The forest had returned to silence, but it was no longer the same silence. Rinma lay still on the ground for a few seconds, his breathing uneven, his body heavy as if the weight of that encounter had not yet released him. Every muscle in his body ached, not only from exhaustion, but from something deeper that had shaken his sense of control.
Beside him, Mark groaned quietly before pushing himself up, one hand pressed against his side. "That was annoying."
Rinma didn't respond immediately. His eyes were fixed ahead, not on the trees or the ground, but on the place where the creature had stood. "We couldn't touch it."
Mark let out a breath, then laughed softly. "That's not the problem." He straightened slightly, rolling his shoulder as if testing whether it still responded. "The problem is… it didn't even try."
Silence followed. That truth settled heavier than the pain, because they both understood it. They hadn't been defeated. They had been dismissed.
Rinma slowly pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain that ran through his body. "We didn't use everything."
Mark glanced at him, then smirked faintly. "Of course we didn't." A pause. "We couldn't."
Because this wasn't just a fight. It was a mission.
Mark reached into his coat and pulled out a small, transparent container. It was carefully sealed, reinforced with fine engravings designed to contain unstable energy. "Let's not waste time."
Rinma nodded once. They approached the river again, this time more carefully. The surface remained still, too still, but neither of them spoke.
Mark crouched slowly and lowered the container into the water. The moment it touched the surface, a faint ripple spread outward. The color inside the container shifted immediately, not clear and not blue, but something deeper, something that almost felt alive.
Mark watched it closely, his smile returning. "So it's real."
Rinma didn't look away from the river. "And dangerous."
Mark sealed the container carefully, then stood. "Perfect."
Without another word, they turned and left.
The journey back was silent, not because there was nothing to say, but because neither of them wanted to say it. The forest felt different now, heavier, as if something had noticed them or remembered them.
By the time they reached the mountains, the air had changed completely. Colder. Sharper. And ahead of them stood the palace.
It rose between the cliffs like something carved from darkness itself, massive and unnatural. The entrance resembled the open mouth of a bat, jagged edges forming something between architecture and something alive.
Mark slowed slightly. "Still hate this place."
Rinma didn't respond, but his steps slowed as well. Not from fear, but from awareness, because inside was someone far more dangerous than anything they had faced.
"He might kill us," Mark said casually.
"He won't," Rinma replied after a moment. "Not yet."
That was enough. They stepped forward and entered.
The hall was silent, as always. The air itself felt heavy, as if even sound avoided lingering there. At the far end, Lucius sat still, watching.
They approached without hesitation. Mark stepped forward and placed the container in front of him. "The sample."
Lucius didn't move immediately. His gaze shifted slowly from the container to them. "You took your time."
Mark smirked faintly. "We made sure it was worth it."
Silence.
Then Lucius spoke again. "Did you fight it?"
The question came without warning. Both Rinma and Mark froze slightly. Their eyes met for a brief moment. How does he know?
Lucius didn't wait for an answer. "If you had killed it, this water would have lost its nature. It would have become ordinary."
The silence that followed was heavier than before, because now they understood. He knew.
"You've been watching," Mark said quietly.
Lucius neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he leaned back slightly. "You did not fail." A pause. "And for that, you are no longer under punishment."
That was unexpected.
Mark exhaled quietly. "That's generous."
Lucius ignored the comment. His gaze sharpened. "Do not misunderstand. You were not spared. You were evaluated."
The air itself seemed to tighten around those words.
"Leave."
Outside, neither of them spoke for several seconds. Then Mark laughed. "We're still alive."
Rinma looked toward the mountains behind them. "For now."
Elsewhere, the fire crackled softly.
Yun sat beside it, watching the flames move slowly over the wood. The smell of cooked meat filled the air, warm and simple. Too simple.
Creighton was the first to grab a piece, eating with clear satisfaction. "Okay, this was worth it."
Yun didn't respond. Sharma remained quiet, but not calm.
"That thing…" Yun finally said.
Sharma looked at him. "You saw it."
"Yes."
Creighton blinked. "Saw what?"
Silence.
Sharma answered instead. "Nothing important."
Creighton narrowed his eyes. "You're both terrible at lying."
But he didn't push further.
Yun looked toward the river again. "Do you know its name?"
Sharma hesitated for a moment. "Mirka."
The name felt strange, heavy, as if it carried more than just identity.
"Mirka…" Yun repeated quietly.
Before he could think further, Creighton suddenly stepped closer. "Why are you two whispering?"
Both Yun and Sharma tensed slightly. "Nothing," Yun said calmly.
Creighton stared at them, then shrugged. "You're weird."
They returned to the fire. The meat was ready, and for a brief moment everything felt normal. They ate, laughed, and relaxed as if nothing had happened.
Then Creighton spoke again. "Do you think this place is safe?"
For a second, no one answered.
Then Yun and Sharma spoke at the same time. "Don't worry."
That alone was suspicious.
Before anyone could respond, a sound echoed through the forest. A distant howl. Sharp. Cold.
Creighton froze. "What was that?"
Another howl, closer this time.
His face changed instantly. "Okay… no."
Then he shouted. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Yun blinked. Sharma turned.
Then they both burst into laughter.
Not light laughter. Not polite.
They laughed uncontrollably.
Creighton stared at them. "Are you serious?! Stop laughing!"
They didn't. They even started imitating him.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"Okay… no!"
Creighton's face turned red. "You're both idiots."
Eventually, they stopped.
Barely.
The atmosphere shifted, lighter now.
Then silence returned, but this time it was comfortable.
Until Creighton spoke again. "If you could have anything… what would you want?"
Yun answered without hesitation. "Strength. Enough to protect everything."
Sharma looked at him for a moment, then away.
"And you?" Yun asked.
Sharma took a breath. "I want to reach something… something I haven't found yet."
"That's vague," Yun said.
"It has to be."
Then they looked at Creighton.
He hesitated. For the first time, he didn't smile.
"I want the world… to forgive me."
Silence.
That answer didn't fit him. Not completely.
But it meant something.
Something deeper.
The fire burned lower. The night grew darker.
And somewhere far beyond what they could see…
Something was still watching.
Waiting.
For the moment everything would change.