The evening had fallen, and the day's training had ended hours ago, leaving the camp in a serene, almost eerie silence. A lone young cadet moved quietly through the dimly lit corridors of the barracks, his footsteps barely audible on the wooden floor. His mission was simple: deliver a fresh supply of medical bandages, as requested by Instructor James. The supply had run out earlier that day, and James had tasked him with this seemingly mundane errand. But as with many things in this world, even the simplest tasks could lead to something much more dangerous.
Upon reaching the instructor's office, the cadet found the door slightly ajar, but the room inside was empty. No sign of James. He furrowed his brow, puzzled. It wasn't like James to leave without notice. Deciding not to wait idly, the cadet headed towards the training grounds, thinking that perhaps James had returned there. However, upon his arrival at the field, he found it deserted as well. The weight of the growing night seemed heavier with each passing moment, the shadows of the trees stretching out like dark fingers across the ground.
A flash of unease crept into his thoughts, but before he could dwell on it, his mind wandered back to thirty minutes earlier, where, unbeknownst to him, a far more serious matter had been brewing.
Half an hour earlier
Rosa had been in deep conversation with James. Her voice was laced with worry as she recounted what had happened after training ended.
"Olivia told me after we finished the drills that she would head back to the barracks and prepare dinner", Rosa said, her hands wringing nervously. "But when I asked her where she was going afterwards, she told me she planned to continue training. In the forest nearby."
James raised an eyebrow. "The forest?"
"Yes," Rosa confirmed, her expression tightening. "That was hours ago. Olivia hasn't returned, and it's been almost three hours now. I'm... getting worried, sir James."
James shared her concern. Olivia was one of the academy's most promising cadets, a top-ranking student, but even the best were not immune to the dangers lurking in the wilderness. Especially that forest.
His gaze darkened slightly as a troubling thought crossed his mind. - I hope she didn't wander too deep into Alua... The Alua Forest was infamous for its towering, ancient trees, each as thick as a house, their twisted branches weaving together to block out the sky, casting the entire woodland in perpetual twilight. The air inside was cold, unnaturally so, and it was home to creatures far more terrifying than mere wild animals. Among the deadliest were the wolves, fierce predators imbued with the same powerful Aura that many of the academy's students sought to master. Their strength and aggression were magnified by the energy coursing through them, making them far more dangerous than anything else that roamed the land.
James straightened his posture. "Don't worry," he said to Rosa, masking his own growing fear with calm authority. "I'll head into the forest and find her. You should go back to the barracks and wait. Olivia will return soon."
Rosa hesitated but nodded, trusting James' experience. "Be careful," she added softly as he turned to leave.
Present
The young cadet, after finding no one at the training grounds, suddenly felt a familiar ripple in the air—a faint pulse of Aura. His senses sharpened, and he realized it was coming from the direction of the forest. Without hesitation, he began walking toward the dark woods, his pace quickening as he approached.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the temperature seemed to drop, and a strange quiet enveloped him. Even the wind seemed to avoid this place. After navigating through the maze of trees, the cadet reached the heart of the forest, where he finally spotted James. The instructor was crouched low, examining a set of tracks. Without needing to think twice, the cadet called out to him, "James!"
James shot him a sharp look. "It's 'Instructor James' when we're out here," he corrected, though his tone carried a familiarity that suggested this wasn't their first encounter. The cadet quickly nodded in acknowledgment.
"What are you doing here?" James asked, his eyes flicking between the boy and the surrounding woods.
"I was looking for you," the cadet replied, holding up the bandages. "I brought these, as you requested. But then I sensed your Aura, and... well, I followed it."
James paused for a moment, an impressed glimmer in his eyes. - So, he's already capable of sensing Aura this precisely? That's a skill far beyond what most cadets his age can do...
Before he could speak again, the underbrush nearby rustled violently. A low, menacing growl reverberated through the air as a pack of Aura-infused wolves emerged from the shadows. Their eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger, and their bodies radiated with a dark, swirling energy. One of the wolves, larger than the rest, had two long tails that lashed angrily behind it, its Aura visibly pulsating around its massive frame.
James and the cadet instinctively drew their swords, ready to defend themselves. But James' attention shifted quickly. He knew their situation was dire, but the real danger wasn't just the wolves. Olivia was still out there, and he feared she had ventured too deep.
"There's a girl in the forest," James said, his voice urgent but controlled. "She's missing, and I suspect she may have taken refuge in a cave further up ahead. I need you to check it while I hold off these wolves."
The cadet hesitated for only a split second before nodding. Without another word, he sprinted deeper into the forest, following James' directions until he reached the mouth of a large cave. The entrance was dark and foreboding, with a narrow waterfall cascading down one side. Steeling himself, the cadet entered the cave, his eyes scanning the dimly lit interior.
He quickly spotted a piece of cloth caught on a jagged rock—one of the cadets' uniforms. - This must be Olivia's. But the ground beneath his feet was slick, and before he could react, it gave way, sending him tumbling down a steep incline. He hit the bottom with a splash, his body landing in a shallow pool of water. Soaked but unharmed, he pushed himself up and looked around.
Not far from where he stood, he saw Olivia, unconscious and lying beside the remnants of a battle. Two massive worms, each over two meters long, lay severed in half, their dark, slimy bodies still twitching slightly. The cadet could scarcely believe it—those creatures were deadly even for experienced warriors, and yet Olivia had defeated them alone.
He rushed over to her, immediately noticing the gash on her leg. Thankfully, he still had the medical bandages. He quickly wrapped the wound, his hands working with practiced efficiency. Once she was stabilized, he hoisted her onto his back and began the arduous climb out of the cave.
When he finally reached the cave entrance, he found James waiting, his sword still drawn, but the wolves were nowhere in sight. The instructor's eyes softened when he saw Olivia, though his focus quickly returned to the cadet.
"Give her to me," James ordered, taking Olivia into his arms. "I'll take her back to the barracks. You need to return immediately, before anyone else sees you."
The cadet, drenched and exhausted, nodded silently. As he turned to leave, he felt a lingering gaze. Olivia, half-conscious, opened her eyes just long enough to see the cadet's face partially obscured by the bandages he had used to cover his identity. Only a small lock of silver hair peeked out from beneath the fabric before her vision blurred, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.
Later that night, Eveline awoke to find herself in the familiar warmth of her bed at the barracks. Rosa sat beside her, relief flooding her features.
"You're safe now," Rosa said softly. "Instructor James brought you back after you fainted in the forest."
But Eveline's thoughts were elsewhere. - James didn't save me... she thought, recalling the brief glimpse of the boy with silver hair. But when she returned to training the next day, scanning the faces of the other cadets, there was no one with silver hair among them.
Perhaps, she thought, it had all been a dream.