Evening spilled through the forest like melting gold, but Vyren barely noticed it, mostly because he was too busy being dragged for his life.
Chandrel's hand was locked around his wrist with an absurd amount of strength, pulling him through roots, bushes, and branches like Vyren was some chaotic puppy on a leash.
"Uh— excuse me?" Vyren tried to yank his hand free for the fourth time. Fail. Chandrel's grip didn't even twitch. "Is this... normal? Why are we running? There is literally no one behind us. Hello? Are you listening?"
Silence.
"And your friends? Wow. Top-tier hospitality. I show up like this innocent, pure-hearted guy and they straight-up put a sword on my neck. If you didn't show up, I'd be a dead body right now. And— I'm not even gonna lie— one of them was stupidly handsome. The sharp jaw one? He definitely has a girlfriend."
Chandrel let out a sharp breath. "Vyren," he said for the third time, "shut. up."
Vyren, obviously, didn't.
"So anyway, is this normal for you? Dragging a gorgeous man alone into a forest? Are you planning something? Wait... are you— oh my god, no, don't tell me—"
Chandrel suddenly stopped.
Vyren crashed straight into his back with a pathetic "ow."
Before Vyren could launch into more nonsense, Chandrel spun, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pushed him back against the nearest tree. Not roughly... just firmly. His other hand clamped over Vyren's mouth.
Chandrel leaned in, face inches from Vyren's, breath ghosting against his cheek.
"Don't move."
Vyren froze. Not because I was scared of Chandrel.But because holy hell Chandrel was close. Too close.
"I can hear a tiger," Chandrel whispered. His voice was so low it vibrated against Vyren's skin. "It's nearby."
Vyren's heart tried leaving his body.
For three whole minutes, they stayed like that. Chandrel pressed close, shielding him, hand covering Vyren's mouth, listening for the predator. His thumb rested right at the corner of Vyren's lips, trying to keep him quiet.
Chandrel thinks I can't see him.I'm fully seeing, and I am having a full mental breakdown.
Finally, the forest settled.
Chandrel slowly removed his hand, fingers lingering a second longer than needed.
"I wasn't in the mood to fight a tiger today," Chandrel muttered. "That's why we were hiding."
Vyren inhaled shakily. "Oh. So not people. Just big violent cats. Great."
Chandrel sighed like existence itself pained him. "You're blind like me. You're not from this world. So, yes, I had to help you."
Vyren blinked. "Thanks, I guess. But you're blind too. How do you move like that? The accuracy, the reflexes..."
"I learned," Chandrel said simply. "Since childhood. There wasn't another option."
Vyren opened his mouth again. Chandrel stopped him with a single glare.
"And next time," he said sharply, "when I tell you to follow my orders, you follow them. Otherwise, I'll leave you for the tiger. And if the tiger doesn't kill you..."
He stepped away, his voice dropping to a cold whisper.
"...I will."
He walked ahead, expecting Vyren to follow.
Rain began soon after, first soft, then harsh, forcing them to seek shelter in a small, abandoned stone hut nearby. The air inside was cold, dim, and smelled of wet earth.
Vyren sat on the cold stone floor, his earlier sarcasm replaced by a strange, quiet curiosity. Chandrel was over in the corner, fiddling with a few supplies, clearly trying to ignore the fact that Vyren was still... well, being Vyren.
Vyren couldn't help but keep his eyes on him, though. He'd never met someone so damn unpredictable. It was like every word out of Chandrel's mouth was either a challenge or a riddle, and Vyren was weirdly hooked.
But before he could form any more thoughts about blind guys and their weird charm, the sudden sound of footsteps interrupted the silence. Vyren's heart pounded just a bit faster.
Chandrel immediately stood up, his stance tense.
"Who's there?" Vyren whispered.
Chandrel didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Vyren's arm and tugged him toward the far wall of the hut. "Stay low," he murmured, his voice suddenly serious.
Vyren didn't argue. He had learned by now that when Chandrel said "stay low," you better stay low.
The door creaked open with a slow, ominous sound. Vyren's heart skipped a beat.
And then, a figure stepped in, casting a long shadow across the stone floor.
"Chandrel," came the voice. It was calm, but with an edge that made Vyren's skin prickle.
Vyren's eyes narrowed. Kaelith. That was the guy he'd been talking about earlier—the one with the sharp jaw. Now he was standing there, cool as ever, like he'd just walked in to check on a friend.
Chandrel didn't move, but the tension was palpable.
"What are you doing here?" Chandrel's voice was colder now, guarded.
Kaelith glanced over at Vyren, then back at Chandrel. "We need to talk," he said simply. "It's about him."
Before Vyren could say anything, Chandrel looked at him, his voice low. "Stay here."
Chandrel walked out into the rain, leaving Vyren in the shadow of uncertainty.
Vyren stood up slowly, staring after Chandrel. Kaelith was still there, standing like some sort of unspoken riddle.
"What's going on?" Vyren demanded, his voice tight. "What do you know about me?"
Kaelith finally broke his silence, a slight smirk forming on his lips. "You have no idea, do you? What you've stumbled into."
Just as he was about to ask another question, the door to the hut slammed open again. This time, it was Chandrel, and he looked... colder. Dangerous.
Without a word, he made a sharp motion for Vyren to follow.
Vyren had no choice but to obey.