The group trudged forward, their legs feeling as heavy as steel. The fight had drained them, leaving their vision hazy and their movements sluggish. Every step felt like a battle against exhaustion, but stopping wasn’t an option.

  Trying to make small talk, Rain asked Diego in a pyful voice, "So, Captain, what’s the most dangerous type of forest?"

  Without hesitation, Diego answered, "Green."

  Rain raised a brow. "Green? You mean the normal forest? The one we’re in right now?"

  Diego nodded. "Yes. Green is the most dangerous because it covers the vast majority of the Forsakened Vale. Unlike the others, it gives no warning signs—no shifting colors, no clear indications of lurking threats. Many who came before us have testified that the green forests hide creatures far more dangerous than even the Guardsmen of the Withered Canopy."

  Chills ran down Rain's spine. The way Diego spoke, so certain and unwavering, made the ordinary green around them feel far more sinister.

  Rain gnced at the others and saw the unease settle in their expressions. Their shoulders tensed, eyes shifting warily to the trees around them. Diego’s words had sunk in deeper than he expected.

  'Man, I was just trying to lighten the mood,' Rain sighed internally. 'Guess I did the opposite.'

  He hadn’t thought much of the green forest before. It was just… normal. But now? Now, it felt suffocating. At least with the colored forests, they had some kind of warning. Here, danger could be lurking anywhere, completely unseen.

  'Great. Just what I needed—another reason to stay on edge.'

  Rolling his shoulders, he pushed the thought aside. 'No use dwelling on it. Just gotta keep moving.'

  Emily suddenly remembered something and gnced at the two men the group had saved earlier, "I almost forgot to ask, are you two from Bryan's group?"

  The two men exchanged a brief look before nodding in unison.

  "Yes," the younger one answered.

  Emily's gaze sharpened. "Then do you know where Bryan is?"

  Their expressions darkened. The younger man hesitated before clearing his throat. "We were with him when we escaped the Withered Canopy, but the Harrowstalkers split us up. The two of us have been running ever since. They eventually caught up, and we had no choice but to fight... that's when we ran into all of you."

  Diego crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "So the st time you saw Bryan, he was still alive?"

  The younger man hesitated before nodding. "Yes, but... those things were relentless. I don't know if—"

  Diego cut him off, his voice firm. "Then there's still a chance."

  Rain watched the exchange, his grip tightening around his weapon. 'Bryan's tough. If those things couldn’t kill him then, they won’t take him down that easily now.' Still, doubt gnawed at the back of his mind.

  Emily let out a slow breath, rubbing her temples. "Standing around won’t do us any good. We need to keep moving."

  No one argued. Without another word, they pressed on, the weight of uncertainty settling over them like a thick fog.

  They marched on, exhaustion weighing heavy on their bodies, but stopping wasn’t an option—not if they wanted to survive. As time passed, the sun dipped lower, its fading rays barely piercing through the thick fog above. Soon, the st remnants of daylight vanished, and evening settled in.

  Diego watched as the st traces of light faded through the fog, his expression unreadable. With nightfall approaching, he knew they couldn’t afford to keep moving in the dark.

  "We're stopping here for the night," he announced, his voice firm but calm.

  As everyone prepared to settle down, Rain gnced at Grayson and noticed the sadness in his eyes. He knew it was because of Bond’s death. Rain hadn’t known the two for even a day, but from what he had observed during their return to Diego’s party, they had been close friends.

  'Must be rough losing someone like that,' Rain thought, gripping his arm. He wanted to say something, anything, but what could he really say? Nothing would bring Bond back.

  'It’s better if I give him some space,' Rain thought, turning his gaze away.

  Emily ignited the fire with her essence, the flickering fmes casting a warm glow against the encroaching darkness. The others settled around it in a circle, their tired faces illuminated by the light as they silently took in the moment of respite.

  Rain could only hear silence. No one dared to speak after what had just happened. They had witnessed their comrades' deaths firsthand—how could they move on so easily?

  The weight of the moment pressed down on them, thick and suffocating. Rain shifted uncomfortably, feeling the tension settle like a heavy fog over the group.

  With a pyful tone, he broke the silence. "Man, I'm starving." He turned to the elderly man, forcing a grin. "Hey, Gramps, got any snacks in that bag of yours?"

  The elderly man smiled warmly. "Oh, of course. We've been saving it, after all." He hurriedly opened his bag and pulled out a wooden jar. "Here, have some pickles."

  Rain grinned, taking the jar without hesitation. "Don't mind if I do."

  As he hastily opened it, the sharp, tangy aroma hit his nose. Without a second thought, he grabbed a pickle and bit into it, nearly finishing half in one go. With an exaggerated smile and a hearty ugh, he decred, "Damn, this is delicious! Y'all should try some."

  The others simply stared at him, the weight of the day still pressing down on them. No one moved, no one spoke. The silence stretched—until Diego reached out and took one.

  Diego took the jar along with a pickle, biting into it with a satisfied nod. "You're right, this is delicious."

  He then turned to the man beside him, holding out the jar. "Do you want some?"

  The man hesitated for a moment before finally giving in. "Sure," he said, taking a pickle.

  Seeing this, the others followed suit, one by one asking Diego for some as well. The jar of pickles made its way around the circle, passing from hand to hand, until it was completely empty.

  The mood of the group shifted drastically. What had been a heavy, somber silence was now repced with wide grins and quiet chuckles. Rain’s little stunt had done its job—lifting their spirits, even if just for a moment.

  Even Grayson, who had been silent and withdrawn, now had a small grin on his face. The heaviness in his eyes hadn't vanished, but for the first time since Bond's death, he looked a little less burdened.

  Rain watched the scene unfold, a genuine smile creeping onto his face. Though his main goal had been to boost morale as a tactical move—strengthening the group's cohesion to increase his own chances of survival—he couldn’t deny that the warmth of the moment reached him too. Even if just for a little while, the weight of their struggles felt lighter.

  As the group's mood lifted, Rain saw an opportunity to keep the momentum going. With a casual grin, he asked, "So… what do you all wanna do once we get out of here?"

  The ughter faded, repced by a heavy silence. The question had struck deeper than Rain expected. After everything they'd been through, the idea of a future beyond just surviving felt almost unreal.

  For a while, no one spoke—until the younger man from Bryan’s group finally broke the silence. “I wanna be a farmer,” he said, his voice steady but distant. “I’ve always been good with animals.”

  His words hung in the air, a small but genuine spark of hope in the midst of uncertainty.

  Another man chimed in, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. “I want to be a researcher. There’s so much in this world we don’t understand… I’ve always wanted to uncover its secrets.”

  A woman joined in next, a soft smile on her lips. “I want to make clothing—something luxurious, far better than the rags I’m stuck wearing now.”

  Grayson smirked and leaned back slightly. “I’ll be sure to stop by your shop when we get out of here. I could use a wardrobe upgrade.”

  That was all it took—ughter rippled through the group, a much-needed break from the weight of survival.

  A man turned to Diego and asked, “How about you, Captain? What do you want to do when we get out of here?”

  Diego seemed caught off guard by the question, his usual composed demeanor flickering with surprise. He fell silent for a moment, thinking it over before finally answering, “I want to open a store.”

  Another man raised a brow. “A store? What are you pnning to sell?”

  Diego smirked. “I don’t know. Maybe a bit of everything—food, accessories, weapons. Whatever people need.”

  Emily crossed her arms, amused. “Then we’ll be sure to stop by whenever we need something.”

  A chuckle spread through the group, even Diego joining in. For a brief moment, the dangers of the forest felt a little further away.

  Diego gnced at Rain and asked, “How about you, Rain? What do you want to do when we’re out of here?”

  Rain blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Diego to be the one to ask, but he already knew his answer.

  “I want to be an adventurer,” Rain said without hesitation. His voice carried a rare certainty. “I want to travel the nds, see new pces, encounter strange creatures, and meet all kinds of people.” His violet eyes gleamed with determination.

  The group fell silent for a moment, taking in his words. Despite his age, there was something admirable about his ambition. He wasn’t just thinking about survival—he was thinking beyond it.

  Diego and the others couldn't help but admire Rain's determination. Despite being just a kid, he spoke with the conviction of someone who had already decided his path.

  Emily gave a small smile. "Well, if you survive this pce, I think you'll make a fine adventurer."

  The fire crackled between them, and for the first time in a while, the group felt a sense of hope.

  The elderly gentleman chimed in, "I wanna be an—"

  The group shared their experiences, their ambitions, and their dreams. For a moment, the weight of the forest was forgotten, repced by something warm and fleeting.

  The moment felt like an eternity, yet at the same time, it passed in the blink of an eye.

  Before long, the ughter faded, and one by one, the others drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally catching up to them.

  Now, only Rain and Diego remained awake, their gazes fixed on the dying embers of the fire.

  Rain gnced at Diego. "So, Captain, why a store? I don’t think you ever mentioned the reason."

  Diego met his gaze, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "For my mother. She’s always dreamed of having her own shop. Once we get everyone out of this forest, I’m gonna make that dream a reality."

  Rain raised a brow, caught off guard by the answer. He hadn’t expected something so personal.

  "Your mother, huh?" He murmured, watching the embers flicker. "She must mean a lot to you."

  Diego nodded, his smirk softening. "She does. She raised me on her own, worked herself to the bone to give me a decent life. If I can give her something back, even just a small shop, then everything she went through will be worth it."

  Rain leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "That’s a good reason," he admitted. "A lot better than mine."

  Diego chuckled. "Yours isn’t bad, kid. Living freely, seeing the world—that’s not a small dream."

  Rain smirked but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, but unlike you, I don’t have anyone to go back to. My mother got sick and passed not long after my father died." He let out a small sigh before shaking his head. "Guess I’ll just have to make my own pce in the world."

  Diego watched him for a moment before nodding. "Then make sure you survive this forest first."

  Rain grinned. "Obviously."

  Rain stared into the fire, its warm glow flickering across his face. "Thanks for pying along with my stunt, Captain," he said, his tone light but sincere.

  Diego let out a small breath, his gaze fixed on the fmes as well. "I should be the one thanking you," he replied. "You’re the one who lifted everyone’s spirits. I just followed your lead."

  Rain let out a small chuckle before making his way to a nearby tree, leaning back against its trunk. "Night, Captain," he said, closing his eyes with a satisfied sigh.

  Diego gnced at Rain as he settled against the tree, his arms crossed and eyes already drifting shut.

  "Goodnight, kid," Diego said, his voice quieter now, almost thoughtful.

  The fire crackled between them, its warmth pushing back against the cold grasp of the forest. For the first time in a while, despite everything, the night didn’t feel so suffocating.