From beneath her hood, Liora's eyes illuminated with a soft blue glow. To her side, something caught her attention—a soul, or rather, two souls, veiled amidst the underbrush. Their presence intertwined and resonated in an unusual manner, making her keenly aware that she was being watched. As her gaze settled on the observer, she locked eyes with a human figure.

A deep well and a mirror soul, interesting, she mused silently. But this was supposed to be an uninhabited island.

As she continued to watch, the individual emerged from the bushes. Yet, what she had anticipated as two separate entities based on the two souls she saw, turned out to be a solitary figure. This intriguing sight deepened her curiosity.

Liora observed him with an intensifying fascination. Twin souls, she surmised inwardly.

Senior Kyanteil has been on the hunt for human twin souls. Perhaps this could be my chance to persuade him to give up the Desolation’s Teeth.

She exchanged glances with her group, who promptly nodded in agreement. Stepping forward, she closed the distance between herself and the young man. He merely gave her a sidelong glance and rose to his feet. Liora pulled back her hood, unveiling her striking features: long, raven-black hair that flowed like silk, reddish-hued skin, and two piercing blue eyes — a visage she was quite proud of.

Her companions also followed her example:

To her right, Maelor, a tall man with sandy brown hair tied back and deep-set hazel eyes, looked on with a stoic demeanor.

On her left was Jaevin, lean with pale skin, jet-black hair, and piercing ice-blue eyes. His gaze was alert and calculating.

Behind her stood Serin, with golden-blonde hair in a simple braid and bright green eyes filled with curiosity.

Liora offered a reassuring smile. “Young one, what brings you to these parts? You seem injured. Do you require assistance?” Liora inquired, hoping to glean some information before deciding her next move. However, the boy's only response was a befuddled look.

Doesn't he understand the Reil's tongue? she wondered. Switching to the Bachin language — a language spoken across the whole continent — she repeated her question. Yet, his expression remained just as puzzled.

Just when Liora started questioning his ability to communicate, he finally voiced out, “Who are you?”

The Echoloch language?! The thought resonated in everyone's minds. An atmosphere of confusion enveloped the group. Their previously relaxed demeanors subtly shifted, expressions filled with perplexity. The boy, picking up on their sudden change, tensed slightly, preparing for any unforeseen actions.

Stolen story; please report.

With a heavy sigh, Liora commanded, “Capture him.” Jaevin and Maelor sprang into action without hesitation, as if they had been anticipating the order.

But the boy was swift. With reflexes that betrayed his wounded state, he wheeled around and darted toward the forest's edge. The distance between them during their conversation gave him just enough lead to reach the sanctuary of the trees.

The boy sprinted forward, not once glancing over his shoulder. Just as suddenly, he halted in his tracks. An arrow whistled past, narrowly missing the spot where he would have been. His face remained impassive, betraying no hint of surprise or fear. With swift agility, he vanished deeper into the woods, with Jaevin and Maelor in hot pursuit.

Serin, lowering her bow, muttered, "I'm sorry."

Liora reassured her, "It's alright. Maelor and Jaevin will catch up to him; they're both at the peak of Soulforge." Internally, she marveled, Such reflexes and reaction speed... Not typical of a novice. He dodged without even looking.

***

'Dude, why'd they suddenly attack?' Ren asked, his ghostly form tailing Clada while keeping an eye on their pursuers.

'I'm not sure,' Clada panted in reply, 'But one thing's clear: they want us captured. That arrow was aimed straight for my leg.'

Ren furrowed his brows, 'But why? It doesn't make sense.' He added, glancing around the dense woods, 'We need a plan, fast. If not for this thick forest, they'd have us by now.'

'Alright, if we want the upper hand, we have to make the first move. Keep an eye on the bigger guy; I'll handle the lanky one. Not entirely sure about this plan, but it's worth a shot.' Before Ren could respond, Clada made his move, using a thick tree as a cover to hide from Jaevin's view. He quickly tossed his water flask toward Maelor.

With a scoff, Maelor easily sidestepped to the left, dodging the flask. However, just before the flask hit the ground, a sharp sting registered in his left leg. Looking down, he found a bone dagger embedded there.

It wasn't a clumsy throw; it was a distraction, Maelor realized, hastily pulling out the dagger and discarding it.

Yet, when he redirected his attention to Clada's last known position, shock registered in his eyes.

Rewinding a tad, Clada had foreseen Maelor's evasive maneuver. When he launched the flask, he had simultaneously dispatched his dagger a touch to the right, anticipating that Maelor would move to his left due to the tree obscuring his right-side vision.

Clada didn't linger to observe the outcome but promptly lunged with his spear to the left. Much to his astonishment, his strike was parried almost immediately by Jaevin, who had made a timely appearance.

intent on capturing Clada. The sudden spear thrust was unexpected, but Jaevin's reflexes were impressive.

Ren watched, almost tempted to whistle in admiration. Jaevin was undoubtedly skilled. However, Clada's determination remained unyielding.

Reacting instinctively, Jaevin shot a left jab toward Clada's jaw.

'Watch out!' Ren warned. Heeding the advice, Clada swiftly ducked, narrowly evading the punch. Without missing a beat, he sprung backward, dodging an upward kick from Jaevin.

How is he so nimble? Jaevin barely had time to wonder. Almost instantly, a dagger hurtled toward his neck. But Jaevin wasn't easily fooled. Recognizing a feint, he tilted his head just in time, allowing the blade to skim past, brushing a few strands of his hair.

His eyes darted to a sidekick aiming for his midriff and the concealed hand that followed. Another dagger, Jaevin surmised. He instinctively raised his hand to shield his right side, bracing himself for the impending attack.

But he'd misread the situation. The moment the kick landed, a crushing force propelled Jaevin against the tree. The sickening crunch of bones echoed through the forest, and darkness claimed him before he hit the ground.

Silence.