Seok-Hyun's PoV:
Like a daily ritual, I moved through the forest, my senses attuned to every shift in its living, breathing presence. The forest was a predator, always watching, always hungry. And I was its prisoner, or perhaps its ward—an uncertain guardian bound to its will.
Then I saw her.
A peculiar one, unlike the others who had stumbled into this place before. She didn't shudder in fear when our eyes met. Instead, she stood her ground, her gaze sharp, unyielding. She even dared to respond, her voice steady amidst the whispers of the forest.
The forest called to her, as it had once called to me. It was curious about her, just as I was.
Somewhere within, I found myself hoping she wouldn't return. That the forest wouldn't claim her as it did so many others. But here she was again, and this time she wasn't alone. She led them—an army that trampled the sacred earth with steel boots and reckless purpose.
I wondered what her goal was. Did she plan to burn the forest to the ground? Was she here to fight against the shadows that lurked within? Or was she after me, the so-called "divine beast"? Whatever her intentions, she had clearly underestimated everything.
The shadows couldn't be harmed. I wouldn't be tamed. And the forest… it would devour every one of them if given the chance.
The forest was alive. Every night, I felt its hunger gnawing at me, a constant reminder of its power. It wanted to consume me, too.
As I watched her from the shadows, I noticed she wasn't walking a straight path. She circled, weaving through the trees in deliberate patterns. Was she stalling for time? Delaying the inevitable? Waiting for something? I couldn't tell.
Despite all my power, I yearned for purpose. Something to make my existence more than survival.
So I decided to play her game. Whatever little scheme she was working on, I would unravel it. But first, chaos.
The king would lose his head. Let's see how she handles that.
*****
Lira's PoV:
The air was thick with tension as the soldiers rushed toward the lifeless body of King Marcus. Blood pooled at their feet, his severed head lying grotesquely on the forest floor. The chaos was instant, a cacophony of shouts, clanging armor, and panicked orders.
One man stepped forward, his presence commanding despite the disorder around him. His armor gleamed with gold trim, and his hand rested on the hilt of his blade as though it were an extension of himself.
"I am General Gard," he announced, his voice booming over the din. "And you", his eyes locked on mine, filled with fury and suspicion, "you are the murderer of our king".
The accusation struck like a whip, silencing the murmurs of the soldiers. Their gazes turned sharp and hostile, swords and spears shifting to point directly at me.
I remained still, calculating. "Think, General," I said, my voice steady despite the storm around me. "Why would I murder the king in the middle of this forest, surrounded by your men?"
"Silence!" he barked, taking a step forward. "You led us here. You delayed us, circling aimlessly for hours. And now, the king lies dead! If not you, then who? Who could have done this?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but the soldiers pressed in closer, their weapons glinting in the dim forest light.
"General Gard," I said evenly, "your king's death is a tragedy, but if you kill me now, you'll never know the truth of what's happening here."
Hoping I could bluff my way out.
"Truth?", he spat, his lips curling into a sneer. "The truth is clear. You are a traitor, and you will pay with your life!"
He raised his sword, the signal for the soldiers to strike.
But then, the forest answered.
The ground beneath us began to tremble, a low rumble that grew into a violent quake. Soldiers stumbled, some losing their footing as the earth itself seemed to come alive.
"What is this?" Gard shouted, his voice laced with panic.
Before anyone could react, the land itself turned against them. The soil shifted, opening wide chasms that swallowed soldiers whole. Screams filled the air as armored men were dragged under, their desperate hands clawing at the edges of the collapsing earth.
The trees joined the assault. Their branches, once still and silent, lashed out like serpents. Thick, gnarled limbs wrapped around soldiers, hoisting them into the air before crushing them with merciless force.
The forest was alive, and it was furious.
I stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold. My mind raced, searching for a way to survive this madness.
"Retreat!" Gard roared, his voice cracking under the weight of his fear. "Fall back! Fall back now!"
But there was no retreat. The forest gave no quarter, and the soldiers screams echoed through the trees like a macabre symphony.
Then , the shadows emerged from the depths of the forest, each claiming soldiers in their grasp. One rushed toward me, a formless terror that promised only death. But before it could reach me, Seok-Hyun appeared, standing like a wall between me and the encroaching darkness.
He stared at me, his gaze sharp and unyielding. My legs felt weak under the weight of his presence. The pressure was suffocating, and before I could process it, he spoke, his voice like a command etched into the air.
"Sit."
My body obeyed before my mind could resist, collapsing onto the ground as if his word alone had reshaped reality.
He tossed a sword at my feet. "Fight me," he said, his tone both a challenge and a decree. "Show me what you're capable of."
I blinked, confused. The sword glinted in the dim light, its edge catching the faint glow of the encroaching shadows. Instinct screamed at me—pick it up, or die.
With trembling hands, I grasped the sword and used it to push myself to my feet. My legs were unsteady, but I refused to fall again.
Seok-Hyun studied me, his expression unreadable. "You're a fool," he said, his voice low and measured. "Do you even know why you're here? The being who sent you and me to this cursed existence gave us gifts. Gifts you've barely begun to understand."
He raised his hand, and a shimmering barrier appeared around him, intricate and alive. As I stared, a rush of information flooded my mind—knowledge of the spell, its structure, its purpose. The sensation was overwhelming, like a torrent pouring into a fragile vessel.
"See it now?" he said. "You were meant to wander this world, to steal its secrets, to learn every fragment of knowledge and return to face me. A game for the amusement of that being. But you've wasted your time."
He stepped closer, his voice unrelenting. "It's late, but I'll make up for it. I'll teach you everything—every magic, every skill in existence. The being decreed that we clash, and I won't face an opponent who doesn't know the rules."
Seok-Hyun's words were relentless, but so was the storm of knowledge he unleashed upon me. My head pounded with each spell he demonstrated, each concept he forced into my mind. Barrier spells, elemental manipulation, ancient runes—they came at me in waves, each one threatening to crush my sanity.
I gritted my teeth, my grip tightening on the sword. The shadows swirled around us, a reminder of the chaos I was still embroiled in. My vision blurred, but I refused to fall. Somewhere in the haze of pain and power, I found a spark of resolve.
I opened my eyes wide, forcing myself to focus. Flames erupted along the blade of my sword, crackling with raw energy. A barrier coalesced around me, its edges shimmering with newfound strength. The knowledge burned in my mind, but I pushed through the pain.
With a roar, I lunged forward, swinging the flaming sword with all my might.
Seok-Hyun caught the blade with his bare hand, his expression calm, almost amused. His other hand continued tracing signs in the air, muttering incantations that sent fresh waves of knowledge crashing into me.
"Good," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Now keep going. Learn. Adapt. Survive."
The pain was unbearable, but I refused to stop. If this was the path I was meant to walk, I would see it through.