The walk back to the camp was tense. The Spirit Fox trotted beside Ryn, its glow dimmed, a faint reminder of the bond pulsing between them. The silence of the forest pressed in on them, but Ryn's thoughts were louder than any sound.
"They knew how dangerous that thing was," Ryn muttered under his breath. His hand tightened around the hilt of his knife as he replayed the battle in his mind—the creature's jagged antlers, its unnatural strength, the suffocating presence of corruption that had clung to it like a second skin.
The fox chirped softly, glancing up at him.
"They didn't tell me the whole truth," Ryn said, his tone sharper. "And if they think I'm going to just let that slide, they're wrong."
The Spirit Fox let out a low growl, its tail swishing as it picked up its pace.
When they finally stepped into the clearing, the camp was much as they had left it. The fire still burned low, casting flickering shadows over the tents and crates. Bryn sat by the fire, sharpening his sword, while Mira and Jek stood nearby, talking in hushed tones.
The moment Ryn entered the camp, all three tamers turned to face him.
"Well?" Bryn asked, standing and resting his sword on his shoulder. "You're back in one piece. That's a good start."
Ryn's jaw tightened. "The beast is dead," he said flatly.
Mira arched an eyebrow. "You sound upset. What's the matter? Too much for you to handle?"
Ryn stepped forward, his hand still resting on his knife. "That wasn't a corrupted stag," he said, his voice low but steady. "It was something else. Bigger. Stronger. And you knew it."
The Spirit Fox growled softly, its glowing eyes fixed on the tamers.
Jek, the wiry man with the daggers, smirked. "So, you're tougher than you look. Good for you."
"That's not the point," Ryn snapped. "You sent me out there with half the story. If I hadn't been prepared, that thing would've killed me."
Bryn's expression hardened, and he stepped closer, his scarred face shadowed by the firelight. "You're still standing, aren't you?"
"Barely," Ryn said. "Why didn't you tell me what I was up against?"
Mira sighed, crossing her arms. "You don't get it, do you?" she said. "Out here, you don't have time to hesitate. If you're too scared to face what's in front of you, you're already dead."
"That's not an answer," Ryn said, his voice cold.
Bryn's eyes narrowed. "You're asking questions like you think you're in charge here. Let me remind you—you came to our camp, looking for help. If you can't handle the way we do things, you're free to leave."
Ryn held his ground, his grip tightening on his knife. "I'm not leaving until I get some answers. That beast—it wasn't just corrupted. It felt different, stronger. What's going on out here? What do you know about the corruption?"
The tamers exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.
Finally, Mira spoke, her tone softer but no less wary. "Look, kid, we don't have all the answers. What we do know is that the corruption is getting worse. Beasts that used to be easy to handle are turning into monsters. And it's not just the beasts—it's spreading to the land, the Codex, everything."
Jek nodded, his smirk fading. "We've seen things out here that shouldn't exist. Things that don't follow any rules—not the Codex, not the laws of nature, nothing."
Ryn frowned. "Like what?"
"Like that beast you just killed," Bryn said. "It wasn't the first, and it won't be the last. The corruption's mutating them, turning them into something else. Something worse."
Mira sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "We've been tracking the spread for weeks, trying to figure out where it's coming from. But every time we get close, something pushes us back. Shadows, corrupted beasts, even other tamers who've lost their minds."
Ryn's stomach twisted. "Other tamers?"
Jek nodded grimly. "Some of them couldn't handle it. The corruption got to their bonds, drove their beasts crazy—and dragged them down with it."
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, pressing against Ryn's leg.
Ryn exhaled slowly, his mind racing. The journal's warnings echoed in his thoughts. The Codex can't be trusted. Shadows and light. Two sides of the same coin.
"If you've been tracking the corruption," Ryn said, his tone sharper, "then why send me to deal with that thing alone? Why not take it on together?"
Bryn shrugged. "We needed to see what you were made of. If you couldn't handle one beast, you wouldn't survive the real fight."
"The real fight?" Ryn asked, narrowing his eyes.
Mira hesitated, her gaze flicking to Bryn and Jek.
"There's a rift," Bryn said finally, his voice low. "Not far from here. We think it's the source—or at least connected to it. But it's guarded. Whatever's protecting it is stronger than anything we've seen before."
Ryn frowned. "And you want me to help you deal with it?"
"Maybe," Bryn said. "Depends on whether you're actually as capable as you seem—or just lucky."
Ryn's jaw tightened. "I just risked my life for you, and you're still doubting me?"
Mira stepped forward, her tone firm. "Out here, trust has to be earned. You survived the beast—that's a start. But if you want to fight alongside us, you'll need to prove that you're not a liability."
Ryn glanced at the Spirit Fox, its glowing eyes reflecting the firelight. The bond pulsed faintly, a quiet reassurance that steadied his resolve.
"Fine," Ryn said, his voice steady. "But if I'm putting my life on the line for this, I want the whole story. No more half-truths."
Bryn smirked, though there was no humor in it. "Fair enough," he said. "But don't expect us to hold your hand. If you can't keep up, you're on your own."
Ryn exhaled slowly, his grip on his knife loosening. "I can keep up," he said.
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, its tail swishing as it stepped closer to him.
"Good," Mira said, her expression softening slightly. "Get some rest. You'll need it."
Ryn nodded, his mind still racing as he turned toward the edge of the camp.
As he sat down beside the Spirit Fox, the bond pulsed again, stronger this time. He could feel the fox's trust and determination, its quiet belief that they would face whatever came next together.
Ryn ruffled its fur, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "We'll figure this out," he said quietly. "One step at a time."
The fox chirped softly, curling up beside him as the firelight flickered in the distance.