The rain finally stopped on the fourth morning.
For the first time since arriving in East Cloud, the sky opened properly.
Sunlight poured across the continent in soft gold, spilling over mountains, rivers, and the endless hanging bridges connecting distant cities above the cliffs.
The lower harbor district slowly disappeared behind the Red Threads as they traveled farther inland.
The air smelled different away from the docks.
Cleaner.
Wild.
The scent of wet earth mixed with pine trees and cold mountain wind drifting from the eastern ranges.
The road beneath their feet curved around enormous hills covered in green forests while rivers glimmered between rocks far below.
Dhruv walked at the front of the group with his hands inside his pockets.
The red thread around his wrist moved gently whenever the wind passed.
Deep dragged two overloaded bags behind him while muttering to himself.
“You packed unnecessary things,” Deepika said without even looking back.
Deep looked offended immediately.
“Everything here is essential.”
“You brought seven screwdrivers.”
“They all have emotional value.”
Deepika sighed softly and continued walking.
Robin walked a little behind the others with the old hunter book resting beneath her arm.
Every few minutes she opened it again, scanning certain pages before quietly closing it.
Dhruv noticed.
“You’ve read the same page four times.”
Robin looked up from the book.
“I’m comparing symbols.”
“With?”
“The map.”
Dhruv slowed slightly until they walked beside each other.
Sunlight filtered through tree branches overhead, leaving moving shadows across the road.
Robin carefully opened the book again.
Ancient sketches filled the yellowed pages:
– ruined temples
– old hunter markings
– strange stone symbols
– continent routes
Near the center of one page existed a faded drawing of six circles surrounding a seventh larger one.
The Seven Stones.
Dhruv’s eyes stayed there for a moment.
“Grandpa really spent his whole life chasing these things.”
Robin turned another page slowly.
“There are records older than kingdoms talking about them.”
“Do you think they’re real?”
Robin looked toward the distant mountains ahead.
“I think too many people died searching for them for it to be a lie.”
The wind moved quietly between the trees.
Dhruv watched messenger birds glide high above the valley.
One traveler farther ahead on the road stopped near a bird perched on a wooden signpost.
The man whistled once.
The bird immediately hopped onto his shoulder.
He leaned near its ear and whispered softly:
«”Tell Laria Ven that I’ll arrive tomorrow morning.”»
The bird tilted its head once before taking flight toward the western skies.
Robin watched it disappear.
“They always find people somehow.”
Dhruv smiled faintly.
“Maybe birds are secretly smarter than humans.”
“Not difficult.”
Dhruv laughed quietly.
For a while, the road became peaceful again.
Only footsteps.
Wind.
And the sound of Deep arguing with one of his bags after something metallic stabbed his hand.
Then the scenery slowly began changing.
The forests grew denser.
The trees taller.
Red lanterns started appearing along the road ahead, hanging from black wooden posts planted beside the stone path.
Old lanterns.
Hundreds of them.
Some swayed gently in the breeze while others remained perfectly still.
Deep stopped walking.
“…This place feels haunted.”
The road stretched forward beneath endless lantern light disappearing deep into the forest.
Robin closed her book quietly.
“The Lantern Road.”
Deepika’s expression sharpened slightly.
“You know it?”
Robin nodded once.
“One of East Cloud’s oldest travel routes.”
Dhruv looked upward.
The lanterns continued far beyond visible distance.
“Why so many?”
Robin lightly touched one while walking past it.
“Long ago hunters used this road to travel between hidden settlements during the First Continental War.”
Deep immediately looked interested.
“There was a continental war?”
“There were several.”
“That’s AWESOME.”
“No,” Deepika replied calmly.
“Historically awesome.”
The lanterns above clicked softly against each other as the wind strengthened.
The deeper they traveled into the forest… the quieter everything became.
Too quiet.
Dhruv slowly noticed it first.
No insects.
No birds.
No movement between the trees.
Even the wind sounded strange here.
Deepika noticed next.
Her hand drifted casually toward the knives hidden beneath her coat.
Robin’s eyes moved toward the surrounding forest carefully.
Deep stopped talking completely.
That alone felt unnatural.
Dhruv looked around the road slowly.
“Something’s wrong.”
Nobody answered.
Because everybody already felt it.
Then—
A lantern ahead suddenly swung sideways violently.
Not from the wind.
Something touched it.
The group stopped immediately.
Silence filled the road.
Dhruv’s heartbeat slowed.
Focused.
Then footsteps echoed from deeper ahead.
Not hurried.
Measured.
Confident.
A man slowly emerged between the hanging lanterns.
Tall.
Thin.
Dark grey coat reaching below his knees.
A sword resting casually against one shoulder.
Silver wolf emblem stitched near his collar.
Hunter squad symbol.
His sharp eyes landed directly on Dhruv first.
Then the red thread around his wrist.
Recognition flickered there instantly.
Three more figures stepped onto the road behind him.
A woman with long braided hair carrying twin curved blades.
A broad giant wearing iron gauntlets covered in scratches.
And a younger hunter with a crossbow resting across his back.
All armed.
All experienced.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Not random travelers.
Hunters.
The tall swordsman spoke first.
“Looks like we finally found them.”
His voice was calm.
Controlled.
Robin’s expression hardened immediately.
“…Kael.”
Ofcourse researcher instinct.
Kael Veynor.
Leader of the Silver Wolves.
The giant beside him cracked his metal gauntlets together loudly.
“Thought they’d look scarier.”
Deep immediately pointed at him.
“And I thought you’d look smarter.”
The giant blinked.
“…What?”
The woman beside Kael smirked slightly.
“Still talking too much, Brakk.”
Brakk glared at her.
“You talk too much too, Selene.”
The younger crossbow hunter sighed dramatically behind them.
“We’re really doing this again?”
Robin’s eyes shifted toward him.
“…Lior.”
The young hunter avoided her gaze.
Interesting.
Dhruv noticed that instantly.
History.
Complicated history.
Kael slowly stepped forward while studying the Red Threads carefully.
“You disappeared after the library incident.”
Robin’s voice remained cold.
“You should’ve stayed away from us.”
Kael ignored her completely.
Instead he looked back toward Dhruv.
“Harun Mehata’s grandson.”
Hearing Grandpa’s name from strangers was beginning to feel dangerous.
Dhruv stayed calm.
“You knew him?”
“No.”
He glanced toward the hidden shape beneath Dhruv’s jacket.
“But we know what he carried.”
Silence.
The lanterns overhead swayed softly.
Lior stepped slightly forward.
“You really have the map?”
Deep immediately answered before Dhruv could.
“No idea what you’re talking about.”
Selene laughed softly.
“He’s a terrible liar.”
Deep looked personally attacked.
Robin quietly spoke without taking her eyes off them.
“The Silver Wolves don’t usually travel this far south.”
Kael nodded once.
“And researchers don’t usually abandon their squads.”
The insult landed deliberately.
Robin’s face remained unreadable.
But Dhruv noticed her shoulders tense slightly.
Selene rested one blade against her shoulder.
“You know how much trouble you caused when you disappeared?”
Dhruv stepped slightly closer toward Robin without realizing it.
Tiny movement.
Protective movement.
Kael noticed immediately.
Observant eyes.
Sharp eyes.
He studied Dhruv carefully now.
Then slowly spoke:
“You’re new to East Cloud.”
Not a question.
“You still walk openly.”
“You still trust roads.”
“You still think hunters fight honestly.”
The forest wind moved through the lanterns again.
Soft clicking sounds echoed endlessly overhead.
Kael rested one hand against the handle of his sword.
“You should learn quickly.”
Deep quietly whispered:
“I officially dislike this guy.”
Deepika nodded once.
“Same.”
Kael continued calmly.
“Harun Mehata vanished in East Cloud seven years ago.”
“After that, hunter squads started searching again.”
His eyes sharpened slightly.
“For the first time in decades.”
Dhruv’s expression stayed still.
But inside, his thoughts moved fast.
So Grandpa really did discover something.
Something big enough to restart the hunt.
Lior suddenly spoke up impatiently.
“Can we just take the map already?”
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Instead he kept staring at Dhruv.
Measuring him.
Then finally:
“If you carry Harun’s map…”
“…people will hunt you across every continent.”
Deep smirked slightly.
“That sounds expensive.”
“Nobody’s joking,” Selene replied coldly.
Kael slowly pointed his blade downward toward the stone road.
“Give us the map.”
“And we leave peacefully.”
Silence settled across the Lantern Road.
Dhruv looked upward briefly.
The red lanterns moved gently overhead against the pale afternoon sky.
Beautiful place.
Wrong moment.
Then he looked back toward the Silver Wolves.
And smiled slightly.
“No.”
The forest became still.
Lior cursed immediately.
Selene stepped forward.
Brakk cracked his gauntlets together.
Kael exhaled softly through his nose.
Almost disappointed.
“So be it.”
Deep grinned while pulling a metallic sphere from his pocket.
Deepika lowered her stance slightly.
Robin quietly closed her book.
And somewhere deep inside the silent forest… the first real hunter battle of East Cloud prepared to begin.
END OF CHAPTER 15