Against The Eternity Chapter 61: [60] Chapter - 36: Into Pranahara

Read chapter 61 of Against The Eternity by Phoenixfly_steller on NovelPedia.

[60] Chapter - 36: Into Pranahara After making Anshvi unconscious and carefully placing her within a secluded cave whose narrow entrance and jagged stone formations concealed it naturally from both beasts and wandering cultivators, Eklavya did not look back toward Trapura City even once. Not even for the briefest fragment of a second. It was as though turning his head might crack the resolve he had finally hardened through blood, exhaustion, and denial. His silhouette vanished deeper into the forest as he ran without pause. His figure merged with the shadows of the towering trees that stretched endlessly across the Nile Mountain Range. A place where even seasoned cultivators tread carefully, and where countless nameless bones lay buried beneath roots and moss. This forest was known as the Pranahara Forest. A land feared not only within the Mati Empire but across the entire southern region of the continent—Land of Empires. In this forest, survival itself was an achievement. Mercy was a concept long devoured by time, whether between humans or between humans and beasts. Everyone could kill anyone inside this forest for a single herb or any other opportunity that appeared here. Ranked second among the most dangerous forests in the southern continent, Pranahara was infamous for swallowing clans, caravans, sect disciples, and even wandering Spirit Warriors, if they went too deep inside. It left behind not so much as a ripple in history. Powerful beasts roamed freely here, their bloodlines thick with savagery and power. Bandits, mercenaries, and outlaws carved their own kingdoms within the shadows, living by blades and dying by them. The forest sprawled across two vast mountain ranges—the Nile Mountain Range and the Saga Mountain Range. Both were considered the backbone of the Mati Empire’s geography, yet also its greatest curse. Within these mountains existed beasts whose strength rivaled multiple sect elders or even entire empires in the southern region. Alongside them grew forbidden herbs guarded by creatures that slaughtered without hesitation. It was into this land that Eklavya ran. Not as a fugitive, but as someone who had willingly chosen exile. He ran throughout the entire night. His breath was steady but deep. His muscles screamed beneath layers of exhaustion as he crossed ridges, ravines, and dense woodland paths, heading toward the mountain valley where he and Anshvi had once taken shelter while being chased by the Falling Leaf Pavilion. The difference now was absolute. This time, he was alone. The silence that followed him was heavier than any pursuit. As the night slowly loosened its grip, faint rays of sunlight began piercing through the thick cloud canopy that blanketed the sky. Dim silver-gold streaks cut through the mist. The clouds had only recently gathered, and dawn had not yet fully claimed the horizon. The forest remained suspended in a gray, breathless twilight where shadows stretched unnaturally long and sound carried farther than it should have. … Anshvi awoke during those early hours of dawn. Her consciousness returned in slow fragments as the chill of stone pressed against her back, and the faint scent of damp earth and moss filled her senses. When she opened her eyes fully, she found herself inside a deep cave, safe and structurally stable. Clearly abandoned for many years. Its walls were marked by cracks, old claw marks, and the faint residue of dried beast blood from battles long forgotten. For a brief moment, confusion flickered across her face. Then memory surged back all at once, vivid and sharp. The clash of swords beneath the moonlight. The warmth of his arms. The silence that followed. Her cheeks warmed despite herself as she recalled everything that had happened the previous night. Her fingers tightened slightly at her side. Although sadness lingered because she had failed to bring him back with her, there was also something else now. Something heavier and quieter. After all those years, Eklavya h