The forest was unnaturally quiet.
Andy gripped his blade tighter, sweat trickling down his temple. Esthen crouched beside him, eyes scanning the shadows. The air was thick—too still. Something was watching them.
Then it struck.
A blur of claws and teeth burst from the underbrush, snarling with a guttural roar. Andy barely had time to raise his weapon before the beast slammed into him, sending him crashing into a tree. Pain exploded through his ribs, but he rolled to his feet, adrenaline surging.
"Left flank!" Esthen shouted, launching a bolt of water from her palm. It struck the creature's side, slowing it just enough for Andy to recover.
He charged, blade flashing. The monster dodged, but Esthen was already moving—her staff spinning, striking with precision. They fought in tandem, each attack flowing into the next. The creature howled, lashing out with a tail like a whip. Andy ducked, then drove his sword deep into its shoulder.
It shrieked, staggering back.
Esthen raised her hand. "Now!"
Together, they unleashed a final strike—fire and water colliding in a burst of steam and fury. The monster collapsed, twitching, then lay still.
Andy panted, staring at the body. "That… was just the first?"
Esthen nodded grimly. "They'll only get stronger."
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The monster's body twitched once, then went still. Andy lowered his blade, chest heaving, eyes locked on the creature's grotesque form—scaled, horned, and unlike anything he'd ever seen.
Esthen stepped forward, her water aura fading. "That wasn't natural," she said. "It didn't bleed."
Andy frowned. "What do you mean?"
Before she could answer, the ground beneath the monster cracked. A low rumble echoed through the forest. The creature's body convulsed—and then split open.
From within, a second form emerged. Smaller, faster. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and it launched itself at Esthen with terrifying speed.
Andy shouted and dove between them, catching the beast mid-air. They tumbled across the dirt, claws slashing, teeth snapping. Andy rolled, pinned it down, and drove his blade through its chest.
It shrieked—then disintegrated into ash.
Silence returned.
Esthen knelt beside him, inspecting the remains. "This wasn't just a monster," she said. "It was a scout."
Andy's blood ran cold. "Then what's it scouting for?"
Esthen stood slowly, eyes scanning the horizon. "Something bigger. Something coming."
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Andy stared at the ashes, his breath ragged, heart still racing. The forest around them remained eerily silent, as if holding its breath.
Esthen stepped beside him, her voice low. "This was just the beginning."
He nodded, wiping blood from his brow. "Then we need to be ready."
Above them, the clouds thickened unnaturally, swirling with dark energy. A distant roar echoed across the horizon—deep, ancient, and unmistakably monstrous.
Esthen turned toward it, her eyes narrowing. "They know we're here."
Andy tightened his grip on his blade. "Let them come."
Together, they walked into the mist, side by side, toward whatever waited beyond the trees.
The fight was far from over.
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