Meanwhile…
On the other side of the forest, Alden and Saria were still locked in battle—cutting down cultists and berserk monsters amidst cracked earth and splintered trees. Arrows flew, blades flashed, and corrupted roars echoed through the gloom.
Then, all at once, the monsters stopped.
They froze mid‑lunge, eyes suddenly unfocused, as if something far away had seized their attention. Above the distant treeline, a pillar of green aura pierced the sky, washing the forest in a soft, living light.
Alden noticed something else.
The cultists began retreating.
One by one, the cloaked figures stepped back, their bodies suddenly engulfed in blue light. In hurried succession, they vanished—teleported away, abandoning the battlefield without a word.
The monsters, too, turned and began shuffling back into the deeper forest, disappearing between the twisted trees as if some invisible command had been given.
Saria jogged up beside Alden, panting lightly.
"What's happening?" she asked.
