Maddy's eyes locked onto a single, weathered parchment that had been overlooked in the frenzy. It sat pinned to the corner of the A rank section, its edges slightly curled as if even the paper was trying to pull away from the board.
She reached out and snatched it before anyone else could.
"Retrieve a special bloom from the Active Forest," she read softly, her voice muffled by her hood.
Johnn, who was hovering over her shoulder, repeated the words with a sudden drop in his boisterous tone.
"The Active Forest? That forest? Whoa, okay, now I get why this one is still hanging here. Maddy, that place isn't just a bunch of trees. The name is literal—that forest is freaking alive! Every root, every branch, every patch of moss wants to eat you before you can even say 'botany'."
