The night stretched on with an oppressive stillness, the kind of silence that made Elara's skin crawl. The cold seeped into her bones, and even though she was huddled near the rock face, she couldn't escape the feeling of being exposed. She glanced at Kael, who was sitting a few feet away, his back against the rock, eyes scanning the road behind them. His posture was tense, his every sense alert.
Elara couldn't help but feel the weight of the hours stretching between them. The conversation with Vale still lingered in the air, heavy with the unspoken. The Yekhalk. They were more than a mere legend.
"What exactly are the Yekhalk?" Elara finally asked, unable to hold the question back any longer.
Kael didn't look at her, but his voice was steady as he responded. "They're… a twisted evolution of humanity, shaped by the war and the fallout. Some say they were people who survived the initial collapse of civilization, but they're not human anymore. Not truly."
Elara leaned forward, her curiosity piqued despite the growing tension. "What do you mean, not human?"
Kael paused, his gaze still distant. "They were changed. Mutated. Over the years, their bodies adapted to the radiation, to the chaos. They became something else entirely. They're fast, brutal, and they have this… way of moving through the land, almost like they're part of it. People who've encountered them describe them as having a strange, unnatural aura. It's like they can feel your presence, even when you think you're hidden."
Elara frowned. "And they hunt people? Just for sport?"
Kael's lips tightened. "Not just for sport. They're territorial, possessive. They see anyone who crosses this road as an intruder, a threat to their domain. Vale wasn't exaggerating when he said they won't stop coming. They won't stop until we're either dead or gone."
Elara shivered despite herself. The road around them felt like a trap, the bones scattered across the ground now taking on an even darker meaning. "How do we stop them?"
Kael's face darkened. "You don't stop them. You survive. You keep moving."
The silence stretched again, but this time it felt more oppressive, as if the shadows around them were waiting to pounce. Elara couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. Her senses were on edge, every noise amplified by the stillness — the distant howl of the wind, the occasional skitter of rocks falling from the cliffs above, the flutter of wings in the dark.
But there was something else. Something… closer.
She looked up at Kael, her voice barely a whisper. "Kael, are we being watched?"
Kael's eyes snapped to hers, his body going rigid. "Stay quiet," he muttered urgently. "They could be anywhere."
Elara froze, every muscle tensing as she strained to hear any sign of movement. Her breath caught in her throat. The sound of scraping feet on stone, barely perceptible, reached her ears — too close, too precise. Her heart hammered in her chest.
Kael's hand shot out, gripping her arm with a force that nearly made her wince. His face was hard now, his earlier hesitation gone. "We move. Now."
Without another word, he yanked her to her feet, and they began to move as quietly as possible, slipping further into the crevice between the rocks. Elara's mind raced as she followed Kael's lead, trying not to make a sound. The road was dangerous, yes, but the Yekhalk were something else entirely — a force of nature, relentless and merciless.
As they pushed forward, every step felt like an eternity. The path was narrow and winding, twisting between sharp rock faces that seemed to close in on them. The fog thickened, turning the world around them into a shadowy blur. Elara couldn't see more than a few feet ahead, but she could feel the presence of something — something out there. Watching them. Waiting for the right moment to strike.
The distant howl of the wind was replaced by a low, almost inaudible growl — a sound so unnatural, it made Elara's blood run cold. She froze, glancing at Kael, who held up a hand, signaling for her to stop.
He crouched low, peering into the mist. His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Elara thought he saw something she didn't. She strained to follow his gaze, but the shadows blurred everything.
Then, the growl came again, louder this time. Closer.
Kael's voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of urgent command. "Get to the cliffs. Now."
Without hesitation, Elara turned and bolted for the high ground, climbing up the steep incline of loose rock as quickly as she could. Her heart pounded in her chest, every step frantic as she scrambled to find purchase on the jagged rocks. She could hear Kael behind her, his movements quick but controlled.
When they reached the top of the incline, they paused, crouching low behind a outcrop of rock. Elara's breath was coming in ragged gasps, her body trembling from the exertion and the fear that gripped her heart. She could feel the eyes on her, the unshakable sensation that the Yekhalk were drawing closer, ready to strike.
Kael didn't speak at first, his eyes scanning the fog-shrouded valley below. He was watching for movement, waiting for any sign of their pursuers.
Elara's mind raced. She had to know more. She had to understand what they were up against.
"Kael," she breathed, her voice strained. "What do we do if they find us?"
Kael glanced at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the wind and the distant growl of the Yekhalk. Then, in a voice that was colder than the mountain air, he said, "We fight. Or we die trying."
Elara swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. She wasn't sure she was ready for either outcome.
But there was no choice now. The Yekhalk were coming. And they weren't going to stop.