Likath snorted, his flames flickering with a tension he had never shown before.
"Roli… faster. The ruler of this place is coming."
A brief pause.
"And I'm very sure… we are not its equal."
Rolin didn't look at him.
His hands moved faster.
Sharper.
More violent.
Threads snapped one after another as his blade tore through them like a machine that had forgotten how to stop.
"I know."
Another cut.
"Just shut up."
The final layer split open.
The cocoon collapsed—
And Selen fell into his arms.
Light.
Too light.
That kind of lightness that didn't belong to a living body.
Rolin didn't hesitate.
Not even for a second.
He hoisted her over his shoulder.
His hand shot out, grabbing one of the thicker strands Likath hadn't fully burned—
He ripped a long piece free.
Wrapped it tightly around her arms, binding them in front of her chest.
Not harsh.
Not gentle either.
Just enough.
"…Just in case," he muttered.
If she woke up confused.
If she thought he was an enemy.
If she attacked without thinking—
He wouldn't risk it.
Above them—
The web trembled.
Not from friction.
Not from wind.
Weight.
Something massive moving with unnatural ease across the threads.
Then—
A black dot appeared above.
Then eight more.
Eyes.
Too many eyes.
A long scraping sound echoed, like blades dragged across stone.
Likath whispered:
"It's coming down."
Rolin didn't wait to confirm.
"Open a path!"
Likath surged forward.
Crimson flames exploded outward, tearing through the web, burning a wide path ahead.
Rolin ran.
The ground clung to his boots.
The air thickened with every breath.
Selen's weight pressed against his freshly stitched wounds.
Pain flared through his chest.
He didn't slow.
Behind them—
A thunderous tear.
Webs snapping.
Trees shaking.
A shrill screech pierced the air.
Rolin glanced back once.
That was enough.
A massive body.
Encased in glossy black chitin.
Limbs like spears.
A swollen abdomen pulsing faintly.
A spider.
But the size of a small house.
It moved across the web like it was solid ground.
One of its limbs stabbed into a tree—
And it launched forward.
"Faster!" Likath shouted.
Rolin fired a chain behind him without looking, wrapping it around a trunk and pulling himself forward with brutal force.
Momentum surged.
He leaped over a layer of web.
Behind him—
A massive limb crashed down where he had stood a heartbeat ago.
The ground shattered.
The shock nearly threw him off balance.
He held.
Teeth clenched.
"…You're not dying here," he whispered.
Then—
The forest opened.
The webs ended.
Cleaner air.
Wider space.
Rolin burst through the final burning layer—
And the moment his feet touched solid ground—
The chase stopped.
The sound ceased.
He turned.
The giant spider stood at the boundary of its domain.
It didn't cross.
Its many eyes watched them.
Cold.
Unblinking.
Then—
It withdrew.
Slowly.
Back into the shadows.
Gone.
Rolin dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
Likath stood beside him, his flames dimming.
"…Lucky," he muttered.
Rolin looked at Selen in his arms.
Still unconscious.
But her chest rose… and fell.
Alive.
He exhaled.
Finally.
"This forest…"
His eyes hardened.
"…is deeper than I thought."
---
Two hours later—
After careful movement and far too many checks to ensure no pale threads lingered in the shadows—
They found shelter.
A hollow tree.
Larger than the last.
Dry ground.
A ceiling high enough for Rolin to stand straight.
He gave the outside one final glance.
No movement.
No watching eyes.
He stepped inside.
Set Selen down gently against the inner wall, resting her on a bed of dry leaves.
Checked her pulse.
Weak.
But steady.
The bindings still held her arms.
He hesitated.
Then left them.
"…Until you wake up."
Likath stepped closer and ignited a small flame.
This time controlled.
Contained within a ring of stones Rolin had set earlier.
Rolin sat.
Opened his bag.
The infinite space unfolded silently.
Cooking pot.
Water.
Dried meat.
Roots.
Spices.
He moved slowly.
Methodically.
As if a giant spider hadn't tried to turn them into dinner two hours ago.
As if that entire chase had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Water poured.
Fire adjusted.
The faint sound of boiling began.
The smell followed.
Warm.
Simple.
Human.
Likath watched him, tail flicking lazily.
"You're coping with cooking again."
Rolin didn't look up.
"Hunger kills faster than monsters."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"Confusion kills faster than hunger."
He stirred.
Metal against metal.
A steady rhythm.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Selen moved.
Her fingers twitched.
Her brows tightened.
A sharp inhale—
Her sand-colored eyes snapped open.
She stared at the wooden ceiling.
Then the fire.
Then—
Rolin.
And the crimson wolf beside him.
She froze.
Tried to move—
Felt the bindings.
Her body tensed instantly.
Rolin didn't turn yet.
He poured the food into two bowls.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Then said:
"If I wanted you dead… I wouldn't have opened the cocoon."
Only then did he look at her.
His gaze steady.
Tired.
But firm.
"Relax."
A brief pause.
"You're safe… for now."
Likath tilted his head, his crimson eye glowing faintly.
A grin crept into his voice.
"Welcome back…"
A beat.
"…to the museum."