The scream came before dawn.
It tore through the silence, raw and desperate — a sound no one in the village would forget.
Alaric's eyes snapped open. His instincts kicked in before his mind caught up. He grabbed his staff, rolled off the bed, and pushed open the door of his hut. Cold air slammed into him, carrying the thick scent of smoke and rot.
The fog was glowing faintly green.
That was never good news.
"Ashen!" he called, scanning the mist.
The undead appeared before him almost instantly, silent and composed as always. His black coat was already buttoned, sword in hand, silver eyes reflecting the faint light like polished steel.
"South barrier," he said calmly. "It's been breached."
"Already?" Alaric grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Can't corruption wait until morning like normal monsters?"
Ashen gave him one quiet look — the kind that said now is not the time.
"Yeah, yeah," Alaric muttered, tightening his grip on the staff. "Let's go."
The village was chaos. Hunters rushed out of their huts, weapons half-drawn. The air smelled of ash and damp earth. Kael's voice boomed through the fog, ordering everyone to the perimeter.
"Form up! Keep the archers behind the barricades! No one engages alone!"
Alaric and Ashen reached the south barrier within minutes.
What used to be a line of wooden stakes and rope was now half-sunken into black sludge. The ground pulsed faintly, veins of green light crawling up the barricades like vines. Beyond it, the trees were moving — bending and twisting as if something alive was forcing its way through them.
Alaric's stomach dropped. "It's spreading from underground now."
Ashen crouched, his fingers brushing the blackened soil. "It's consuming mana from the roots."
Kael appeared beside them, face grim and blade drawn. His usual calm was gone — replaced by the sharp focus of a man who'd seen too many things go wrong.
"Boy," he said, glancing at Alaric, "I hope you've got something that can burn this filth out."
Alaric raised an eyebrow. "You mean besides my charming personality?"
"Not the time."
"Right. Serious. Got it."
He took a breath and planted his staff into the ground. Mana rippled outward — warm green light spreading in a circle around him. The corruption hissed, retreating for a moment before pushing back harder, its glow deepening to an ugly emerald.
"Life magic's only slowing it down!" Alaric shouted.
Ashen stepped forward, his sword glowing with cold gray light. "Then I'll cut the roots."
He vanished into the mist like a shadow, moving faster than Alaric could blink. The air split with the sound of his blade slicing through something thick and wet.
The ground shuddered.
For a moment, the corruption receded — only to surge again, erupting into jagged tendrils that lashed toward the village fence.
"Archers! Burn it!" Kael yelled.
Flaming arrows cut through the air, embedding into the black mass. Fire spread quickly, but instead of burning away, the corruption fed on it — swallowing the flames until the light dimmed.
Alaric's eyes widened. "It's absorbing fire now?! Oh, come on!"
He pushed his mana harder. The air shimmered around him as life and death began to mix — green and gray twisting like a spiral. His body ached from the strain, but he didn't stop.
"Alright, you freaks," he muttered, "if you want mana, take this!"
He slammed his staff into the ground.
A pulse of energy exploded outward — half warmth, half chill. The tendrils froze mid-surge, then cracked like brittle glass, crumbling into dust. The air sizzled with mana.
Ashen reappeared beside him, blade dripping with black ichor. "Efficient."
Alaric panted, sweat running down his face. "Efficient? That's one word for it. Painful works too."
Kael grunted, looking at the cleared ground. "You two just saved us a lot of trouble."
Before Alaric could respond, the ground beneath them rumbled again — deeper, heavier than before.
Ashen turned sharply. "It's not done."
The trees at the edge of the forest twisted violently, roots tearing free from the soil. Something massive was rising beneath the earth — a dark shape pushing through layers of dirt and stone.
The corruption flared bright green, spreading across the forest floor like wildfire.
Alaric stepped back, shielding his eyes. "Please tell me that's just a really ugly tree."
It wasn't.
The ground split open.
What emerged was a massive creature — a fusion of wood, bone, and rot. Its body was made of tree roots woven with flesh, its eyes glowing a sickly green. When it moved, the sound was like cracking wood and tearing meat at the same time.
Kael cursed under his breath. "Everyone, fall back! Form the second line!"
The creature let out a roar that shook the leaves from the trees.
Ashen's sword gleamed in the dim light. "Stay behind me."
"Yeah, no," Alaric muttered, already stepping forward. "We're not playing defense this time."
Ashen glanced at him, but the boy's stance was steady. Determined.
"If this thing keeps spreading," Alaric said, "there won't be a village to protect."
Kael stared at him for a second, then nodded. "Fine. Just don't die doing something stupid."
"No promises!"
Alaric raised his staff high, his mana flaring brighter than ever. The life and death threads swirled around him — green and gray sparks lighting up the fog like stars. His hair glowed faintly, and the air pulsed with energy.
Ashen stepped beside him, matching his rhythm without a word. His own aura flowed — cold and precise — blending perfectly with Alaric's unstable storm.
The ground trembled again as the corrupted giant advanced, roots thrashing through the soil. Its shadow loomed over them, blotting out the dawn light.
Alaric grinned faintly, eyes sharp.
"Alright," he said, voice steady despite the fear twisting in his chest. "Let's see if the forest likes fire and decay at the same time."
The corrupted giant roared, its body creaking like a forest collapsing under its own weight. The sound made Alaric's ears ring. Leaves fell like rain, and the air shook with raw mana.
He didn't wait.
He ran straight toward it.
His boots splashed through mud as he channeled mana through his staff. The green and gray light swirled around him, rippling through the air in waves.
Behind him, Ashen followed silently — the sound of his boots barely audible against the chaos.
"Alaric, aim for the chest," Ashen said evenly. "Its core is there."
"I was gonna do that!" Alaric snapped, ducking as a root smashed into the ground where he stood. Dirt exploded around him. "You think I'm just here for cardio?!"
The ground split again, black vines whipping outward. Alaric swung his staff in a wide arc, channeling death mana. The vines rotted instantly, turning to dust before they could touch him.
He didn't stop moving. His steps were quick, light, instinctive — dodging, weaving, using every bit of training Kael had drilled into him.
Ashen darted past him in a blur. His sword flashed silver, slicing through a massive root. The severed piece crumbled to ash before it even hit the ground.
The giant reeled, pulling back, its body groaning under the damage. But its regeneration started almost immediately — black ooze crawling over the wounds, sealing them shut.
Alaric cursed. "Oh, great. Self-healing tree monster. My favorite."
"Focus," Ashen said firmly.
Alaric inhaled sharply, steadying himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the threads of mana inside him twist together — the warmth of life and the cold pulse of death. The balance wasn't perfect, but it was his.
When he opened his eyes, they glowed faintly gold.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's try this again."
He planted his staff into the ground. A faint hum filled the air, and the soil beneath him began to pulse with light.
Vines shot out once more — but this time they weren't just green.
Half were glowing with soft life mana, while the others shimmered with gray decay. They intertwined as they grew, wrapping around the monster's legs and digging deep into its flesh.
The giant thrashed, roaring in pain. The mixed mana spread through its body like wildfire, burning and freezing at the same time.
Alaric clenched his teeth, forcing the energy to hold. "C'mon, stay down!"
Ashen moved in again, taking advantage of the opening. His sword glimmered under the faint dawn light, cutting through the monster's shoulder in a clean motion. Ichor sprayed, but he didn't flinch.
The giant stumbled, crashing against the trees. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, flattening the grass.
"Now, Alaric!" Ashen called.
Alaric raised his staff high. The mixed light at its tip flared brighter, twisting into a spiral of white. His arms shook from the force building inside.
He gritted his teeth, aiming straight for the core pulsing in the creature's chest.
"Let's see you come back from this!"
He swung the staff down.
The blast hit the giant dead center.
The explosion that followed wasn't loud — it was deep. The kind of sound that shook bones and made the air itself ripple. Light swallowed the clearing, green and gray blending into white.
When the glow faded, the creature was gone.
Only fragments of black bark and ash floated in the air, glowing faintly before dissolving into the soil.
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then, slowly, Kael stepped out of the fog, lowering his blade. His face was unreadable, but his eyes said enough.
They'd won.
Alaric exhaled hard, dropping to one knee. His whole body felt heavy, his vision swimming.
Ashen was beside him in an instant, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "You overexerted again."
"Yeah, well…" Alaric grinned weakly. "It's kind of my thing now."
Kael walked up to them, his boots crunching against the dirt. "You did good, kid."
"Thanks," Alaric said between breaths. "You too. Nice shouting."
Kael's lips twitched — almost a smile — before he turned to survey the forest. The corruption was fading. The green glow dimmed, and the mist began to thin.
But even as peace slowly returned, Alaric couldn't shake the chill crawling down his spine.
Because when the last traces of light faded, he could still feel it.
Something deeper. Something watching.
As the villagers began repairing the barricades, Ashen stood silently beside him, staring into the forest. His coat was torn again, faint gray streaks staining the edges. His sword was still in his hand, but his grip was light.
He didn't say anything for a long time.
Finally, Alaric broke the silence. "You feel it too, huh?"
Ashen nodded slowly. "The corruption didn't end here. This was only a fragment."
"Figures," Alaric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Every time I think we're done, the forest decides to level up."
Ashen looked down at him. His expression didn't change much, but his eyes softened — that faint, quiet look that said more than words ever could.
"You've grown," he said simply.
Alaric blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Oh, you mean in height? Yeah, I've been eating more—"
Ashen raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, fine," Alaric muttered. "You meant magic. Or maturity. Or whatever. I get it."
A faint sound — almost a laugh — escaped Ashen before he turned back to the mist.
The sun was beginning to rise now, soft light spreading through the treetops. The battle was over, but the air still felt heavy.
Alaric looked toward the forest again, his grip tightening on his staff.
"This isn't over, is it?" he asked quietly.
Ashen's gaze followed his. "No. The forest is still moving."