Odyssey Of Survival

Liam found himself lost in the abyss.

Darkness surrounded him, thick and suffocating like an ocean of ink, stretching endlessly in all directions. A black mist curled and twisted around him, moving like a living entity, shifting and reshaping with an unnatural flow. He was floating—no, he was running. His feet pounded against nothing, yet he could feel himself moving forward, driven by an urgent, desperate instinct.

Something was behind him.

He could feel it.

A presence, vast and consuming, closing in on him with every passing second. The air around him crackled with energy, flickering arcs of lightning illuminating the void with sharp flashes of light. Each time the lightning struck, it briefly revealed the tunnel of emptiness he was trapped in—an endless passage of swirling shadows and fractured space.

His heart pounded as he pushed himself harder, faster, his legs burning from exertion. The force behind him was relentless, a silent predator, its presence pressing against his very being. He wanted to look back, to see what was hunting him, but a deep-rooted fear gripped his soul, warning him not to.

But curiosity won.

His breath hitched as he turned his head—

A flash of white.

Blinding.

It wasn't a creature. It wasn't a shadow. It wasn't anything he could comprehend. It was just light—pure, untainted, all-consuming.

And then—

He woke up.

Liam's eyes snapped open, his body jerking slightly as he inhaled sharply. His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath, the lingering sensation of being chased still gripping his nerves. His fingers curled instinctively, but all he felt was the coarse fabric beneath him.

It was a dream.

Or was it?

His heartbeat slowly steadied as he exhaled, blinking against the morning light filtering through the trees. The scent of damp earth and burning embers from the dying fire filled the air, grounding him back to reality.

A soft weight on his shoulder made him turn his head slightly.

Tiaa.

Her breathing was soft and steady, her head resting comfortably against him. She had fallen asleep sometime during the night, her dark hair cascading down her back, strands brushing against his arm. For a moment, he simply stared at her, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

He didn't move.

Looking past her, he noticed the first rays of sunlight breaking through the horizon, casting a golden hue over the treetops. The sky was shifting from deep purple to orange, a quiet beauty that brought him an unexpected sense of relief.

But that relief was short-lived.

Because deep inside, he could still feel it.

That presence.

The same thing that had been chasing him in his dream—the same thing that had chased him when he first fell into the portal that brought him here. It wasn't just a nightmare. It was real.

He didn't have time to think about it further.

A shadow loomed over them as one of the king's men stepped forward, his voice breaking the silence. "It's time to move," the man said, his tone firm but not unkind. "If we leave early, we'll reach our destination by nightfall."

Nate nodded, his mind still lingering on the dream as he reached up and gently tapped Tiaa's arm. "Wake up."

She stirred slightly, letting out a soft groan before shifting against him. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, still clouded with sleep. She yawned, stretching her arms before her gaze landed on the king's man standing before them. That was all she needed—no further explanation was required.

She stood up, shaking off the last remnants of drowsiness before turning on her heels and marching toward Meni, Djer, and Nefer. Without hesitation, she nudged each of them roughly with her foot. "Up," she ordered, her voice firm. "We're moving."

A few groans of protest came from the hunters, but they didn't argue. One by one, they forced themselves awake, stretching out their limbs as they prepared for yet another long day of travel.

Meanwhile, Nate took a moment to himself.

He walked a short distance away, toward the small stream that ran near their resting place. The cool morning air sent ripples across the water's surface, distorting his reflection as he knelt by the edge. He cupped his hands, scooping up the crystal-clear water and splashing it onto his face.

The chill sent a jolt through his body, waking him up fully.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

As the water settled, he caught sight of his own reflection again. His dark hair had fallen over his face, long and unkempt. He let out a small sigh. It had grown too fast again. It always did. No matter how many times he cut it, it would grow back in days. It had been that way since he was a child.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that.

Standing up, he ran a hand through his damp hair before turning back toward the group. Everyone was already gathered, the hunters preparing the supplies, while others focused on the cages. The beasts inside were silent, their presence acknowledged but never discussed.

Nate's gaze drifted toward Tiaa.

She was glancing at the small, covered cage again, her brows slightly furrowed.

He didn't need to ask what she was thinking.

He walked up to her and tapped her shoulder lightly. When she turned to him, he met her eyes and spoke in a calm, firm voice.

"Let it go."

For a moment, she just stared at him, as if debating whether or not to argue. But then, she let out a quiet breath and nodded.

She wouldn't forget.

But for now… she would let it go.

The journey continued as the group pressed forward, their footsteps crunching against the uneven terrain as they made their way through the thickening forest. The once-open landscape had given way to towering trees and dense foliage, casting long, twisting shadows under the dimming evening sky. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and distant water, signaling that they were nearing some kind of settlement.

The hunters, though skilled and accustomed to long treks, were clearly fatigued. Their shoulders were tense, their movements slower than they had been in the morning. Even the king's men, despite their disciplined, unyielding facade, showed subtle signs of exhaustion—slightly heavier breaths, small shifts in their posture, the occasional flexing of stiff fingers.

Five days of near-constant travel had taken its toll.

But, of course, the king himself remained untouched by the strain.

He sat comfortably in his grand carriage, enclosed in fine silks and cushioned seats, shielded from the elements while his men bore the brunt of the journey. Not once had he stepped out, not once had he felt the ache of walking for days on end.

Nate, trailing at the back as usual, barely acknowledged his own exhaustion. His body moved on instinct, driven by the same detached focus that had guided him ever since he had arrived in this place. He didn't need to think about each step—his feet carried him forward regardless.

And then, as the final traces of daylight faded, they reached their destination.

Nate's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the sight before him.

It was a massive, temporary encampment, far larger than anything he had expected. Even in the dark, he could make out the sheer scale of it—rows upon rows of tents stretching across the clearing, each adorned with different banners and sigils. Fires burned throughout the camp, casting flickering orange glows across the faces of the men standing guard.

The sheer number of them was staggering.

Kingsmen, dozens of them, clad in armor, their weapons polished and ready, stood in perfectly aligned formations at every entrance. Their presence alone was enough to confirm what this place was—this wasn't just any camp.

This was a gathering of kings.

Nate exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting over the scene. He couldn't make out all the details in the darkness, but one thing was clear: this was no ordinary assembly. There was a purpose behind this, a weight to the very air surrounding them.

His eyes flickered to the massive cages scattered throughout the encampment.

Inside them were beasts—massive creatures, their bodies curled in unnatural stillness, as though they had been frozen in time. Their chests rose and fell in slow, rhythmic motions, but none of them moved beyond that.

Nate's expression remained neutral, though his mind immediately noted something strange. The beasts they had been transporting—the same ones that had been aggressive and restless days ago—had remained in this deep slumber the entire journey. They hadn't stirred, hadn't made a single sound of resistance.

The group continued forward, reaching the entrance of the camp where a line of guards stood, blocking the path.

Immediately, the guards turned their attention toward the carriage.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, one of the men stepped forward, eyes narrowing as he examined the royal sigil emblazoned on the side of the carriage. Recognition flickered across his face, and he quickly straightened, motioning for the others to step aside.

"Welcome, my king," he said, bowing respectfully before gesturing for them to proceed.

The king's men followed closely, their presence unchallenged, and the same was extended to the hunters accompanying them. Without hesitation, they passed through the gates, stepping into the heart of the encampment.

As they moved deeper inside, the occasional roars and rattling cages continued, filling the air with an eerie, restless energy.

But Nate remained focused on something else.

Tiaa must have noticed his lingering gaze because she suddenly moved closer, lowering her voice to a whisper as she spoke.

"The last time the king brought these beasts inside Kemet-Ra's walls… someone released them."

Nate's head tilted slightly, listening as she continued.

"They killed a lot of people that day," she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of something deeper—unease, perhaps, or something close to frustration. "So this time, the king's physician developed a way to put them into slumber before transport."

Nate said nothing at first. He simply turned his head slightly, looking at her.

"Smart," he muttered eventually, his tone unreadable.

Tiaa let out a breath, nodding. "Yes. But it also makes you wonder… why do they need so many of them?"

He didn't answer.

Because deep down, he already had a feeling he knew the answer.

This wasn't just about the beasts.

It was about what came next.

****

Support with Golden Tickets and Power Stones