The moment they stepped deeper—
the forest changed.
Not gradually.
Not subtly.
It was immediate.
Sora stopped.
"…You smell that?"
Johan didn't answer right away.
Because he did.
Rot.
Thick.
Heavy.
It clung to the air like something alive, crawling into their lungs with every breath. The fresh scent of pine and earth was gone—replaced by something foul, something that didn't belong.
"…Yeah," Johan said quietly.
They moved forward.
Slower now.
More careful.
The trees grew closer together, their branches twisting unnaturally, blocking out more of the light. Shadows stretched across the ground, darker than they should have been.
And then—
they saw it.
A body.
A deer.
Or what was left of it.
Its lower half was gone.
Completely.
Torn apart.
The upper torso lay on its side, ribs exposed, flesh ripped unevenly as if something had eaten it in a hurry—or lost interest halfway through.
Flies buzzed faintly around it.
But even they seemed hesitant.
Sora's expression hardened.
"…That's messed up."
Johan stepped closer.
Careful.
Observing.
"…No clean cuts," Johan muttered.
"…No consistent bite pattern."
He crouched slightly, eyes narrowing.
"…This isn't hunting."
Sora crossed his arms.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…It's just killing."
They moved again.
Further in.
Another body.
This time—
only legs remained.
The rest was gone.
Then another.
Half-eaten.
But untouched for days.
Rotting.
And another.
A small animal—its body intact, but twisted unnaturally, as if crushed by something far stronger than necessary.
The deeper they went—
the worse it became.
The smell thickened.
The air grew heavier.
Breathing became harder.
Sora clicked his tongue.
"…This place is disgusting."
Johan didn't respond.
But his eyes—
kept moving.
"…Different patterns," he said quietly.
Sora glanced at him.
"…What?"
Johan pointed at the corpses.
"…Some are burned."
Another.
"…Some are crushed."
Another.
"…Some are torn apart."
Silence.
Sora frowned.
"…You saying there's more than one?"
Johan didn't answer immediately.
But he didn't need to.
The forest itself answered.
Crack.
Both of them froze.
A branch snapped.
Somewhere ahead.
Sora's grip tightened.
"…You hear that?"
Johan nodded.
"…Yes."
Then—
another sound.
Rustle.
From the left.
Then—
from the right.
Silence again.
Sora smirked slightly.
"…We're not alone."
Johan's voice dropped.
"…We haven't been for a while."
The wind didn't move.
The trees didn't sway.
But something—
was watching.
Then—
they saw it.
Between the trees.
A pair of glowing eyes.
Low to the ground.
Unblinking.
Then—
another.
And another.
Different heights.
Different distances.
Surrounding them.
Sora exhaled slowly.
"…Heh."
A faint heat flickered around his arm.
Not fully igniting.
But ready.
Johan raised his hand slightly.
Aether gathering—
quiet.
Controlled.
"…Don't engage all at once," Johan said.
"…We observe."
Sora smirked.
"…You always say that."
The eyes didn't move.
But they didn't disappear either.
They were waiting.
Then—
one stepped forward.
A creature.
Smaller than the first one they fought—
but similar.
Its body was uneven.
One arm larger than the other.
Its movements unstable.
Its armor incomplete.
"…Another one," Sora muttered.
But Johan's eyes narrowed further.
"…No."
A pause.
"…Not the same."
The creature twitched.
Then—
lunged.
Sora stepped forward—
fire igniting instantly along his blade.
FWOOSH.
The flames were stronger now.
Still unstable.
But faster to appear.
He swung—
CRACK.
The creature was thrown back—
its body burning on impact.
Johan moved at the same time—
aether pressing down—
pinning it for just a moment.
That moment—
was enough.
Sora stepped in—
and finished it.
Silence returned.
The other eyes—
were gone.
Just like that.
Sora exhaled.
"…Too easy."
Johan didn't relax.
Not even slightly.
"…That's the problem."
Silence.
Sora glanced at him.
"…What now?"
Johan turned—
looking deeper into the forest.
"…They're not defending territory."
A pause.
"…They're coming from somewhere."
Sora followed his gaze.
And then—
he saw it.
"…Hey."
Johan looked.
Between the trees—
partially hidden—
A dark opening.
A cave.
The ground around it—
scarred.
Burn marks.
Deep claw marks.
Broken earth.
And from within—
a faint pulse.
Aether.
Unstable.
Wrong.
Sora grinned.
"…There it is."
Johan's expression didn't change.
But his voice—
lowered.
"…This isn't a nest."
Silence.
The air around the cave felt heavier than anywhere else in the forest.
As if something inside—
was breathing.
Johan's eyes narrowed.
"…This is a source."
Sora stepped forward.
Without hesitation.
"…Then let's check it."
Johan followed.
But slower.
More cautious.
Because for the first time—
he wasn't just sensing danger.
He was certain of it.
And as they stood before the cave—
the forest behind them fell completely silent.
As if—
everything inside…
was waiting.