Chapter 51 – The Extraction Point

  A deep, resonant voice boomed across the forest, cutting through the rustling leaves and the distant murmurs of wildlife. It wasn’t just loud, it seemed to vibrate through the very air, unsettling the stillness that had settled over the wilderness.

  “Attention participants. The extraction point is now open. Your objective is to reach the highest point in the forest. The first teams to arrive will secure their place in the next phase.”

  The voice echoed, bouncing between the towering trees, rolling over the dense canopy before fading into the distance.

  For a moment, the forest paused.

  The insects, which had been humming in a constant, rhythmic drone, quieted. The leaves ceased their restless rustling. Even the wind hesitated, as if listening.

  Kaelin, perched comfortably on a thick branch, let out a slow, unimpressed breath.

  “Well, that’s one way to ruin the ambiance.”

  She glanced down at the forest floor far below. The rich scent of damp moss, wild earth, and pine needles filled her lungs, grounding her in the moment. She had spent the last day moving through this place, navigating its tangle of undergrowth and high-reaching branches. It was quiet, untamed, a place ruled by the natural order.

  And now?

  Now, it was about to become a battlefield.

  The silence didn’t last.

  Somewhere in the distance, leaves rustled as unseen figures began to move. A twig snapped. A startled bird burst from the underbrush, wings flapping furiously as it vanished into the sky.

  Then, the real noise started.

  Shouts. Footsteps. The dull thud of hurried movements.

  The other students were mobilizing.

  Kaelin’s lips curled into a smirk. Time to go.

  She shifted her stance, adjusting her footing before springing forward. Her body twisted mid-air, limbs instinctively adjusting to control her descent. A heartbeat later, she caught another branch, fingers grazing the rough bark as she pushed off again.

  She moved fast, weaving through the canopy, each leap precise and controlled. The wind rushed past her ears, a sharp, cool contrast to the lingering warmth of the sun-dappled leaves. Shafts of golden light pierced through the gaps in the foliage, illuminating specks of dust floating lazily in the air.

  The forest stretched endlessly below her.

  She caught glimpses of movement in the shadows, other teams shifting through the undergrowth, figures darting between trees.

  But she wasn’t interested in them.

  Her focus was set on one thing.

  Kana.

  She needed to get back to their base.

  Not because she was worried. Not exactly. Kana was capable. Tough, sharp, and far from helpless.

  But Kaelin had a feeling that things were about to get messy.

  And if there was one thing she had learned in her time at the academy, it was that being alone in the middle of chaos was a surefire way to get yourself taken out.

  A flicker of movement below caught her eye.

  Kaelin’s gaze sharpened as she slowed, crouching low on a branch. Through the shifting leaves, she saw a group of students already locked in battle.

  It was a full-blown clash.

  Magic crackled in the air, vines lashed out from the ground, a shimmering barrier flickered, and a streak of fire shot through the air before dissipating against the damp earth. The air buzzed with energy, thick and tense.

  A student wielding a massive war hammer swung in a wide arc, the metal head glinting in the fragmented sunlight. The sheer force behind the attack sent dirt and leaves flying as it barely missed its target.

  Kaelin’s grip on the branch tightened.

  She scanned the fight quickly, her eyes flickering between the combatants. No sign of Kana.

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  Good.

  Hopefully, she hadn’t been dragged into something like that.

  Kaelin didn’t linger. She had her own destination.

  Pushing off from the branch, she surged forward once more. The world blurred, the sensation of flight lasting only a second before she landed again, adjusting her momentum with ease.

  The base wasn’t far now, just beyond the ridge, where the stream had carved a path through the stone.

  The familiar landmarks passed beneath her as she moved, the gnarled oak with its twisted roots, the large outcrop of rock overlooking a small clearing, the patch of ferns that had been trampled by passing animals. She’d spent two days in this forest. She knew it now.

  And that knowledge told her something was… off.

  She slowed slightly as she neared their hidden shelter.

  Kana wasn’t inside.

  Instead, she was standing near the base of a thick tree, arms crossed, her posture rigid.

  Her gaze was fixed on the trees, her sharp eyes scanning the shifting shadows. The usual calm expression she always wore was still there, cool, unreadable.

  But Kaelin noticed the slight tension in her shoulders.

  The way her fingers curled just a little tighter against her arms.

  The way her weight was shifted ever so slightly forward, as if bracing herself.

  A thought flickered through Kaelin’s mind.

  Was she looking for something? Or… someone?

  A slow smirk tugged at Kaelin’s lips.

  She dropped down from the tree without warning, landing lightly just a few steps away.

  Kana turned sharply, her body tensing for a split second before her gaze locked onto Kaelin.

  For a moment, she didn’t speak.

  Then, in a voice that was entirely too casual, she said, “Took you long enough.”

  Kaelin raised an eyebrow. “What, worried about me?”

  Kana huffed, looking away. “Hardly.”

  But she didn’t deny it.

  Kaelin let out a soft chuckle, rolling her shoulders. “Well, I’m touched.” She tilted her head toward the distant treetops. “Hope you’re feeling up for a hike. We’ve got a mountain to climb.”

  Kana exhaled through her nose, running a hand through her dark hair.

  “…Fantastic.”

  Kaelin grinned, eyes gleaming.

  This was going to be fun.

  ***

  The journey toward the mountain’s peak had started well enough.

  Kaelin took to the trees as usual, leaping effortlessly from branch to branch, her body moving with the practiced ease of someone who belonged here. The wind rushed past her, leaves whispered as she disturbed them, and the rhythmic creak of branches bending under her weight followed her ascent.

  Kana, however, was stuck on the ground.

  “You know,” Kaelin called down as she landed on a thick branch overhead, “this would be much faster if you stopped trudging around like a commoner and joined me up here.”

  Kana shot her a dry look. “We’re both commoners! And not everyone spends their free time playing monkey.”

  Kaelin grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

  Kana opened her mouth, probably to refuse, but Kaelin didn’t wait for an answer. She dropped down and landed lightly in front of her.

  “Come on, it’s not that hard.” She gestured to a sturdy, low-hanging branch. “Just start there.”

  Kana eyed it skeptically.

  “This is a waste of time.”

  “No, climbing a mountain on foot is a waste of time,” Kaelin countered. “Now get up there.”

  Kana let out a long, suffering sigh but finally grabbed hold of the branch, hoisting herself up. She moved cautiously, picking her footing carefully, adjusting her balance with calculated precision.

  Kaelin rolled her eyes.

  “Why are you moving like you’re walking on glass? The trees aren’t going to break beneath you.”

  Kana muttered something under her breath but didn’t argue.

  Still, it was clear she wasn’t used to this.

  Every movement was slower than it needed to be, and while she was capable, she lacked the instinct to move with the trees rather than against them.

  Kaelin smirked.

  “Let me help with that.”

  Kana narrowed her eyes. “That—”

  Kaelin placed a hand on her shoulder.

  A pulse of Time magic surged through Kana’s legs, accelerating her movements.

  The result was instant.

  Kana launched herself toward the next branch with far more power than she expected. Too much power.

  Her foot hit the bark, but the force sent her reeling forward, arms flailing as she overshot the landing.

  Kaelin’s eyes widened.

  “Wait—”

  Kana barely had time to yelp before she plummeted.

  Branches snapped beneath her as she tumbled through the canopy, her body twisting as she tried to slow herself down. But the speed of her fall, the erratic momentum, and the thick foliage blocking her vision made it impossible.

  With a final crash, she hit the ground, right in the middle of a pre-existing fight.

  Kaelin winced.

  “…Oops.”

  Below her, chaos erupted.

  Kana had landed directly between two warring teams, who had already been mid-battle before she quite literally dropped in.

  One student—a boy with mind threads—whipped around, startled, flames still flickering between his fingers. Another, a girl wielding Nature threads, hesitated mid-swing, her vines halting their attack for a split second as they processed the unexpected intruder.

  Kana groaned, pushing herself up.

  “Kaelin, I swear—”

  The moment she spoke, the nature-wielding girl lunged.

  Kana barely dodged in time, rolling out of the way as flames seared the ground where she had just been. The Nature mage’s vines lashed out, but Kana managed to twist away, her agility saving her from getting pinned immediately.

  Still, she was outnumbered, off-balance, and Kaelin was still up in the trees.

  Yeah, no. That wasn’t going to work.

  Kaelin dropped.

  The world blurred as she fell, her body twisting mid-air before landing smoothly just behind Kana with a superhero-esc landing. Her fist planted in the floor, one knee up, the other on the floor. She stood, everyone staring at her like she was some sort of demon. She grabbed Kana’s wrist, yanking her back just as another vine whip was launched at her ankles. The heat of the burn scorched as it licked her leg, leaving behind the sharp scent of burning flesh.

  “Kana, let’s go.”

  Kana’s breath hitched.

  Kaelin grinned.

  “Didn’t see that one coming, did you?”

  Kana glared. “Shut up.”

  “Oi, where you lot going. We ain’t done with you just yet!”

  “Kana?”

  “Yea?”

  “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Get the fuck outta here?”

  “Nah. We best deal with these guys before they hurt themselves.”

  Kana sighed. “Fine. At least let us make it quick.”

  Kaelin shrugged, stepping forward as the two opposing students shifted into proper stances. The boy rolled his shoulders, a blue aura surrounding his hands, while the Nature wielder crouched slightly, her vines coiling like snakes, ready to strike.

  This was about to get interesting.

  Kaelin tilted her head.

  “Alright,” she murmured to Kana. “Let’s see if you’re better at fighting than you are at climbing.”

  Kana exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders.

  “Just try to keep up.”

  Kaelin smirked.

  Now they were talking.