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The beast crept closer, its red eyes gleaming with a fierce hunger that pierced the shadows around them. Liana's breath came in shallow, desperate gasps as she watched its every move, her heart hammering in her chest, the weight of her trapped ankle grounding her. The thorny vine dug deeper into her skin with every tiny movement, anchoring her to the spot as if nature itself had conspired against her.
For a fleeting moment, she closed her eyes. Amidst the panic and the adrenaline, she forced herself to find a sliver of calm. She breathed in deeply, centering herself. When her eyes reopened, a fierce determination burned within them, a brilliant blue light flaring up like the depths of a raging ocean. She was ready. She would face this beast—if she was going down, she would do it on her own terms.
But before she could summon her courage into action, she froze. Figures appeared in her line of sight, four shadowed forms cutting through the trees toward her. Jax was leading the way, his face set in a hard, determined expression. Behind him were the three other boys from her group: Aidan, a lean, wiry youth with a focused gaze; Bryson, a stocky figure with sandy hair; and Lysander, a tall, quiet boy with an air of composure.
A strange mix of emotions surged through Liana as she took in the sight of them. She'd spent so much energy plotting her escape from these very people, but now, seeing them here, a wave of unexpected relief washed over her. Even as a part of her hesitated—unsure whether to laugh, cry, or yell at them—she felt a weight lift off her chest. The fatigue she'd been suppressing settled over her in a heavy wave, and she almost felt her legs give way.
The boys didn't spare her a second glance as they raced toward the beast, each of them brandishing weapons suited to support their magic. The academy had issued them weapons that could act as conduits for their water-based abilities, allowing them to focus their novice-level magic into something more tangible in combat. Aidan held a pair of sleek, steel gauntlets, each one laced with rivulets of sapphire-colored metal designed to channel his power. Bryson wielded a short staff, a crystal embedded at the tip that shimmered with a faint blue glow. Lysander gripped a long, slender spear with a water-filled core, which pulsed faintly as he moved, resonating with his energy. And Jax, ever bold, clutched a single, curved blade with a serrated edge that seemed to shimmer in the light, as if water itself coated the blade.
The beast roared, sensing the challenge. It bared its fangs, smoke curling from its nostrils, and leaped forward with startling speed, its claws extended toward them. Jax was the first to move, rushing forward and slashing his blade in a swift arc. A thin wave of water burst from the blade's edge, striking the beast and making it reel back, snarling in anger. Aidan followed, his gauntlet-covered fists crackling with energy as he closed the gap, landing a blow to the beast's side with a burst of water-infused force.
Liana watched in awe and anxiety as the fight unfolded. The boys were still in the intermediate novice stage, struggling to control their powers with the level of precision that seasoned mages possessed. Their attacks, though fierce and well-aimed, lacked consistency and finesse. Aidan's strikes sent bursts of water in every direction, splashing across the forest floor as he grappled with the beast. Bryson was concentrating intently, aiming beams of water energy from his staff, but the beams wavered and flickered, occasionally misfiring.
Despite their struggles, the boys fought with a relentless determination. Jax circled the beast, feinting with his blade and darting in with quick, decisive slashes that forced it to divide its attention. Lysander, his spear crackling with energy, moved with a quiet intensity, positioning himself strategically to strike at the beast's vulnerable spots. Each thrust of his spear sent a concentrated stream of water surging toward the creature, keeping it on edge.
The beast, however, was no easy opponent. It twisted and lunged with a ferocity that belied its injuries, its red eyes blazing with anger and desperation. At one point, it turned its attention fully to Bryson, its claws slashing toward him with terrifying speed. Bryson barely managed to raise his staff in time, a burst of water energy exploding from the crystal and forcing the beast back, though the recoil sent him staggering.
As the battle raged on, the boys seemed to find a rhythm, learning to compensate for one another's weaknesses. Jax, with his aggressive, fast-paced strikes, drew the beast's attention, while Aidan and Lysander flanked it, aiming blows at its sides to weaken it further. Bryson, though less agile, focused on disrupting the creature's movements with bursts of water that slowed it down.
Just as the beast prepared to leap again, Jax yelled, "Now!" and the four of them struck in unison. Jax slashed across the beast's flank, a wave of water bursting from his blade and searing into its fur. Aidan delivered a powerful blow to its hind leg, sending it skidding backward, while Lysander thrust his spear forward, piercing the beast's shoulder in a surge of energy. Bryson finished with a blast of water from his staff, hitting the creature squarely in the chest and knocking it back several feet.
The beast stumbled, its glowing red eyes flickering, its breath coming in ragged gasps. For a moment, it seemed as though it might recover, its claws digging into the soil as it attempted to rise. But then, with a low, agonized growl, it collapsed, its body slumping lifelessly to the ground.
The four boys stood still, their chests heaving as they took in the sight of their fallen foe, sweat and dirt streaking their faces. Relief flooded over them, mingling with the exhaustion that weighed on their limbs. They had done it. Against all odds, they had defeated a creature far stronger than any of them individually.
Jax was the first to break the silence, his voice laced with a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion. "Good work, everyone," he said, though his eyes flickered over to Liana, a hint of concern creeping into his gaze.
The others turned, following his line of sight, and their expressions shifted from relief to alarm as they saw Liana. She was slumped against the tree, her face pale, her breathing shallow. The fatigue of her ordeal had finally caught up to her, and her body had surrendered to the exhaustion and the lingering effects of the panic and pain she'd endured.
Aidan moved forward, his brow creased with worry as he crouched beside her. "She's passed out," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the forest around them. "Looks like the stress got to her… Can't blame her after all that."
Bryson and Lysander exchanged glances, their earlier bravado giving way to a somber silence as they took in her state. The fight had been a trial for all of them, but Liana had faced the beast alone, with no backup, her courage tested in a way they could only imagine. The thorny vine around her ankle was stained with blood, its sharp thorns a grim reminder of the dangers she had braved.
Jax stood over her, his face unreadable as he looked down at her unconscious form. He knelt beside her, reaching out a hand to brush a strand of hair from her face. "She's tougher than she looks," he murmured, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He gently removed the vines wrapped around her leg and told Bryson to go recover the beast's core.
With gentle care, they lifted her onto the carrier that they made for her
And as they made their way back through the forest, the silence that settled over them was not one of defeat or fear, but of shared victory and newfound respect for the strength and resilience that had brought them through the battle together.
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