Until We Meet

53| Running

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Clinging to his injured arm, Xiao Fan winced in pain. Blood seeped through the fabric of his sleeve, staining it a dark crimson. He lowered himself gingerly onto the long grasses, his breaths ragged and shallow.

Su Ruo sat beside him, her mind still reeling from the earlier events. Vivid flashes of the massacre plagued her thoughts, the screams and carnage echoing in her ears. Yet, the faces of the fallen remained obscured, a cruel twist of fate denying her even the comfort of recognition.

Xiao Zhan, tears streaming down his face, mirrored his brother's actions, sinking down onto the ground. His young heart ached with the loss of his father, the village elder, and the countless others who had perished in the unprovoked attack. The senselessness of it all gnawed at him, leaving him with a void he couldn't seem to comprehend.

Su Ruo, slowly regaining her composure, reached out and grasped the hilt of her sword, her grip tightening with each passing moment. A fierce determination hardened her gaze. However, before she could act, a hushed warning from Xiao Fan stopped her.

"Don't move. They're still here," he whispered, his voice hoarse. His hand instinctively went to his other arm, where a bloody arrow protruded, the fletching catching the dying light of the setting sun. Gritting his teeth, he tore the arrow free with a sharp intake of breath, discarding the shaft with a practiced flick of his wrist.

The pain from the crude extraction forced him to shut his eyes momentarily, his face contorted in a grimace. Meanwhile, the assassins continued their search, their arrows whistling through the air in their direction. Su Ruo, quick to react, grabbed Xiao Zhan by the hand and pulled him deeper into the tall grass, seeking further concealment.

"Xiao Fan, what are you doing?" she hissed, her voice laced with concern as she saw him remain exposed.

He squinted in the direction of the incoming arrows, his gaze sharp despite the pain. Then, with a decisive nod, he began crawling towards them, his movements surprisingly agile despite his injury. The arrows continued to rain down, but thankfully, they landed a safe distance away.

With a grimace, Xiao Fan pressed his hand against the wound, attempting to stem the flow of blood. He reached the edge of the taller grass and stepped out, leaving Su Ruo bewildered by his actions. "What are you planning to do?"

Xiao Fan locked eyes with Su Ruo, his gaze conveying a wealth of emotions - sorrow for his fallen village, unwavering determination to protect his remaining family, and a deep-seated love that fueled his sacrifice. "There's a cave over there," he rasped, his voice barely audible over the drumming rain. "Run. Don't look back."

Su Ruo's brow furrowed. His words were a desperate plea, a one-way ticket to oblivion. Despite their strained relationship, the thought of watching him march towards certain death was unbearable.

Xiao Zhan, sensing the turmoil within her, sobbed anew, his small frame wracked with grief. He buried his face in his knees, his tiny body trembling.

With a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, Xiao Fan pushed himself to his feet, his injured arm hanging limply at his side. He stepped out of the tall grass, the movement drawing gasps from Su Ruo and a collective shift from the hidden assassins.

Su Ruo's scream died in her throat, replaced by a choked sob. She watched helplessly as Xiao Fan broke into a desperate sprint, his form weaving erratically as he dodged the flurry of arrows that rained down upon him. The rain, falling in sheets, seemed to mock his efforts, blurring the world into a canvas of grey and red.

As he neared the edge of the clearing, he stumbled, a fresh wave of pain erupting from his wounded arm. "Shoot!"

He instinctively reached up, his fingers brushing against the jagged tear left by the arrowhead. Ignoring the throbbing agony, he focused on his objective, his eyes never leaving the approaching figures of the assassins.