The henchman went to the city, leaving Lira, Nia, and Ein alone.
This was their chance.
Nia and Ein exchanged glances. They knew that they had to act quickly. Now or never.
– Run! – Nia whispered.
They turned around and ran in the opposite direction from the city, away from Lira's gang. Lira, stunned by the sudden turn of events, froze in place.
– Stop! – she shouted. – Come back!
Her voice sounded full of anger and rage.
But Nia and Ein didn't stop. They ran, without looking back, knowing that they would be chased. Freedom. It was so close.
Nia, over the months spent in captivity, had memorized every detail of the surroundings. She knew that far from the house where they were kept, there was a small stream, a winding ribbon cutting through the gray landscape. This stream became their hope for salvation. "Water. It would wash away our tracks."
Running up to the stream, they took off their shoes and, shivering from the cold, stepped into the icy water.
The stream was narrow and shallow, but the water was piercingly cold. It burned the skin, restricted movement, but the fugitives were full of determination. They knew that this was their only chance. “If only they wouldn't freeze.”
They walked in the water, trying to step carefully so as not to raise splashes and create unnecessary noise. Nia knew that they needed to go against the current in order to hide the direction of their escape. Quietly and inconspicuously.
Approaching the stream, they carefully rubbed out their tracks with dry leaves and branches, hoping that this would confuse their pursuers.
Having walked far enough along the stream, Nia and Ein went ashore. They left clear footprints leading towards the hospital. They wanted to create the false impression that they were looking for the artifact.
Then, holding their breath, they returned along their tracks back into the stream, carefully concealing their true path. Hide. Confuse the tracks.
The water was unbearably cold. Teeth chattered, muscles cramped from spasms, but they didn't stop. They knew that Lira would not forgive them for escaping.
Finally, they emerged from the stream in another place, far from the hut. They were wet, frozen, but free. Freedom.
Before them stretched a gray plain, leading to the lights of a distant city. A city full of dangers and mysteries. But a city where they hoped to find answers to their questions.
Nia and Ein were exhausted. The icy water, the gray plains, the fear of being caught – all this had taken a lot of energy from them. But they didn't stop. They knew that they had to get to the city.
Fortunately, they managed to grab the bag with Ein's remaining belongings when they fled the hut. There was no artifact in it, of course, but there was a watch.
The watch! It was a real salvation. Thanks to it, the heroes managed not to lose their sense of time. Without the change of day and night, it was quite difficult to navigate, and the watch helped them keep track of how much time had passed. The lighting in this world was always like in the evening – dim and subdued. But it was enough to see the road and avoid obstacles.
After about seven hours, exhausted and frozen, Nia and Ein reached the outskirts of the city. Before them opened an amazing landscape, sparkling with lights and filled with the noise of strolling cars.
Chapter 7
