As the faint rays of light pierced through the fog, the camp stirred to life. People groggily pulled themselves up, stretching sore limbs and shaking off the st remnants of sleep. The cold morning air was thick with quiet murmurs and the rustling of supplies being packed.

  Rain sighed, rolling his shoulders as he stood. His body ached from the sleepless night, but there was no time to dwell on it. They had to move.

  Diego was already up, fastening his sword to his waist as he surveyed the group. His usual calm expression remained unchanged, as if the conversation from st night had never happened.

  Nearby, Emily tightened the straps on her pack, checking her belongings. Bryan stood a short distance away, arms crossed, his broad figure cutting an imposing silhouette in the mist. His sharp eyes swept over the camp, ensuring everyone was ready.

  Then, his deep voice cut through the morning haze.

  "Enough dragging your feet. We’re moving out."

  The quiet chatter died instantly as the group snapped to attention, hurriedly finishing their preparations.

  Without further dey, the expedition pressed forward once more into the depths of the Forsakened Vale.

  Rain was more observant now, more aware. He had to be.

  After staying up all night on watch, he knew he’d be one of the first to sleep when they stopped to rest again. That meant he had to make the most of the time he was awake—memorize the terrain, watch the others, and stay alert for any signs of danger.

  With that in mind, he pressed forward, his senses sharp as the expedition moved deeper into the Forsakened Vale.

  'We're being watched.'

  Rain didn't need to see anything to know—it was a feeling, a weight pressing down on him, crawling up his spine. His instincts screamed at him, the same way they did st night.

  He gnced at Diego. The man showed no reaction, his expression as calm as ever, but Rain knew better. Diego had noticed too.

  'So, I’m not imagining it… Then the real question is, why aren’t they attacking? Are they waiting for something? Testing us?'

  Rain tightened his grip on his spear, forcing himself to stay composed.

  'No sudden moves. Just stay sharp and be ready.'

  The group continued forward for a couple more minutes until suddenly, the leaves turned gray, confusion rippled through the expedition.

  People halted mid-step, eyes darting up at the sudden change in color. The once-green canopy above had drained into a lifeless gray, casting an eerie, muted light over the forest floor. The air grew heavy, thick with something unspoken yet deeply wrong.

  Emily was the first to react.

  "Everyone scatter!" Her voice was sharp, urgent.

  A wave of uncertainty swept through the group. Murmurs of confusion broke out.

  "What? Scatter? Why?"

  "What's happening?"

  Diego’s voice cut through their hesitation. "Run! Head in any direction until the trees turn green again! Do not turn back!"

  Bryan's deep, commanding tone followed. "Move! Now!"

  Still, many hesitated. This wasn’t an ambush. There were no sounds of approaching enemies, no visible threats—just the unnatural shift in the forest.

  "Why are we running?!" someone shouted.

  "What's wrong with the trees?!" another called out.

  Then the forest answered.

  A deep, groaning creak reverberated through the trees, like the entire forest was shifting, waking. It was slow, deliberate—unnatural.

  That was all it took.

  Panic set in.

  The hesitation shattered, repced by sheer survival instinct.

  They ran.

  Rain ran as fast as he could his thoughts were a tangled mess, but one thing was clear—this wasn’t normal.

  'What the hell is happening?!'

  The ground felt unstable beneath his feet, they were shaking, the trees around him warping in the thick fog. Every breath he took felt heavier, like the very air was pressing down on him.

  As he sprinted forward, his eyes caught movement ahead—a small group, running just as desperately as he was. His heart skipped when he recognized one of them.

  Diego.

  Even in the chaos, the man moved with purpose, his white hair stark against the dull, gray surroundings. He wasn’t panicked, but his eyes were sharp, scanning their surroundings like he was expecting something worse to come.

  Rain didn’t hesitate. He pushed himself harder, closing the distance.

  If Diego was still alive, then sticking with him might be the best chance at surviving this nightmare.

  As Rain got closer to the group, Diego recognized him.

  "Keep running, don't look back."

  Rain was still confused on why they had to scatter, there were no apparent threats to be seen and it was only easier to hunt them down now that they have dispersed, especially by the ones that were watching them earlier.

  'Were the trees turning gray a sign of danger?'

  As they ran, Rain forced himself to steady his breathing. The confusion still swirled in his mind, but he needed answers.

  He moved closer to Diego, just enough so he wouldn’t have to waste breath shouting.

  "Captain!" Rain called between breaths. "Why did we have to run?!"

  Diego didn’t gnce at him, his focus locked ahead. But after a brief moment, he responded, his tone calm despite their situation.

  "The trees turning gray is a warning," Diego said. "It means something worse is coming."

  Rain’s stomach tightened.

  "Worse than the Forsakened? Worse than the ones watching us earlier?"

  Diego exhaled sharply, almost like a bitter ugh.

  "You don’t want to find out."

  They kept running, the eerie silence of the gray-leaved trees pressing down on them.

  Then—something dropped from above.

  A wooden lion, about the size of a rge dog, nded in their path. Its body looked like it was made of bark, its mane a mess of green leaves. It had six limbs—four at the front, two at the back—giving it an unnatural look.

  Its glowing amber eyes locked onto Rain.

  Then it lunged.

  Rain barely had time to react before Diego stepped in, his sword fshing as he blocked the attack. The impact sent a dull thud through the air, the creature skidding back slightly from the force.

  Diego didn’t lower his guard. "Stay sharp," he muttered. "It’s not alone."

  Diego, his breath heavy with exertion, shouted, "Keep running!"

  More of the wooden lions dropped from the canopy, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds. The group didn’t stop—there was no time to fight, only to escape.

  Rain ran as fast as he could, his legs burning. The sounds of cws scraping against the earth and branches rustling above sent chills down his spine.

  Then, the beasts attacked.

  The two limbs at their backs suddenly stretched unnaturally, turning into long, spear-like skewers. With sharp, jerking motions, they thrust their elongated limbs forward, aiming to pierce their fleeing prey.

  Rain barely dodged as one of the skewers shot past him, stabbing into the ground with a solid thunk. He gritted his teeth, pushing himself harder.

  Diego, running near the back, had no choice but to fend off the attacks. A wooden lion lunged, its front legs swiping while its back limbs shot forward like spears. He twisted his body mid-stride, his sword deflecting one of the skewers while narrowly avoiding the other.

  Another came from the side. Diego ducked, the sharp limb grazing his shoulder guard, leaving a deep scratch on the metal. He didn’t stop moving.

  Each strike forced him to parry, sidestep, or deflect, his stamina draining with every second. But despite the overwhelming attacks, he refused to fall behind.

  He just had to st long enough to escape the gray-leaved trees.

  As one of the lions lunged, its sharpened limb shooting toward Diego, Rain reacted without thinking. He intercepted the attack, his spear cshing against the wooden skewer just in time. With a swift thrust, he drove the weapon through the creature’s head. The beast staggered, colpsing to the ground before crumbling into a pile of lifeless wood.

  Rain didn’t stop. He had no time to retrieve his spear—he just kept running.

  "Are these the ones that were following us earlier?" he asked between breaths.

  "Yes they're the Harrowstalkers," Diego answered without hesitation.

  Rain’s chest tightened. These things weren’t just mindless beasts—they had been waiting. Watching. The moment the group scattered, they struck, isoting their prey before picking them off.

  His grip on his dagger tightened. "Can’t we just kill them now? It looks like they split up to hunt the others too."

  "No!" Diego snapped, his tone firm. "We don’t have time. We have to escape the Withered Canopy first." He quickly added, "We fend them off while running—if we stop to fight, something worse might find us."

  Two more lions darted toward them, their limbs extending like spears, aiming to skewer them mid-stride.

  Rain barely managed to sidestep one of the attacks, feeling the sharp wooden limb graze past his arm. Diego, without breaking his stride, raised his free hand.

  A faint green glow pulsed around him.

  With a sharp motion, he unleashed a burst of energy. A streak of essence shot forward, smming into one of the lions. The creature let out a guttural noise before its body splintered apart, crumbling into lifeless wood.

  Rain stole a quick gnce at Diego, who was already repositioning his grip on his sword. He was still running, but Rain could tell—using essence like that while moving wasn’t easy.

  One lion remained, still pressing its attack.

  The st lion lunged at Rain, its wooden limbs stretched wide, ready to pin him down.

  Rain barely had a second to react. His hand shot to his belt, gripping his dagger.

  Just as the beast was about to crash into him, he twisted his body and drove the bde straight into its head. The impact sent a jolt up his arm, but the result was instant—the creature’s body seized mid-air before colpsing into a heap of lifeless wood at his feet.

  Rain didn’t waste a moment. He yanked his dagger free and kept running. There was no time to slow down.

  The ground trembled beneath their feet, each shake like the heavy steps of something massive moving through the forest.

  Then came the screams.

  Ear-piercing and raw, they echoed through the trees—cries of pain, terror, and desperation. Their allies were being sughtered.

  But worse than the screams was the sound that followed.

  A deep, eerie vibration spread through the air, like the roar of an ocean crashing against jagged cliffs, yet yered with the unsettling chime of a bell ringing through the Vale. It pulsed through their bodies, rattling their bones, making their instincts scream at them to flee.

  Rain’s breath caught in his throat. Whatever was out there… it was something far worse than the lions.

  It felt like an eternity.

  No one in the group spoke. No one dared to. Every ounce of their strength was poured into running—escaping the Withered Canopy before whatever lurked within caught up to them.

  Their lungs burned, their legs ached, but they didn’t stop. Not until the gray leaves above them began to shift—slowly, then all at once—back to a familiar, vibrant green.

  For a moment, there was silence.

  Then, a collective sigh of relief washed over them. Some colpsed to their knees, gasping for air. Others clung to each other, shaking. A few even cried.

  They had made it out.