After a brief but much-needed meal, our group reconvenes at the village's edge, ready to search for more clues. The atmosphere is thick with tension. Though Ren's face remains calm, I can sense an underlying urgency in the way he stands, his posture rigid.
Tiara, her eyes fixed on her task, methodically sharpens her blades, while Charlotte, arms crossed, stares out into the treeline, her expression hardened like stone.
"Alright," Ren finally speaks, his voice cutting through the silence. "The runes Tiara found on that creature confirm it. This wasn't a random attack, someone's behind this. We need to track down the source."
"Great," I say, stretching. "More action."
Charlotte's gaze snaps to me, her eyes narrowing. She doesn't even need to say it, but I can already hear her usual scolding.
"Maybe this time, try not to rush in like an idiot and—"
"Don't worry, I've got a whole new plan."
"Oh no. He's got a plan,"
She mutters sarcastically. Tiara snorts softly but keeps her focus on her blades, flashing me a small smile.
Ren steps forward, ignoring the banter.
"Tiara, you and Kira check the forest near where you fought the beast. Look for any signs of magic or unusual activity. Charlotte and I will follow the remnants of the other creatures. Stay sharp."
"On it,"
I respond, not one to argue. If we can find the source, that means more action for me. Charlotte gives me one last sharp look before turning to follow Ren into the woods.
I glance at Tiara, raising an eyebrow.
"Guess it's just us again, huh?"
"Try not to do anything reckless this time, Kira. Please."
"I make no promises."
With that, we head into the forest, the eerie silence of the trees swallowing us whole. But something's different now, an unsettling weight hangs in the air, as though unseen eyes are watching every move we make. The further we go, the darker and colder the forest becomes, shadows stretching longer, wrapping around us like the tendrils of some unseen force.
I try to break the tension.
"So, when I save the day again, maybe Charlotte will finally stop giving me that death glare."
"You really don't get it, do you?" Tiara's voice is quiet but pointed. "She's not mad because you mess up. She's mad because you don't think."
"Eh, thinking's overrated."
Tiara shakes her head, but before she can say more, she freezes mid-step, her hand instinctively going to her sword.
"Kira, do you feel that?"
I stop, tuning in to the air around us. There's a faint, ominous hum of magic, but it feels wrong, twisted.
"Yeah… something's off."
And then it happens. A shadowy figure materializes from the trees ahead, cloaked in darkness, its eyes glowing with the same malevolent energy as the runes we found earlier.
"Who the hell are you?"
I call out, already summoning ice magic in my hand.
"Fret not, stranger," The figure says smoothly, stepping forward, shadows swirling unnaturally around it. "I mean you no harm."
Something about its voice, the smooth, almost hypnotic tone, immediately puts me on edge. Tiara's hand tightens on her sword, her stance ready for battle.
"Mean no harm, huh?" I scoff, the ice swirling faster in my palm. "Tell that to the village you just tried to destroy."
The figure chuckles softly, its gaze locked on me. "You misunderstand. I'm not the one who sent the creatures."
"Huh?" I said confusedly, but I take a fighting stance anyway. "Yeah, right. Let me guess, your Master is behind all of this, and now you're going to give us some big, evil speech about why we should just let you walk away, right? Sorry, not in the mood."
I take a step forward, ready to attack, but Tiara grabs my arm, stopping me.
"Kira, wait."
"For what? It's obviously responsible for all this, and you know how these dark wizards types are, they talk and talk and—"
"Kira!" Tiara's voice is firm, and she tightens her grip on me. "We need to think. We don't know what we're dealing with."
"I don't need to know what it is to fight it." I pull free of her hold. "We take it down, then we ask questions."
The figure remains eerily calm, glowing eyes watching us with an almost mocking patience.
"Such impulsiveness will only lead to your downfall, wizard."
"Yeah? Let's see you try."
I growl, raising my hand as a magic circle appears before it.
"Kira, stop!" Tiara steps in front of me, blocking my path. "We can't just attack blindly. What if it's a trap?"
"Of course, it's a trap! Which is why we hit it first!"
"Listen to me. Charging in recklessly could get you killed."
"Wouldn't be the first time,"
I mutter, magic still crackling in my hand. Blue smoke swirls around me, and the cold in the air intensifies.
The figure chuckles again, its laugh more sinister now, echoing through the trees.
"You two are entertaining… bickering in the face of a real threat. How… typical."
That's it. My patience snaps. I hurl a spear of ice directly at the figure. The air crackles as the ice streaks toward its chest, but the figure sidesteps with almost no effort.
"What the—"
I barely have time to react before the figure launches into a mocking taunt.
"Is that all you've got, wizard?"
I grit my teeth, summoning more ice shards and sending them flying from every angle, but the figure dodges each one with unnatural speed, almost dancing around my attacks. It's toying with me.
My frustration boils over.
I charge, fists swinging, but the figure moves like smoke, slipping through my punches with ease. Each strike misses its mark, and I can feel the anger rising in my chest.
The figure catches my wrist mid-punch, twisting my arm with surprising strength and throwing me to the ground with a force that knocks the breath from my lungs.
I roll to my feet, gasping for air.
"You're going to regret that,"
I hiss, rushing in again, but the figure is faster. It catches my leg this time, flipping me over its shoulder and slamming me into the ground once more.
"Your anger makes you predictable," It taunts, standing over me. "Like a puppet."
I spit dirt from my mouth and try to rise, but before I can, I feel a rush of air beside my face. Tiara's sword plunges into the dirt mere inches from my head.
"Kira. Enough."
I freeze, stunned. Tiara's calm exterior is gone, replaced by a fierce, commanding presence.
"You keep hogging all the action," She says, voice steely. "But you're not the only one who wants a piece of this fight. Now, you're going to stay down and watch while I end this."
The figure, sensing the shift, chuckles.
"Oh? You think you can match me, little swordswoman?"
Tiara tightens her grip on her sword.
"You talk too much."
Without another word, she charges, her blade slicing through the air with terrifying speed. The figure, caught off guard, barely manages to evade her first strike, but Tiara is relentless. She pivots mid-swing, her sword flashing in a deadly arc. The figure stumbles, for the first time on the defensive.
I watch from the ground, awe-struck as Tiara presses the attack. Each strike is precise, calculated, forcing the figure to retreat.
"You could learn something from her,"
The figure taunts me, but its voice is no longer as confident.
Tiara doesn't let up. She's not just winning, she's dominating, her movements swift and precise, her sword dancing with deadly grace. The figure is losing ground, its once smug demeanor is cracking under the pressure of Tiara's relentless assault.
And as I lay there, watching, I realize she wasn't just holding me back because she thought I couldn't handle it. She knew if I didn't stop and think, I'd only make things worse.
"This is incredible," I mutter under my breath.
But I know they couldn't hear me. They are too focused on finishing the fight.