As the group finally exited the dense forest, the towering trees gave way to open fields that stretched far into the horizon. The fresh air hit them with a sense of relief after the night's tension. Hiro kept his cold, steady expression, but his mind was elsewhere. They were now heading to Aurelia, where his family, the Amadeus Clan, had once been revered. Hiro couldn't stop thinking about his home.
He recalled the vague memory of his father speaking to him when he was much younger. "When you become capable... you have the chance... to see it," his father had said, but the meaning of those words was unclear back then. Now, Hiro was beginning to understand. There was something important in the ruins of his family's home, something his father wanted him to find.
But his thoughts were interrupted as they neared the gates of Aurelia. Ms. Rose approached the guards, her face set in a determined but polite expression. "We're passing through Aurelia on our way to Sylveria," she said. "May we enter?"
One of the guards frowned. "I'm sorry, miss, but no one can enter Aurelia unless they live here. It's under martial law."
Rose blinked, caught off guard. "Martial law? Since when?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Five years ago," the guard replied. "After the great Amadeus Clan was wiped out in one night. The kingdom has been on high alert ever since. They fear something like that could happen again, so they've restricted entry.."
Hiro's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face neutral. He had heard rumors, but hearing it so bluntly, that his entire clan was wiped out, made the reality sink in even more. He clenched his fists behind his back.
Ms. Rose continued speaking with the guard, but Hiro couldn't focus on her words. All he could think about was his family, his home, and the people he had lost. He had been young when it happened, too young to fully understand, but now he wanted answers.
"Do you know what happened to the clan leader of the Amadeus?" Hiro asked suddenly, his voice steady, but his eyes sharp.
The guard blinked, seemingly taken aback by the question. "The clan leader? Ah... well, from what I've heard, no one's really sure. When the rescue teams arrived, the estate was already engulfed in flames. They couldn't tell who was who in the ashes. The entire place was destroyed, and... no one survived."
Hiro's heart thudded in his chest, he maintained his composure. But his aura unintentionally leaked out, a cold, suffocating pressure filling the air. Rose and the guard felt it immediately, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
Ms. Rose felt a cold sweat run down her back. She glanced at Hiro, noticing the slight tremor in his tightly clenched fists. "Hiro..." she whispered, sensing the storm of emotions he was holding back.
Elysia stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Hey, Hiro," she said softly, her voice pulling him back to reality.
Hiro snapped out of his trance, quickly reigning in his mana. He closed his eyes for a brief second before exhaling. "You're right. We should take a different route," he said, his voice cold and detached, masking the turmoil inside.
Ms. Rose nodded, though she looked at him carefully. "That means another forest route. This one's not as familiar to me, so we'll need to be extremely cautious."
They turned away from the gates and started down the path leading to the forest. As they entered the dense woods, the light from the setting sun filtered through the thick canopy of trees. The air grew cooler, and the forest became eerily quiet. It was unsettling, but they pressed forward.
---
Hours passed as they made their way deeper into the forest. Hiro's focus remained sharp, his mind replaying the guard's words about his clan. What had his father meant by "when you become capable"? What was he supposed to see?
Ms. Rose, sensing the heavy mood, tried to keep the group focused. "Stay close and keep alert.
Then, out of nowhere, a sudden rustling noise came from behind them, and before anyone could react, the ground beneath their feet gave way. A series of loud cracks echoed through the forest as the group fell into a deep pit. They hit the bottom with a painful thud, and as dust settled around them, they found themselves separated by walls of dirt and stone.
Hiro is separated from Elysia and Rose, while Elysia and Rose are not far in each other.
"Hiro! Elysia!" Ms. Rose's voice rang out in the dark, her tone laced with urgency.
Elysia replied, wincing as she stood. "What just happened?"
Ms. Rose's voice came again. "It was a trap! This area must be rigged by hunters or bandits. Stay alert!"
And finally, Rose and Elysia met.
Rose and Elysia exchanged a look before quickly readying their weapons. The pit they had fallen into was large, and there was no immediate way out. Above them, the trees loomed menacingly, and the only light came from the fading sunset.
"We need to find Hiro," Rose said.
Before Elysia could respond, a low growl echoed through the pit, and from the shadows, figures emerged. Wolves. At least three of them, their eyes glowing with hunger. Their growls grew louder, and the two of them stood back-to-back, preparing for a fight.
"I'll distract them," Rose said, gripping her sword tightly. "You take the shots when you see an opening."
Elysia nodded, raising her bow. "Got it."
Rose harged forward, her movements swift and precise. One lunged at her, but her blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing its throat. The second wolf tried to flank him, but Elysia's arrow whizzed past, hitting its shoulder and forcing it to retreat.
As the fight raged on, Rose could feel his body reaching its limits. The techniques she was using required immense focus, and the pit they were in left little room for maneuvering.
Finally, with a final, powerful slash, Rose blade met the flesh of the last wolf, cutting it down. The pit was silent once more, save for their heavy breathing.
"We need to get out of here," Rose said, looking around for any sign of Hiro. "This is just the beginning."