Chương 416: Hunting Prey

(Forest — One Week Later(Vale POV)) Vale sat with his back against a large tree, his head resting against the rough bark as he took slow breaths. His eyes were closed as he tried to rest, but true rest had become hard. His body was still badly hurt. Bandages covered most of his chest, arms, and legs. Every small move served to remind him of that fight had had only been a week ago. His body had survived, but it had not yet healed from what he had put it through. The others were in much the same state.

Nym was resting inside her barrack while her wounds were still being treated. Eskar and Nova had built small barracks for everyone, giving them a safe place to recover. None of them had gone far from where Korin had first been beaten by Eskar. There was little reason to leave. The battle had left the land around them almost unrecognisable. Vale had always known Eskar was strong, but seeing him fight Korin had been something else. The two of them had torn through the land as if mountains were nothing more than dirt.

Their fight had destroyed huge parts of the forest, and the force of their attacks had shaken the ground for miles. And this was the Tower. The land itself was made to survive creatures far stronger than anything that should have lived on Earth. Vale shuddered. What would have happened if they had fought on Earth? He didn't want to know. A deep sigh escaped him as he shifted against the tree. Pain spread through his body at once.

"Ugh... damn wound." Most of his injuries were internal, and Nym had suffered from the same kind of damage. Still, she had been luckier than him. The Forest Drake had not been so lucky. Her jaw had been broken during the fight, and she now lay on the forest floor nearby. Several bandages covered her head, while a splint held her jaw in place. She barely moved except to breathe, and no one knew if she would make a full recovery. Her drakelings had stayed close to her all week.

Their small bodies were pressed against their mother's side, as if being near her could somehow keep her alive. Vale watched them for a moment before looking away. A week had passed, yet everyone still looked terrible. Their wounds were not only physical, either. Eskar looked almost unharmed after the fight, but he had pushed his body far past its limit. His own power had nearly destroyed him from within. If he tried to fight again now, there was a real chance his body would simply give out.

So they had only one choice. They had to stay here, recover, and wait. Still, Vale couldn't help wondering why they were still here. His eyes moved toward his barrack, where the spear rested outside. Shade. During the fight with Korin, Shade had been killed twice. First, Korin had snapped his neck. Later, his entire body had been torn apart. Yet now, nothing had changed. Shade had not returned to his normal form. He simply remained a spear beside Vale's barrack, as if nothing had happened.

Vale didn't know if Shade couldn't transform or if he simply refused to. Either answer bothered him, but he had no way to know the truth. Before he could think about it any longer, Vale noticed Nova walking out of Korin's barrack. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The girl who was usually full of energy looked completely different. There was no smile on her face, no excitement in her eyes, and none of her usual impatience. She simply looked tired.

Vale slowly pushed himself to his feet and walked toward her.

"Is he alright?" Nova stopped and looked at him. For a moment, she said nothing. There was something strange in her eyes. Fear, perhaps. Maybe doubt. Eventually, she shook her head.

"He won't talk. He won't even eat. He just sits there and stares at the floor. It's like he's not even there anymore." Vale couldn't blame her. Nobody wanted to think about what had happened to Korin that day. The thing that had come out of him had been nothing like the man they knew. It had been violent and cruel. It had treated the bodies of his friends like they meant nothing. And Korin had been forced to remember all of it. Vale slowly breathed out.

"Alright. I'll talk to him. You should get some rest too, okay? And make sure Eskar actually rests. Knowing him, he'll try to fight something the moment he can stand again." Nova gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah. I'll try." She turned and walked away, slowly disappearing between the trees. Vale watched her go. Something about this whole thing felt wrong. Even the weather seemed to match their mood. Grey clouds covered the sky, blocking most of the sun and leaving the forest under a dull shadow. A soft wind moved through the leaves, carrying the smell of wet earth and the faint smoke left by the battle. Vale turned toward Korin's barrack and slowly walked over. He stopped outside the entrance.

For a few seconds, he just stood there.

'Is this really alright?' He frowned. He had faced worse things before. Much worse. He had lived through things that should have broken him. He had scars far deeper than any wound left by a blade. So why was he hesitating now? Vale's face hardened.

'He's still Korin.' He stepped inside. The barrack was dark and quiet, lit only by a few small candles. Korin sat on the floor beside his bed. The huge man barely moved. His hair hung over part of his face, hiding his eyes. His shoulders were slumped, and his hands rested beside him. He looked less like an injured man and more like someone who had simply stopped living. Vale swallowed.

"Hey, Korin." There was no answer. Vale took another step.

"Are you doing alright?" Still nothing. Korin didn't even blink. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor, so empty that the candlelight barely seemed to reach them. Vale sighed.

"You know... I'm glad Eskar managed to get you back in time." He tried to keep his voice casual.

"Nothing really happened in the end. We should try not to worry about it too much, right?" The silence that followed was long and uncomfortable. Then Korin moved. His head slowly turned toward Vale. The movement was stiff and unnatural, like an old machine being forced to move after years of standing still. Crack. His neck popped. Korin looked straight at him.

"Nothing... happened?" Vale's face tightened. He had expected the question, but that didn't make it easier to answer.

"Well... not nothing." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"But nobody died. That's what matters, right? The only way we knew to stop those powers was to kill someone, but we found another way. Nobody had to die." Korin kept staring at him. Then his lips slowly parted. A quiet laugh escaped him. There was no joy in it. It was dry and bitter. After a few seconds, the sound faded. Korin placed one large hand against his bed and pushed himself up. The wood creaked under his weight as he stood, his head nearly touching the ceiling.

"Vale." His voice was quiet.

"Leave." Vale swallowed.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that—" Korin tilted his head. His eyes grew colder.

"Leave." This time, anger was clear in his voice. Vale took a step back. His body trembled slightly. Korin noticed. His eyes dropped to Vale's hand before returning to his face.

"See?" His voice became softer.

"You're scared of me." Vale froze. Korin's fingers slowly curled into a fist.

"You're scared I'll kill you. So leave." Vale wanted to deny it. He wanted to laugh and tell Korin he was wrong. But he couldn't. Because Korin was right. Vale was afraid. After seeing what had happened, how could he not be? He had watched Korin tear Shade apart in seconds. He had seen him overpower the Forest Drake and nearly kill everyone around him without even knowing what he was doing. He had seen a monster. And that monster had been inside Korin. His friend. Vale clenched his hand.

That was what hurt the most. Korin wasn't some stranger they had found in the forest. He wasn't an enemy they had fought and beaten. He was the same man who had stood beside them, fought beside them, and trusted them with his life. And now Vale was afraid of him. After a long silence, Vale lowered his gaze.

"Alright." His voice was quiet. He turned and walked toward the entrance. One step at a time, he crossed the small room until he reached the door. For a moment, he stopped. He wanted to look back. He didn't. Vale stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Korin was alone again. The room fell silent, leaving him alone with the memories he had tried to escape. The blood. The screams. The faces of the people he cared about. His own hands hurting them. His own hands almost killing them. Korin lowered his head.

His hands began to shake.