Kaelen stood at the edge of the village, his eyes fixed on the dense wall of trees ahead. The Wyrmwood Forest seemed quieter than usual, almost too quiet. The birds that had accompanied them through the trail had vanished, replaced by an unsettling stillness. Even the wind seemed to hesitate, brushing gently against the treetops but never fully entering.
Selene walked up beside him, brushing dirt from her knees after her playful exchange with the children.
"You sense that too?" she asked, the light tone gone from her voice.
Kaelen gave a slight nod. "Something's watching."
Selene frowned, scanning the treeline. "It's hiding its presence well."
Kaelen's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, and he exhaled slowly. "Spirit beast. At least one. Maybe more."
Selene's eyes widened, and her expression turned serious. "But the report only mentioned wild beasts…"
Kaelen turned his gaze back to the village. "The villagers can't tell the difference. To them, a monster is a monster."
Selene grimaced. "Then this mission just got a lot more dangerous."
He began walking again, heading toward the forest. "Which is why we go now, before nightfall."
Selene hesitated. "Shouldn't we rest first? Or at least prepare traps? If they're spirit beasts—"
"They're already close," Kaelen interrupted. "The longer we wait, the more risk we put on the villagers."
Selene tightened her grip on her sword. "Fine. But I'm keeping both eyes open."
As they stepped into the forest, the air turned colder. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy in fragmented beams, painting strange, shifting patterns on the forest floor. The smell of moss, damp earth, and something faintly metallic lingered in the air.
Kaelen's eyes moved quickly, noting claw marks on tree trunks, disturbed patches of dirt, and a faint trail of broken branches leading deeper into the woods.
"They came through here," he said quietly.
Selene followed closely, her senses sharpened. "Multiple sets of tracks. At least four. One of them… very heavy."
Kaelen knelt, brushing his fingers across a large, deep pawprint. It was nearly the size of his head, with claw marks that gouged inches into the earth.
"Spirit-grade," he murmured.
Selene's voice dropped to a whisper. "What kind?"
"Unknown." Kaelen stood. "But it's hunting in a pack."
"That's rare," Selene said. "Spirit beasts are usually territorial loners."
"Unless something bound them," Kaelen replied, a shadow crossing his eyes.
They moved in silence for the next hour, following the tracks as they wove through gnarled roots and ancient trees. The deeper they went, the darker the forest became, until the light of day was little more than a memory.
Suddenly, Kaelen held up a hand.
Selene froze beside him, eyes scanning.
A low growl echoed through the trees ahead.
It was followed by a second. Then a third.
A rustle from the bushes to their left.
Selene's breath caught.
From the shadows, three forms emerged — large, quadrupedal beasts with bristling black fur and glowing amber eyes. Their bodies shimmered with faint spiritual energy, and saliva dripped from their fanged mouths.
"Moonfang Hounds," Selene whispered, drawing her blade. "Middle-tier spirit beasts. Their howls disorient prey."
Kaelen unsheathed his sword in a smooth motion, the steel singing lightly in the air.
The first hound lunged.
Kaelen moved faster.
He sidestepped, pivoted, and slashed.
The blade flashed — silver against shadow — and the hound's body crumpled mid-air, sliced clean through.
The other two attacked simultaneously, one from the front, the other circling behind.
Selene intercepted the second with a precise strike, her blade dancing in a flurry of silver arcs. She ducked under a swipe of its claws and countered with a rising slash that opened its throat.
The third hound lunged for Kaelen's back.
But Kaelen didn't even turn. He spun his blade in a reverse grip and stabbed backward, impaling the beast through the heart.
All three bodies hit the ground with dull thuds.
Selene wiped blood from her cheek. "Three down. That was too easy."
Kaelen stared into the darkness. "Because they were scouts."
Selene followed his gaze — deeper into the forest, toward where the trees bent inward unnaturally, as if something heavy had passed through.
And then they heard it.
A low rumble.
Not a growl — a voice.
But not human.
"Trespassers..." the voice hissed, deep and ancient.
The trees trembled. The air grew heavier.
Selene's skin prickled with cold. "What… was that?"
Kaelen's expression darkened. "A binding. Someone is controlling the beasts."
Selene looked at him sharply. "You think a cultivator is behind this?"
"Yes," Kaelen said. "And I think they're waiting for us."
He stepped forward, unafraid.
Selene hesitated. "We should call for backup."
"No time," Kaelen said. "If the beasts attack the village while we wait, people will die."
Selene clenched her fists. "Then let's end this quickly."
They moved carefully now, senses honed, every step measured.
The trail led them toward the ruins the old man had mentioned.
Eventually, the trees parted into a clearing, revealing crumbled stone structures half-swallowed by vines. Broken pillars jutted from the earth like ribs, and shattered statues of forgotten gods stared blindly into the sky.
In the center stood a circle of stones etched with ancient runes — glowing faintly with dark purple light.
Kaelen stopped just short of the circle.
At the far end, a figure stood, cloaked in black robes. A mask hid their face — smooth and featureless except for a single crimson mark in the shape of a serpent.
Behind them stood the real threat.
A beast the size of a house.
Its skin was obsidian-scaled, and a single, malformed horn jutted from its skull. Its eyes glowed with eerie intelligence — corrupted, twisted.
It let out a guttural snarl.
Selene instinctively stepped back. "That's no natural spirit beast…"
Kaelen's grip on his sword tightened. "That's a soul-bound beast. Someone twisted it with forbidden arts."
The masked figure finally spoke, their voice echoing unnaturally.
"You should not have come here, little disciples."
Kaelen stepped forward, calm and composed.
"You're violating the Mystic Dawn boundaries. Surrender, and you won't be harmed."
The figure laughed. "You think you're in control?"
With a flick of their hand, the beast lunged.
Kaelen met the charge head-on.
The ground shook as steel met scale. Kaelen ducked under a claw swipe, slashing at the beast's leg. Sparks flew. Blood — dark and thick — sprayed across the ground.
Selene joined the fray, circling behind the beast and slashing at its hind legs. But the beast's hide was tough — unnaturally so.
The masked figure chanted.
Dark energy surged into the beast, and it roared, shaking the ruins.
Kaelen felt the pressure increase, like a mountain pressing on his chest.
"We can't win this head-on!" Selene shouted. "We need to break the link!"
Kaelen's eyes flicked to the glowing runes.
"The circle," he muttered. "It's binding the beast's soul."
Selene nodded. "I'll distract. You disrupt it."
Kaelen didn't argue.
He sheathed his sword and rushed toward the stone circle.
The masked figure moved to intercept, raising a palm wreathed in shadow.
Kaelen slid low, avoiding a blast of energy that scorched the ground behind him.
He reached the edge of the runes and plunged his hand into his pouch, pulling out a talisman.
With a sharp chant, he activated it — and slammed it into the nearest stone.
The runes flickered.
The beast howled.
The masked figure screamed, clutching their head.
Selene seized the moment and struck the beast's throat — a perfect hit.
The blade slipped between scales and pierced deep.
The beast convulsed… then collapsed.
Kaelen smashed a second rune-stone, then a third.
The glow vanished.
The masked figure staggered, weakened by the broken bond.
Kaelen moved swiftly.
His sword flashed once.
The mask shattered.
Beneath it was a face — pale, young, twisted with madness.
"You… don't understand… the power… buried here," the rogue cultivator spat, blood dripping from their lips.
Kaelen didn't flinch. "I don't care."
With one final strike, he ended it.
Silence returned to the forest.
Only the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a bird remained.
Selene leaned against a broken pillar, breathing hard.
"Well… that was insane."
Kaelen stood over the fallen beast, watching as the corrupted energy leaked from its corpse like smoke.
"They were doing something," he said softly.
Selene walked over. "This place… it's dangerous."
Kaelen nodded. "We'll report it. The Pavilion will seal it off."
They began their return to the village, bloodied but alive.
As they emerged from the trees, the children who had played earlier looked up and pointed.
"The warriors are back!" one shouted.
Kaelen looked up at the sky.
The sun was setting now, casting long golden rays across the fields.
Selene touched his shoulder gently.
"You were right," she said.
"About what?"
"Talking doesn't make you stronger," she said with a small smile. "But it does make the journey less lonely."
Kaelen didn't answer.
But for the first time in a long while…
He didn't feel alone.
_____________________________________
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