MTLNOVEL Chapter 18: No Escape I
It had been several days since the bear attack. The group had been forced to remain in the forest, their battered bodies needing time to recover. The wounds from the fight had been cleaned and dressed as best as they could, but the lingering pain was a constant reminder of how close they had come to death.
The night sky was a blanket of stars, with a pale crescent moon casting just enough light to outline the shadows of towering trees. The campfire had been extinguished not long ago, and a thin ribbon of smoke still coiled upward, vanishing into the cool night.
Inside the carriage, Evan, Victor, and Vin lay on the plain floor of the carriage. Their bodies were cleaner than before, wrapped in fresh linen bandages, and thin blankets shielded them from the chill.
Yet sleep was elusive.
Victor's snores echoed through the small space, loud and grating, loud enough to wake an entire town.
Evan's eyes slowly fluttered open. He groaned softly, rolling onto his side, but the sound only grew louder.
"Unbelievable." he muttered under his breath, pushing himself upright.
He cast a glance at Victor, who was blissfully unaware of the noise he was making, and sighed.
'Are you a damn ogre?!'
He climbed out of the carriage, stretching his stiff limbs.
The cold night air hit him immediately, making him shiver. He rubbed his arms for warmth and gently surveyed the surroundings.
The horses were resting quietly, their forms dimly lit under the moonlight. His gaze drifted toward the small mound of earth where they had buried the couple.
A pang of guilt twisted in his chest. He stood there, staring at the grave, his expression heavy with regret.
'Could there have been another way?' he thought.
The image of their lifeless bodies flashed in his mind, and he shook his head, trying to push it away.
The thought lingered in his head, but in truth, he needed to get it out. So, with a soft sigh Evan wandered into the forest.
His boots crunched against the dry leaves and twigs as he walked, his hands shoved into his pockets.
'What now?' he wondered, his thoughts spiraling. He was in a foreign world, bound by a system that seemed intent on testing him.
The trials were still not clear as well. The first trial was completed, but the importance however was unknown. Based on the system's information, his trials were supposed to make him stronger.
At the end, it declared him weak, after he had completed a crucial trial.
Nevertheless, leveling up wasn't all that necessary to him, not while he still had a home back on his original world.
'What happens after the twelfth trial? Do I get to go home? Or is this my life now?'
He stopped in his tracks, staring up at the canopy.
'...and Why can't I remember anything after Nebula? I remember taking out the trash like Nick told me to, but after that....nothing...nothing at all' he thought, frustration bubbling in his chest.
His memories felt like fragments of a shattered mirror, incomplete and distorted.
Lost in thought, Evan stumbled over a root, falling to his knees. He let out a soft grunt, brushing dirt off his hands.
"I need sleep...damn, a bit too strong." he muttered, yawning.
"...Maybe things will make more sense in the morning."
Just as he turned to head back, a faint sound caught his attention—a distant bark. It could have been all in his mind, but, then, he heard it again. It was sure, he wasn't hearing things.
He froze, his heart skipping a beat.
"A dog?" he murmured, frowning. He scanned the dark forest but saw nothing.
Then he heard it again, louder this time, and accompanied by more barking. Panic flared in his chest.
He turned toward the source of the noise and squinted, his breath hitching when he saw faint, glowing orbs moving between the trees.
"The hounds," he whispered, dread sinking into his stomach.
Without wasting a second, Evan bolted back to camp.
His heart pounded in his ears as he ran, branches whipping against his arms and legs. The barking grew louder, closer.
He stumbled into the campsite, breathless and wild-eyed.
"Victor! Vin!" he shouted, slamming his hand against the carriage.
"Get up! They're here!"
Victor stirred first, groaning as he sat up.
"What? What's going on?"
Evan grabbed his shoulder, shaking him.
"The knights! They found us!"
Victor's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation sinking in immediately.
"Damn it!" he cursed, scrambling out of the carriage.
Vin followed, his movements sluggish from sleep.
"How?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"No time for that!" Victor snapped, already untying the horses.
"We need to move now!"
Evan glanced at the fire pit, where their cooking utensils and supplies were scattered.
"What about—"
"Leave it!" Victor barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The three of them climbed into the carriage, Victor taking the reins. He shouted a sharp "Hiya!" and the horses sprang to life, galloping into the darkness.
Behind them, the glow of torches and the sound of barking grew louder. The knights were closing in, their shouts echoing through the forest.
***
Back at the campsite, the hounds sniffed furiously at the ground, their knight handlers following close behind, and behind them were about forty to sixty men- all knights- mounted on their horses.
Moreover, being dragged along by chains were the two remaining prisoners which had been recaptured back in the forest while Evan and his travel companions escaped.
A figure dismounted from his horse, his armor glinting under the torchlight.
His face was almost entirely wrapped in bandages, save for one piercing eye and the corner of his mouth.
It was none other than Lord Haymen, which was a bewildered sight to see, as he should have been dead after being beaten with a stone by Evan.
Yet, there he stood, with a sense of revenge clouded in his mind.
He knelt by the carriage tracks, running a gloved hand over the disturbed soil as he observed the entire campsite with patient turns to each side. His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"They were here, these tracks are fresh." he muttered.
He stood, turning to his men.
"Mount up. We're close."
Behind him, the prisoners were dragged into the clearing, their wrists chained and backs bloodied.
They trembled under the weight of their chains, their faces pale with fear.
Lord Haymen's gaze swept over them briefly before snapping back to the trail. His voice was cold and commanding.
"There's no escape for the weak...I'll show them what happens when a peasant lays his hands on a Lord."
And once more, the hunt had begun anew.