CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER-257.

Kaya clenched her jaw, staring at the broken path. At worst, I die. At best, I live. If this gamble had to be taken, then she would take it. And it wasn’t like she’d die alone.

Her eyes flicked to the sparrow perched on her shoulder, and a crooked grin spread across her face.

The sparrow stiffened. A shiver ran down his spine. Why do I feel like this smile means trouble?

Kaya scanned the wall with her palms, searching, pressing along the rough surface. Again and again, until finally her fingers sank into a narrow crack. It was deep enough to grip.

God knows what was inside. But she dismissed the thought—this was vulture territory. Vultures could sniff out snakes before they got close, so there was no way a snake had made its nest here.

She slid her fingers into the crack, tightening her hold, and pulled. The stone held. No crumble. Relief coursed through her. It was something she could use.

Kaya drew in a long breath and began hauling herself forward. Her fingers screamed in protest, bones feeling as if they might snap. What would take another person less than a second took her nearly five minutes of agonizing, breathless effort.

But finally—finally—she dragged herself onto the other side.

Kaya’s hand was still pressed inside the crack when it happened.

Crack!

The sound tore through the silence. Her head snapped upward, and her heart nearly stopped.

The crack she had been gripping split wider, a jagged fracture racing down the stone. Not just the crack—the whole layer of rock was breaking apart.

If she didn’t move now, the entire section would collapse and take her with it.

"Damn it!"

Kaya pushed herself forward with every shred of strength left in her body. She didn’t think—she just ran. The ground shifted beneath her feet, dust rising as slabs gave way.

Her boots slipped once, skidding on loose gravel. The sparrow, still tied to her, clung desperately to an upper stone.

"Slow down!" he shrieked.

"Slow down and we’ll both be buried!" Kaya snapped back, lungs burning.

The sparrow’s grip gave out, and he yelped as he lost his hold, wings flailing. He closed his eyes, bracing for the fall.

But Kaya didn’t stop. With a final burst, she hurled herself forward and leapt.

Her feet slammed onto solid stone—just as the ledge behind her gave way with a thunderous crash. A massive slab of the mountain split off and plummeted into the void, vanishing into the mist below.

Kaya landed hard, chest heaving, sweat dripping down her temple. For a heartbeat, silence followed. Only her ragged breaths and the sparrow’s terrified panting filled the air.

They had survived—by seconds.

Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain shot through Kaya’s stomach and waist. Her steps faltered. She dragged herself forward but her body gave way, collapsing onto the cold stone ground with a low groan.

The sparrow, who had already flown up, froze in shock when he saw her. What happened? Just what... sir? His small body trembled, not knowing what to do.

But Kaya was in no state to answer. The pain twisted deeper, forcing her into the ground. A harsh cough tore from her throat—once, twice, again and again—until the sound echoed in the hollow space. Each cough rattled her chest like it might burst apart, the tightening pressure making it harder to breathe.

Her hands clutched at her waist instinctively, her face pale and damp with sweat. The stone beneath her felt like it was swallowing her strength, every breath coming out ragged and broken.

The sparrow struggled but somehow managed to drag Kaya under the shade of a nearby tree. Her hands trembled as she slowly untied the rope around her waist. When she lifted her shirt, a deep, bright purple mark stretched across her stomach, dark and angry against her skin.

Kaya’s jaw tightened. So this is why the pain is burning through my stomach and waist. She realized the jump had forced the sparrow’s entire weight to slam against her, the rope cutting cruelly into her body. That was why most people tied ropes to something sturdier—to avoid being dragged down.

She pressed her palm against the bruise, rubbing it gently, though the relief was little more than a sting against the throbbing ache. For a few moments, her body refused to move. Her breaths came shallow, ragged, until she forced herself to take in deep lungfuls of air. After sipping a bit of hot water from her flask, she gathered her strength and tried to rise.

Her legs wobbled, trembling as if they no longer belonged to her. The sparrow’s beady eyes fixed on the mark across her stomach, still stunned.

"What? At least rest for a few seconds," he said, his voice almost pleading.

Kaya shot him a glare, her tone sharp with anger and urgency. "Have you seen the time? Look at the sky."

The sparrow tilted his head upward—and froze. The sun was already sliding past its highest point; it was the middle of the afternoon. They had started in the morning. Hours had slipped away.

"If we don’t move fast," Kaya continued, pointing at the uneven stone path ahead, "we’ll be stuck here till night. And at night..." Her voice trailed, firm and grim. "No one knows what could happen."

The sparrow swallowed hard, then nodded. Daylight was their only ally. Together, they braced themselves to continue forward.

The path ahead wasn’t nearly as treacherous as the one they had just crossed. At worst, there were a few steep climbs and the occasional scorpion skittering across the stones. With a mix of sharp instincts and plain luck, Kaya and the sparrow managed to push forward.

Still, Kaya sometimes wondered if the bird had been sent into her life just to kill her. Once, he decided to jab at a bee’s nest, convinced it was empty. It wasn’t. Only Kaya’s speed had saved her from being stung into a swollen mess.