The morning sun broke gently through the cracks in the wooden cabin, casting golden shafts of light across the floor. Dust floated in the air like soft ash, and for a moment, everything was still.
She sat curled beside the unicorn, its breathing deep and steady. It hadn't made a sound since they'd arrived, but every so often, its horn would pulse lightly like it was dreaming. She reached out and touched it. A flicker of warmth passed through her, and then a soft image: a clearing, a glowing tree, and whispers in a language not her own.
Victor stood at the doorway, watching the forest. "Something's off," he said quietly.
She rose, stretching her arms. "What do you mean?"
He motioned with his chin. "The birds. The wind. It's too quiet. Like the forest is holding its breath."
Just then, a low hum started distant, but growing. The ground trembled faintly beneath their feet. She turned sharply, and the unicorn's eyes opened, alert.
Victor grabbed his pack. "We've been tracked."
"No," she said, her voice tight. "They *felt* it. The unicorn's energy it called out when it opened the sanctuary. That's how they found us."
Outside, smoke began to curl above the trees. Not natural. Not a wildfire. This was meant to flush them out.
Victor looked at her. "We need to move. Now."
The unicorn rose quickly, strength returned. She grabbed the orb and followed Victor out the back, into the woods again.
But this time, they weren't running blindly.
This time, they were heading straight toward what hunted them because buried within that danger,
was the next piece of the truth.
They moved through the trees like shadows quiet, fast, alert. Smoke drifted low, clinging to the ground, making every breath taste of ash. The unicorn led now, horn casting just enough light to guide them, but not enough to draw attention.
Victor ducked under a low branch, scanning the edges of the trail. "There's a drone ahead," he whispered.
She crouched beside him, clutching the orb tightly. "Can we disable it?"
"Too risky. But if we move wide around the ridge, we might stay hidden."
The unicorn shifted direction instantly, as though it had understood. It paused, lowering its head, then tapped its hoof against a stone. The ground beneath them shimmered faintly and for a moment, the smoke parted.
"What the…?" Victor whispered.
"It's cloaking us," she said, stunned. "Just enough to move unseen."
They used it. Slipped past the first drone. Then a second. Each time the unicorn's horn flared, reality bent just slightly like light through water.
But they didn't make it to the third.
A sharp whine pierced the air. A flash of red light swept across the trees. An alarm.
"They've seen us!"
"Run!" Victor shouted.
They bolted through the underbrush, branches whipping past. The unicorn galloped beside them, faster than it had ever moved. But behind them, engines roared hovercrafts descending. Men shouted. Guns readied.
They reached a ravine and skidded to a halt. Too far to jump.
Victor pulled something from his bag an old grappler. "I'll swing you two across."
"No time!" she said.
Then the unicorn stepped forward, its horn glowing brighter than ever. It pawed the ground and in a flash of light, leapt. The glow surged outward like a ripple, creating a bridge of solid energy.
Victor stared. "Well… that's new."
They ran across, breathless.
And behind them, the bridge vanished just as their pursuers reached the edge.
The chase would continue.
But now the unicorn wasn't the only one awakening.
They kept running until the sound of pursuit faded into the distance. The forest thickened, darkened, and the smoke thinned as they reached higher ground. Eventually, they stopped beneath a twisted cedar tree, breathless, covered in soot and sweat.
Victor leaned against a trunk, catching his breath. "That bridge… the unicorn did that?"
She nodded, still stunned. "It's learning. Or remembering."
The unicorn stood quietly beside them, its eyes glowing faintly. It looked toward the east, as though sensing something beyond the trees. She followed its gaze.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Images flashed in her mind mountains, hidden caves, more carvings. The unicorn was guiding her again.
"It knows where we're supposed to go next," she said softly.
Victor didn't argue. He only nodded. "Then we follow."
They walked for hours, carefully avoiding open paths, listening for drones or patrols. With every mile, the orb in her pocket pulsed stronger, syncing with the unicorn's glow. She could feel something building inside her a quiet strength, a growing clarity. She wasn't just running anymore.
They reached a ridge as dusk settled. Below them, in a misty valley, stood a crumbling temple half-swallowed by vines. Pillars rose like broken teeth from the earth, and faint golden light shimmered between them.
"There," she breathed. "It's another sanctuary."
The unicorn stepped ahead, more certain than ever.
The hybrid creature stalked from the shadows, its mechanical limbs clicking against the stones, eyes glowing with something far more sinister than hunger. It wasn't just hunting it was *guarding*.
The unicorn stepped forward, placing itself between them and the creature. Its horn flickered, casting a thin light across the ruined temple floor. The hybrid growled low, pacing in a slow circle, as if calculating.
"They turned one of them into that," she whispered, heart sinking. "They corrupted it."
Victor drew his knife, though it looked useless against something part-metal, part-magic. "If it attacks run. I'll hold it off."
But the unicorn didn't flinch. Instead, it raised its horn slowly… and something passed between them. The hybrid paused, head twitching.
Then it screamed an awful, distorted sound and charged.
The unicorn met it head-on, their horns clashing in a flash of light and sparks. She stumbled back, shielding her eyes. Victor pulled her behind a fallen column.
For seconds that felt like hours, it was a blur of fury light versus metal, nature versus creation. But the unicorn's light grew brighter, purer.
And finally silence.
Silence fell over the ruins as the hybrid collapsed, its glowing eyes flickering out. The unicorn stood tall, its chest rising and falling, the tip of its horn dimming slowly.
Victor stepped closer, cautious. "Is it… over?"
She nodded, though her heart still raced. "For now."
The corrupted creature twitched once then stilled. Whatever spark of life or control it had was gone. The orb in her pocket gave one last pulse and then faded to calm.
"They turned one of them into a weapon," she said softly. "They'll do it again."
Victor looked out toward the mist-covered valley. "Then we need to find the rest of these places before they do."
The unicorn lowered its head toward her. In that moment, she knew: the fight ahead would be bigger, darker. But they had each other. And they had purpose.
She gripped the orb tightly.
Now, the real war was beginning.