Soulbound Destiny

Chapter 19: The Lurking Killers

Terror and the sting of betrayal coiled together in Gene’s chest like a viper, squeezing the breath from him.

He dared not take the main road again, forcing himself to weave painfully through the dense forest along the roadside. Though he had scrubbed away the scent that might attract predators, the night brought no relief. As darkness fell, the two relentless zombies found him once more, moving with uncanny precision as if guided by some spectral instinct for death.

Gene scrambled up a tree, exhausted and near collapse, clinging to the rough bark as despair threatened to swallow him whole.

But fate had no mercy. The old crow perched above him was startled by his movements, cawing violently, its shrill cries piercing the night and carrying far into the darkness.

Soon, the pounding of hooves echoed back—the same group of relentless pursuers had returned, following the crow’s cries straight to him.

“Hahaha! Look! The brat’s up in the tree!”

Gene’s blood ran cold. Beneath him, the zombies lurked; above, armed hunters approached. Escape seemed impossible.

The five riders leaped off their horses, trying to close in through the trees, only to recoil in alarm as the two zombies suddenly sprang from the underbrush. The creatures’ movements were unpredictable, and one of the hunters was bitten and thrown aside before he could even react.

The remaining hunters quickly regained their composure, weapons in hand, engaging the zombies. But steel had no effect; the undead were relentless, impervious to normal attacks. One hunter attempted to shout a warning to Gene as he saw him preparing to descend, but he was caught off guard and viciously bitten mid-call.

The shriek of agony was enough to terrify the others. Seizing the chaos, Gene slid down from the tree. He knew he couldn’t outrun the horses on foot, but he had a plan: the horses the bandits had left behind.

He dashed to the roadside, unfastened one of the saddled horses, and vaulted onto its back. But he didn’t immediately flee. Instead, he swung his blade in sweeping arcs, cutting the reins of the other horses and stabbing at their flanks. Startled, the animals reared and bolted in every direction, plunging the area into utter confusion.

Amid the chaos, one zombie lunged at a bandit trying to climb a tree after Gene. In midair, it grabbed him, sinking its teeth into his neck with a sickening crunch. The harrowing scream sent the remaining bandits scrambling up trees in panic, abandoning all pursuit of Gene.

Taking advantage of the pandemonium, Gene spurred his horse and tore through the night, the howls of undead and pursuers fading far behind him. He rode until the horse foamed at the mouth, finally halting to catch his breath. Yet he knew in his gut that the riders from Feng Tianyu would not abandon the chase.

That night, he once again climbed into the branches of a tall tree to spend the night. As expected, the two zombies returned, hopping beneath the tree with their grotesque, rhythmic thuds.

Gene studied them closely, and a daring thought sparked in his mind. These creatures—though they had followed him relentlessly—did not attack. They stopped at a precise distance, as if respecting some invisible boundary.

He inched down, knife in hand. The zombies approached, maintaining the same distance, neither threatening nor harming him. Heart hammering, Gene tested their patience, nudging one with the tip of his blade. It did not react.

A ridiculous, yet thrilling notion took root in his mind: these two undead seemed to recognize him as… something like one of their own—or perhaps a creature set apart, untouchable.

For the first time in nights of relentless terror, Gene felt a spark of possibility. Even among death and betrayal, an unexpected alliance—or at least a strange reprieve—might just save him.