Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls
Chapter 192 - 192: Entering the Forest

Kael slowly straightened up, his eyes still on the spot where the creature had fallen. The dust from the explosion was beginning to settle, revealing only a crater, fragments of stone and a residual glow that soon dissipated into the damp forest air.

"Good work," repeated Exelia, her voice calmer now, but still with a hint of tension. "But don't let your guard down just yet."

Kael nodded, his senses still sharp, his mana field pulsing around him like a cocoon of tactile perception. He could feel every leaf, every broken branch, even the faltering footsteps of the two survivors who staggered away, trying to escape.

"Two still alive," he said, pointing discreetly with his chin. "They're running east. One of them is limping."

"Let them go," replied Exelia, observing the trail of mana that the fleeing bodies left in the air. "They won't be coming back any time soon. And if they're smart, they'll let the others know that we're not easy prey."

She approached where the golem's core had been destroyed. The ground was marked by fractured runes, almost erased, but still glowing in faint traces. Exelia knelt down and ran her fingertips over one of them, frowning.

"That core... it wasn't natural," she murmured. "Someone fed it sacrificial mana."

Kael stepped closer, his eyes widening slightly. "Sacrifice? Of what?"

"People." She stood up, her dark eyes fixed on the fragments. "Magical creatures, perhaps even renegade elves. There's life energy here, corrupted. That wasn't just a trap. It was a message."

Kael felt his stomach turn, but he stood his ground. The forest seemed darker now, denser, as if nature itself had absorbed what had happened and whispered the warning between the branches.

"They're preparing for war," he said quietly. "Or it's already started."

Exelia didn't reply immediately. She just got back on her horse, casting one last glance at the wreckage of the golem. "Let's keep going. We can't just stand here. If this ambush was sent by some commander, it certainly wasn't the only group at work."

Kael rode in silence, his body still exhausted from the energy blast, but his mind alert. The group rode on, their horses' hooves treading cautiously on the battle-scarred earth. The forest, once only silent, now seemed to hold its breath, watching.

...Hours later

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows among the trees. The sky, seen only in fragments between the closed canopies, was tinged with orange-gold. Exhaustion was beginning to build up in Kael's shoulders, but he kept up the pace, the mana field still activated around him like a second skin.

"Let's stop here," said Exelia, pointing to a clearing hidden by dense bushes. "It's protected on three sides and we have good visibility of the room. Best place we'll find before dark."

Kael nodded. They dismounted and began to prepare a small camp. They wouldn't make a fire - they didn't want to be seen. But they would use warming and vigilance incantations, a technique taught to them by Exelia.

"You've evolved very quickly, you know that?" she said, as she finished casting a circle of magical alarm around the clearing.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment?"

"Almost," she replied with a slight smile.

He laughed, low. "My grandmother forced me to train in an... unorthodox way."

"She always had extreme methods. But if you've survived them, you're on the right track."

Kael looked up at the sky. The stars were beginning to emerge, shyly, like distant eyes. The sound of the forest changed at night. Insects replaced birds, and in the distance, a howl echoed.

"Exelia, you've been through this before, haven't you?" he asked, staring into the void. "This feeling of being in the middle of something much bigger... and having no idea who the allies are and who the enemies are?"

She took her time answering, as if pondering not only what to say, but whether she should say it.

"I have. Many times." She sat down next to a tree and crossed her arms. "The difference is that over time you stop expecting clarity. You learn to trust a few things: your instinct, your sis... and the people who haven't betrayed you yet."

"That's it?" Kael asked, half joking, half bitter.

"That's it," she confirmed, without irony.

Kael lay down, resting his head on his backpack. The silence between them was comfortable now, as if words were no longer so necessary. The bond built in battle spoke for itself.

But then he spoke again.

"My grandmother knew something like this would happen, didn't she? That's why she made me come on horseback. That's why she didn't want to say goodbye."

Exelia looked at him, but said nothing for a moment. Then she nodded vaguely.

"She knew that this path would change you. That you would face something that teleports and shortcuts don't teach you. She didn't abandon you, Kael. She prepared you."

Kael was silent, letting those words settle inside him.

The wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves with a soft whisper. Like a distant blessing.

...In the dead of dawn...

Kael awoke to a faint vibration running through Exelia's alarm field. Silently, he activated his perception. Three presences were moving around the edge of the magical perimeter. Agile. Cautious.

He touched Exelia's shoulder, who woke up instantly, eyes already alert.

"Three," he whispered. "South. Approaching."

She nodded and stood up quietly. They both moved silently to the sides of the clearing, hiding behind the trees. As the figures approached, Kael narrowed his eyes.

But they weren't attackers.

They were elves. Young. Wounded. One of them carried the other, who seemed on the verge of unconsciousness.

Kael stepped out of the shadows cautiously. "Are you following us?"

The elves stopped immediately, surprised and exhausted. One of them raised his hands, trembling.

"Please... we don't want to fight," said the one who seemed more conscious. "We're running away."

Exelia appeared behind them, silent as a shadow. "Fleeing from what?"

"From the others," he replied. "The ones who turned traitor. They... captured our patrol. We escaped, but..."

He looked at his wounded companion, his eyes full of guilt.

"Please. Don't attack us... we're just running away from this place. We don't want anything. Just let us go..."

Kael exchanged a glance with Exelia. She was studying him, waiting for his decision.

He nodded. "Go. But if you make any suspicious moves, Exelia will kill you before you even think of speaking." The elf smiled weakly.

The elf smiled weakly, "Fair enough. Thank you."

The young elves disappeared between the trees, their steps hurried but discreet. Kael watched until the last sign of their mana faded from his perception. Only then did he lower his guard, allowing himself to take a deep breath.

"You're changing," commented Exelia, returning to the center of the clearing. "A few days ago, you would have attacked as a precaution."

"They were wounded," replied Kael, following her. "And scared. I've seen that look before. It wasn't a trick."

"It isn't always. But sometimes it is," she said, in a voice so neutral that it sounded like she was talking about the weather. "You've done well. But don't forget it."

Kael nodded and sat down again, his eyes staring into the darkness between the trees.

The night passed without further incident, but the fatigue of battle and constant tension took its toll. By the time the first rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, they were both awake and ready to go.

...

As they dismantled the camp, Kael finally spoke, breaking the silence that had settled between them since their encounter with the elven fugitives.

"Do you think we'll find more of them? Rebels... or survivors?"

Exelia tightened her saddle straps thoughtfully. "Of course. We're getting closer and closer to the core of the elven forest. This middle zone, between the outer borders and the capital, is full of factions vying for territory. Mercenaries, magical beasts, traitors... and sometimes even legitimate sentries, confused about who to trust."

Kael finished preparing his horse. "Do you think my grandmother knew all this too?"

Exelia mounted and looked at him with a grave expression. "She's an Archmage. Not only did she know, she probably orchestrated part of it. She set you on this path so that you would see the world as it is. Dirty. Complicated. Alive."

The forest became denser and denser as they advanced. The old trees had twisted trunks, covered in moss that glowed faintly in greenish tones. The magic there was thick - almost palpable. No longer like a whisper: it was a silent roar, an invisible current that flowed between branches and roots.

Kael looked around in amazement. "I've never felt anything like it. It's like... the forest is alive."

"It is," replied Exelia. "Everything here is mana. The trees, the soil, even the breeze. We're inside a confluence zone. Few can walk through it without being rejected."

"Rejected?"

"Yes. Living mana can repel you if it's not in harmony. Or worse: it can try to absorb you. Change who you are."

Kael swallowed. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is. But it's also a test. And a gift."

They finally followed... and so time went by. At one point...

The sound of running water caught their attention. They advanced through the trees until they saw a crystal-clear stream, surrounded by rocks covered in lichens and rare flowers that only grew in environments saturated with magical energy.

"Let's stop here for a moment," said Exelia. "We need to recharge. Literally."

Kael knelt at the water's edge, dipping his hands in. The sensation was immediate - an invigorating chill that ran down his arms to his chest, calming and energizing at the same time. She felt her mana stabilize, as if the jagged edges of her power were being smoothed out.

Exelia also approached, but instead of touching the water, she closed her eyes and just took a deep breath. The mana of the forest flowed to her naturally, as if it were part of the environment. Kael watched, intrigued.

"You seem... connected to it. How do you do it?"

"I was raised here, even though I'm not an elf," she replied, still with her eyes closed. "Before I served your grandmother. Before I became Captain of the Knights. The forest recognizes me."

Kael hesitated, then asked, almost in a whisper, "Why did you leave this place?"

Exelia's eyes opened slowly, but her gaze was distant.

"Because not every home is safe. Sometimes you need to leave to survive. Sometimes to become stronger. And sometimes... because there's no one else waiting for you."

'That's why she sent you with me...' Kael thought.

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