I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

"Lucian," she whispered again, her voice now carrying an urgency that had not been there before. "Get ready. They won’t give us a second chance."

Lucian nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the shapes that were beginning to materialize from the shadows. He held the net tightly, but didn’t throw it yet - he knew that, like Wanda, they had to choose the right moment to act, as any hasty move could end the whole mission. His hands were sweating slightly, but his expression remained calm, his blue-gray eyes calculating every detail of the situation with almost supernatural precision.

The silence in the clearing grew more and more oppressive, as if even the natural sounds of the forest had been drowned out by the presence of the creatures that now surrounded them. Wanda tried to make out how many there were, but the shadows seemed to multiply every second, making it impossible to determine the exact number of enemies. But she knew one thing for sure - they were being hunted.

"Do you feel that?" Lucian murmured, his eyes still fixed on the dense vegetation around them.

"Yes," Wanda replied, her voice a little firmer. "It’s his energy. It’s getting stronger."

"We have to move," he suggested, but there was a hesitation in his voice. "If we stay here, we’ll be completely surrounded."

"But the Canary..." Wanda began, but Lucian cut her off with a quick gesture.

"I know," he said, his voice deep but firm. "But we have no choice. If we stand still, we’re lost."

Wanda knew he was right. The clearing that had once seemed like a refuge was now turning into a trap. Every second that passed gave the shadows around them more of an advantage, and Wanda wasn’t about to give up the Golden Canary so easily. She took a step back, still holding the bird carefully, feeling the warmth of the golden feathers radiating through her palms. An idea began to form in her mind, a risky strategy that might be her only chance to escape alive.

"Let’s go east," she said suddenly, her eyes meeting Lucian’s. "There’s an ancient sacred tree in that direction. If we can get there, its energy might protect us."

Lucian hesitated for a moment, but he trusted Wanda. He knew that her connection to the forest was unique, and if she believed that the sacred tree could offer protection, he had no reason to doubt it. "All right," he agreed, adjusting the net in his hands. "But we must move quickly."

With a last glance around the clearing, Wanda began to walk eastward, her steps calculated but swift. Lucian followed closely, his senses on high alert as the shadows continued to move around them, following each step like predators stalking their prey. The air was heavy, charged with a tension that made the hairs on the back of Wanda’s neck stand up.

The forest closed in more and more as they advanced, the branches of the trees intertwining above their heads, forming a natural roof that blocked out the sunlight. The leaves whispered in the wind, as if the forest itself was trying to warn them of the approaching danger. Wanda felt the golden canary twitch nervously in her hands, its small body shaking with fear.

"We’re almost there," Wanda murmured, more to herself than to Lucian, her eyes desperately searching for the sacred tree she knew was nearby.

But then a sharp, piercing sound broke the silence, echoing through the forest like the scream of a damned soul. Wanda and Lucian stopped abruptly, their bodies tensing as they tried to locate the source of the sound. It was a warning, a taste of what was to come. And before they could react, the shadows around them solidified, taking on the final forms of beings that exuded an evil aura.

They were Shadowhunters, creatures Wanda and Lucian had only heard of in legend. They moved with supernatural speed, their ethereal forms almost indistinguishable from the darkness around them. Their eyes glowed with a cold, deadly light, and their hands, long and thin, held blades made of a substance as black as the night itself.

Wanda felt a shiver run down her spine, but she couldn’t afford to hesitate. With a quick movement, she lifted the golden canary a little higher, allowing the golden light from the bird’s feathers to shine more brightly. The hunters hesitated for a moment, as if the light repelled them, but soon recovered and advanced with renewed ferocity.

"Now!" Wanda yelled, and Lucian wasted no time. With a quick, precise motion, he threw the net toward the approaching hunters, trying to catch them before they could attack. The net unfurled in the air, shining with a silvery reflection as it covered one of the hunters, but the others continued to advance relentlessly.

Wanda knew their only chance was to reach the Sacred Tree before the hunters could reach them. With one last look at Lucian, she began to run, holding the Golden Canary tightly as her feet touched the forest floor with desperate speed. Lucian followed her closely, his eyes fixed on the creatures that were now chasing them.

The forest seemed to stretch forever before them, but Wanda finally spotted the Sacred Tree - an immense tree with a silver trunk and leaves glowing with a soft, ethereal light. She felt a wave of hope renew her strength, but the hunters drew closer, their presence as heavy as a black tide about to engulf her.

With her last breath of courage, Wanda crossed the last line of trees and entered the clearing where the Sacred Tree stood majestically. As soon as her feet touched the sacred ground around the tree, she felt a pulsating energy enveloping her body, as if the earth itself was trying to protect her. Lucian arrived shortly after, breathing heavily but still holding the net, his eyes scanning the clearing for the hunters.

But to their surprise, the creatures stopped abruptly at the edge of the clearing, hesitant to advance. Their evil eyes fixed on the Sacred Tree with a mixture of hate and fear, and for a brief moment, Wanda realized that they were safe. The Sacred Tree had protected them.

"We made it," Lucian said between gasps, his voice full of relief. He approached Wanda and watched the hunters slowly retreat, as if the presence of the tree was too much to bear.

Wanda let out a deep sigh, feeling the tension in her muscles begin to ease. "For now," she replied, her voice low but firm. "But it’s not over yet. We need to figure out how to get the Canary out of here before they come back."