The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Leaves swayed with the gentlest breeze, and light from the twin moons filtered down in silvery streaks, painting the mossy floor with otherworldly patterns. The deeper Aren and his team moved into the ancient woods, the more time itself seemed to slow, warping around the towering trees and strange flora.
Aren walked at the front, Sharu close by his side, each of the beast's light steps deliberate and silent. There was no conversation—only the ambient sounds of snapping twigs, fluttering wings, and the occasional eerie howl in the distance. Their recent battle with the twin-fanged panther still weighed heavily on their minds, the scent of its corrupted blood now long faded, yet still haunting.
Aric finally broke the silence. "So… anyone else getting the sense that something's watching us?"
Dorian grunted, his Shockwave Lion growling low under its breath. "Always with you and your gut feelings, Aric. But this time… yeah. I feel it too."
Lyra didn't speak, her eyes constantly scanning the shadows. Her Shadow Falcon soared above them, weaving between branches, its vision lending her silent reassurance. Liora's Ice Wolf padded calmly alongside her, a frost mist forming beneath its paws.
"Whatever's out there," Liora said quietly, "it hasn't attacked. That means it's either wary… or playing with us."
Aren turned his gaze to the treetops. "Keep formation. We'll move until we find a safe place to rest. We can't afford a second ambush."
They moved with purpose. But soon, the forest changed.
The thick underbrush gave way to crumbling stone paths, ancient and overgrown with moss. Faint ruins peeked through the foliage—arched doorways shattered by time, weathered carvings nearly indecipherable. The air felt older here, heavier.
"A lost village?" Lyra murmured, brushing a hand against a vine-covered pillar.
"No." Sharu's eyes narrowed as he sniffed the air. Though he still hadn't spoken, Aren could feel his tension through their bond. The silver beast circled a cracked stone circle in the clearing, sniffing the ground with twitching ears.
"It's too quiet," Aren said. "Let's take a look around, but stay sharp."
They fanned out through the ruined area. Liora and Lyra inspected what looked like an old shrine, the wolf's cold breath gently dispersing the dust. Aric and Dorian checked broken walls, looking for signs of life or danger. Aren knelt by Sharu, who was pawing at something buried in the dirt.
He brushed the leaves aside to reveal a shattered insignia—an emblem shaped like a sun partially eclipsed by a crescent moon. It pulsed faintly with residual mana.
"This… looks familiar," Aren whispered. A sudden flash ran through his head—blurry visions of the temple where he had met Sharu, the same symbol etched into the altar.
Sharu tilted his head, staring at the sigil. A low hum echoed in Aren's ears—not from outside, but within.
"Aren!" Aric's voice cut through the moment.
They turned just as the ground trembled. Cracks split the forest floor near a collapsed tower, and from the depths emerged a creature—a massive centipede-like beast, its body chitinous and rotted, eyes glowing with corrupted energy. Its screech rattled the bones in their chests.
"Positions!" Liora shouted, her Ice Wolf leaping forward, breath steaming as it formed icy barriers.
"Shockwave Lion—flank from the right!" Dorian ordered, already charging with his beast. The lion roared, sending a shockwave through the ground to destabilize the centipede's footing.
Aric summoned fire around his Salamander, launching twin fireballs at the beast's face. It shrieked in fury, thrashing its many legs in wild retaliation.
Aren and Sharu stood back at first, observing.
The centipede was enormous—easily four meters long and highly resistant to elemental attacks. Even the Ice Wolf's frost barely slowed its movements, and Dorian's force bursts only staggered it for moments.
"Too big to bring down conventionally," Aren muttered.
Sharu crouched low, his silver fur flaring subtly with light. Aren felt the familiar sensation of synchronization stirring—Sharu was drawing on their bond, feeding off Aren's focus and clarity.
"Lyra, aim for the joints! Falcon, blind it!" Aren called.
The Shadow Falcon dived from above, talons raking across the centipede's glowing eyes. It hissed in pain, body thrashing as Lyra guided it to strike again.
With its attention split, Aren finally moved. "Sharu—left side. Cut the rear legs."
Sharu blurred forward, graceful and precise. His silver form flashed like moonlight between the centipede's writhing limbs. He leapt, claws glowing faintly as he slashed across the beast's rear segments. With a scream, it collapsed slightly.
"Ice Wolf—freeze that joint!" Liora ordered. The Ice Wolf howled, and a jet of frost enveloped the weakened limb.
"Dorian!" Aren shouted. "Now!"
The Shockwave Lion charged and slammed its full weight into the frozen joint, shattering it completely. The centipede screamed and reared back—just in time for Aric's Salamander to unleash a burning geyser down its throat.
With a final screech, the creature convulsed… then fell, unmoving.
Silence followed.
Everyone was breathing heavily, panting from exertion and intensity. The corruption in the air began to dissipate slowly as the beast's energy dissolved into the ether. But a small orb remained where it died—a shard of its corrupted core.
Sharu stepped forward and absorbed it wordlessly, his fur shimmering for a brief moment. No one commented. They had grown used to this silent ritual.
"That… was close," Aric muttered, wiping his brow.
"It's getting stronger. The corruption is spreading in these woods more than we thought," Lyra said softly.
Aren crouched, staring at the shattered symbol once more.
"This place holds secrets," he said. "It's connected to Sharu somehow."
They set up camp among the ruins, taking turns keeping watch. As Aren rested near the shrine, Sharu curled beside him. For a brief moment, the beast's usual disdain softened, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully as if in deep contemplation.
Aren didn't say a word. He simply reached out, resting a hand on the silver fur. Sharu didn't move away.
That night, the stars flickered strangely above the canopy, and far awa
y, a howl echoed—not of a beast, but something… more.
Something that had just awakened.