The deeper they ventured into the forest, the quieter it became—not with peace, but with anticipation. The rustling leaves above whispered warnings that only the wary could hear. Twilight filtered through the dense canopy in fractured patterns, and the damp earth beneath their feet muffled every step like a shroud draped over the living.
Aren led the group with Sharu perched quietly on his shoulder. His silver fur caught the dim light, and his sharp blue eyes darted into every shadow. Behind Aren, Dorian Thorne walked with a tense gait, his Shockwave Lion prowling beside him, hackles raised. Aric Sunflare tried to keep the mood light with casual remarks, but even his Fire Salamander was unusually alert. Liora Frostwind, ever composed, kept her Ice Wolf close, its breath visible in the chilling mist that had crept over the path. Lyra Stormcloud said little, but her eyes flicked constantly through the darkening woods. Above, her Shadow Falcon glided silently, an ever-present sentinel.
"It's too quiet," Dorian muttered, clenching his fists. "Something's watching us."
"No... multiple things," Lyra corrected, her voice as calm as falling snow. "They're moving with the wind."
Aren closed his eyes briefly. There it was again—that subtle tug in his mind. A warning from Sharu, not in words, but in emotion. Danger. Soon.
Suddenly, from the thicket, a chorus of low growls echoed. The team shifted into formation instinctively, drawing their weapons and readying their beasts. Out of the shadows slithered a trio of corrupted beasts—hulking hounds with moss-covered fur, jagged obsidian horns, and glowing amber eyes filled with madness.
"They're not just corrupted," Liora whispered, eyes narrowing. "They're fused."
The beasts snarled, their forms partially melded together by blackened tendrils of unnatural energy. Their movements were erratic—jerky, yet eerily synchronized.
"Split them apart!" Aren called. "Dorian, Aric—draw the middle one's attention. Liora, Lyra—flank!"
Dorian let out a fierce yell and charged, his lion roaring as arcs of shockwave energy exploded from its paws. The central beast lunged, but the impact of the Shockwave Lion's assault sent it staggering.
Aric and his Fire Salamander followed with twin jets of fire, striking the creature's limbs. The corrupted energy sizzled but held firm.
Meanwhile, Liora's Ice Wolf darted around to the side, its breath crystallizing the underbrush. It let loose a burst of icy wind that slowed one of the fused hounds just as Lyra's Shadow Falcon descended from above, striking with talons cloaked in black mist. The beast shrieked and flailed.
Aren stood his ground, watching every move. Sharu tensed on his shoulder, and a faint silver glow danced at his claws. The bond between them pulsed. Sharu didn't leap into battle—not yet. He was observing.
Then Aren noticed it: the way the beasts reacted. They weren't just mad—they were guarding something.
"There's something behind them!" Aren shouted.
Dorian, mid-strike, glanced back. "You sure?"
"Positive!"
Liora's Ice Wolf dove under one of the beasts, freezing its hind legs, while Lyra's falcon launched another dive-bomb, knocking it away from a rocky outcrop behind them.
As the corrupted hounds reeled, Aren sprinted past them toward the outcrop. Sharu leapt from his shoulder and darted ahead. His small body moved with unnatural grace, claws flashing as he cut through the thick vines. Behind the wall of brush was a shallow crater—a nest of sorts. Inside lay something strange: a cocoon, pulsing with the same dark energy that bound the beasts.
Sharu hissed, silver light blooming along his body. The corrupted hounds sensed the intrusion and shrieked in fury, abandoning their opponents to rush Aren.
"Sharu—!" Aren raised his hand.
In a blink, Sharu moved.
Silver threads lanced outward from his body, weaving a glowing web that intercepted the charging beasts. The threads burned with purifying energy, cutting into the black tendrils corrupting their forms. The hounds shrieked, their bodies convulsing.
The rest of the team rushed to Aren's side. "What did he do?" Aric breathed.
"Purified... part of the corruption," Liora murmured, stunned.
The beasts writhed, their fused forms pulling apart. But before the purification could finish, the cocoon in the crater pulsed violently and erupted into a shockwave of corrupted energy, blasting the team back.
Aren slammed into a tree, the air knocked from his lungs. Sharu skidded beside him, growling low. The cocoon, now cracked, began to leak a dark mist into the air.
"No! It's summoning more!" Lyra shouted, pointing upward.
From the trees above, more corrupted beasts began to stir. Eyes glowed in the darkness.
"We can't stay here," Dorian snapped. "Not with Sharu that drained. We need to retreat and report this!"
"But—" Aren hesitated. He wanted to understand what this was. Why the cocoon felt... familiar. Almost like it was reacting to him.
Sharu grunted and nudged his leg, sending a jolt through their bond. A silent message: Now is not the time.
With a heavy heart, Aren nodded. "Fall back!"
They moved fast, weaving through the forest with beasts in tow. The corrupted ones didn't pursue. Not yet.
As they cleared the edge of the deeper woods and returned to safer ground, a figure stood waiting—Judge Rhyven, arms crossed and eyes piercing. Behind him, several scouts and instructors gathered.
"You encountered something," he said grimly.
"Yes," Aren replied. "Something... unnatural. There's a nest. A cocoon. Possibly a stronger corrupted entity forming."
Judge Rhyven's expression darkened. "We'll investigate immediately."
Then, his voice rose so the others could hear, amplified by a rune-stone at his side.
"Students! Gather! The first phase of the trial has ended!"
Dozens of students, scratched, bruised, but alive, began trickling in from the forest. Some in pairs, some alone. A few injured were carried by beasts or instructors.
Rhyven raised a hand for silence.
"The first round was not merely a test of strength, but of instinct, survival, and teamwork. Now, the results have been tallied. The rankings... will be announced shortly."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Aren stood quietly beside his team. Sharu sat beside him, silent once again, his tail curled around his legs like a silver flame.
Whatever lay ahe
ad, Aren knew this trial was far from over. The forest had only begun to reveal its secrets.