The mountain air grew thinner the farther they rode from the dwarf stronghold.
Behind them, the echo of hammers and roaring forges slowly faded into silence, replaced by the steady rhythm of hooves against dirt and stone. The path narrowed as it descended, winding through jagged terrain before giving way to uneven earth and scattered roots.
Steel Beard stood at the edge of his domain as they left, arms crossed, chewing lazily on a strip of grilled meat.
"Don't die before you bring my materials back," he called out, voice carrying without effort.
Then, after a pause, he added with a smirk, "And don't screw up the frog. That part's the easiest way to fail."
Solarynth glanced back only once.
Then the forest swallowed the path ahead.
Dark Vern Woods did not welcome them.
The moment they crossed its threshold, the air changed.
It grew heavier, colder.
The light dimmed, not because the sun had disappeared, but because the canopy above seemed to consume it. Towering trees twisted toward the sky, their bark dark and uneven, branches weaving together so tightly that only faint streaks of light reached the forest floor.
The sound of the outside world vanished.
No wind, no birds, no movement only silence
Louis slowed his movements.
"Stay alert," he said quietly, his voice low but firm.
Rook had already moved slightly ahead, his eyes scanning every inch of their surroundings. His posture shifted subtly, weight balanced, ready.
Omen rolled his shoulders, gripping his spear a little tighter than necessary.
"…Feels dead," he muttered.
"It's not," Louis replied. "That's the problem."
Grace adjusted the straps on her satchel, her gaze flickering between Solarynth and the forest ahead.
"How are your eyes?" she asked.
Solarynth didn't answer immediately.
There was a faint pressure again dull, persistent. Not as violent as before, but present.
"…Unstable," he said finally.
Grace frowned slightly.
"You shouldn't push it here," she warned. "If what Steel Beard said is right, forcing that ability again—"
"I know," Solarynth interrupted softly.
He did but something about this place…
It felt different.
They continued deeper.
The ground softened beneath them, roots breaking through the soil like veins. Shadows stretched unnaturally, shifting as though they had weight of their own.
Omen suddenly slowed his horse.
"…You see that?" he asked.
Rook's voice came immediately.
"Don't point."
Omen clicked his tongue but said nothing more.
Solarynth followed their line of sight.
A tree.
Just a tree.
Twisted. Still. Silent.
Then it moved.
Not the trunk.
Not the branches.
Something along it.
A thin, bark-like shape peeled itself from the wood, almost too slow to notice.
A snake.
"Wooden snake," Louis said quietly. "Don't get close."
The creature remained perfectly still again, blending seamlessly back into the tree.
If Solarynth had blinked he would have missed it.
"…It hides completely," Solarynth murmured.
"Exactly," Louis replied. "And it won't chase you. It'll wait until you make a mistake."
They moved again more carefully this time
further in, the forest thickened.
The silence deepened.
Even the horses grew restless, their movements less steady, ears twitching at sounds no one else could hear.
Then
A faint sound broke through.
A soft, wet bubbling.
Rook raised a hand instantly.
they stopped "There," he said.
Ahead, near a shallow dip in the ground, something moved.
Small faintly glowing.
Solarynth narrowed his eyes.
A frog.
Its body pulsed slightly, veins beneath its skin glowing faintly as it shifted across damp earth. The ground around it looked wet, almost slick, as if something had leaked or spilled repeatedly in the area.
"Burst frog," Grace whispered. "That has to be it."
"Don't rush it," Louis warned. "If it panics, it bursts."
Omen smirked slightly. "So don't scare it. Simple."
Rook didn't respond.
Solarynth watched it carefully.
There was something… fragile about it.
And yet so dangerous.
A faint sting hit his eyes.
Sharp and so sudden.
His vision flickered.
For just second the world shifted.
The frog changed he saw something beneath its skin.
Pressure and movement, energy building in unstable patterns.
Then—
Pain.
Solarynth blinked hard, his hand instinctively rising to his face.
"…Not now…" he muttered under his breath.
Grace noticed immediately.
"Solarynth?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly but he wasn't.
Not completely.
The forest around them felt… off.
Wrong.
Then—
The silence broke.
A faint thread dropped from above, thin almost invisible.
Rook's head snapped upward.
"Move!"
Too late.
A web snapped down from the trees, spreading wide as it fell.
Omen jumped back, barely avoiding it as it hit the ground with a soft but heavy thud.
"Veil spiders," Louis said sharply.
"Don't look directly at the webs!"
Solarynth's gaze shifted instinctively and the world distorted, depth warped.
Distance twisted for a split second.
He couldn't tell where anything was.
He stepped back.
Slow, controlled.
Above them, something moved.
Multiple shapes, long limbs, hanging onto something and its Watching them from above.
The forest was no longer silent.
It was awake.
The frog jumped suddenly, startled by the movement.
Its body pulsed violently.
"Don't let it burst!" Grace shouted.
Everything moved at once.
Omen stepped forward, spear ready.
Rook shifted position, scanning for angles.
Louis tightened his grip.
And Solarynth stood still his eyes ached, his mind raced.
The forest pressed in from all sides.
Then
Something deeper within the shadows shifted.
Not above, not below.
But ahead.
Watching and waiting.
Solarynth felt it before he saw it a presence.
Different from the rest, heavier.
More patient his breath slowed.
For the first time since entering the forest—
Instinct spoke louder than thought.
Solarynth's gaze remained fixed on the faint glow of the frog as it shifted along the damp forest floor, unaware of the danger closing in around it. The creature's small body pulsed gently, its fragile form betraying no hint of the volatile energy contained within. He adjusted his stance with quiet precision, lowering his center of gravity as his breathing steadied.
The forest pressed in around them, heavy and watchful.
Every instinct told him to move carefully.
Not fast—controlled.
Measured.
Because here, speed was not power.
It was risk.
He exhaled slowly then moved.
His body surged forward in a sudden burst of motion, but unlike before, there was no violent crack of air, no sonic boom splitting the silence. Instead, his speed folded inward, contained and refined, allowing him to glide across the ground with minimal disruption. The leaves barely stirred beneath his feet as he closed the distance in an instant.
To the others, he vanished from sight.
To Solarynth, everything remained perfectly clear.
The frog twitched.
Its body tensed.
Its muscles coiled for escape.
Too late.
His hand closed around it with precise control, applying just enough pressure to secure it without triggering its defensive reaction. The creature squirmed slightly, but he adjusted his grip instantly, stabilizing it as he carried his momentum forward.
He dropped low and rolled across the forest floor, absorbing the force of his own movement as he came to a controlled stop.
For a moment—
Everything held still.
The frog remained intact in his grasp.
Alive and Contained.
But the forest had heard him.
The impact of his landing had not been violent, but in a place like this, even the smallest disruption carried weight. The ground had cracked faintly beneath him, and the sound sharp and sudden cut through the unnatural silence like a signal.
Something above shifted.
Branches trembled.
Then
A heavy mass dropped from the canopy.
It landed with force.
The Veil Spider was massive, far larger than the ones glimpsed before, its elongated limbs spreading outward as it absorbed the impact. Its semi-transparent body revealed pulsing veins beneath its surface, and its red eyes burned with feral intensity as it locked onto its prey.
A low, guttural hiss escaped its fangs, thick with hunger.
Solarynth rose slowly to his feet, the frog still secured in his hand, his expression calm despite the sudden escalation.
"…Well," he muttered under his breath, voice quiet but clear, "that backfired."
The spider attacked without hesitation.
Its body launched forward with terrifying speed, fangs extended as it aimed directly for Solarynth.
But it never reached him.
Because Louis stepped in.
The impact rang out as shield met force, the sheer weight of the spider crashing against the bronze with a violent clang. The ground beneath Louis's feet shifted slightly as he absorbed the blow, his stance unwavering.
Then came the crack.
The spider's fangs pierced through the shield.
The metal split under pressure, the sharp tips forcing their way through with a grinding sound that echoed through the forest.
But Louis didn't falter.
He moved instantly.
His spear drove forward in a precise counterattack, aiming directly for the creature's head.
The strike landed
But only graze it.
The spider twisted mid-motion, its body contorting unnaturally as it pulled itself back, retreating up the tree trunk with disturbing speed. Its limbs clung to the bark as it ascended, disappearing into the shadows above.
Then it retaliated.
Threads of silk shot downward in rapid succession, thin and nearly invisible, slicing through the air with lethal precision.
"Scatter!" Louis commanded.
They moved as one.
Omen rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a strand that struck the ground where he had stood, the impact leaving the webbing embedded into the soil. Grace stepped back quickly, raising an arm to shield herself as another thread snapped against a nearby root.
Solarynth shifted his footing, stepping out of range.
But the moment his eyes tracked the web—
The world distorted.
Depth twisted, Distance warped.
For a split second, the forest felt wrong.
He adjusted immediately, forcing his vision to stabilize despite the strain building behind his eyes.
Above them, the spider repositioned itself, preparing for another strike.
But it never came because Rook moved first
Without a word, without hesitation, his arm snapped forward, releasing his spear with lethal intent. The weapon cut through the air in a straight, unforgiving path, its speed rivaling the very moment it was thrown.
The spear struck cleanly It pierced the spider's head.
The impact triggered an immediate reaction.
The creature convulsed violently before bursting apart, its body rupturing as dark green fluid exploded outward, splattering across the bark and dripping heavily toward the ground.
What remained twitched briefly before going still
Silence returned once more.
Grace turned slightly, her expression tightening as she caught sight of the aftermath.
"…That's gross," she muttered, clearly resisting the urge to look away entirely.
Then she refocused, her voice regaining its usual composure.
"Collect the silk. We need it."
Omen stepped forward without complaint, crouching near the fallen strands of webbing. He pulled a small blade from his side and began cutting into the fibers, quickly realizing their resistance.
"this is…Tough," he muttered, applying more force as he worked through the material.
After a few moments, he gathered enough and stood, handing it over to Grace.
She inspected it briefly before nodding in approval. "That will do."
Meanwhile, Solarynth remained where he stood, the frog still shifting lightly within his grasp.
He reached into his bag and retrieved a reinforced container, carefully placing the creature inside. His movements remained controlled, ensuring the frog did not panic as he sealed the lid.
He adjusted it slightly, allowing small openings for air.
The faint glow inside the jar stabilized.
Two ingredients, secured.
Louis lowered what remained of his shield, glancing briefly at the damage before shifting his attention back to the group.
"We're done here," he said.
No one argued.
Rook retrieved his spear.
Omen stretched his shoulders, tension easing slightly now that the immediate threat had passed.
Grace secured the silk within her pack, ensuring it would not be damaged during the journey back.
Solarynth looked at the forest one last time.
It had gone quiet again but the silence no longer felt empty.
It felt aware, watching them.
"…Let's move," Louis ordered.
They mounted their horses and began their retreat, moving with more urgency than before, the weight of the forest pressing against their backs as they rode.
No one spoke.
And far above them
Hidden within the canopy
Something shifted.
Not a spider, Not a snake, something older.
Something that had watched the entire encounter unfold without interference.
And had chosen
To wait.
for now...