The moment Team 1 stepped into the forest, something felt… wrong.
The air was heavier. The sounds of birds had vanished. Even the wind felt slower, as if the forest itself was watching them.
Then—
A faint rustle.
Everyone stopped.
From deep within the bushes, pairs of glowing eyes slowly appeared.
One… two… five… then dozens.
A cold silence spread among them.
They instinctively gathered closer, forming a tight circle. Every muscle in their body tensed, ready to react at any second.
Kio whispered, barely audible, "Should we… check what that is?"
But before anyone could move—
The bushes shifted.
And out of the shadows, a pack of wolves emerged.
Their fur was dark, blending perfectly with the forest. Their eyes glowed unnaturally, locked onto the group.
A low growl echoed through the trees.
Elex clenched his jaw. "Yeah… they're not letting us pass peacefully."
Nyra raised her hand immediately. "Everyone, stay calm. Don't move."
Her voice was steady—but her eyes showed focus.
She slowly stepped forward.
"We're not here to fight," she said softly. "If we show no hostility… they won't attack."
Leo frowned but stayed silent.
Nyra moved closer to the nearest wolf. It didn't attack. It just stared at her.
Carefully… slowly…
She raised her hand and placed it on the wolf's head.
For a moment—
Everything went still.
"It's working…" she whispered.
But then—
A sudden blur from behind!
Another wolf lunged straight at her.
Before anyone could react—
THUD!
Leo dashed forward and punched the wolf mid-air, sending it crashing into the ground several feet away.
The silence shattered.
The entire pack began growling loudly now, circling them.
Kio sighed nervously, "Yeah… I think you just made them all angry."
Leo stepped back slightly and leaned toward Kio. His voice was low but sharp."When I say… send a small tornado toward them."
Nyra turned sharply. "I'm the captain! I should be making the decisions!"
Leo didn't even look at her.
Instead, he gave Kio a signal.
Kio raised his hand, gathering wind energy. A small swirling tornado formed and shot toward the wolves.
The sudden burst of wind disrupted them, forcing the pack to scatter backward.
"Run!" Leo shouted.
Without wasting a second, he grabbed Nyra's wrist and pulled her along as everyone started running.
They didn't stop.
Branches scratched their arms, roots tried to trip them, and the forest seemed endless.
Only after a long run did they finally stop, breathing heavily.
Nyra pulled her hand away angrily.
"I'm the captain!" she snapped. "I should be the one making decisions, not you!"
Leo stepped forward, eyes sharp."And because of your decision, we almost became wolf food!"
The words hit hard.
Nyra stayed silent.
She turned away, her fists clenched.
After a moment, she took out the map.
"We've gone the wrong direction," she said coldly. "Now we'll have to walk even further."
No one replied.
The deeper they went, the denser the forest became.
The sunlight barely reached the ground now.
Time passed.
Hunger slowly started creeping in.
Alex groaned, holding his stomach. "Man… I'm starving."
"Same," Kio and Leo said together.
Nyra didn't even turn back. "We're not eating now .We'll keep moving until we find a safe place… then we'll stop and eat
But when she turned around—
She froze.
All three of them were already eating fruits from nearby trees.
Leo casually tossed one toward her."You should eat too."
Nyra's expression darkened. "I'm the captain. Why does no one listen to me?"
Leo didn't reply.
He just kept walking forward, eating, with Kio and Alex following him.
For the first time—
Nyra felt ignored.
Evening approached.
"We'll walk a little more," Nyra said, her tone calmer now. "Then we'll set up camp."
Everyone nodded.
She took a step forward—
And suddenly—
The ground beneath her collapsed.
A hidden trap.
She started falling into a pit—
But Leo grabbed her hand instantly and pulled her back up.
She landed safely.
Leo smirked slightly. "Careful, Captain. This is a jungle."
Nyra looked away. "…Yeah."
After walking a bit more, they finally stopped near a small pond.
The water reflected the orange sky.
Alex quickly gathered wood and lit a fire.
"We should catch fish," Nyra said. "We can cook—"
"We're already full," Alex interrupted.
"Yeah," Leo added.
Kio nodded.
Alex smirked. "If you're hungry, you can go fish yourself."
Nyra hesitated.
The dark water… the silence around it…
"I'm not hungry," she said quietly.
Night fell.
Everyone slept.
Except Nyra.
Her stomach growled painfully.
After a while, she got up and walked toward the fire.
But then—
Rustle.
Her body froze.
Something was moving in the bushes.
A shadow slowly approached.
Fear took over.
Nyra shut her eyes and released her magic instinctively—
"Hey—!"
She opened her eyes.
And froze.
Leo was hanging upside down from a tree root.
Nyra blinked. "How did you even get up there?!"
Leo sighed. "You did that."
Realization hit her.
"Oh… sorry!"
She quickly released him.
Leo dropped down with a thud.
"What were you doing here?" she asked.
Leo scratched his head."I brought fruits for you. You looked hungry."
Nyra turned away. "I'm not hungry."
Right then—
Her stomach growled loudly.
Leo smirked. "You're really bad at lying."
"I'm not lying!" she snapped.
But this time—
She didn't argue further.
Both of them sat down quietly and started eating.
After a moment, Nyra spoke softly,"...Thank you."
Leo shrugged. "You could've just said you were hungry."
She hesitated. "I… can't say it. I get scared."
"Scared?" Leo looked at her. "Of what?"
She didn't answer.
Leo smiled slightly. "We're friends."
He lightly tapped her back.
Nyra's cheeks turned slightly red. "…Okay."
Morning came.
"Leo! Wake up!" Alex's voice echoed.
Leo opened his eyes slowly—
And instantly sat up.
Nyra, Alex, and Kio—
Were tied up.
Surrounded.
Dozens of people stood around them.
And among them—
Wolves.
The same wolves.
Growling.
Angry.
Watching him.
Leo's eyes sharpened.
Something was very wrong.