Chapter 29: We Can’t Stay Here

After preparing a simple breakfast, the three of them ate before packing everything they had used during the night.

They folded the tent and returned the blanket and pillows to their own boxes so they could use them again. The driver also fed the horses and made sure they were in good condition.

Not long after, they were back inside the carriage, and their journey started once again. Just like yesterday, the first few hours were peaceful.

Caelan spent most of his time looking outside the window. The scenery hadn’t changed much. There were still forests, fields, and the occasional small houses they passed along the road. They also encountered other travelers every now and then.

But compared to yesterday, there were noticeably fewer of them.

The road they were taking now went through a large forest, and according to the driver, they would be traveling through it for several hours before reaching another open area.

Caelan wasn’t particularly worried since it was morning. And they were getting near the center of the city, so it should be much safer.

Hours passed peacefully. Sometimes Caelan and Eveline would talk, but most of the time, one of them would sleep while the other stared outside.

At some point, Caelan even considered sleeping again because it was just one hell of a boring ride. Well, that wasn’t until...

*BAM!

The entire carriage violently shook as one of its wheels suddenly slammed against something on the road.

"What the fuck?!" Caelan was nearly thrown from his seat as the carriage suddenly jerked to the side.

"Ahh!" Eveline screamed and immediately grabbed onto the side of the carriage to stop herself from falling too.

Before either of them could understand what was happening, the carriage violently rolled forward again.

*BAM! *BAM!

"What the hell is happening?!"

"I don’t know!"

For a moment, Caelan genuinely thought the carriage was about to tip over. Outside, the horses panicked too.

"Neighhh!!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down!" The driver immediately pulled hard on the reins, trying to control the frightened horses. However, the carriage continued rolling forward unevenly.

*BAM!

Another violent shake sent Caelan crashing against the side.

"Fuck!"

"Caelan!"

"I’m fine!"

"Whoa!" The driver pulled the reins with all his strength. His arms shook as he did so. Only then did the horses finally begin slowing down, dragging the carriage several more meters along the dirt road before it eventually came to a rough stop.

"What the fuck was that?" Caelan’s heart was beating fast.

"I don’t know either," Eveline muttered as she clutched to her chest.

For a few seconds, neither of them moved from their seats.

"Is everyone alright?" the driver suddenly shouted from outside.

"We’re fine!" Caelan answered. "What happened?"

"I think one of the wheels hit something!"

"Let’s check it." Caelan immediately looked at Eveline.

"Yeah."

The two quickly opened the door and stepped out of the carriage. The driver had already climbed down from his seat and was walking back to check the back of their carriage.

"What did we hit?" Caelan asked as he followed him.

"I’m not sure. I didn’t see it."

They walked for a few minutes trying to figure out what they drove onto. A few meters away, they saw a large stone sticking out from the dirt. Half of its body wast was buried underground, which probably made it difficult for the driver to notice while they were moving.

The driver crouched beside it.

"This must be it."

"That little thing caused all of that?" Caelan stared at the stone.

"We were moving pretty fast," the driver explained as he stood up. "If the wheel hit it at the wrong angle, then yes." He immediately walked back toward the carriage.

"Hopefully, nothing broke." The river sighed at it.

The three of them went around the carriage and started checking the wheels. At first glance, everything looked normal.

"These ones look fine," Eveline said after looking at the wheels on the other side. The driver nodded before moving toward the wheel that had taken most of the impact.

The moment he crouched down, his expression changed, "Ah, damn it."

"What?" Caelan immediately walked closer, his brows forming a straight line.

"The wheel." Caelan crouched beside him to check on it. Now that he was looking closely, he could see it too.

Part of the wooden wheel had cracked near the outer rim, while one of the spokes had split from the impact.

"We can’t keep traveling like this." The driver sighed and ran his hand along the damaged section. "If we continue moving, the crack will only get worse. The entire wheel could break while we’re on the road."

Caelan remembered what had just happened inside the carriage and immediately shook his head.

"So can you fix it?"

"I should be able to." The driver stood up and headed toward the back of the carriage.

"I have some tools and spare materials. It won’t be perfect, but it should hold until we reach the next town."

"How long will it take?"

"Maybe an hour."

"Alright..." Caelan sighed. It seemed like they’ll need to wait for a little.

The driver walked toward the back of the carriage to get his tools, leaving Caelan crouched beside the damaged wheel. Eveline, who had been standing beside them the entire time, walked closer as well.

"Is it really that bad?"

"Looks like it."

Curious at it, Eveline crouched beside Caelan to take a closer look at the damage herself.

Her eyes moved along the cracked outer rim before following the broken spoke toward the inner side of the wheel. That was when she saw something.

"Hm?" Eveline suddenly froze. Her expression immediately caught Caelan’s attention.

"What?"

Eveline didn’t answer for a moment. Her eyes remained fixed on the inner side of the wheel.

Caelan followed her gaze, but from where he was crouching, he couldn’t see anything unusual.

"Eveline?"

She leaned closer suddenly. Hidden behind the spokes was a small mark on the wood. It was faint and covered with a little dirt, making it almost impossible to notice unless someone looked directly at it.

But Eveline noticed it. And more importantly, she recognized it.

Her eyes widened. Without saying anything, Eveline suddenly reached for Caelan’s arm and tightly grabbed it.

Caelan immediately turned toward her.

"What?"

Eveline’s grip tightened on his shoulder. Her face had completely changed from just a few seconds ago.

"Caelan..."

"What is it?"

She slowly pointed toward the mark.

"What the hell is that?" Caelan leaned closer and finally noticed the strange symbol hidden on the wheel.

"C-Caelan..." Eveline swallowed. "We can’t stay here. We’re in trouble."