Immediately taking action, Valtor spoke up.
"First, we need a base — somewhere safe to stay during this mission."
He turned to the younger boy. "Kymani."
"Yeah?"
"I need you to scout the area. Find us a well-hidden spot."
"On it." Kymani vanished in a shimmer of light and slipped deeper into the forest.
The rest of the team waited in tense silence. Moments later, Kymani reappeared without warning, startling everyone.
"Shit! Kymani, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Zara snapped.
He only grinned. "There's a small tree surrounded by heavy foliage not far from here. East."
"Perfect," Valtor said. "Let's move."
Kymani raised a hand. "One thing- there's monsters on the path. I only got through because I was invisible."
Zara arched a brow at the captain. "Guess our mission's officially started?"
"Yeah." Valtor activated his tracker, a faint blue glow flickering on his wrist. The others followed suit.
Orea leaned closer to her display. Two red dots spread due east.. "Looks like there's two of them."
Zara smirked. So three to one?"
Valtor nodded once. "Let's go."
Their eyes lit in unison, faint auras flaring as they headed east through the undergrowth.
---
Boom!
A six-legged creature crashed to the ground as Lynx's ice blade sliced through its neck. Green fluid sprayed across the damp soil.
"Nice cut!" Rowynn called from behind, releasing the thick vines she'd used to bind its legs.
They turned toward the commotion on Valtor's side. His team wasn't holding back.
Orea stood at a distance, wind swirling violently around her to form a barrier that trapped a snarling beast inside. Inside the vortex, Zara and Valtor hurled blasts of flame and force at the monster. Yellow and purple light clashed in a blinding explosion.
BOOM!
The shockwave threw everyone to the ground. A thick fog rolled out, swallowing the clearing.
Kymani coughed loudly as his invisibility flickered out. "Could you guys be any more violent?" he complained.
"Sorry!" Orea called out, brushing dirt off her uniform.
When the fog finally cleared, the creature was gone — blown to unrecognizable pieces across the ground.
Valtor checked his wristband. Six green dots blinked on the tracker. "We're clear," he announced.
The group gathered themselves and continued east, deeper into the forest — toward their hidden base.
Finally arriving at the more secure area, Rowynn's eyes glowed green as she wove thick plant vines together, forming custom tents. The crew settled in, feeding on a few rations of food they'd packed from the barracks.
As night crept over the forest and half the team drifted to sleep, Orea and Zara quietly excused themselves, slipping into a separate tent where their teammate waited.
"Hey," Orea said as they entered.
"Hey," Valtor replied, turning to face them. They sat in a loose circle.
"So," Zara began, "this is about our last discussion, right?"
"Right," Valtor nodded.
---
Flashback — Two days earlier, at the barracks.
"You wanted to see us?" Zara asked as she and Orea joined Valtor on the balcony. The night air was cool, quiet, filled with the chatter of soldiers a distance away.
"Yeah," Valtor said, running a hand through his hair, nerves flickering in his voice.
"What's going on?" Orea asked, noticing his unease.
"I'm a little worried."
"About what?" Zara pressed.
"Lynx," he said at last. "I'm not sure he's going to go along with the escape plan."
Zara frowned. "Why do you think that?"
Valtor sighed. "He didn't react when I told him I didn't have solid evidence — which isn't like him. And a few days ago, the Superintendent called him in privately after his speech with us. He paused, observing their reactions.., I have a feeling he's onto something."
Zara leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You think he might expose us?"
"I don't know," Valtor admitted quietly. "But I don't think we can fully trust him. Something tells me he might play tricky."
Orea's eyes met Zara's — silent, tense understanding passing between them.
---
Back to the present...
"So," Zara said, meeting Valtor's gaze, "now that it's just the three of us, when do we start planning our escape?"