CHAPTER 185: CHAPTER-185

Kaya had decided—she would go with Veer.

But of course, only halfway. Not completely.

That was the line she drew for herself.

With this decision came another quiet realization. She had always thought Veer was reckless. A little idiotic, even. The kind of man who acted first and thought later.

But never—not even once—had she imagined he could be a genius when it came to packing.

He explained things she’d never even considered.

What she should take.

What she absolutely shouldn’t.

He told her to cut down on the hide—"Too heavy," he said—and instead take more clothes.

Then he took out his knife and cut the fabric into pieces, neatly, efficiently.

Kaya had just stood there, stunned.

He had done so much—more than she ever expected.

Now, instead of the one simple handbag she had packed, she had two.

One shoulder bag—just a cloth pouch with a band to sling across her body—and one hand-carried bag.

And honestly, it was... nice. Thoughtful. Useful. All of it.

Veer also made her slowly familiar with the terrain outside the forest.

Where the mud would suck at her boots and make walking impossible.

Where the ground would be too cracked and dry to tread easily.

Where it was safe... and where it definitely wasn’t.

His voice was calm the entire time, not forceful—just there, beside her, preparing her for the road ahead.

As for the salt, Kaya carried all that was left—around ten kilograms.

It would be enough.

The rest had already been given away.

And even if she had more, she wouldn’t have carried it. It would’ve taken up time, space, and energy she couldn’t afford to waste.

Besides, she had already spoken to the mermaids during her last visit.

master had assured her—

As long as she was near a rare sea, with just one blow of the whistle, they would hear her.

They would come.

They would bring salt, or whatever else she needed—as long as they could.

So now she was packed.

As the days crept by, five turned to six, then seven... and by the eighth morning, the air felt different.

Kaya woke with a strange feeling in her chest—like a whisper brushing against her spine, a warning she couldn’t name. Her eyes snapped open.

Kaya stirred first. The cold had seeped into her bones despite the thick hide wrapped around them both. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, everything was still. The fire had long died out. The room felt colder than usual. But that wasn’t what woke her.

Something felt... wrong.

Her breath caught in her chest as she slowly sat up. Her gaze shifted toward the door.

Snow. Nothing else. But it wasn’t the snow.

She turned to her side and saw Veer, still fast asleep, his brown hair messy, his breath steady. His arm was loosely draped around her waist, as if unconsciously guarding her even in sleep. Kaya gently pushed his arm aside and leaned in, shaking his shoulder.

"Veer," she whispered first.

No response.

She shook him again, more firmly this time. "Veer, wake up."

He groaned, eyes barely opening, blinking against the soft morning light. "Hmm? What’s wrong, sweetheart? It’s too early..." His voice was still heavy with sleep. "Let’s just sleep a little more, hmm?"

But Kaya’s expression didn’t soften. Her fingers clenched the hide a little tighter. Her voice came again, lower, sharper now—almost like a warning.

"I said, let’s go."

This time, Veer’s eyes opened fully. He looked up at her. She wasn’t joking. Her eyes were wide open, alert. But more than that, there was fear in them. Not panic, not screaming terror—no. The kind of fear that lives in quiet people when they know something bad is coming.

Veer sat up, now fully awake, following her gaze to the door. There was nothing there. Just snow, blanketing the ground, clinging to the window edges. Everything was quiet.

But that silence... it wasn’t peaceful.

He didn’t question her further. He knew Kaya. And if she was afraid, then something was wrong—even if he couldn’t see it.

Without another question, Veer stood and grabbed the small travel bag he had prepared days ago. Kaya was already pulling on her shoes, clutching her own satchel tight against her chest. Her movements were fast—too fast.

She slipped her feet into her worn boots, tugging her coat tight. Veer did the same. There was no time to waste on questions.

When they reached the door, Kaya paused just for a second. She looked back, one last time at the place where they’d spent the last few nights—warm, quiet, almost like a dream.

And then, without a word, she opened the door.

A wave of cold air hit them immediately. Snow had fallen thick through the night, layering the earth like a white grave. The sky was pale, almost too pale, with clouds that seemed too low, too heavy. The trees stood still—too still.

Kaya didn’t wait. She stepped outside, boots crunching into the snow. The chill bit at her cheeks, but she didn’t flinch. She turned to Veer.

"Let’s go," she said again, her voice firm.

He followed without hesitation. His wings unfurled behind him with a heavy sound, the feathers catching the morning wind. He wrapped one arm tightly around Kaya’s waist.

And in the next moment, with a push of his legs and a single strong flap, they were airborne.

Up into the sky, slicing through the wind. Kaya didn’t look down. Her arms held onto him, but her eyes... they were still searching the horizon, as if trying to catch sight of something she knew was coming. Something that the snow was hiding. Something that hadn’t arrived yet—but was dangerously close.

Like, it was plain white. Everything outside was still, covered in layers of thick snow, as if the world had paused. But just a few seconds after they flew out of the area, the silence shattered.

Suddenly—a shadow.

A black shadow.

It wasn’t a creature, not quite.