The Exile stretched before Jayde and Kyle like an uncharted world, each step carrying them deeper into the unknown. Wild trees cast long shadows across the landscape, and vibrant greenery seemed to swallow the path behind them as if they were walking into a living maze. 

The air here was different—richer, cleaner, almost untouched by the strict and suffocating control of the Regime. Yet, even in this momentary freedom, there was an unsettling tension in the air. They were still hunted.

Jayde's heart thudded in her chest, her hand clutching Kyle's tightly, though it felt more like she was holding him up. He stumbled alongside her, his once-sharp gaze clouded by pain. The infection from his wound had taken a vicious turn, and no matter how many herbs she had applied in the cave, nothing seemed to help. The skin around the cut was inflamed, red streaks crawling dangerously across his side. Every step was agonizing for him.

"We have to keep going," Jayde whispered, though she knew Kyle was struggling to stay on his feet.

Kyle winced, his breathing labored. "I know... I just need a moment," he muttered, leaning heavily against a tree trunk. His pale face glistened with sweat, and Jayde bit her lip, torn between pushing him forward and finding a safer place to rest.

They had been following the clues from her dream, trying to track down the Resistance and the mysterious land beyond the Regime's borders. The Exile had to be close—but they were running out of time. Kyle was running out of time.

Jayde looked at him, guilt gnawing at her insides. She should have been faster, should have found the Resistance by now. Every second counted, and every delay could mean Kyle's life.But they were no longer alone in the wilderness. Her instincts screamed at her to move as she scanned the woods around them.

And then she saw them—shadowy figures emerging from the trees like ghosts, their movements too quiet for comfort. Three Regime Enforcers, draped in black uniforms that made them blend into the forest like predators hunting their prey. Their leader—a tall, silver-haired man with cold, calculating eyes—carried a rifle across his back. Two others flanked him, their hands brimming with faint, dark energy.

Jayde's breath hitched. Magic. Weak, twisted magic—but magic nonetheless. She hadn't expected this. Magic was supposed to be the stuff of myths, of stories passed down in whispers. Even in the Regime's most secretive divisions, it was a forgotten art. Yet here were two Enforcers wielding it, the faint glow of it shimmering at their fingertips.

Kyle hadn't noticed yet, his vision too blurred with pain. Jayde tugged him lower, pulling them both behind a thick bush, but her mind raced with confusion and panic. Magic—here, with the Regime? How could that be?

"Stay low," she whispered to Kyle, pressing him into the ground as best she could. But Kyle was fading fast. His body slumped against hers, and for a second, Jayde feared he might pass out altogether.

Her heart pounded as the Enforcers grew closer. The silver-haired one raised his hand, motioning toward their hiding spot. The other two followed, eyes narrowed, their dark magic crackling faintly in the air like a sickening static.

"Someone's here," the leader muttered into his radio. "Move in."

Jayde's blood ran cold. They had no way to fight back, no strength to outrun them, especially with Kyle's condition. The creeping panic took hold. They had to get away—they couldn't be caught, not now. Not when they were so close to finding the Resistance.

She glanced desperately around, searching for some way to distract them or create an escape. But before she could act, the ground beneath her feet rippled, the air itself humming with a strange vibration. At first, she thought it was her nerves playing tricks on her—but then she saw the faint outline of movement from the shadows.

A blur of motion came crashing into the Enforcers, faster than her eyes could follow. Jayde gasped, her heart jumping as she recognized him.

Wes.

He moved like a storm, his body almost too fast to track, a whirlwind of swift strikes and dodges as he engaged the Enforcers head-on. In one fluid motion, he disarmed the silver-haired leader, sending his rifle clattering to the forest floor.

The two magic-wielding Enforcers recovered quickly, their dark energy swirling around them, but Wes was faster. His own magic—a vivid, raw form of creativity—burst from his fingertips like streaks of light, cutting through their attacks. Jayde watched, wide-eyed, as he countered the dark magic with ease, his movements smooth and practiced. His power felt different, more alive, more vibrant—like a forgotten melody in a world of silence.

But the Enforcers weren't giving up easily. They regrouped, the silver-haired one barking orders as he pulled out a second weapon—a sleek pistol that glinted ominously in the fading light."Stop them!" he shouted. "Don't let them escape!"

One of the magic-wielding Enforcers raised his hand, dark tendrils of energy swirling toward Wes. The air around them shimmered as the magic clashed, but Jayde could see the strain in Wes's face. He was holding his own, but only barely. The dark magic was strong, twisting the air in ways that made her stomach churn.

Jayde's hands clenched into fists. She couldn't just watch this. Wes had saved them, but now he was in danger too. Her mind raced, trying to think of something—anything—that could help. She didn't have the same kind of magic as Wes, but her dreams had shown her things, had given her glimpses of power she didn't fully understand yet.

Instinct took over. She closed her eyes and focused, reaching deep inside herself, where the remnants of her dreams still lingered. She felt it—the flicker of power, the spark of something beyond the Regime's control. Her mind conjured an image, a shape, something to protect them. She didn't know if it would work, but she had to try.

She opened her eyes and thrust her hand forward, channeling the dream into the waking world. For a split second, nothing happened—but then, the air shimmered around them, a faint barrier of light forming between Wes and the Enforcers. It wasn't strong, not yet, but it was enough to give Wes the upper hand.

With a final burst of energy, Wes sent the last Enforcer crashing into the ground. The dark magic fizzled out, leaving only the eerie silence of the forest.

Wes turned to her, his chest heaving with effort, his eyes burning with intensity. "Are you two okay?"

Jayde nodded, still shaken from the sudden confrontation. She glanced down at Kyle, who was barely conscious. "Kyle's hurt... bad."

Wes knelt beside them, his expression softening as he looked at Kyle's wound. "We need to get him to safety," he said, his voice urgent. "There's no time to waste."

Jayde's heart pounded in her chest. "We were trying to find the Resistance... my father—"

Before she could finish, a rustle in the trees made her freeze. Her breath caught in her throat as more figures appeared from the shadows, but this time, they weren't Enforcers. These people moved with purpose, their faces hidden beneath cloaks and masks. They surrounded the group quickly, but with an air of quiet authority rather than the harsh brutality of the Regime.

Jayde's pulse quickened as the leader of the group stepped forward, pulling back his hood to reveal a face she hadn't seen in years.

Her father.

"Jayde," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "You found us."

Jayde's throat tightened. "Dad..."

He knelt beside her, his gaze sweeping over Kyle's wound. "We need to move. There's no time for reunion now. The Enforcers won't be the only ones after you."

Jayde nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. Her father gave a sharp signal, and the others quickly helped lift Kyle onto a makeshift stretcher.

As they disappeared into the safety of the Exile, Jayde's mind raced. Wes had saved them, the Resistance had found them—but the questions swirled in her mind like a storm.

How had the Regime gained access to dark magic? And why, after so long, was her father leading the Resistance?

Jayde cast a glance at Wes, who was walking silently beside her. There was more to all of this—more than even her dreams had shown her.

And the answers were waiting, somewhere deep within the Exile.