The moment they warped into the dense, shadowy forest, Leo, Darian, Alaric, Sera, and Mira surveyed their surroundings cautiously. Darian's eyes swept across the clearing. "I don't see any threats nearby," he said, "so let's look around for a safe place to camp."
Mira consulted the map the academy had given them, her finger tracing the outlined boundaries of their designated area. "It's around thirty miles all around, and the closest team is over seventy miles away. The academy is about three days' travel, so… we're really out here alone." Sera shivered a bit at the thought of being so far from any immediate help, though she knew they could request assistance if things went terribly wrong.
Leo examined the map over Mira's shoulder and pointed at a location marked by a small mountain ridge. "This spot here," he suggested. "It's near the side of a mountain. If we camp against it, it'll help shield us from bad weather, and we'd have a solid back wall to defend."
Darian glanced over at Alaric, who nodded in agreement. "That's a good strategy. When I went camping with my dad, we'd always try to find shelter with natural walls."
With a plan in place, the group began the four-mile trek toward the mountain base. It was early morning, so they had plenty of daylight to cover the distance. After walking for over an hour, they entered a clearing, still about a mile from their intended campsite. There, standing motionless about 130 yards away, was the first beast they'd encountered—a massive red and brown bear, towering and muscular, its back turned as it watched something in the distance.
Sera's face went pale with fear, and she took a step back. Leo, Darian, and Alaric stood ready to act, though uncertainty crept into each of their minds. Mira, sensing Sera's discomfort, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered, trying to calm her friend. "We can handle one bear. We've trained for this."
Darian sized up the bear, which stood at an intimidating 24 feet on its hind legs and looked as if it weighed at least three tons. He whispered, "If we're going to attack, let's surprise it. Leo, what do you think?"
Leo looked back and nodded, his expression calm but determined. "If we all attack together, we can take it down."
Darian laid out a plan: "Alaric and I will go around the left and draw its attention. Mira and Sera, you protect us with wards and slow it down if it charges. Leo, once it's distracted, charge up your strongest attack and hit it hard. This thing is dangerous, but if we succeed, we'll have supplies we can use."
Everyone agreed, and Darian and Alaric began circling quietly to the left. Leo moved to the right, summoning wisps of energy around him, while Mira and Sera positioned themselves behind cover, ready to cast wards.
Once in position, Darian crafted an icy spear nearly four feet long, while Alaric channeled lightning into his palm, crackling as he infused the spear with electrical energy. With a swift, fluid motion, Darian hurled the spear with full force at the bear, aiming for its hind leg.
The bear sensed the attack too late. The spear struck its back left leg, and the beast roared in pain, the sound rumbling through the trees. The bear whipped around, its gaze fixed on Darian, fiery rage in its eyes as it started to charge toward him and Alaric at alarming speed.
Leo, meanwhile, was conjuring a massive water bow, nearly twelve feet high, with a ten-foot-long arrow shimmering with water and electricity. As he steadied his aim, the bear closed the distance between it and Darian. Sera and Mira quickly cast protective wards around the boys as the bear swung down with massive paws.
Just as the bear reached the ward, Leo released the lightning-charged arrow, and it sailed through the air, slamming into the bear's upper chest with a surge of energy. The bear was flung to the side, landing in a heap, its roar cut off as it fell. Darian and Alaric let out a sigh of relief, believing the battle was over.
They began to approach, but as they drew near, Leo felt something was wrong. The bear wasn't dead. Suddenly, it lunged, its massive paw swinging. Leo felt an immense force slam into him, sending him hurtling across the field. He crashed against a tree, barely conscious, seeing stars as he struggled to stay awake.
The bear, now glowing with a fiery aura, turned back toward the group, its eyes burning with anger and pain. Sera screamed, thinking Leo was gravely injured, while Mira rushed forward, slamming her hands into the earth to cast a powerful shield.
Darian, regaining his footing, fired a volley of ice spears at the bear's face while Alaric summoned walls of earth to slow its advance. But the bear seemed almost unstoppable, stomping through the barriers the bear charged in slamming into Darian.
As Darian flew through the air, his body crashed against a tree, leaving him momentarily stunned. The bear, enraged and wounded, locked its fiery gaze on Alaric, who could barely react before the bear lunged at him. In a swift, horrifying moment, its jaws closed over Alaric's arm, severing his hand. Alaric screamed, collapsing onto the ground and clutching his bleeding arm, trying to stem the flow.
Sera and Mira gasped, paralyzed for an instant as they watched the creature prepare to strike again It was inches from taking a bite when
its body went rigid, then fell limply to the ground. All eyes turned to Leo. Leo stumbled forward, eyes pitch black with wisps of dark energy surrounding him. A faintly glowing heart cradled in his hand, still surrounded by the strange gray aura. He looked around at his friends, barely able to speak, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and shock.
Sera and Mira immediately rushed to Alaric's side, channeling their healing magic as best they could to slow the bleeding. Darian pushed himself up, eyes wide as he processed what had happened, his gaze flickering between Leo and the fallen bear.
"What… just happened?" Darian asked, his voice a mix of awe and fear. As the shock settled in they gathered around the fire, the adrenaline slowly fading. Darian looked at Leo, awed and slightly shaken. "What happened, Leo? One second the bear was about to kill Alaric, and the next... you had its heart in your hand."
Leo looked at his friends, feeling the weight of what he had done. "I'm… not entirely sure," he began. "When I saw Alaric in danger, something inside me snapped. I felt this surge, a dark pull. All I remember is reaching for the bear's heart, and then… I just had it."
the full picture Leo's presence shifted. His eyes darkened, and a powerful, unfamiliar energy radiated from him, wreathing him in shadow. With a single, swift movement, he reached out as if grasping the air. Gray wisps curled around him, and in an instant, the bear staggered. As if under some unseen force, it collapsed to the ground, its roar dying out, and the life drained from its form. in his hand the bears heart.
After a much-needed rest, Leo showed the group how to cut and clean the bear, piecing together what he remembered from his father's teachings. Despite his limited experience, they managed to gather a good portion of the bear's pelt, meat, and claws. Unfortunately, the organs were damaged beyond salvage due to the way Leo had torn out the bear's heart, but they still had a significant amount of resources. They stored everything in their enchanted bags—each holding up to 40 cubic feet and preserving items up to twenty times longer than usual, a gift from the academy to aid in their survival.
With dusk approaching, the group decided it was best to hurry toward the mountain and find a safe place to set up camp before darkness fell. Weary but driven, they pushed through the remaining distance, and soon, the mountain loomed large in front of them, its base stretching across miles of their mapped area. After an hour of searching for a good shelter spot, they came across a cave entrance tucked into the mountain's side.
Darian eyed the dark opening, his mind still reeling from the earlier battle. He was worn out and injured, not in any shape to fight again. He signaled for the others to approach, motioning them to keep quiet. As they cautiously circled the entrance, they scanned for any signs of movement. Seeing nothing, Leo and Darian led the group inside, moving carefully down the narrow, winding passage until they reached a back wall about thirty feet in.
They exhaled in relief. The cave was empty.
Alaric, still weak and nursing the pain from his lost hand, leaned against the wall, finally allowing himself to relax. The group looked around, noticing bones scattered near the walls, indicating that it had been used as a den before. Leo focused his senses, feeling for any lingering magical energy. He looked back at his friends. "This was the bear's cave. It seems like he was the only one using it, so we should be safe here for the night."
Darian nodded, looking around. "This spot's perfect. We can set up ventilation, barricade the entrance, and keep a couple of fires going to stay warm."
Sera shivered at the thought of spending the night in an actual cave, but the protection it offered outweighed any discomfort. Mira helped Alaric settle in, then joined Sera in setting up a fire at the entrance. They gathered rocks to partially block the opening, making it easier to ward off any intruders and to conserve warmth.
As the night descended, the group sat in the soft glow of their fires, comforted by the cave's shelter. For the first time, they felt a strange mixture of exhaustion and accomplishment. They had fought, survived, and even found a base—however temporary—to regroup and gather their strength.