Adlof returned home and threw himself exhausted onto his bed, trying to calm his racing thoughts. His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he replayed every moment of the previous encounter — every move, every reaction — like a vivid, tense painting.
The next morning, Adlof woke up quickly, dressed, and carefully packed his bag. Everything had to be ready. There was no room for mistakes. He left the house heading to the school, though his mind was elsewhere, analyzing his opponent's weaknesses and planning his next steps.
After about nine minutes of walking along the hills outside the village, he spotted a camp in the distance. He hid behind a large rock, watching cautiously without drawing attention. Darkness was thickening, and one by one the camp members fell asleep — all except a single guard standing watch beside a tent.
Adlof waited until late at night, when silence had fully settled. Moving stealthily alongside the camp, he approached the guard and struck hard on the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious without a sound.
He slipped inside the tent slowly, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. Inside, he found a cage holding a strange animal — a hybrid between a dog and a wolf, its eyes gleaming eerily in the dark. Adlof knew this creature wasn't ordinary and likely held some importance to the camp members.
Gently, he removed the cloth covering the cage, then quickly scanned the surroundings to make sure no one was watching.
With great care, he confirmed the guard was completely out, then moved toward another sleeping figure inside the tent. Raising his iron training sword steadily, he was ready to strike — but suddenly, a strange sensation shot through him, a sharp instinct that warned him.
Without hesitation, he leapt away just as a deadly arrow zipped through the space he had just vacated.
Adlof sprinted through the shadows, weaving between trees and rocks with extreme caution, leaving no obvious traces behind. The dark eyes of the guards tracked him from afar, but he vanished into the darkness, moving skillfully through the terrain.
After putting enough distance between himself and the camp, he stopped near the quiet hills to catch his breath. His heart pounded rapidly, yet a new feeling was rising within him — a different kind of awareness, like a faint light glowing inside. Something he had never known before.