Chapter 21
The night was as dark as ink, with only a few pale rays of moonlight filtering through gaps in the thick clouds, barely outlining the jagged cliffs at the exit of Silverdew Valley. Serena followed closely behind Mara, the two disappearing silently from the valley that had sheltered them for days, like ghosts blending into the shadows. Their heavy backpacks contained only enough rations for a few days, salt, medicine, and a map meticulously marked with danger zones. They wore dark, coarse cloth clothing, their faces smeared with dark mud and ash, trying to erase all traces of femininity.
Mara chose not the main road frequented by caravans, but a hidden path nestled among dense forests and cliffs, the kind of path used by hunters and smugglers. The path was rugged and slippery, thorns tearing at their clothes. Serena gritted her teeth, suppressing each breath deep in her throat, forcing herself to keep up with Mara's tireless pace. She knew there was no turning back; in the darkness behind them, it felt as if countless eyes were watching them.
Meanwhile, just hours after they infiltrated the Black Forest, a lightly armed cavalry force of about twenty men arrived at the outskirts of Silverdew Valley in the darkest hour before dawn. Instead of entering the valley, they dispersed like well-trained hounds, blocking several main exits and dispatching a few of their most skilled trackers to carefully survey the ground.
The team leader was a man with a cold, hard face and hawk-like eyes named Keller, the intelligence officer from the capital. He had received intelligence that the Norton family had been making unusual moves in supplies and personnel recently, and combined with his previous investigation of the surrounding area, he focused his attention on this seemingly isolated valley.
The trackers soon discovered a clue—on a very well-hidden path leading towards the Black Forest, they found fresh footprints that did not belong to hunters or smugglers. The owner of the footprints had obviously tried to conceal them, but some traces were still left behind.
“Two people, one in front of the other, with a distance between their feet… one of them is very light-weight, possibly a woman,” the experienced tracker reported in a low voice. “They’ve been inside for no more than six hours.”
A cold smile curled at the corner of Keller's lips. He'd found her. He didn't immediately order a full-scale attack on Silverdew Valley; that would alert the enemy and could potentially trigger a direct conflict with the Norton family—not worthwhile without explicit authorization. His target was the girl.
"Pass down the order: move the blockade towards the Black Forest. First and second squads, follow me into the forest to pursue. The rest of you, guard all known exits; don't let a single rabbit escape." He mounted his horse with swift, clean movements. "Tell the brothers that His Majesty has ordered a hefty reward for bringing back the target. If she escapes, she'll bring back his head."
The sound of hooves did not rang out. The pursuers wrapped their horses' hooves in thick cloth and, like ghosts, silently surged into the dark entrance of the Black Forest, which resembled the open mouth of a giant beast.
Inside the forest, light struggles to penetrate the dense canopy, making it dark and eerie even during the day. The air is thick with the scent of humus and damp earth, and the chirping of various unknown insects and birds adds to the eeriness.
Mara's expression grew even more grave. She frequently stopped to crouch down and examine the tracks on the ground, or to listen intently to her surroundings. She could sense that her pursuers were close behind. They were clearly highly skilled, their tracking speed incredibly fast.
“They’re catching up.” During a short break, Mara said to Serena in a low voice, her tone grim. “Faster than we expected. We have to change course; we can’t go as planned.”
Serena's heart clenched, fear creeping over her like cold vines. "Where do we go?"
Mara pointed to an area on the map marked with a danger symbol, with almost no path shown. "Through 'Weeping Canyon,' the terrain is complex, the river is swift, and it can mask our scent and tracks. But... it's dangerous, with falling rocks and deep pools; even smugglers rarely venture there."
There was no choice. Serena nodded.
They veered off the relatively "safe" path and headed in a more rugged and difficult direction. The terrain became steeper, requiring them to climb slippery rocks and wade through icy streams. Serena was extremely exhausted, with many new scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs, but she remained silent, mechanically following Mara.
Behind them, the pressure of the pursuit was relentless. Keller's team, clearly accompanied by guides familiar with the mountain terrain, were like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of blood, relentlessly closing the distance.
While trying to use a fast-flowing stream to cover her tracks, Serena slipped and was nearly swept away by the current. Fortunately, Mara reacted quickly and grabbed her, but she felt a sharp pain in her ankle and twisted it.
The speed slowed down.
Mara helped her to a secluded spot in the thicket of bushes for temporary shelter. She checked Serena's ankle; it was swollen.
"Can you still walk?" Mara asked, her voice devoid of emotion.
Serena was pale and sweating profusely, but she gritted her teeth and nodded: "Yes."
Just then, the deep barking of hunting dogs came from afar, growing closer and closer.
Mara's expression changed. "They brought hunting dogs!" This meant that the method of using water to mask the scent would be much less effective.
She made a quick decision, stuffing most of the rations and medicine into Serena's backpack, leaving herself only the bare minimum. "Listen," Mara grabbed Serena's shoulders, her eyes blazing, her words rapid, "I'll lead them east. You go in this direction, deeper into the canyon, find the entrance to the underground river, it's marked on the map. Go in, follow the current, don't look back! We'll meet at 'Stone Rift' on the border of Kador. If... if I don't get there within ten days, you'll have to find your own way out!"
"No! Mara!" Serena grabbed her arm, her eyes filled with fear and reluctance. She knew that Mara was using herself as bait.
"There's no time!" Mara interrupted her sharply, forcefully prying her hands away. "Remember, survive! Cross the canyon!" She gave Serena a deep look, her eyes complex and resolute, then turned abruptly, deliberately making a loud noise, and quickly left in the east.
Serena huddled in the bushes, listening to Mara's receding footsteps, followed by the barking of the hounds and the shouts of the pursuers, tears mingling with the dirt on her face. She bit her lip hard, trying not to cry out.
After an unknown amount of time, the surroundings fell silent again, with only the natural sounds of the forest. The pursuers had been lured away.
Selena endured the excruciating pain in her ankle, struggled to her feet, slung her heavy backpack over her shoulder, glanced in the direction Mara had gone, then turned and limped resolutely into the darker, more dangerous depths of the Weeping Canyon.
The sounds Mara made were like pebbles thrown into calm water, briefly disrupting the pursuers' formation. The barking of the hounds and the clamor of people moving quickly drifted eastward and gradually faded into the distance. Serena huddled in the cold bushes, only daring to relax her tense nerves slightly once the sounds had completely disappeared into the inherent background noise of the forest.
A sharp pain shot through her ankle, a stark reminder of the harsh reality. She knew she couldn't linger; the pursuers might turn back at any moment once they realized they'd been tricked. She had to make the most of this precious time difference.
Struggling to her feet, each step sent shivers of pain through her injured ankle. Leaning on a rough branch she'd picked up, with a heavy backpack on her back, she gritted her teeth and limped deeper into the Weeping Canyon, guided by the map she'd memorized.
The deeper one ventures, the dimmer the light becomes. Towering ancient trees block out the sun, and the air is filled with damp mist and the dull echo of water crashing against rocks, as if some unseen entity is weeping in the valley. The terrain becomes increasingly steep and difficult to traverse, with jagged rocks and slippery moss covering everything.
She practically scrambled downhill, her clothes torn even more tattered, her exposed skin covered in scratches and bruises. Hunger and exhaustion gnawed at her already dwindling strength like leeches. She could only hold on by sheer willpower, Mara's last words echoing repeatedly in her mind: "Survive! Get through the canyon!"
After an unknown amount of time, just as she felt herself about to collapse, a clearer sound of flowing water reached her ears. She perked up and struggled forward, following the sound until she finally found a deep, dark cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, beneath a stone wall covered in vines. A wave of icy steam rushed out. The entrance to the underground river marked on the map!
Hope was rekindled. Without hesitation, she took a deep breath, bent down, and squeezed into the hole that seemed to swallow up all light.
Meanwhile, Keller's team, after chasing for several miles, finally realized something was wrong. The tracks on the ground had become messy and deliberate, and the hunting dogs seemed somewhat confused. What they had caught was merely bait.
"Damn it!" Keller cursed under his breath, his face turning ashen. He immediately ordered, "Back! She's definitely gone deeper into the canyon! Notify the blockade to closely guard all possible exits on the other side of the canyon!"
The pursuers quickly turned back, but Mara successfully bought them nearly an hour of precious time.
When Keller and the others returned to the vicinity of Serena's original hiding place, they could only find scattered traces left by her as she walked into the depths of the canyon. Although she tried her best to conceal them, they could still be identified by skilled trackers, as well as... the entrance to the deep underground river.
Looking at the dark, roaring cave entrance, Keller frowned deeply. He hadn't expected his target to be so resolute, choosing this path fraught with peril.
"Sir, should we go in?" one of his men asked, looking hesitant as he gazed at the opening that resembled the throat of a giant beast.
Keller paused for a moment, then shook his head. “The situation inside is unknown, and the risks are too great. She's injured, and her chances of survival alone in a place like this are very low.” He was more inclined to believe that his target had died in the dark underground river, or had been trapped and died somewhere from her injuries. “Send two people to guard this entrance. The rest of you, follow me to the other side of the canyon! I don't believe she can actually get through! As soon as she shows her face, she'll be ours!”
He made a more prudent decision, taking advantage of the terrain, and set up a trap on the other side of the canyon.
Inside the underground river tunnel, there was absolute darkness and the deafening roar of the water. Serena lit a makeshift torch she carried with her, crafted from animal fat and moss; its faint light illuminated only a few steps ahead. The river was icy cold and swiftly flowing, forcing her to cling tightly to the slippery, cold stone walls as she waded through knee-deep water. The riverbed was uneven, and a single misstep could send her slipping and being swept away by the current.
The darkness amplified all her senses, and the fear of the unknown weighed on her like a tangible weight. She didn't know where this path led, whether there was an exit ahead, or even how long the faint torch would last. The pain in her ankle numbed under the stimulation of the cold water, but the physical exhaustion and mental fear continued to accumulate.
She could only move forward, mechanically following the direction of the water. Time lost its meaning; in this eternal darkness and clamor, it felt as if she had walked for centuries.
The torchlight gradually dimmed and eventually went out completely. Absolute darkness engulfed her. Clutching the nightingale badge to her chest, she relied on touching the stone walls for navigation, and in the icy water and darkness, driven by the instinct for survival, she moved forward little by little.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but just as her consciousness began to blur and her strength was about to be exhausted, a faint gray-white light, different from a torch, seemed to appear in front of her!
It's an export!
Hope gave her her last strength. She struggled toward that glimmer of light. The light grew clearer, and the sound of the water became more expansive and thunderous.
She finally staggered out of the cave entrance. The blinding sunlight made her lose her sight instantly. She collapsed weakly on the gravel beach outside the cave, greedily breathing in the fresh, watery air. She was soaked to the bone and shivering, like a wandering soul that had crawled back from hell.
She did it. She crossed the Weeping Canyon and reached the other side.
However, before she could even get a good look at her surroundings, a cold voice rang out from nearby, carrying a hint of mockery, like a cat playing with a mouse:
"Looks like you're lucky; you actually made it through alive."
Serena looked up abruptly, her pupils contracting sharply.
Keller, accompanied by four or five men, stood leisurely a short distance away, blocking all her possible escape routes. They had clearly been waiting there for some time.
Having just escaped the abyss, she found herself in dire straits once again. Serena's heart sank to the bottom.
Serena collapsed onto the cold, rocky beach, the biting chill seeping into her limbs through her soaked clothes. Keller's icy voice lashed at her taut nerves like a whip. Despair washed over her like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf her. She had crossed a hellish canyon, only to stumble headlong into a hunter's trap.
Keller approached slowly, his boots clicking rhythmically on the gravel like the pendulum of a countdown clock. "To have crossed Weeping Canyon alone, I admit, you are more resilient than I imagined." His voice was calm, devoid of emotion. "But the game ends here, Miss. Please come back with us; His Majesty awaits you."
Serena's fingers dug deep into the rubble beneath her, the pain keeping her conscious to the very last vestige of her being. Go back? Back to that cage of twisted control veiled in gentle facade? Back to that hell where even one's own self is slowly eroded, ultimately becoming his exquisite collection?
No.
no way.
She suddenly raised her head, her wet, dark brown hair clinging to her pale cheeks, while her blue eyes burned with an almost insane flame—the kind of light only a wild beast driven to the brink of despair possessed.
“Go back?” Her voice was hoarse, yet carried a resolute determination. “Tell him I’d rather die here!”
Before she could finish speaking, she mustered all her remaining strength and lunged to the side! There lay the roaring torrent at the canyon's exit! The river became exceptionally turbulent here due to the narrowing terrain, white waves crashing against the rocks with a deafening roar!
This is her only chance! Even if she falls into the rapids and drowns, it's better than returning to Lucien's side!
"Stop her!" Keller's expression changed, and he shouted sharply. He hadn't expected this seemingly delicate noblewoman to be so fierce!
Two of her closest henchmen reacted swiftly, lunging forward to grab Serena. One of them barely managed to grab the edge of her tattered cloak!
"Sizzle—!"
The sound of tearing fabric was barely audible amidst the wind and water. Serena felt a sudden lightness on her back, and the immense inertia caused her to completely lose her balance. Like a kite with a broken string, she plummeted towards the turbulent river surface, churning with white foam!
In the last moments before her body was swallowed by the icy river, the last thing she saw was Keller's face, contorted with shock and anger, and the dark tattered cloth she had broken free of and was clutching in the soldier's hand.
Then, an endless chill, darkness, and immense force dragged her violently into the abyss. The river water poured frantically into her mouth and nose, robbing her of her breath and scattering her consciousness…
Keller rushed to the riverbank, his face grim as he stared intently at the raging river that had swallowed Serena in an instant. The water was murky and turbulent; there wasn't a soul in sight.
"Sir..." The soldier clutching the rag turned pale.
"Search!" Keller spat out the word through gritted teeth, his voice filled with suppressed rage. "Downstream! Both banks! We need to find them alive or dead... we need to find their bodies!" He couldn't imagine how he would face the new emperor's cold interrogation if he returned with news that "the target is dead" or "the target is missing."
For Serena, the Empire's pursuit, Lucien's obsession, and all the fear and struggle temporarily receded in the biting cold and suffocating darkness.
Her consciousness sank into boundless darkness, as if eternity had passed, yet also as if it were only a moment.
...
When she regained some sensation, it was with a violent cough. Her lungs and throat burned as if on fire, and she coughed up a lot of river water. Her body felt cold and not like her own. Through her blurred vision, she saw a rough wooden roof and a flickering, warm firelight.
An old, hoarse voice sounded from the side, with a heavy local accent:
"Tsk, what a lucky guy. He didn't die after all that."
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