The battle had left us battered and drained. The streets of West Grimvale stretched endlessly ahead, cloaked in a suffocating fog. My legs ached, but the weight in my chest—the constant dread—was heavier.
"We should keep moving," I said, glancing at her.
She stopped mid-step and gave me a sharp look. "We need to rest. You can’t fight like this."
"There’s no time," I snapped, more out of frustration with myself than her. "Every second we waste, she gets closer to finishing whatever it is she’s planning."
Her gaze didn’t waver. "And if we drop dead before we get there, it won’t matter. You’re exhausted, and so am I. We’re not invincible."
I wanted to argue, but my body betrayed me. The ache in my limbs, the burning in my lungs—they all screamed that she was right. Still, the thought of stopping while Heaven suffered was unbearable.
"We find somewhere to rest," she continued firmly, taking the lead. "Even for a few hours. Then we plan."
The streets were eerily silent as we searched. Abandoned buildings loomed over us like sentinels, their windows dark and lifeless.
"I don’t think there’s a single soul left here," I muttered.
She glanced over her shoulder, her voice low. "Be grateful for that."
---
Finally, we found an inn. Its wooden sign creaked in the wind, barely clinging to the rusted hinges above the door. Inside, it was no better—dust-coated furniture, peeling wallpaper, and the faint smell of rot.
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"Charming," I said dryly.
"It’ll do," she replied, already scanning the room for anything useful.
---
We settled in a small, decrepit room with two beds pushed against opposite walls. I dropped onto one of them, the mattress sagging under my weight.
"I’ll take the first watch," she said, sitting on the edge of the other bed.
"I’m fine," I argued, though my voice lacked conviction.
She raised an eyebrow. "You look like you’re about to keel over. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you if anything happens."
Reluctantly, I closed my eyes, though rest didn’t come easily.
---
My dreams were anything but peaceful.
I was back in the cursed forest, the air thick with decay. Shadows writhed around me, their voices whispering incomprehensible words. Suddenly, the whispers turned to screams, and I was surrounded by faces—distorted, anguished.
"You failed us," one cried.
"You’ll fail her too," another hissed, its voice venomous.
Then the scene shifted. Heaven appeared, her form flickering between light and darkness. She was chained, her cries echoing in the void.
"Don’t let me go," she pleaded, her voice breaking.
I reached for her, but my hands passed through her like smoke.
---
I woke with a jolt, sweat dripping down my face. My chest heaved as I struggled to steady my breathing.
"Another dream?" she asked from her bed, her voice quiet.
I nodded, unable to find the words.
Her gaze softened, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she handed me a flask of water, and I took it gratefully.
---
By dawn, we had begun to prepare. She moved with purpose, checking her weapons and inspecting the items we’d salvaged from the abandoned room she found the night before.
I raised an eyebrow as she laid them out on the table: a mix of talismans, vials, and small blades.
"Where did you get these?" I asked.
"An empty room," she said simply.
"Empty?"
She shrugged. "No one was using it. These things are better in our hands than gathering dust."
"You stole them."
"Borrowed," she corrected, smirking faintly. "You should be thanking me. These might save your life."
I couldn’t argue with that.
---
As the morning light filtered through the grimy windows, we studied the map the red fiend had given us. Its markings were crude but clear enough to lead us into uncharted territory.
"This is it," she said, tapping the spot where the trail ended.
"Looks like the middle of nowhere," I muttered.
"Exactly," she replied. "Which means we’re heading in the right direction."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "We’re running out of time, and we barely have anything left to fight with."
She reached into the satchel and pulled out one of the blessed daggers. "We have these. And we have each other. That’ll have to be enough."
Her confidence was infectious, even if I didn’t feel it myself.
---
As we stepped out of the inn, the weight of what lay ahead settled heavily on my shoulders.
"You ready?" she asked, her voice steady.
"No," I admitted. "But let’s go anyway."
She smirked, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Try not to get yourself killed, okay?"
"Same to you," I shot back.
With the map clutched tightly in my hand and the memories of my dream haunting me, we set off toward the unknown, knowing that whatever awaited us would push us to our limits—and beyond.
