Rain wiped the sweat from his forehead, still catching his breath. His muscles ached, but he forced himself to think. He turned to Diego, his voice hoarse but steady.

  "What the hell made that noise in the Withered Canopy?"

  Diego, though exhausted, remained standing. His expression was grim.

  "Those were most likely Guardsman," he said.

  Rain’s brow furrowed. "Guardsman?"

  Diego nodded. "They're gigantic creatures made of gray wood. Their eyes burn with a vibrant amber glow that cuts through the darkness. If one of them spots you…" He exhaled sharply. "It's over."

  Rain quickly absorbed the information before asking another question.

  "And what about those lions? Harrowstalkers, you called them?"

  Diego gave a slight nod. "They're smaller compared to normal lions, but don't underestimate them. A normal person wouldn't stand a chance against even one. Their speed, their ability to attack from a distance… it's a death sentence for anyone unprepared."

  He let out a slow breath, his expression darkening. "That's why I asked Bryan to keep the groups together." His voice carried a hint of frustration. "But it seems the forest had other pns."

  "So what do we do now?" Rain asked out of exhaustion

  Diego remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the forest ahead. Then, with a steady breath, he answered.

  "First, we regroup. If we're lucky, Bryan and Emily managed to gather some of the others."

  His tone was firm, but there was an edge of uncertainty. He didn't know how many had survived.

  Diego gnced at Rain. "After that, we move. Staying in one pce too long isn’t an option. The Forsakened Vale doesn’t let the lost stay lost—it devours them."

  "Okay but before that I have one st question." Rain asked, "Why did the trees turn gray,"

  Diego let out a slow breath before answering.

  "The Forsakened Vale isn’t just a forest—it’s a system, constantly shifting, constantly reacting." He gestured to the trees around them. "Everything here is connected. The creatures, the nd, even the trees themselves. They don’t just grow; they respond."

  He gnced at Rain, making sure he was paying attention. "The gray trees we saw? That wasn’t random. That was because of the Guardsmen. Wherever they go, the trees turn gray. They don’t eat, they don’t drink, but their presence drains the life from the forest. It’s a warning—when the trees wither, you run."

  Diego’s tone grew heavier. "And that’s just one of the many signs the forest gives. When the trees turn yellow—the Yellow Boon—it means a Nature’s Boon is nearby. It’s an unnatural burst of life, edible pnts, fruits, sometimes even fresh spring water. But it doesn’t st. A day or two, and it withers away."

  He continued, his voice steady but low. "Orange means the Hidden Growth. That’s when the Treants are nearby. They look like trees, but they aren’t. They can impale you with their roots before you even realize what happened."

  "Blue—the Forest of Vitality—signals a Spring of Vitality. If you drink from it, it restores everything: stamina, hunger, thirst. But it dries up in three days. And once it's gone, even the water you took from it will turn to nothing. The spring also act's as a safe zone as the water seems to repel the wooden beasts."

  Diego’s face darkened. "Then there’s white—the Ashen Canopy. If you see that, it means a swarm of Whiteflies is near. They look like fireflies, but they can strip a living thing to the bone in seconds."

  He paused, his voice growing quieter. "And then there’s the rumored red and bck. The Blood Vale and the Shadow Groves." Diego’s grip tightened on his sword. "No one knows what happens in those pces. No one even knows if they're real, but it's better to believe it and be cautious, No one comes back when they enter either of those two. The only exception was a mad man that could barely be trusted."

  He finally met Rain’s gaze. "The trees changing color isn’t just nature. It’s the forest speaking to us. And if you don’t listen..." His voice trailed off. "You won’t get a second chance."

  Rain could only respond dryly, "I see."

  Rain let out a slow breath, brushing the dirt off his clothes as he straightened up. His muscles ached, his body begged for rest, but as he gnced upward, he noticed the fog overhead had deepened, turning a murky shade that signaled the approach of evening.

  'Evening already?' His brows furrowed. 'I don’t even have time to rest this time.'

  His gaze shifted to the scattered remnants of their group, some still catching their breath, others tending to minor wounds. They were split up, vulnerable. No formations, no structured watch—just a handful of exhausted survivors thrown together by circumstance.

  As the group settled down, the tension in the air remained thick. Even after escaping the Withered Canopy, they knew they weren’t safe. Scattered, exhausted, and uncertain of what y ahead, they had no choice but to rest.

  Diego stepped forward, his red eyes scanning their surroundings before speaking. “I’ll keep watch.”

  Rain gnced at him, conflicted. He wanted to argue—Diego had fought just as much as he had, if not more. But at the same time, Rain knew his own limits. His body was heavy, his thoughts slow.

  ‘If I force myself to stay up again, I’ll be useless when something actually happens.’

  He disliked being a burden but if it was to survive he'd do it, so for now he had to rest.

  Without another word, Rain found a spot near a tree, sitting down and leaning against the rough bark. His grip on his dagger remained tight as his eyes drifted shut.

  ———

  Rain and the others woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of the leaves.

  "Nothing happened," Diego announced, looking over the small group. "We have to move now, the earlier the better."

  There was no time to rex. Without the others, they were vulnerable. The pn was simple—find the rest of the expedition.

  The search stretched on for three grueling days. Hunger gnawed at them, exhaustion settled deep in their bones, but they had no choice but to press forward. The Forsakened Vale was merciless. Every rustling leaf, every distant sound put them on edge, but no more Harrowstalkers came for them. That didn’t mean they weren’t being watched.

  Through the endless maze of towering trees and shifting terrain, they continued their search, hoping to find the others before the Vale cimed them for good.

  They barely found any food. Only through foraging did they manage to gather some berries for nourishment. Although most were inedible, they were lucky enough to find just enough to avoid fighting over dwindling resources.

  Rain stumbled upon a deer while they had split off to forage for more berries.

  'How lucky! If there's a deer here, this area is most likely safer than most.'

  Rain hesitated, eyes locked onto the deer as it grazed a short distance away. His stomach twisted painfully at the sight. Real food. Not just bitter berries or the scraps of dried rations they barely had left. If he could bring it down, it would be enough to keep them going for days.

  But if he chased it, he risked getting separated from the others.

  He gnced back in the direction of the group. They were already spread thin, barely managing to forage enough to survive. If he lost his way now, it could mean wasting energy he didn’t have or, worse—running into something far more dangerous than hunger.

  'Is it worth it?'

  His fingers curled around the hilt of his dagger, the only weapon he had left after abandoning his spear during their escape. His body ached, his mind was sluggish from exhaustion, and every part of him screamed for rest.

  But the deer was right there.

  His stomach let out a quiet growl.

  'Dammit… I can’t pass this up.'

  Gritting his teeth, he crouched lower and took a slow, measured step forward, careful not to snap any twigs beneath his feet. The deer flicked its ears but didn’t bolt. Another step. Then another. His breath was shallow, barely making a sound.

  Then, just as the deer raised its head, he moved.

  The chase began.

  Rain pushed himself forward, ignoring the dull ache in his legs. The deer was fast, its movements fluid as it weaved through the underbrush, but he kept on its trail. His grip on his dagger tightened. He just needed to get close enough—just one good strike.

  Then his foot caught on something.

  "Shit!"

  He barely had time to register the root before he was tumbling forward, his body hitting the ground with a hard thud. Leaves and dirt scattered around him as he groaned, pain fring in his hands and knees. He almost cursed himself for being so reckless, but there was no time.

  Shoving himself up, he spotted the deer again. It hadn’t gotten too far. He still had a chance.

  Rain took off again, closing the distance, dagger ready. He lined up his strike, his breathing steady despite the burn in his muscles. The deer hesitated for just a second.

  'Now!'

  Just as he was about to lunge, a brilliant burst of fire streaked through the air.

  The explosion sent him flying.

  A powerful shockwave threw him off bance, and the next thing he knew, he was crashing into the dirt, rolling a few meters before coming to a painful stop. His ears rang, and his vision swam for a moment. He y there, stunned, his body aching from the impact.

  The smell of something burnt filled the air.

  Blinking through the dust, he spotted the deer’s charred body lying motionless ahead of him, the once-lively creature reduced to nothing but a smoldering corpse.

  His mind reeled.

  'What the hell…? Who—'

  He pushed himself up, wincing as his sore muscles protested. Then he saw them.

  A small group stood among the trees, their figures silhouetted against the lingering embers of the bst. His eyes nded on one person in particur—the unmistakable orange hair, the brown robe.

  Emily.

  She lowered her hand, wisps of heat still rising from her fingertips.

  Rain, still groggy from the bst, could barely process what had just happened. His ears were still ringing, and his body ached from the impact, but through the haze, he could make out voices.

  "Captain Emily, that attack was too powerful," one of her group protested. "The deer might be inedible now!"

  Rain blinked, trying to steady himself as he sat up. 'Great. All that effort, and now it’s probably nothing but ash.'

  He turned his head toward the group, still feeling the lingering heat in the air from Emily’s spell. He could barely believe it—he nearly got himself killed chasing that damn deer, only for it to be bsted to hell right in front of him.

  Rain saw the deer and got closer, inspecting its body. Only the right part of its stomach was charred, and most of the damage was just to the skin. Emily had controlled the power of the bst enough to avoid burning the deer to a crisp.

  As he crouched beside it, still shaken, a voice cut through the air.

  "Who are you?"

  Emily's tone was sharp, cautious.

  Rain, still dizzy from the bst, could only respond half-heartedly, "A member of the expedition."

  Emily stepped closer, her palm aimed at Rain, ready to cast another spell at the slightest wrong move. Her eyes were sharp, scanning him for any sign of deception.

  Rain remained still, his body tense but unwilling to provoke her further. As she got a better look at his face, recognition flickered in her eyes.

  "You," she muttered, lowering her hand slightly. "You're one of the two that was with Diego during the meeting."

  Rain replied, "Yeah that's little old me alright, my name is Rain and you took my prey."

  Emily raised an eyebrow at his casual tone but didn’t lower her guard completely.

  "You were chasing it with just a dagger?" she asked, unimpressed.

  Rain sighed, brushing off some dirt from his clothes. "Didn’t have much of a choice. Food’s scarce, and I wasn’t about to let an opportunity slip away." He gnced at the deer and crossed his arms. "Not that it matters now—you took my prey."

  Emily brushed off his compints and asked, "Do you know where the others are?"

  Rain clicked his tongue, realizing she wasn’t going to entertain his compints.

  "If I did, I wouldn’t be out here chasing a deer with a dagger," he replied dryly. "But I do know where Diego and a few others are. We’ve been searching for the rest of you for three days."

  Emily lowered her hand slightly but kept her stance guarded. "So Bryan and the others—?"

  "No clue," Rain cut in. "We barely scraped by ourselves." He eyed her group. "What about you? How many of you made it?"

  Emily’s expression softened for a moment, the weight of her words clearly felt. "We lost most of them," she said quietly, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "They’re gone. I’m just trying to get the rest of us out of here in one piece."

  She looked around at her remaining group, her eyes hardening again. "So, we’re relying on you to get us to Diego and the others. Lead the way."

  Rain nodded, his frustration momentarily subdued by Emily's words. He could see the toll the journey had taken on her and her group, the exhaustion and loss in her eyes.

  "Alright," he said, his voice steady but carrying the weight of the situation. "I know where Diego and the others are. Follow me."

  But before leading the way Rain gnced at the deer, "You seem to be forgetting something."

  Emily furrowed her brow, gncing at the deer and then back at Rain. Her expression softened slightly, the weight of their situation evident on her face.

  "I suppose I did," she said, her tone acknowledging the oversight. "Alright, Grayson and Bond, carry the deer," Emily ordered, her voice sharp and commanding.

  Grayson let out an exaggerated sigh, clearly frustrated but too tired to argue. "Alright, Captain," he muttered under his breath.

  Bond, equally exhausted but with no room for resistance, just nodded in compliance as he hoisted the deer with Grayson.

  Emily then turned her attention back to Rain, who was already moving in the direction of where Diego and the others were. "Lead the way," she said, her tone still firm but tinged with the weariness of someone who had lost too much.

  Rain nodded and began walking, casting one st gnce at the group as they struggled with the deer.