Parallel

His breaths slowed down.

Azuma caught a glimpse of a shadow in the woods, as it melted into the darkness and disappeared completely.

He couldn't have mistaken what he saw.

No matter how brief that was, the light was not natural.

Neither was Tristan's sudden collapse.

Azuma heard the distant chopper sounds and abandoned all thoughts before drifting inside the forests. The forest was dense and cold, everything inside looked the same.

He let the warmth crawl into his veins, as it gathered behind his gaze and spread into his soul.

Suddenly, every sound and all his sight was sharper.

His steps were sure and swift, running over the hard grassy path with barely any sound. But he could hear the other pair of steps as well. The sound was far, too far, but Azuma expected the bearer of scarlet gaze to be anything but predictable.