The ride back had been mostly uneventful. The prince and I rode ahead of the others, while General Junwei continued to watch us like a hawk from a short distance behind.

I realized the young ladies waiting back at the palace had something to worry about, and it wasn’t me. Renyi continued to ask question after question about shadowfalcons: their behaviors, favorite hunting prey, training, and the list went on. Ghost was all too happy to answer these questions once I gently reminded Renyi a few times that the questions should be directed to Ghost, rather than me. I suppose it made sense that talking to a bird directly would take some getting used to, but he was quick to adjust.

For the first time, he spoke casually—very much unlike the cold, curt style he used back at the palace. It seemed unusual until I noticed a similar change in myself. I wasn’t sure why.

Suddenly, Ghost tensed on my shoulder. Before I could ask what was wrong, a low hum filled the air; a sound I hadn't heard in a long while, but one I instantly recognized.

"Stop!" I shouted. Unfortunately, my warning had come too late.

A shimmering dome of energy erupted from the ground, separating us from General Junwei and his men. The general's horse reared up, nearly throwing him off.

"What is this?" one of his men shouted.

"It's PanTech technology," I said. "A forcefield. The same kind they once used to keep citizens from leaving zones." I ran my hand along the invisible barrier, feeling the familiar electric tingle against my palm. "But… why is it here?"

Junwei dismounted, drawing his sword and striking the barrier. The blade bounced off harmlessly, nearly flying from his grip. His men followed suit, testing the barrier with their own weapons, but I knew it was pointless. Nothing short of an electromagnetic pulse would bring it down.

"Your Majesty, stay back!" Junwei shouted, his voice muffled by the barrier.

A volley of arrows rained down from the trees. I activated my enhancer, leaping from my horse and pulling Renyi down with me. His falcon took to the sky, but an arrow struck its wing. The bird tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain that made my chest tighten. I had grown quite fond of the creature during our hunt.

"No!" Renyi shouted. The pain in his voice was raw and genuine—the first real emotion I'd heard from him.

Ghost spread his wings, ready to take flight.

"Ghost, get help!" I shouted.

He hesitated, looking between me and the injured falcon. I could sense his internal struggle—torn between staying and leaving.

"Now!" I shouted. "We'll be fine!"

Ghost dove down, snatching up Renyi's falcon in his talons before soaring into the sky. Arrows filled the air around him, but he dodged them with unnatural grace. No normal falcon could manage such precise aerial acrobatics while carrying another bird. Soon, he disappeared over the treetops.

"Into the forest!" I shouted to Renyi, who was already mounting his horse again.

We rode hard, weaving between trees as arrows continued to rain down. I counted at least twenty attackers emerging from the shadows, all dressed in black and moving with practiced coordination. Likely the same men we’d faced the night before. Their movements were too precise and calculated. These weren't common bandits.

An arrow struck my horse in the neck. The animal stumbled, throwing me forward. I rolled as I hit the ground, prepared to defend myself. The horse gave one last kick and was still.

Renyi wheeled his horse around, extending his hand.

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"Take it!" he shouted.

I reached toward it, but before we could make contact, several men rushed to separate us.

"There are too many. You need to go!"

His eyes narrowed. "I will not."

"This isn't the time for pride—"

Before I could finish, the men between us attacked. I drew Twisted Key, channeling more power through my enhancer. The first man's eyes widened as I closed the distance faster than he could react, slicing off his arm with a single strike. The second tried to flank me, but my enhanced reflexes allowed me to parry his attack while hitting him hard in the throat with my open hand.

Renyi had dismounted, his own blade a blur of motion as he engaged the other assassins. His style was different from anything I'd seen—fluid and precise, but deceptively powerful. Each movement flowed into the next like water, but struck with the force of a hammer. With no enhancer, it was clear this was a man who’d held a sword in his hand from the day he was born.

We found ourselves fighting back-to-back as more attackers emerged.

"Your swordsmanship… you move like a spirit. No human can move like that," he said between strikes.

"Yours isn't so bad either," I replied, ducking beneath a blade and countering with an enhanced thrust that caught my opponent’s heart before he could evade backward. "For a pampered politician."

“Hmph,” he grunted at my comment as he parried and countered another attack.

They tried repeatedly to separate us, but we maintained our position, covering each other.

I pushed my enhancer harder, giving myself more and more speed. I couldn’t afford to be as selective as usual. If I was caught off guard by even a single arrow, I’d be dead.

Two more assassins fell, but others quickly took their place. My breathing grew heavy, and I could feel the familiar warmth building behind my eyes, warning me I’d long since gone beyond my limit.

"There!" Renyi pointed to a small cave entrance partially hidden by vegetation.

We fought our way toward it, my enhancer straining as I pushed it to maintain our advantage. One assassin managed to nick my arm, but Renyi's blade flashed, putting him down before he could press his advantage.

Finally, we made it inside, resting against the cool stone walls as our attackers regrouped outside. The cave was barely large enough for both of us, forcing us to stand close together. Sweat dripped from the prince’s chin as he struggled to stay upright. He was skilled and athletic, but still just a man. Enhancer or not, he’d gone beyond his own limits.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm fine, I just—"

The words caught in my throat as warm liquid trickled over my lip. Now I knew. It was the same as before, when I’d nearly died at PanTech headquarters fighting General Markus and his loyal commanders. I'd pushed the enhancer too hard for too long, and there was no Frelya to save me this time…

My legs buckled. The cave walls began to spin. I heard Renyi call my name, felt his arms catch me as I fell.

Then the seizure hit.

My body convulsed violently. Through the haze, I was dimly aware of Renyi holding me, preventing me from striking my head against the stone floor. He angrily whispered something I couldn’t make out, seemingly to himself.

When the seizure passed, I could hear the assassins approaching. Renyi laid me down gently, then drew his sword. Fighting as they came through the narrow entrance gave us an advantage. It was the only reason they continued to hesitate, unsure of how to deal with us in here.

"What are you doing?" I managed to ask.

"Something stupid," he replied, and for a moment, I saw past his cold mask to the compassionate man beneath.

He burst from the cave, catching one of the mounted assassins by surprise. In one fluid motion, he yanked the man from his saddle and knocked him unconscious with the pommel of his sword. His movements were precise despite his exhaustion.

Seconds later, he had me in his arms, lifting me onto the stolen horse. He mounted behind me, keeping one arm wrapped around my waist as he took the reins. The assassins had now chosen to keep their distance but fired arrows aplenty. One struck Renyi’s leg, and another struck the horse high on its back, missing vitals. Both somehow carried on with grisly determination.

"Hold on," he shouted, riding as hard as the horse could manage.

Many arrows flew past us. I felt Renyi jerk several times as shafts found their mark, but he didn't slow. His breathing became labored, yet still he pushed the horse ever harder. Blood, his blood, soaked into my clothes where his chest pressed against my back.

Among the prince’s skills, he was unmatched as a rider. Despite his injuries and the horse’s, we managed to finally lose them in the trees. My head cleared enough to realize we were approaching the palace walls. The guards were already rushing out to meet us, no doubt alerted by Ghost.

"You're hurt," I said.

"Quiet. So are you," he replied, his voice tight with pain.

"You’re a fool! Why did you stay and help me?"

He was quiet for a long moment.

"Who is the fool? As if there were another choice to be considered..."

I leaned back against him, too exhausted to argue. His arm tightened around me slightly, and together we rode through the palace gates, leaving our pursuers far behind. The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was the feel of his arm supporting me, ensuring I didn’t fall from the horse despite his own wounds. After that, only words I couldn’t make out. Then, darkness.