The next morning broke not with sunlight but the distant howl of a corrupted beast. The sound rolled over the forest like thunder, waking every student in the camp.
Aren jolted upright. Sharu was already awake, eyes glowing faintly. The silver beast stretched and hopped to Aren's shoulder with his usual aloof grace.
"Time to move," he said, looking to the others.
They grouped quickly. Supplies were minimal—basic rations, healing salves, and their weapons. They wouldn't be given more until they returned.
At the forest's edge, Rynn stood again. "This time, there will be no map. No safe zones. Corrupted beasts roam freely, and not all teams will be friendly. You are now in the wilds."
The students stepped into the shadowy threshold one by one. When it was Aren's team's turn, he hesitated.
"Ready?" Aric asked.
"As I'll ever be," Aren nodded.
They entered.
The canopy thickened almost instantly. Light filtered through in faint green beams. The trees here were different—ancient and gnarled. Some bore scars that shimmered faintly, as if from past battles.
Not even an hour passed before the first threat emerged.
A guttural screech split the air. From the left, a corrupted beast leapt—a Razorhide Boar, its tusks blackened, its eyes glowing with red mist.
"Formation!" Liora shouted.
The Ice Wolf surged forward, coating the ground in frost. The boar's charge slowed, its hooves skidding on the ice. Dorian's lion came in next, unleashing a blast of concussive sound that staggered the beast.
Aric's Fire Salamander darted in with a sweep of flame, searing the boar's flank. Aren stepped forward, raising his hand. "Sharu!"
The silver beast leapt, landing on the boar's back. A shimmer pulsed outward as Sharu absorbed a sliver of corrupted energy, purifying it mid-air. The boar collapsed, steaming.
"Well…" Aric blinked. "That was impressive."
Sharu flicked his tail and leapt back to Aren's side. Too easy.
"Show-off," Aren muttered with a grin.
They moved on.
As the day stretched, the encounters grew more dangerous. Packs of corrupted hounds, vine-strangling serpents, and even an enraged wyvern that had to be lured away.
But it wasn't just beasts.
They encountered another team—Velia Rune and her crystalline fox among them. Her gaze was sharp, calculating. "Still alive, Valen?"
"Same to you," Aren replied, cautious.
"We'll see how long that lasts."
She walked away, her fox shimmering behind her like a fragment of ice.
Night fell quickly. The team found a place to rest near a ruined tower half-swallowed by vines. As they made camp, Aren sat alone at the edge of the fire's light.
Sharu lay beside him, eyes reflecting the flames.
"There's something wrong with this place," Aren murmured. "Even the corrupted beasts are behaving strangely."
You're right. Something stirs deeper in the wilds. Something ancient.
Aren didn't respond. He just stared into the dark,
where the trees whispered secrets no one could yet understand.