Eclipsed

Chapter 73

Ren's vision blurred as the pain from his body surged uncontrollably. His hands trembled on the reins as he desperately tried to keep his horse steady, but his mind was clouded with exhaustion. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, and the darkness at the edges of his sight was threatening to swallow him whole. The energy he'd used—Hiraigen—had taken everything from him. His body was at its breaking point, and he could feel the toll it had taken on him.

He managed to keep his seat for a few moments longer, but the forest's uneven ground was unforgiving. Suddenly, his horse's hooves hit a large log hidden in the underbrush. With a violent jerk, the horse tripped, its legs buckling under the impact. Ren's grip slipped from the reins as the horse threw him off. His body was tossed into the air before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Shit..." Ren grunted through clenched teeth as he struggled to push himself up. His vision swam, the edges of his consciousness blurring like a fog. His body was aching, each movement sending waves of searing pain. He could feel the blood pooling in his mouth, but there was no time to worry about it.

As he stumbled to his feet, a sharp pain ripped through his back. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock as he looked down to see a jagged wooden branch protruding from his body. It had pierced through his back, coming out the left side of his stomach. The sight made his vision waver as a fresh wave of pain overwhelmed him. Blood poured from the wound, staining his clothes in an instant.

"Damn it," Ren hissed, his breath ragged. He tried to take a step, but the world around him spun, his legs threatening to give way. He had no time. He couldn't pass out here. He had to get out, to get somewhere safe, or everything he had done would be for nothing.

His hand shook as he reached for the wooden spike, and his heart hammered in his chest as he gripped it, feeling the burning sting in his fingers. The moment his hand touched it, his body screamed in agony, but there was no choice. He had to pull it out. Slowly, he began to tug the branch from his side. The pain was unbearable, like every nerve in his body was on fire.

"Argh!" Ren grunted, his voice low and strained. His vision darkened further as the blood loss and the sheer toll of his earlier actions began to catch up with him. He could barely hold himself up, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

With one final, gut-wrenching pull, the sharp object came free. Ren fell to his knees, blood splattering onto the forest floor as he gasped for air. His left side was soaked, a river of blood seeping through his clothes. The pain was so intense he couldn't even think clearly anymore.

He had to move. He had to keep going. He couldn't stay here, or the forest would claim him.

"I can't... die here," he whispered, his voice barely audible. His chest heaved with each breath, but his limbs felt like lead, and his movements were sluggish as he forced himself to his feet. His body was unresponsive, and each step felt like dragging a mountain behind him, but somehow, he kept moving forward.

Ren staggered through the forest, his hand pressed to his side to try and staunch the bleeding. He didn't know how much longer he could keep going like this, but he refused to let himself fall. Not now. Not when he had a chance to survive.

His mind raced with one thought: survive. And with that, he pushed onward, barely aware of the world around him as the forest closed in, swallowing him whole.

Ren's body barely held itself together as he staggered back, each movement sending sharp spikes of pain through his injured side. Blood soaked his clothes, and his legs wobbled beneath him, but he refused to fall. He had to stay alive. He had to survive.