The deeper we walked, the quieter the forest became. No birds. No wind. There was only the soft crunch of dried leaves under our boots and a smell that was damp, old, and faintly metallic.
Nikolai scanned the trees for symbols. Zuriel walked ahead with Eris, while Nathaniel knelt every now and then to study the moss on the roots, looking for signs of travel magic.
My chest felt tight. It wasn't my asthma this time. It was a pressure I couldn't explain, and I needed air.
Without saying a word, I drifted away from the path toward the sound of water.
I found a shallow river where the sunlight broke through the trees. But as I got closer, My feet started to burn.
It wasn't an injury
it was a pulse.
A warning.
My body had become a compass pointing toward something dangerous.
I had felt this before whenever something else was near.
I stopped at the riverbank. That's when I saw them.
A man, a woman, and three children.
They were kneeling by the water, washing things in the current and speaking a language I didn't know.
The kids laughed as the woman splashed them. They looked human. Peaceful. Too peaceful.
Then one of the children turned around. I saw it red eyes.
I dropped behind a thick bush, my heart hammering. They weren't human. I didn't know what they were, but I couldn't move.
My feet were still burning. I turned to run
But I slammed right into a solid chest.
I froze.
The man stood there calmly, as if he had been waiting for me.
It was the man from the river.
You shouldn't wander alone, he said gently. His voice was oddly kind.
You know your body isn't that strong. Power means nothing if you can't control it.
My breath caught. Behind her, the woman and the children walked up. They weren't aggressive, but their presence made my spine tingle.
There are a lot of things out here looking for something easy to hunt, the man continued. Then he turned back to his family. Come on. We'll hunt boar or a rabbit near the thickets before it gets dark.
The children waved at me as they walked away. But for a second, their eyes flickered. Black. Red. Then back to brown.
In that flash,
I saw what they really were. They looked human, but taller and thinner, with long black hair and hollow cheeks. Their fingers ended in claws that were way too long, When they smiled, their mouths stretched too wide, showing rows of sharp teeth. They weren't even trying to hide it anymore.
I couldn't move. My whole body shook with fear. I was still standing there when a voice ripped through the woods.
GEHAN!
It was Zuriel. Then Nikolai. Branches snapped as they crashed through the brush. They burst into the clearing and found me standing by the water, pale and wide-eyed.
Are you insane? Eris snapped. You wandered off alone!!?
We were tracking the trail! Zuriel said sharply. You just disappeared.
Lucien ran up last, out of breath. Do you know how easy it is to get taken out here? Even Damon looked worried, which meant a lot.
I was just… clearing my head, I said quietly.
Nikolai watched my face, narrowing his eyes, but he didn't say anything.
Sir Nathaniel arrived a moment later, his gaze sharp. You saw something, he said. It wasn't a question.
I hesitated. They weren't violent yet. They were just existing. If I spoke up now, would the others listen? Or would they just burn them all?
I gave a small nod. Just… people.
Zuriel looked at the trees. Out here? No one's just normal people here!.
I didn't answer. I kept my eyes down. I didn't tell them how my feet felt like they were burning, or how the children waved to me like we were friends. I didn't want to know what the group would do if they knew the truth.
So I said nothing.
We went deeper into the forest as the smell of rotting meat began to fill the air.
Zuriel noticed it first. Something's here,he muttered.
We moved faster, pushing through the brush until a clearing opened up. When we stepped inside, everyone went silent. There was a normal tent, but beside it, skulls hung from wooden stakes. Rusted bells jingled next to bundles of dried organs and more skulls.
It smelled like burned herbs and old blood.
It was the Gabunan camp. Dozens of them were moving around, shifting in and out of human shape. Their teeth were too long and their eyes glowed even in the daylight. Some were laughing, some were sharpening weapons, and others whispered in harsh voices. There were far too many of them.
Sir Nathaniel stepped forward and took a small obsidian stone from his belt. It was covered in gold symbols. I'll leave a mark, he said. This place is anchored now. No matter how they hide, we'll find it.
He pressed the stone into the dirt. It hummed and vanished like mist.
We'll return with reinforcements, Nathaniel said. We can't take them on alone. The Gabunan know magic, and they are the strongest kind of aswang.
I didn't see any with white hair yet that's how you spot the leaders but with more help, we can win.
The Vermilion Clan will answer if I call, he added, and I'll ask the Nimhar as well. We'll need both strength and control.
Zuriel exhaled sharply, looking tense. Nathaniel glanced at him. Zuriel, he said firmly, be on your best behavior.
Zuriel didn't say anything. He just looked a bit pissed off.
I know what they did, Nathaniel added. But we need them now.
Zuriel's fists clenched. He gave a slow nod that sounded like a growl.
I wanted to ask why Zuriel was so angry and more about those white-haired Gabunan leaders, but we had to move fast to get help.
We left the forest and went back to the monastery Academy. The halls felt too quiet . We were told to rest and wait for the reinforcements.
I sat by a window, trying to catch my breath. The cool air coming through the glass smelled like rain.
Across the hall, Zuriel was pacing back and forth like a trapped lion. He hadn't said a word since we got back.
I walked over and leaned against the wall.
You really don't like them, huh?
Zuriel didn't stop pacing. They call it balance, he muttered, his voice low and bitter.
But all I ever saw was them taking things.
They break or kill what they can't control just because they can.
Because nobody is strong enough to stop them.
He stopped for a second. There was a small clan once called Azure. Most of them married into other clans, which is why we're called Azure instead of Vermilion. The Vermilion want to keep their bloodline pure because they think it makes them stronger.
He looked away, his jaw tight. We were part of them once. Until some of us got too strong. Too good with magic. My mother hid me because she knew what they'd do to someone like me. The strong don't protect they consume
I looked at him, my voice quiet. What happened to you and your mom? And the rest of the Azure clan?
Zuriel didn't answer. His eyes were full of pain, but the silence told me everything I needed to know. Then he lifted his head, his face turning hard again.
They're coming, he said.
The main doors creaked open. The hall filled with the sound of armor hitting stone.
The Vermilion Clan had arrived. They looked like fire itself in their bright red clothes and armor, covered in gold bangles and accessories. Even their weapons glowed with magic.
At the center stood a tall man with hair the color of flames, braided into a crown with streaks of dark brown. He had the look of someone who had won many wars. It was General Kaelron, the father of Eris.
Eris stepped forward and saluted perfectly. Father.
Eris, Kaelron said. His voice was short and deep. You stand taller. Fire suits you.
Sir Nathaniel walked up and shook the general's arm. General Kaelron, thank you for coming.
Kaelron nodded. Your message was clear. We cannot let the Gabunan grow. If they are organizing, war is coming. The Gabunan have been our enemies for a long time, so we will gladly help.
More officers entered. One of them caught my eye immediately. It was the Royal Heir. He had blonde hair, but the ends were red like fire.
His eyes looked like flickering flames, kind of like how a lighter flickers. Across the hall, he stood there covered in gold accessories, necklaces, and bangles. He was the only one wearing a cape.
I could feel the heat coming off Zuriel's skin as his jaw tightened.
I leaned toward him. You okay?
He didn't answer.
Maps were spread out on a big oak table. Circles marked the rifts, and red ink showed the Gabunan camp.
We'll strike within the week at dawn, General Kaelron said. The Gabunan are strong, but not invincible.
Sir Nathaniel studied the map. Their evolution is the problem. Salt and calamansi don't work anymore. They carry the ancient blood.
Then we burn them, an officer said. Or break them with fire.
I watched Nathaniel. His face didn't change, but I knew what he was hiding.
He hadn't told them about the Nephilim Book I have. He also didn't say that the Gabunan might know where another artifact was buried.
I looked across the table. Zuriel was watching me. He knew the truth too.
But we both stayed silent. The war council kept talking all around us, but the truth sat in the room like a hidden knife.
Unspoken.
Waiting.
I tried my best to stay calm and stop my legs from shaking.