Hu Yan was still running.
His breath came out in ragged bursts, his chest heaving as his strong legs carried him across the rugged mountain path. The endless forest stretched far ahead, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.
His mate's mark was glowing as he used it to reach her as far as possible.
That faint light was the only thing keeping him from breaking down completely. It was proof that she was still alive… somewhere.
He had already lost sight of that damned owl beastman long ago. The moment the sky darkened, that winged beast had vanished like smoke into the horizon. Hu Yan had tried to chase him, but no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't reach him.
Now, the only thing he could rely on was the mark's faint pull, her presence calling to him from far, far away.
But the farther she was, the weaker it became. Her scent, her warmth… everything was fading.
And that terrified him more than any wound on his body.
