A hulking black bear prowled silently through the Mist Forest, sniffing the damp air.
It had caught a faint whiff of prey earlier, but the scent had somehow vanished.
For a bear with mana detection, this was unusual—it could typically trace its prey for miles.
Every living thing in the Mist Forest had some trace of mana, from the smallest plants to the largest beasts, and nothing usually escaped its senses.
After another fruitless sniff, the bear paused, its shoulders relaxing. Maybe it had just been a trick of the mist, it thought, and it let out a small grunt as it dropped its guard.
Eclipse, hidden beneath a low-branched shrub, let out a slow, measured breath of relief.
He'd barely escaped detection, despite the bear's uncanny tracking ability.
Thanks to his weak mana presence, his aura was no stronger than an ant's in this mana-saturated forest, making him practically invisible to the bear's senses.
Lucky for me, he thought, keeping one eye on the bear as it lumbered away.
Once the bear was gone, Eclipse crept forward, his eyes set on a patch of silverroot growing at the base of a nearby tree.
He approached it carefully, taking a small knife from his belt.
The silverroot was vibrant and crystalline, with silver-blue tendrils that twisted delicately around the roots of the tree.
Its texture was cool to the touch, almost glass-like, and as Eclipse cut through the stem, a faint shimmer of mana pulsed through it like a heartbeat.
The energy was faint but steady, promising revitalization to whoever consumed it.
Eclipse wrapped the herb in a cloth and tucked it into his satchel, tying it securely so it wouldn't be crushed.
He looked around, listening carefully to the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant cries of nocturnal creatures.
The forest was dense and eerily still, broken only by the occasional sigh of wind through the trees.
He'd left Seraphine hours ago, which meant he'd have to fend off any potential threats alone, but thankfully, hiding had worked well so far.
As he pushed deeper into the forest, a stray thought drifted to Seraphine. I wonder if she's found her way yet.
She had a notoriously poor sense of direction, but she was skilled enough to survive, and according to the game's events, she would eventually find her way to the main fight.
And that main fight was about to start soon—an unavoidable clash.
Eclipse stopped in his tracks, glancing at the darkening sky through the canopy of twisted branches.
"It's almost that time…" he muttered, gripping his satchel tightly. "I'd better keep moving. The farther I am from that chaos, the better."
________
Seraphine was sitting on a fallen log, chewing on a piece of the meat Eclipse had left for her.
The meat, though basic, was surprisingly tasty, and she'd eaten her fill, savoring it more than she'd expected.
Little did she know, however, that her face was now smudged with streaks of grease and dirt.
As she looked up, she froze, catching sight of a figure watching her from the shadows.
It was Silva, Eclipse's maid.
The woman stood with a calm, unreadable expression, her eyes taking in Seraphine's disheveled appearance.
Seraphine's cheeks turned bright red, and she hurriedly tried to hide the half-eaten bundle of meat behind her, coughing in a feeble attempt to regain her dignity.
"H-Hey," she managed to say, standing up quickly.
"Good afternoon, Miss Seraphine," Silva replied, bowing respectfully.
She was all poise and elegance, despite the mud and dirt of the forest, and her bow was one of practiced grace.
"Forgive my intrusion. I was simply curious if you had, by any chance, seen my master."
Seraphine's face grew redder as she continued chewing, attempting to finish her food without looking too undignified.
She finally swallowed, thumping her chest a few times to clear her throat, and stood up straighter.
"Yes, yes, I've seen Eclipse," she said, pointing vaguely back in the direction she had come from. "He's headed south, for some reason."
"I see. Thank you, Miss Seraphine," Silva nodded, her gaze flicking down to the hidden bundle behind Seraphine. "Then, if you'll excuse me…"
Just as Silva turned to go, Seraphine stepped forward, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "W-Wait… I have a question. About Eclipse…"
Silva paused, her expression patient but slightly guarded. "If it is quick, Miss Seraphine. My master may require my assistance soon."
Seraphine's gaze dropped slightly, a bit unsure. "Does Eclipse… cook? I mean, he actually prepared food for himself?"
Silva's eyes flashed with a faint surprise, but her expression remained neutral.
"I have never seen him do such a thing." Her eyes shifted to the bundle Seraphine was holding, an eyebrow arched slightly. "Did my master cook… for you?"
Seraphine fidgeted, trying to hide the bundle further behind her.
"It—it's just a reward! For helping him fend off monsters. Nothing more," she said defensively, though her voice lacked conviction.
"You two traveled together?" Silva inquired, a polite smile on her lips that held a trace of something else, something almost… amused?
"N-No!" Seraphine blurted, her face flushed. "It was purely accidental. I'd rather be alone!" she insisted, but Silva's expression remained calm and nonjudgmental.
Just then, a low rumbling shook the ground beneath their feet.
The two women exchanged looks, their expressions turning serious.
The tremor was faint, but it was unmistakable—the ground itself was vibrating with distant power, signaling something massive moving through the forest.
"It seems we're running out of time," Silva said, her expression calculating as her hand instinctively rested on a hidden dagger at her side.
Seraphine nodded, her face suddenly tense. "Yes… I think we'd better hurry. This forest is about to get dangerous."
The two regarded each other for a moment, a silent acknowledgment of shared urgency passing between them.
Silva said her farewell with a respectful nod, her gaze lingering just a moment longer on the direction she was heading.
Seraphine gave her a brief, awkward nod in return, shifting the bundle of meat to her other hand.
With that, they moved past each other, each going their separate ways. Silva's steps were calm and measured as she moved southward, her expression thoughtful, her mind drifting back to her mission.
I'll do it before the trial ended.
And then, as she moved further into the shadows, a flicker of cold resolve crossed her face
Behind her, Seraphine continued north, clutching the bundle Eclipse had left her, her mind swirling with questions.