novelzi Chapter 54 Escape in Blood and Shadows
Chapter 54 Escape in Blood and Shadows
Caspian's breath came in ragged gasps, his lungs burning as if he had been breathing fire.
His grip on Bloodmoon tightened, the blade slick with blood-his, theirs, he wasn't sure anymore.
His body was failing him.
His wounds screamed with every breath, every movement.
And yet, the monsters didn't stop.
They knew.
They could smell the exhaustion clinging to him, could hear the weakness in his breathing.
Predators.
The six-legged beast, its crimson eyes glowing, let out a deep, guttural growl.
Its claws, already dripping with blood, dug into the earth, carving trenches as it prepared to lunge
The others followed, their twisted bodies forming a semicircle around him, each step deliberate, each second bringing them closer.
Caspian staggered back, his boots slipping against the bloodied dirt.
Zareth lay behind him-unmoving, defenseless.
Too many.
Too fast.
Too strong.
His mind screamed at him to think-to act-but every option led to the same conclusion.
He couldn't win.
His eyes darted to Zareth. The slow, faint rise of his chest was the only indication he was still alive.
For now.
If Caspian fell, Zareth would follow.
No.
Caspian grit his teeth, forcing his battered body to move-one last time.
The six-legged beast lunged.
Caspian threw himself to the side, barely dodging as the monster's claws slashed through the air, ripping through the space he had stood a second before.
CRUNCH!
White-hot pain exploded across his shoulder, a smaller monster's claws tearing into his flesh.
"Gah-!"
The impact sent him stumbling, his vision flashing red as blood poured down his arm.
MOVE.
With a desperate snarl, he pushed through the pain, his body a blur of instinct and will.
Not away.
Not to fight.
To Zareth.
His boots pounded against the earth, muscles screaming in agony as he raced toward his unconscious friend.
A shadow loomed over him-another monster, lunging-
THUD!
Caspian dropped, shielding Zareth's body with his own, his breath heavy.
And for the first time since the fight began-
He froze.
He couldn't fight like this.
He couldn't protect him like this.
His fingers trembled around Bloodmoon, his mind racing.
There had to be a way.
The answer came like lightning.
The dead.
Caspian's gaze snapped to the battlefield.
The fallen beasts.
He didn't hesitate.
With shaking fingers, he slammed his palm onto the nearest corpse, his mind reaching into the abyss of death itself.
"Evoke."
A pulse of power erupted from his core, cold and suffocating.
The monster's corpse shuddered.
Then, its eyes snapped open.
A chorus of guttural growls erupted behind him, filling the forest with the sound of death itself.
The beasts were chasing.
Closing in.
Caspian clenched his jaw, forcing himself to look forward.
He couldn't afford to hesitate.
His last summon—the strongest of the three—was still running.
Because it was still within his domain.
Caspian's grip tightened around the creature's matted fur as he shifted his weight, steadying himself.
His arms screamed in protest, his vision swimming from exhaustion, but he didn't let go.
"Ugh"
Then, a groan.
A weak, barely audible breath against the howling wind.
Caspian's head snapped downward.
Zareth.
The man's body twitched slightly beneath him, his face contorted in pain.
He was still alive—but barely.
Caspian's gut twisted.
"Hold on," he muttered, voice hoarse. "Just a little longer."
Zareth didn't respond.
But Caspian knew.
He didn't have long.
The monster beneath them let out a distorted growl, its legs pounding against the earth as it pushed forward.
The forest blurred around them, trees flying past in streaks of darkness.
But behind them—
The chasing monsters were gaining.
Caspian gritted his teeth, his pulse hammering in his ears.
He had to think.
He had to act.
The city.
They had to reach the city.
But they were still too far.
He turned his head slightly, forcing himself to assess the situation.
The six-legged beasts were closing the gap, their movements faster, sharper, more aggressive than before.
They knew.
They could smell weakness.
They could sense prey.
Caspian forced down the wave of desperation clawing at his chest.
He had to do something.
His gaze fell to the monster he was riding.
The only one left.
It hadn't collapsed. It hadn't fought the summon's control.
And more importantly—
It understood.
Caspian exhaled sharply, realization settling like ice in his veins.
It understood him.
His words. His orders. His intent.
It wasn't just a mindless corpse.
"Faster."
The beast lurched forward, responding without hesitation.
"Toward the city."
The monster shifted, altering its course.
Caspian took a shaky breath, forcing himself to stay focused.
He wasn't out of this yet.
The hunt wasn't over.
And the city were still far away.