barked, drawing my blade as the guards rushed toward us, their swords gleaming in the early light.

Hanni froze for a split second, eyes wide with fear and surprise. But Danielle grabbed her arm, pulling her back into the trees as I and Hyein stepped forward to face the approaching threat. There was no time for hesitation. They would be on us in seconds.

The first guard lunged at me, his sword slicing through the air. I parried the blow, spinning on my heel to strike at his unguarded side. He fell with a grunt, but there were more behind him, and they were fast.

I could hear Hanni's quick breaths, her footsteps pounding against the earth as Danielle led her away from the fight, deeper into the forest. But the guards were relentless, and a few of them split off in pursuit of the princess.

I couldn't let that happen.

"Hyein, with me!" I shouted, moving swiftly toward the path Hanni and Danielle had taken. Another guard blocked my way, swinging his sword in a wide arc. I ducked, delivering a sharp blow to his wrist that sent his weapon clattering to the ground. He fell back, cursing, but I didn't wait to finish him off. I had to protect Hanni.

The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air as Hyein fought beside me, her movements precise and lethal. We pushed through the guards, making our way toward Hanni and Danielle, who had stopped near a cluster of trees. They were cornered.

A guard loomed over Hanni, his sword raised high.

Before I could think, my feet moved of their own accord. I threw myself between Hanni and the guard just as his blade came down. The impact jarred my arm, the force of it sending a shockwave through my body, but I held firm. I met his eyes for a brief moment before twisting my blade, forcing him back with a grunt of pain.

"Hanni, stay behind me!" I ordered, my voice sharp. The fight was far from over, and I couldn't afford to lose focus.

Another guard charged at me, and I braced myself for the impact. Our swords met with a deafening clang, the force of it reverberating up my arms. He was strong, but I was faster. I ducked under his next swing, using his momentum against him as I drove my knee into his gut. He staggered, and I followed up with a swift strike to his temple, knocking him unconscious.

I could hear Hanni's ragged breathing behind me, but I couldn't turn around. More guards were closing in, and every second counted. Hyein was holding her own against two of them, her blade a blur as she deflected their attacks with ease.

But there were too many.

"Danielle, get Hanni out of here!" I shouted, barely dodging another strike aimed at my head.

Danielle hesitated for a second, her eyes darting between me and Hanni. But she knew I was right. They couldn't stay here. Not with the guards closing in.

"Come on!" Danielle grabbed Hanni's arm again, pulling her toward the cover of the trees.

I felt a surge of relief as they disappeared from sight, but it was short-lived. Another guard came at me, his sword aimed for my side. I blocked it just in time, the impact sending a jolt of pain through my arm. He was stronger than the others, more skilled, and I could tell he wasn't going to go down easily.

Our blades clashed again and again, the sound ringing through the forest as we fought. He was relentless, his attacks fast and precise. But I wasn't going to let him win. Not today.

I caught a glimpse of Hyein out of the corner of my eye, still fending off two guards at once. She was holding her own, but I could see the strain in her movements. We needed to end this, and fast.

With a surge of adrenaline, I ducked under the guard's next swing, driving my blade into his side. He gasped, his body going rigid before collapsing to the ground. I didn't have time to check if he was still breathing.

"Hyein!" I called out, rushing to her side. Together, we finished off the remaining guards, their bodies littering the forest floor around us.

The air was heavy with the stench of blood and sweat, and for a moment, all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. The fight was over, but the danger was far from gone.

"Are you okay?" I asked, turning to Hyein.

She nodded, though she was clearly winded. "We need to catch up with them," she said, her voice hoarse.

I didn't need to be told twice. Hanni and Danielle were out there, alone, and the forest was crawling with more guards. We couldn't afford to lose them now.

Without another word, we took off through the trees, following the path Danielle had taken. My heart pounded in my chest, fear gripping me as I imagined what might happen if we were too late.

But we couldn't stop. Not now.

The forest grew thicker the further we ran, the trees closing in around us like a cage. But we kept moving, our footsteps silent against the soft forest floor. Every second felt like an eternity, but eventually, we caught sight of Danielle and Hanni up ahead.

They had stopped near a stream, both of them breathing heavily. Hanni's face was pale, her hands trembling slightly as she leaned against a tree for support.

"We need to keep moving," I said, barely slowing as we reached them. "There could be more guards nearby."

Hanni looked up at me, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. She didn't argue, didn't question the urgency of my words. She just nodded, falling into step beside me as we continued our flight through the forest.

The fight had left me more rattled than I'd expected. Each encounter with the guards reminded me of how close we were to being caught, how thin the line was between survival and capture. But even more than that, it reminded me of how much I had to lose.

Hanni.

The rebellion. The kingdom.

All of it was teetering on the edge, and I was right in the middle of it, trying to keep everything from falling apart.

But for now, we had survived. We had escaped.

And as long as Hanni was with me, I would fight to make sure it stayed that way.

☆

A/N

been getting sick rlly often lately :(

will try to push another chap in by tonight but no promises!