Chapter Four - The Clearing 🌟(rewritten)

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Her feet flew beneath her as she ran. She called up her speed and yet the creature gained on her. Kairo felt the burning of her lungs and knew she couldn't keep the pace for long. Briefly she wondered where the boy in the tree ended up but she didn't dwell on that as the creature roared behind her.

She decided to lose the creature and did the one thing she was told not to do. She jumped from her path into that of the boy, the creature roared before making the jump after her. The ground shook violently where she stood, spikes swiftly grew from the ground. "So this is why!" Kairo exclaimed as she navigated her way around the sharp points.

The shaking of the ground didn't let up, making her innards jump around, evoking a strong sense of nausea rippling through her. She needed to cross back to her path and fast but the creature seemed just as determined to catch her. The buzzing of her bracelet intensified, begging to be let loose and protect her from the danger. But it was too soon, she couldn't swing a sword when she shook violently like this, she might impale herself.

The ground shook, throwing her off balance. She plummeted to the ground, narrowly missing a spike. She pulled her body towards a tree, using it to gain stability on the shaking ground. Her head turned to see the creature parallel to her. It seemed it was smarter than she gave it credit, as it must have been maneuvering a way to her. If the ground shook one more time and it used it to move towards her, it would jump on her. She was contemplating what to do despite the panic bubbling inside her when she felt the power on her back. It pooled around her, almost as if warm hands gripped her shoulders. Somehow she understood the intend, once the ground shook again, she needed to jump back to her path.

And in less than a second the ground shook violently again and she was propelled forward by the power behind her and she did not fight against it. She was dangerously close to the creature however as they crossed paths midair. The creature roared attempting to change its position mid-air and pull her with it, but Kairo had no intention of being demon food. She let loose her sword and it impaled the creature,causing it to screech in pain.  Kairo was the one to pull it with her as she held on to her sword, she landed on her back, groaning as her breath was knocked out of her.

The creature squirmed on the ground, silvery blood pooling from its wound. Kairo slowly approached it, she held the hilt of her sword and twisted it. The creature roared menacingly at her before its head lolled to the side and its breathing stopped. Still Kairo hesitated, she knew of animals that could pretend their death and pounce once you let your guard down.

"It's dead." A familiar voice captured her attention and she turned.

Leaning on the tree was the boy from earlier. The sun had somehow gotten through the canopied trees and it was much more illuminated where they stood. He was angelic in features and it was all Kairo could do not to ogle. His muscles stood firm and pronounced from his crossed hands, his golden skin glistened in the sun as he regarded her and the scene before him with some slight amusement. He wore leather pants and a matching vest, something was crossed on his chest and he had drawings engraved on his skin. They were black like ink and they made curves and turns that made the girl curious.

"What are those on your arms?" she asked him.

He regarded her for sometime before he looked down on his arms, as though seeing them for the first time. "Lightborn Sealing," he answered, watching her face intently.

Kairo nodded. She remembered her uncle had them and had told them they operated in the same way as runes but just barely. The sealing was an indication of power, they differed in color of course but everyone knew black sealing was considered powerful. It was no surprise though, the boy was royalty himself.

Lightborns were powerful magic inclined beings. They had enhanced speed and hearing, they could make themselves disappear and their fighting skills were unrivaled.

"Thank you. I suppose you are the one who helped me back there," she said. She licked her lips, trying to mask her nerves. The action caused the boy to fasten his eyes on her lips, a strange expression on his face that she didn't understand but made her flush nonetheless.

She went to pull back her sword, taking her time to rub off the silvery blood with her glove. Once it was clean enough, the bracelet transformed back to a bracelet, nestling to where it had been before. The boy raised a single eyebrow at the action but said nothing.

"You should throw away that glove. Demon blood is poisonous," the boy advised.

Kairo nodded. "I am aware. I just think it might be advantageous to have it on me, until I get the hell out of this insanity."

The boy regarded her with one of his famous frowns. "You intrigue me, Stormhart."

Kairo startled. "I never affirmed that was my name."

"You didn't have to. There is a morning star engraved on the hilt of your sword, and although your hair couldn't be confirmation enough, your transformative sword just proved it," he responded calmly.

"The morning star I understand. But what does my hair and sword have anything to do with it?"

The boy raised another single eyebrow. They curved so perfectly, it was as though he spent all his days in a salon. "Celestria has closed its borders for many years to all the kingdoms in Kaimana. Only their rebellious princess found a way to Elaria and married the emperor's right-hand man. You look like the perfect example of what their child would look like."

Kairo chuckled. "Very impressive. But do I look like a princess to you?"

She gestured to herself in an aloof manner. She was raised on Earth and has long since removed all the etiquette she learned as a child to be royal. She didn't need this stranger knowing who she really was, despite him saving her life just now.

The boy watched her in confusion before he shrugged and began to walk away. Kairo had to fight down the urge to follow him and demand answers. She looked  around at her own path and though everything in her hesitated, she followed it. The death games were serious, people actually died in her. What level of insanity did these people have to send sixteen year old into a deadly forest lurking with fatal traps and creatures like the one she just killed.

It felt like hours before she came towards a body of water. The thirst was driving her crazy but she still hesitated. Something about that water seemed suspicious, or maybe it was her wary mind after realising that everything in here could lead potentially to her death.

The rustling of the trees suddenly made her aware of a presence near her. A girl with matted honey blonde hair and beautiful green eyes watched her wide-eyed as she encountered her. Kairo simply watched her, ready to produce a dagger in record speed if she tried anything.

But the girl simply staggered to the water with a water skin. Kairo watched her as she filled the water and washed her face, she was so absorbed by her activity she did not notice the water turn red. Kairo's skin prickled at the bubbles that appeared to rush at the girl, she opened her mouth to warn her but they disappeared. 

She watched again for them and saw nothing. The girl raised her head and glanced at Kairo, red marred her face as though she just bathed I blood and maybe she did. She saw the concern in Kairo's eyes and quickly got to her feet, just as she opened her mouth to speak a giant worm splashed out of the water with its mouth wide open.

Kairo fumbled for a dagger and the girl screamed as the worm closed its mouth around her before it fell back into the waters. Kairo held inside a scream, as what stood in front of her was the hip-down version of the girl's body before it crashed down to the ground.

Two girls in one day, Kairo's feet carried her off before she could even register the action. She needed to get the hell out of the forest and what was weird was that her bracelet hadn't warned her of any demonic presence in the area but she would think of that once she survived.

Her rugged breaths indicated that she had reached her limit, her legs threatened to buckle from sheer exhaustion but she couldn't afford to either slow down or stop. This was like being trapped in a nightmare and she had no intention  of ever slowing down.

Once she jumped down from a mini mount, she saw a lot of kids her age making a run for it towards an opening at the front that seemed to shrink in size. Kairo didn't think twice and bolted, willing her legs to carry her forward.

She was focused on reaching the opening she didn't see the foot that thrust out to trip her. She fell fast and hard, pain exploding inside her head.

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