Separated

After a few hours, the group boarded the carriage that would take them to Avylon. It would be a long journey, nearly forty days, so they left immediately. Fifteen youths, all fourteen and above, were in the group.

At the front, three elders were driving and watching over them. At night, they would stop to rest. In the mornings, the journey. The carriage moved forward steadily, the wheels crunching over gravel and dirt paths.

After traveling for twenty days, the carriage stopped at the entrance of a forest. The towering trees were densely packed, their branches intertwined to form a dark canopy that blocked out much of the sunlight. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves created an eerie whisper adding to the unsettling atmosphere. 

"Are you sure we're going through this forest?" one of the elders asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"We'll save ten days if we go through here," another replied, his voice steady but tense. He adjusted the reins, his eyes fixed on the path before them.

"But this forest is dangerous. They say other creatures and giants live here. That's why merchants avoid it." the other shifted uneasily, his hands gripping the edge of the carriage seat.

"Come on, don't believe everything you hear. No one's ever reported dying here," the other replied.

After a moment of tense silence, the first one sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's do it."

The two elders exchanged a look of reluctant agreement, and one of them gave a quick signal to the youths. "Stay close," he instructed.

The young ones huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and curiosity. 

As the days passed, they continued their journey through the foreboding forest. They only stop to allow the horses to rest and that they can eat their meals inside the carriage. 

One night, as the youths were quietly eating, the carriage suddenly lurched violently. Plates and cups clattered to the floor, and they grabbed onto their seats, their eyes wide with fear.

"Hold on everyone!" the driver shouted, his voice urgent and filled with tension. 

The carriage suddenly sped up, the wooden wheels thundering over the uneven forest path. The youths grabbed onto whatever they could—benches, the sides of the carriage, each other.

"What is happening?" one of them cried, her voice barely audible over the chaotic scene

Peering out the side, they saw a pack of wolves chasing them. Their hearts raced as they caught sight of the hungry predators, their sleek bodies weaving through the trees with deadly grace. The wolves' snarls and barks echoed through the forest, sending shivers down their spines.

"Will we make it out alive?" one asked, his voice quivering with fear. 

Seeing Mira's anxiety, Kaviel reached out and grabbed her hand. "Don't worry," he said as his expression softened. "Whatever happens, I'll protect you." 

Mira's fear seemed to lessen slightly at Kaviel's words, and she squeezed his hand gratefully. She nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. This was their first time to encounter something that endangers their lives.

Suddenly, the carriage jumped and rose high off the ground. The young ones' screams filled the air as they felt themselves lifted into the air, the force of the movement throwing them off balance.

"Hold on tight!" one of the elders shouted over the chaos.

But Kaviel, caught off guard by the sudden jolt, wasn't able to keep his grip. His fingers slipped from their tenuous hold. And because he was at the back and behind the open space, he tumbled through the air. 

The rush of wind roared in his ears. But before he fell on the ground, he shouted with a strong voice, "Hold tight, Mira!" 

Kaviel's body slammed into the ground with a sickening thud, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. "I will come after you!" he shouted.

"Kaviel!" Mira's cry pierced through the chaos. She made a desperate attempt to jump out of the carriage, her heart pounding with fear for Kaviel's life.

Before Mira could make a move, Melvin, the eldest and most robust among them, acted swiftly. With a decisive motion, he reached out and seized her arm, his grip strong as he pulled her away from the edge of the carriage. 

"Are you crazy?" Melvin exclaimed, his voice loud. He held Mira steady, his body positioned protectively between her and the open door. "Why would you risk your life like this?" 

But Mira, her voice shaking with tears, ignored him and pleaded, "Stop the carriage!"

"We can't," one of the elders replied urgently, his tone filled with desperation. "We'll all die if we stop."

Melvin maintained his grip on Mira, refusing to let go as he attempted to calm her down.

After an hour of tense travel, they finally emerged from the oppressive depths of the forest. The sight of open fields and distant hills brought a sense of relief, but their nerves were still frayed from the encounter with the wolves.

As they stopped to rest, the young ones could feel the tension draining from their bodies. They took deep breaths of the fresh air, savoring the taste of freedom after the frightening ordeal.

Meanwhile, the elders set to work repairing the damage to the carriage. 

Approaching the adults, Mira's voice trembled with concern, her eyes darting anxiously toward the dense forest they had just emerged from. "Shouldn't we go back for Kaviel?" she asked.

The elders turned to face her, their expressions hardened by fear. "Didn't you see the creatures chasing us?" one of them snapped. "Do you think we'd survive if we went back in? The carriage won't withstand another high-speed run."

Mira's shoulders slumped with disappointment, her gaze dropping to the ground as she absorbed the weight of their words. 

As the group rested, her worry for Kaviel gnawed at her. Determined to return to the forest and find him, she began to edge away from the others.

But before she could slip away unnoticed, Melvin's keen eyes caught her. He stepped in her path, his body blocking her escape. 

"Step aside and let me go!" Mira's voice cracked as she pleaded with Melvin. She took a step forward, her body tense, but Melvin stood firm, his expression unwavering.

"Do you think Kaviel would want you to risk your life for him?" Melvin's voice was firm. "Do you think he'd be happy if you put yourself in danger?"

Mira's shoulders slumped with defeat. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Fulfill your dream. I am sure that is what Kaviel wants you to do," he said. 

Mira sank to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks as she allowed herself to release the pent-up emotions that had been consuming her. 

"Don't worry," Melvin said. "Kaviel is strong. He won't give up easily." 

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

Inside the forest…

With his heart pounding, Kaviel raced through the dense underbrush, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. The sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves echoed around him, the relentless pursuit of the wolves driving him forward.

His muscles burned with exertion, but he pushed himself harder. His eyes scanned the forest ahead, searching for any sign of escape, but the tangled mass of trees seemed to stretch endlessly before him.

Through gritted teeth, he muttered a prayer for strength and safety, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the forest. "Please, let me make it out of here," he pleaded.

He suddenly tripped over a protruding branch, crashing to the ground with a thud. The impact sent shock waves of pain through his body, the sharp edges of the branches scraping against his skin.

Before he could even catch his breath, he felt a searing pain shoot through his foot as a wolf sank its teeth into his flesh.