The group stood before the old wooden staircase clinging to the sheer cliffside. Looking down, all they could see was a sea of mist swallowing everything below. A chill, damp air rose from the depths, making everyone shiver.
Senki swallowed hard.
"Do we… really have to go down there?"
Without hesitation, Sivall stepped forward. His boot pressed against the decaying wood, and the creak echoed into the emptiness. Layla followed timidly behind him, while Sill's group trailed at the rear. Sivall's voice was calm but resolute:
"If we want to reach our destination, there's no other way."
One by one, they descended. At first, the stairs seemed sturdy, but the further they went, the more rotten the wood became. In some places, termites had devoured the steps so thoroughly that a single misstep would have broken them apart.
After a while, Renar leaned over curiously to glance below—CRACK! A section of stairs more than ten meters long gave way. Renar lost his balance and nearly fell, but Kael caught his wrist just in time, sweat breaking out across his forehead.
Senmi screamed,
"This damned thing is trying to kill us!"
Sill frowned and motioned toward the vines clinging to the cliff. The group had no choice but to leap for their lives, grabbing onto a rocky ledge nearby. When they finally steadied themselves, they turned to watch the staircase collapse, the broken wood swallowed by the fog below.
Kael panted,
"That staircase… it was nothing but a natural death trap."
Sill stayed silent, then asked the little guide girl. Layla pointed toward a path, and the group continued without a word.
After a long trek, the fog began to thin. What emerged before them was breathtaking: a massive forest growing right inside the abyss. Giant trees towered so high that they could still be seen from the rim above.
The group stepped into the forest. The ground was blanketed in damp leaves, glowing fungi flickered faintly, and eerie sounds filled the air—shrill insect cries, the flutter of unseen wings.
Suddenly, the brush ahead shook violently. A gigantic serpent slithered out, its body coiling around a tree trunk, scales shimmering emerald under the faint light. Its golden eyes locked onto them.
Senki stumbled back, trembling.
"W-what… what in the world is that?!"
The serpent opened its jaws wide, spewing a cloud of pale green venom. Kael thrust his sword into the earth, chanting as a wall of water rose to block the poison. Sivall drew his sword, lightning wrapping around the blade as he shouted:
"Stand back!"
He charged. His sword blazed in the mist as it slammed against the serpent's iron-hard scales. The impact reverberated through the forest, shaking the trees with the beast's monstrous roar.
The serpent reared, tongue lashing, hissing so sharply it made their ears ring. Each time it moved, the massive trees trembled violently.
Sivall's lightning-charged strike landed again—BOOM! Sparks exploded, but instead of slicing through, his blade only left a faint scratch on its scales.
Renar cried out,
"It didn't break through?!"
The serpent's tail swept like a colossal whip. WHOOSH! The ground split, dirt and stone flying everywhere. Kael dragged Renar down just in time to avoid being crushed.
Senki and Senmi split off to the sides. Senki summoned a jade-colored golem, nearly their own height, while Senmi extended threads of magic to connect with it, enhancing and controlling its speed. The golem raised its hand and fired green bolts of light one after another. But they only enraged the beast further, its eyes glowing fiercer.
Sill clenched her jaw, chanting as a magic circle appeared. From it, spears of ice shot forth, piercing into the serpent's body. Frost spread across its scales, freezing part of it in place. For a moment, the creature faltered—but then shattered the ice with sheer force, lunging closer.
Kael gritted his teeth, combining water and fire magic. A wall of boiling steam erupted, burning into the serpent's hide. The monster writhed in agony, but it still would not fall.
Renar spotted it—the faint crack along its neck where the ice and steam had weakened it.
"Sivall! Right there, on its neck!"
Without a word, Sivall gathered all his lightning into his blade. It blazed like a thunderbolt in the dark forest. He leapt high, bringing it down in a crushing strike.
CRAAAAASH!
The forest exploded with light. The serpent shrieked, its massive body convulsing as electricity tore through it. With one final roar, its colossal head hit the ground, sending a tremor through the earth.
Then silence. Only the group's ragged breathing remained.
Senmi collapsed to the ground, clutching her chest.
"I thought we were done for…"
Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes on the smoking corpse.
"This is only the first layer. The deeper we go… the worse it's going to get."
Renar swallowed, fear and awe mingling in his eyes.
"Just what else is waiting for us down here…?"
The forest fell quiet again. Everyone was exhausted, their clothes damp with sweat.
From behind a bush, Layla stepped out, trembling. Her face was dirt-stained, her eyes lowered in shame.
Senmi's fury erupted the instant she saw her.
"You little brat! Why aren't you dead yet?! We almost lost our lives because of you, you damn jinx!"
The girl froze, lips trembling, unable to answer.
Senki rushed forward, gripping her sister's arm.
"Enough, Senmi! She didn't mean to… stop being so cruel."
Senmi clenched her teeth, her glare sharp, but said nothing more.
Sill sighed, stepping forward with a calm voice.
"We're all tired. Stop blaming each other. Without this girl, we wouldn't even know the way down. Everyone, just… calm yourselves."
Sivall stood with arms crossed, silent. Renar lowered his head, fists clenched, heavy emotions twisting in his chest.
Finally, Kael spoke, his voice firm yet steady.
"That's enough. In a place like this, if we can't stick together, we're already dead. Save your grudges for later. Right now, the only thing that matters is survival."
The tension slowly eased. Everyone returned to their usual composure, though unease still lingered. They continued along a winding path deeper into the forest, guided once again by Layla. Though fear still clung to her, she forced herself forward, gripping the cord at her waist as if to hold her courage in place.
The canopy above dimmed the sky. Only slivers of light pierced through the leaves. The wind howled between the trees, blending with the cries of insects, making each step feel heavier.
Then—WHOOSH!
A sudden invisible force shot down from the treetops. In an instant, Layla's small body was flung upward, crashing against a high branch.
"Layla, watch out!" Senki screamed, dashing forward.
At that moment, the hidden predator revealed itself. From above, a monstrous lizard emerged, grotesque and enormous. Its entire body was coated in glistening fish-like scales, its tail thick and heavy like a crocodile's. Its blood-red eyes glared down, and from its mouth lashed a grotesquely long, sticky tongue, wrapping around Layla like a whip.
"@#.^!" A ghastly sound—neither growl nor hiss—echoed through the forest.
Before anyone could react, its jaws snapped shut. CRUNCH! Blood sprayed across the branches as Layla's small frame was bitten clean in two.
Her severed arm, still warm and dripping, tumbled down, landing before the group on the damp earth.
Everyone froze. Senmi staggered back, her face pale as chalk. Senki trembled, unable to form words. Renar collapsed to his knees, heart hammering wildly. Kael's hand gripped his sword tight, jaw clenched.
Sill's eyes widened, her hand shaking as she tried to steady herself. Sivall drew his sword at once, lightning crawling along its edge.
No one wanted to believe what they had just seen. But the brutal truth stood before them—Layla, their guide, was dead in the blink of an eye.
And the monster's crimson eyes had already turned toward them…