The village road had never felt so narrow.
Ren walked it now with his hood up, the morning sun slicing through the clouds in thin shards of gold. Every sound — every whisper, every shifting leaf — pressed against his senses in a way that wasn't entirely his.
The echo listened.And Ren could feel it paying attention to the world through him.
Lyra returned first.
She emerged from the treeline with Draven behind her, both breathing hard. Draven looked like he'd been crying while running, screaming, and tripping simultaneously.
Lyra, by contrast, looked like the forest itself had sharpened her.
"Ren," she said. She didn't smile. "We found something."
Borin stepped beside Ren, arms crossed.
"What kind of something?"
Lyra hesitated.
"That depends on how much danger we consider 'a lot'."
Draven lifted a shaking hand."It's a lot. It's definitely a lot. It might even be—"
Lyra elbowed him. He shut up instantly.
Ren took a step toward her.
"Show me."
Lyra exhaled.
"On the north road. Near the ridge. Someone was there last night."She paused, then added,"And they weren't hiding their presence."
Borin frowned. "Meaning they wanted to be noticed?"
"No," Lyra said. "Meaning they didn't care if they were."
Ren felt a cold ripple crawl up his spine.
"What did you see?"
Lyra lowered her voice.
"A footprint. Deep. Too deep for a human.Claw marks beside it… but shaped like fingers.And the ground around it was slightly burned."
Ren's heart tightened.
Demon.
He didn't say it aloud.
Draven did.
"DEMON! A DEMON WAS HERE! WE ARE OFFICIALLY DEAD!"
Lyra glared at him again.
Borin stepped closer.
"How far from the village?"
"Half a league," Lyra said."But the trail didn't continue toward us."
"That's good," Draven whispered.
"It circled," Lyra finished.
Draven died inside.
Ren's pulse quickened.
"It was observing."
Lyra nodded.
"And waiting."
The echo pulsed sharply.Ren inhaled, startled at the intensity.
Lyra saw it.
"What happened?"
Ren placed a hand over his chest.
"The echo… reacts to certain things. Strong emotions. Old memories. Intent."
"Intent?" Borin repeated.
Ren nodded.
"And whatever left that footprint… had a lot of intent."
Lyra stepped forward and touched his arm.
"We can deal with demons. But there's more."
Ren blinked.
"More?"
She nodded.
"I climbed the ridge. There's smoke on the horizon. Campfires. More than a small party."
Borin's expression darkened.
"A sect?"
"No banners," Lyra said."No movement. No patrols. But the smell…"She swallowed."It wasn't human."
Ren's breath stilled.
Demon scouts.Two clans moving.A minor sect camping by the river.
The world wasn't just coming.
It was already here.
Ren tightened his fist.
"We can't face them."
Lyra shook her head.
"No. Not yet."
"We can't run either," Borin added.
Draven raised his hand again.
"I still vote for running."
"No," Ren said quietly.
He looked toward the north road — the ridge where the footprint waited like a warning carved into the soil.
"We need to see who's coming. And why."
Lyra nodded slowly.
"I can scout again."
"No," Ren said immediately.
Lyra froze. "What?"
"You've already risked too much," Ren said. "If a demon scout sensed you—"
"It didn't," she snapped.
"But it could," he insisted.
She stepped closer, eyes burning.
"Ren. I'm not leaving you blind."
The echo pulsed again — reacting not to danger, but to her.
Ren forced himself to breathe.
"I'm going," he said.
Silence.
Lyra stared at him.
Borin stared at him.
Draven stared at a leaf because staring at Ren was too stressful.
Finally Lyra found her voice.
"No. Absolutely not."
Ren lifted his hood.
"I'm the one they're searching for.If anyone can sense intent… it's me."
Lyra grabbed his wrist.
"You're not strong enough!"
Ren met her eyes.
"That's why you're coming with me."
Her breath caught.
"And Borin," Ren added.
Borin grunted.
"Thought so."
Draven looked hopeful.
"And me?"
"No," all three said at once.
Draven collapsed dramatically.
"Unbelievable."
Ren walked past them, heading toward the edge of the village.
He stopped.
Turned back.
And said the truth aloud for the first time:
"Someone is watching this road.If we wait too long… they'll stop watching and start moving."
Lyra tightened her bowstring.
Borin rested his axe on his shoulder.
Draven hid behind a bucket.
Ren looked toward the horizon — where the world was waking up.
And whispered:
"Let's move before the storm hears us."
The echo thrummed like a heartbeat.
Ready.