-Thud -Creak

As the two teenagers hurried through the dense forest, their surroundings echoed with the sounds of their frantic escape. Footsteps, breaking twigs, and huffed breaths mixed with the natural sounds of rustling leaves and distant splashing water from the nearby river.

Rina's robe was now tattered, bearing the scars of being snagged by branches and roots. Holes and tears had begun to mar the fabric, and she realized it wouldn't hold up for much longer. Her mind raced with questions about their destination, as the boy had vaguely mentioned reaching it soon. She had no idea where or what "it" was, but her options were limited. She had to follow.

The sound of splashing water grew nearer, signaling their approach to the river. Rina's anxiety heightened. How did the boy intend to cross it? There were no bridges in the vicinity, and the river according to what she had learned, spanned approximately eight meters in width, making it impossible to leap across. Swimming would be a time-consuming endeavor, with no guarantee of overcoming the strong current.

"Can you pick up the pace a bit?" he suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Rina responded with determination.

Her royal training had endowed her with endurance, strength, agility, and various skills, allowing her to push her limits. She was resolved to keep up with the boy, whose surprising strength and swiftness puzzled her. She began to wonder if years of farm labor had forged him into the robust and agile individual she now witnessed.

"Good, we need to gain some ground," he urged.

The gap between them widened as he propelled himself forward. Rina pushed her aching muscles to their limits, determined to stay in close pursuit. Despite the fatigue that had accumulated from their day of frantic escape, she continued to persevere.

As they approached the river, the sound of flowing water grew stronger, accompanied by the earthy aroma it emitted. On the riverbank, Rina noticed a small group of teenagers. Among them, a girl with striking red hair stood out, her fiery locks making her appear as if she wore a blazing crown.

"Jes!" the boy suddenly called out to one of the teenagers. The entire group turned their attention toward them, and the red-haired girl began speaking.

"Finally, do you know how long we've been waiting? You're becoming more and more like Jack. By the way, have you heard about that monk and the mer..."

Jes seemed to finally notice Rina trailing behind her friend. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"You're that sicko!? What the hell are you doing? And who is that drug dealer?"

Rina was about to respond, offended by the accusation of being a drug dealer. How dare she? That girl is out of her mind!

"Jes, I don't have time. The guards could be here any second. I need you to jump into the river and create a smokescreen," the boy urgently requested as they approached Jes and her friends.

Jes turned her gaze toward the river and then back at them, her eye twitching with apparent irritation.

"Jump into the river... hmm... sure, want me to catch some fish too, maybe prepare a nice fish meal for you and your guest? I can open a bottle of wine and..."

"Jes!"

"Fine..." the girl sighed, "You know how much you owe me."

Jes moved to the river's edge, muttering something that Rina couldn't quite make out, but it appeared to be a string of curses she had never heard before. Then, without further hesitation, the red-haired girl plunged headfirst into the river.

Rina was thoroughly puzzled by the unfolding situation. She couldn't fathom how Jes jumping into the river would help them escape, and she was left wondering about the mysterious "smokescreen."

However, Rina didn't have long to ponder the situation when, before her eyes, the river erupted like a volcano. A colossal surge of water shot skyward, and in the blink of an eye, the river began to boil, releasing an enormous amount of vapor into the air. Water droplets rained down, creating the sensation that she had entered the eye of a storm. But this was only the beginning.

"Kyle!" the boy shouted, calling out another name.

The surrounding smoke had already enveloped everything, obscuring her vision. Rina couldn't discern who answered, but from the voice, it seemed the person was calm and collected, as if they had the situation well in hand.

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"I know. I'm on it," Kyle responded, and then he chanted, "Gust!"

As if his words had materialized, Rina felt a sudden gust of wind come from nowhere, brushing against her skin and spreading the growing cloud of vapor. The smoke followed the wind, shrouding the river and the surrounding garden. In front of Rina, the world transformed into a white haze, a cloud forming on the ground.

"I'll pick you up now," she heard from the side just as two hands suddenly gripped her, lifting her into the air as though she were a mere pebble on the street corner. In an instant, she was thrown over his shoulder.

"Huaaa... What are you doing? Let me goooaaah..."

"...ular ...tation!"

Rina could only catch snippets of his words, as her screams drowned them out. Then, in a heart-pounding moment, she felt her body lifted off the ground as the boy jumped. The wind rushed past them, and all she could see and feel was a searing, white-hot sensation before they landed with an impact that nearly forced her to empty her stomach. To her surprise, they weren't underwater; he had successfully leaped over the river!

Without taking a moment to rest, he pressed on, his legs carrying him, the bags of fruits, and Rina, who now felt no different than the bags on his body, out of the smokescreen. Gradually regaining her senses, Rina picked up distant screams. The visitors to the Central Garden must have been shocked by the sudden explosion and the ensuing cloud of smoke.

"Fire!"

"Call the guards, the river suddenly blew up."

"Run!"

Chaos erupted in the Central Garden; people scattered in all directions, desperately trying to escape the encroaching wall of smoke that threatened to engulf them. The boy took advantage of the mayhem to navigate through the fleeing crowd.

At the garden's edge, Rina finally felt solid ground beneath her feet. Although she hadn't run the entire distance, her breathing was still ragged, and a rush of exhilaration coursed through her veins. When had she ever experienced anything like this in the palace? The sense of danger, the thrill of being on the brink of capture, the heart-pounding jump — they were all incredible.

Rina's mind was still processing what the boy and his friends had accomplished in just a few seconds. The entire capital would be talking about this for days.

Who were they? He couldn't be just a simple farmer.

"We have to part ways here," he said.

A sudden wave of sadness washed over Rina, extinguishing her exhilaration like a torch thrown into the ocean. It was true; the time to part had come.

"I will use these fruits to gather their attention; they will follow me. You should head in the opposite direction."

Why?

What had she done to deserve such kindness? There was no apparent reason for him to help her, to risk being caught and entangled by the law. It just didn't seem worth it.

"Why are you helping me?" Rina voiced her thoughts.

The boy, who had been scanning for the guards until that moment, turned to Rina. His light-brown eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun as he scratched the back of his head, tilting it to the side.

"Well, you told me about Sylphrena, and you even bought me fruits. Isn't that enough?"

No... It was anything but enough. A mere fruit and some common knowledge could never repay him for what he had done for her, the unnecessary risks he had taken, and the fact that he was now on the wanted lists of every guard station...

"Thank you..." Rina managed to say, her voice faltering at the end.

"You're welcome."

Ensuring there were still enough fruits on his body, the boy grinned and started to turn away.

That's when he felt a slender hand grab his arm.

"Wait!"

Was this the end? Would she never see him again, just like waking up from a dream, never to remember its content? She didn't want that. Although they hadn't even spent a full day together, Rina had experienced a whirlwind of emotions, from annoyance to anger, and from fun to feeling comfortable in his presence.

She couldn't remember the last time she had genuinely enjoyed the company of a peer. This day had been an exception born of unique circumstances. But she knew that chaos would soon give way to order, and her life would return to its monotonous and lonely state. She yearned for companionship, for friends who could break the chains of her solitary existence, but it seemed she was not destined for such a life.

Time truly was a paradox, simultaneously a devil and an angel. It granted moments of joy, only to snatch them away just as quickly. The cycle repeated endlessly. Rina wished she could freeze time during those moments of happiness and dwell in them forever. But she knew it was an impossible dream.

Still, she didn't want to let this day slip away without a trace. She needed a memento, something to remember this boy she would likely never see again. And she wanted to give him something so that he, too, would remember her.

The blue-haired boy with black streaks and eyes like autumn leaves gazed at Rina, patiently waiting for her to express her thoughts.

"What's your name?" she asked.

His lips parted at the question, and his eyebrows shot up as if he had just recalled something forgotten.

"I am Silas, and you?" he replied.

"Rina... my name is Rina. Thank you for everything, Silas."

"It was a pleasure."

Silas took a few steps back, slowly turning around, and waved a final farewell.

"Goodbye, Rina."

"Goodbye, Silas."

As he departed, growing smaller and smaller in the distance, Rina noticed a king apple drop to the ground and roll to a stop at her feet.

It was time to return.

Rina took a deep breath, adjusted her hood over her hair, and began to run in the opposite direction. Her mind replayed the events of the day: the joyful dance with her father, Duke Damocles, and her brother's schemes, the chance encounter with Silas at the statue, the precious time they spent together in the Central Garden, and their daring escape from the guards, turning the whole area into chaos with the help of his friends.

It had indeed been an eventful birthday…

And it was far from over.

*************************

Thank you very much for reading all the way to this chapter. If you've been following the main story, you've likely already recognized the blue-haired boy as Silas, the main character of "Forest of Nightmare." If you haven't… Give it a shot!

These eight chapters were originally written for the "Just Write It" challenge on Wattpad. This marks the end of the eighth chapter, but Rina's story will continue here for a while before rejoining the main storyline. 😊