Cal stepped under the first tree and felt the air change immediately. It was cooler here, heavy with the smell of damp earth and moss. The sharp scent of pine and wet leaves filled his nose.
They followed a faint path—more like old animal tracks than a proper trail. It twisted between thick, gnarled trees, then suddenly split in two.
An hour passed. Maybe more. Sweat dripped down Cal's forehead.
"Are we going the right way?" he asked, voice tight.
Cloud didn't slow. "We're heading north."
"North where?" He glanced around, eyes searching. "I don't see anything familiar."
She said nothing.
The trees grew thicker, pressing in on them. The light dimmed to a dull green glow. The rocky ground scraped at their boots. Then the path vanished completely. They climbed over twisted roots and dried-up creek beds, the earth rough beneath their feet.
The hill steepened, and Cal had to reach out, grabbing stones to steady himself.
He stopped, panting. "Cloud... I think we went the wrong way."
She paused a few steps ahead, staring up at the thick canopy.
"Maybe," she said quietly.
Cal blinked, surprised. "Maybe? I thought you said we should follow the stars!"
Cloud let out a slow breath. "We lost sight of them after dawn."
He looked up, but the thick leaves hid the sky, blocking out every star and cloud.
"So what now? You don't know?"
Her face stayed calm but unreadable. "We keep going."
"Where?"
No answer.
They walked on in silence. The sun climbed higher, heat wrapping around them like a heavy blanket. Cal's boots squelched in the soft mud. His legs ached from the climb.
At last, the slope flattened, and they stepped into a clearing filled with tall grass and ferns.
Cloud stopped, eyes narrowing.
"We've been here before," she said, voice low.
Cal blinked. "What?"
She pointed to a rotting log, marked with a deep gouge. "I made that mark. Hours ago."
A cold knot tightened in Cal's stomach.
"We're walking in circles."
Cloud said nothing.
Cal rubbed his forehead, frustration creeping in. "Great."
He sank onto a rock and peeled off his cloak, sweat sticking to his back.
Cloud scanned the clearing again, jaw tight.
"Rest's over," she said. "We move on."
Cal looked up, rubbing his temples. "Seriously? We just went in a circle."
"Then we find a new way."
He sighed and pulled on his cloak. "Alright, boss."
They turned east—maybe. Without sun or stars, it was hard to tell. The forest thickened again, swallowing sound and twisting the light. The air was heavier, wetter, smelling of decay.
Time stretched, slow and empty.
Then Cloud raised a hand, stopping abruptly.
"What?" Cal whispered.
She pointed ahead.
Through the thick bushes, a pale shape peeked out.
They pushed through ferns and thorny branches until the clearing opened—and the smell hit them hard.
Rot. Old blood. Mold.
Bones.
Not animal bones.
A ruined camp lay before them. Tents shredded and eaten by time. Rusted pots and broken arrows. Scattered bodies—long dead, torn apart.
Skeletons in broken armor. Rotted boots. Dark stains dried on the ground.
Cloud crouched beside one skeleton, quiet. She reached under its ribs and pulled out a rolled piece of yellowed paper.
She unrolled it carefully. A map—old, faded, stained.
"Hmm," she murmured, eyes scanning the marks.
Cal stepped closer, heart pounding. He leaned over her shoulder.
The map showed rivers, hills, strange symbols—and a small yellow dot near the center. Cloud tapped it gently.
"This is where we are."
Cal frowned. "Wait... that's us?"
She nodded.
He studied the map again. The forest edge was far behind them. The town Ahen was marked near the border, and the capital, Pristan, was way up in the corner.
"Why are we this deep?" Cal said quietly. "We weren't supposed to go this far."
Cloud's finger traced a thin red line along the map.
Then she saw two words written near their spot:
"Mana Beast Forest."
She said it slowly. "Mana Beast Forest."
Cal blinked, uneasy. "What?"
She looked serious now. "We got turned around. We didn't go north."
"So where?"
She tapped the forest on the map.
"Here. Mana Beast Forest. Dangerous place. Wild magic everywhere. Creatures that hunt you even if you're armed. Most people never come close."
Cal's eyes flicked to the bones lying nearby.
The rusted weapons and tattered cloth fluttered in the breeze.
Suddenly, a movement caught his eye near the bushes.
Before he could react, a creature leapt out. Its rough scales shimmered dull blue—the same kind of lesser mana beast the book warned about.
It snarled, showing jagged teeth. About the size of a large dog, but its eyes burned with wild magic.
Cloud didn't hesitate. She drew her sword in one smooth motion. The blade hummed softly, alive.
With a swift slice, she cut the beast's neck. It fell, twitching once before going still.
Cal blinked. "That was fast."
Cloud wiped her blade on the grass. "They're weak alone. But they come in packs."
Before she finished, three more beasts burst out, eyes glowing red. They attacked together—fast and sharp.
Cloud spun, blocking one with her sword, stopping another's claws with the flat side of the blade. She slashed again and again, cutting them down one by one.
Cal barely dodged a swipe that grazed his shoulder. His cloak tore and the skin stung sharply.
He cursed, clutching the cut. "They're faster than I thought."
Cloud glanced at his wound. "It's small. Keep your guard up."
As the last beast fell, Cloud suddenly jerked her hand back. She hissed and looked at it.
A thin line of blood trickled from a tiny claw nick.
Cal's eyes widened. "You're hurt?"
She glanced at her hand, then clenched it quickly to stop the bleeding. "Nothing. Just a scratch."
Cal frowned but didn't push. He pulled out a cloth and gently cleaned the cut, careful not to hurt her.
"You need to keep it clean. Could get infected."