Morning had arrived.
Soft rays of sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, touching the forest floor in scattered patches of gold. For once, the forest of Sunvale Hills felt… calm. The air moved gently, and the leaves whispered quietly, as if the jungle itself had settled down after everything that had happened.
Leo stood still for a moment, adjusting his shoulder slightly. The wound had already healed, but a faint pain still lingered beneath the surface. It wasn't enough to slow him down—so, as always, he ignored it.
"Everyone ready?" Maya asked, tightening her grip on her bag.
"Ready to leave this nightmare? Absolutely," Alex replied instantly.
Nyra glanced at him. "You turn every place into a nightmare."
Alex sighed. "It's not me… it's my luck."
Without another word, Leo stepped forward. The others followed behind him as they began their journey back to the academy.
For a while, no one spoke. The path ahead seemed clearer now, as if the forest was finally letting them go.
"Hey… why is this place called Sunvale Hills?" Alex asked as they walked.
Leo slowed down slightly.
For a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes moved across the forest, as if he was remembering something old… something distant.
"…Zefer told me about this," Leo finally said.
"Of course he did," Alex muttered.
Nyra crossed her arms. "Just tell us."
Leo took a quiet breath and began—
"This isn't just a forest. A long time ago… this place was something else entirely."
The air felt heavier as he spoke.
There were two ancient beings here… something beyond explanation, something the human mind was never meant to understand
"One of them was known as the Sun Angle," Leo continued. "And the other…"
He paused.
"…no one remembers its name."
Maya looked confused. "No one?"
"No one," Leo said. "Not in stories, not in records… not even Zefer knows it."
A faint uneasiness settled over the group.
"That unknown Angle wanted control over these hills. It spread darkness across the entire region… so deep that sunlight couldn't even touch the ground."
The group instinctively looked around at the thick trees and shadows.
"For a long time," Leo continued, "this place remained trapped in darkness."
Alex spoke quietly, "That explains a lot…"
"Then," Leo said, his voice steady, "the Sun Angle appeared."
A soft breeze passed through the forest.
"It challenged the unknown Angle… and the two fought here—across these hills."
Leo gestured toward the uneven terrain beneath their feet.
"Many believe these hills… are the result of that battle."
Maya asked softly, "Who won?"
Leo looked up, toward the faint sunlight breaking through the leaves.
"The Sun Angle."
Silence followed.
"It shattered the darkness… and for the first time, sunlight reached the ground again."
Nyra's voice was quieter now. "And that's why…"
Leo nodded.
"That's why this place is called Sunvale Hills the hills where the sun claimed its victory."
Alex hesitated for a moment before asking,"…and the other Angle?"
Leo didn't even look back.
"…No one remembers it."
A chill passed through the air.
Then Alex sighed,"Great. So we're walking through a battlefield where something so bad lost… that people erased it completely."
Nyra glanced at him. "You really know how to make things worse."
Alex shrugged. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."
Leo, for the first time, allowed a faint smile.
Everyone slowed down slightly.
As they moved forward, the forest slowly began to thin.
"Finally," Alex stretched. "No more creepy trees."
He took a confident step—
—and immediately slipped slightly on a slope.
"WOAH—!"
He barely managed to keep his balance.
Silence.
Leo: "Smooth."
Nyra: "good exit."
Maya tried not to laugh.
Alex straightened up. "That was intentional."
Leo: "Of course."
Alex: "I was testing if gravity still works."
Nyra: "And the result?"
Alex: "…It works."
This time, everyone laughed.
After hours of walking, the forest finally ended.
Ahead of them lay a small town—quiet, simple, and peaceful.
"We survived…" Alex said dramatically.
"Calm down," Nyra replied.
They entered the town, surrounded by normal life once again—people, voices, movement.
"We should find a carriage," Leo said. "It'll get us to the academy faster."
They found one soon enough and climbed in, clearly exhausted.
Alex leaned back immediately. "This… this is real life. No monsters. No fights…"
Nyra glanced at him. "You still almost lost to the ground."
"That was different," Alex replied.
The carriage moved swiftly.
No one spoke much.
The exhaustion had finally caught up to them.
The cool air brushed past as the sun slowly began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.
Leo sat quietly, adjusting his shoulder slightly. The pain was still there… but manageable.
Maya rested with her eyes closed.
Alex, half-asleep, murmured, "If I fall asleep… don't wake me up…"
"Perfect," Nyra replied.
By the time the sun was nearly gone, the gates of the academy came into view.
"We're back…" Maya said softly.
The carriage came to a stop.
They stepped out.
Ray walked up to Leo quietly.
"Your shoulder?" he asked.
"Healed… mostly. Just some pain," Leo replied calmly.
Ray nodded, then asked in a lower tone,"The Orge King… was he strong?"
Leo paused briefly.
"…Yes," he said. "Very."
Ray's expression grew serious. "Then things won't be easy."
Leo looked toward the academy gates.
"They already aren't."
Behind them—
Alex was already speaking again.
"Next mission… no jungle."
Nyra: "We'll see."
Alex: "No, I'm serious this time."
Leo let out a faint smile.
And together, they walked back into the academy…
Knowing one thing for sure—
Their real challenges had only just begun.