Soulbound Destiny

Chapter 18: Shadows That Follow

The next morning, the zombies were gone.

Gene cautiously slid down from the tree, his back wound splitting open again with the movement. Each step sent jolts of pain through his battered body. He stumbled toward a small creek, kneeling to wash himself and the foul-smelling bones he had used for sustenance. He scrubbed and rinsed, hoping to remove any scent that might attract the relentless undead.

Though still weak and trembling from fatigue, he pressed on. Survival was all that kept him moving. Along the way, he spotted some early-ripening mountain apricots. Clambering painfully into the branches, he picked a few to ease his gnawing hunger. The tart and sweet juice briefly satisfied his stomach, but soon turned against him, stirring violent cramps and nausea.

Misfortune seemed endless. While he crouched under a tree, trying to weather the pain, the unmistakable sound of hoofbeats thundered from the north.

Gene froze, tense and alert, sliding behind a tree to avoid detection. Several horses barreled down the path, riders armed with swords and knives leaning forward in their saddles. The first three galloped past without noticing him, but the last rider, catching sight of Gene’s emaciated, ragged form, hesitated. From his saddlebag, he produced half a braised chicken wrapped in oil paper and two flatbreads, tossing them toward Gene.

“Thank you! Truly, thank you!” Gene’s voice cracked as he scrambled to catch the food. It was the first sign of human kindness he had felt in days.

The rider waved dismissively and rode off. Gene carefully rationed the food, eating only half a flatbread and saving the chicken for the evening.

As dusk fell, he built a small fire to heat the chicken. Just as the savory aroma began to fill the air, a sound made his blood run cold—the familiar, bone-chilling hopping noise returned.

This time, it was worse.

Not one, but two zombies emerged from the shadows, one following the other, making a beeline toward Gene and his fire.

“Not finished, are you?!” Gene’s voice broke into a strangled shout. Without hesitation, he scrambled up the nearest tree again, clutching the half-eaten chicken like a talisman.

The two undead monsters reached the base of the tree and began hopping in circles, thudding and scraping the earth in a macabre rhythm, exactly as they had the night before.

Perched on a branch, Gene felt both rage and despair. He glanced at the chicken in his hands, then at the shambling horrors below, and took a furious bite to keep his fear at bay.

And then, things worsened.

From the north, hoofbeats approached once more—indistinct at first, but unmistakably the same group of riders from earlier in the day. They had returned.

A terrible premonition gripped Gene. He froze, holding his breath, every muscle taut.

The riders drew near, spotting Gene perched precariously above the two zombies. Alarmed shouts rose.

“...He’s weak, he can’t have gone far! Search quickly!” one barked.

“Tracks of a fire here—he must be nearby,” another added.

“Are you all fools? He’s long gone! He headed north, that’s where he’ll be!” someone argued.

The first voice returned, sharp and resolute: “…If he’s found, strike him down with one blow. Only then will Master Feng’s wrath be sated. There will be a reward for whoever does it.”

Feng… Gene froze as comprehension struck him like a bolt of lightning. Feng Tianyu? Why was he after me?

The sound of galloping hooves faded, carrying the zombies’ attention with them. They bounced and hopped after the riders, disappearing into the forest.

Gene clung to the tree, shivering uncontrollably. The faint kindness he had received now revealed its true nature—a trap, a cruel test. He understood, finally, the reality of his world: Feng Tianyu’s pursuit, Ling Yue’s unexplained disappearance, and the Heart-Sealing Alliance’s intentions. Gratitude held no sway over them. They wanted him dead. And they would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Gene’s stomach churned, his back throbbed, and his arms ached from holding onto the branch, but amidst the fear, a grim determination settled in his chest. He had survived countless horrors before—this, too, would be another trial. Shadows might follow him relentlessly, but he would not surrender.