The boy didn't stop.
He ran until the trees thinned out and the land opened again.
This time, he didn't trust the quiet.
Not anymore.
The old man's words stayed in his head.
"Something faster will come."
"…No," he muttered while running. "That's not possible."
He pushed harder.
Faster.
Like proving it wrong would make it true.
By evening, he reached a wide road.
Bigger than the others.
More people.
Carts. Horses. Guards.
Noise again.
He slowed down.
Blended in.
That's when he saw them.
Three people standing near the side of the road.
Not talking.
Not moving.
Just… watching.
One was a tall man with a long spear resting on his shoulder. His face was calm, almost bored.
Next to him stood a girl, younger, maybe close to the boy's age. She had short hair and sharp eyes that didn't miss anything.
The third was a heavy man, arms crossed, smiling slightly like everything was already decided.
The boy walked past them.
Normal pace.
No eye contact.
The girl spoke.
"Too fast."
The boy's steps didn't stop.
But inside—
Everything tightened.
The spearman tilted his head slightly.
"He's hiding it."
The heavy man chuckled.
"Not very well."
The boy kept walking.
Five steps.
Ten steps.
Twenty—
"Stop," the girl said.
He ran.
The road exploded with movement.
People shouted.
Carts shook.
Dust flew into the air.
The boy shot forward like a released arrow.
Fast.
Very fast.
But this time—
Someone kept up.
The girl moved.
Not as fast as him.
But not slow enough.
Her steps were light.
Precise.
She didn't waste motion.
The boy glanced back.
Saw her.
And for the first time—
His eyes widened.
"…She's still there?"
The spearman didn't chase.
He just walked forward.
Slow.
Calm.
Like, speed didn't matter to him.
The heavy man laughed and followed behind, not even trying to hurry.
"Go on," he said. "Run."
The boy pushed harder.
His legs burned.
His breath grew sharp.
But he didn't slow.
He turned off the road.
Into trees.
Over rocks.
Across uneven ground.
The girl followed.
Still there.
Still close.
"…Annoying," he muttered.
He changed direction.
Twice.
Three times.
Jumped over a fallen tree.
Slid down a slope.
Still—
She followed.
Not faster.
But smarter.
She didn't chase his speed.
She cut his path.
The boy stopped suddenly.
Turned.
She stopped too.
A few steps away.
Breathing steady.
Not tired.
They looked at each other.
"You run well," she said.
The boy didn't answer.
"But you think running solves everything," she continued.
"…It does," he replied.
She shook her head.
"No."
Silence.
Wind moved between them.
The boy shifted his stance.
Ready to move again.
The girl smiled slightly.
"Go ahead."
That annoyed him.
He moved.
Faster than before.
She didn't chase this time.
Instead—
She turned.
And walked in another direction.
The boy didn't notice at first.
He just ran.
Seconds passed.
Then something felt wrong.
Too easy.
He slowed.
Looked around.
No one.
"…Did I lose her?"
Then a voice came from above.
"Too predictable."
The boy looked up.
The spearman stood on a high rock.
Looking down at him.
He hadn't even heard him arrive.
"…You're slower than I expected," the man said calmly.
The boy's heart dropped.
Behind him—
The girl stepped out from the trees.
And from the side—
The heavy man walked in, smiling wider now.
Three sides.
No clear path.
For the first time—
Running felt small.
The boy looked left.
Right.
Forward.
All blocked.
The girl spoke again.
"Now run."
The boy smiled slightly.
"…I will."
And took a step forward—