Ryen hoisted Elara over his shoulder, Xan carried Nia, and he controlled the mud heap holding Jasper and Mina as they moved forward. But suddenly, a distant rumble echoed through the swamp, and a pack of Gravewakes emerged, slithering toward them from the shadows.
Jasper's muffled voice came from the mud heap, her tone tinged with fear. "Uh, guys…a horde of Gravewakes is heading right for us!"
The group looked back in horror as the pack moved swiftly through the swamp, their growls vibrating through the air.
As they sped through the swamp on Xan's makeshift mud raft, Jasper, stuck in the mud heap with only her head sticking out, shouted over the rushing sound of the swamp.
"Why the hell are we running? Just kill them! They're not that strong!"
Varek shot her an exasperated look, mud flying as they bounced over swampy terrain. "We're not running from those weaklings, genius. We're running from their pack leader!"
Jasper's face blanched, her bravado fading. "Wait—there's a leader?"
Xan, focused, muttered through gritted teeth, "Yeah, and it's probably pissed that we're hauling half its pack with us."
A low, ominous growl echoed from behind them, louder than before. The swamp shook as something massive began closing in, its silhouette casting an enormous shadow over the raft.
Varek, annoyance clear on his face, muttered, "We're not running from them, idiot. We're running from the pack leader."
Arin, struggling against his restraints, tried to speak but was silenced by the vines.
Xan quickly expanded the mud heap, creating a large, makeshift raft. The heap grew, lifting everyone onto a muddy platform. With his eyes glowing brown, he manipulated the swamp mud to slide them forward, boosting their speed as they rushed away from the incoming beasts.
Back in the observation room, the instructors, principal, Orion, and Regin stood, watching the orb with growing concern. Orion narrowed his eyes. "Is it just me, or do those metabeasts look far more aggressive than usual?"
Regin nodded, frowning. "I noticed the same. I thought maybe someone added an enchantment to make the game more…challenging."
The principal shook his head, worry in his voice. "I don't remember any instruction like that." He turned to Lyra. "Did you do something?"
Lyra shook her head. "No, and I doubt anyone else did either."
Kaelor's expression suddenly darkened, realization dawning on him. "Stop the test. It's…a Fallen."
Before he could say more, enormous, thorn-covered vines erupted from the ground, weaving over the entire forest like a massive dome. Dark crimson flowers, each the size of a human, bloomed along the vines, pulsing with a sinister light.
Inside the forest , students panicked as they stared at the massive thorny vines that had enveloped the forest in a dome-like cage. Everything darkened as if night had fallen, and eerie red flowers blossomed along the vines, casting a sinister glow that made the swamp as bright as daylight. Instead of the sky, all they saw above was a tangled mass of vines and flowers.
Varek, standing on the mud raft, looked up with a mixture of shock and irritation. "What the fuck is going on? Was this part of the game?"
Xan's face paled as he shook his head. "I…I don't think this is part of the game."
As the mud raft sped through the swamp, Elara and Nia suddenly stirred, blinking awake. Nia's eyes widened in horror as she realized she was trapped in a heap of mud, her face and clothes covered in muck.
"What the hell? Why am I covered in mud? Xan!" she screamed, her voice laced with fury.
Varek's irritated voice cut through her shouting. "Would you shut the fuck up and look behind you!"
Nia twisted around, and her face paled as she took in the sight: a swarm of Gravewakes racing toward them, with a monstrous shadow—a beast much larger than the others—lurking at the rear, moving swiftly through the swamp like a nightmare come to life.
Nia's voice quivered, all bravado gone. "Wh-what the fuck is that…?"
Suddenly, the mud raft lurched to a stop. Varek turned, confused. "Xan, why did you sto—"
Ryen interrupted, eyes wide with realization. "The beasts… they stopped too."
Xan's voice shook as he pointed to the shadowy figure standing calmly in front of them. "Who…who are you?"
Standing in their path was an old man draped in a black cloak, dark, twisted roots curling out from his back and trailing into the swamp around him. His face held a sorrowful expression, but his eyes glinted with a dangerous depth. The Gravewakes trembled in fear, scattering as the twisted roots by his side sprang to life, tearing through the creatures with merciless efficiency. The pack leader let out a final, agonized shriek as it, too, was ripped apart by the roots, leaving the swamp eerily silent.
The old man turned his mournful gaze on the students, his voice heavy with sadness. "You're strong, young man," he said, looking at Xan. "I am Stanford Henry. And you?"
Xan swallowed, still trembling. "X-Xander Ashvine," he managed, his voice unsteady.
The old man gave a faint, approving nod, his voice sorrowful as always. "A fine name, Xander. A fine name indeed…"
Arin, struggling against his restraints, was trying to say something.
Varek, frustrated, finally loosened the vines around Arin, who immediately shouted, "It's a Fallenion! We're facing a Fallenion!"
Stanford's eyes remained sad, but he lifted his hand in a smooth, almost gentle flick. A dreadful sound filled the air—grrronch-crunnnch—as massive thorned roots tore through the swamp, tearing apart the mud raft and flinging the students in all directions. They hit the ground hard, splashing mud everywhere, disoriented but unharmed.
Outside the massive vine dome that had now covered the Tidegrove Wilds, the instructors stood, tense and silent, as they took in the sight before them. The massive thorny vines formed an impenetrable barrier, thick with crimson flowers that pulsed ominously, as if alive.
Kaelor looked on with a guilty expression, muttering to himself, "How… how could I not sense this? Have I truly grown that old?"