Harkel's eyes peeled open as warmth brushed across his skin
He slowly pushed himself upright on the branch, untying the rope from around his leg before standing carefully and stretching out the stiffness in his shoulders. Leaves rustled beneath him as he glanced over to his new companion
Riven wasn't moving
He was just staring at the sky
The bright yellow sun hung above the forest canopy, pouring light through the gaps in the trees. It painted everything gold
"Riven" Harkel said, his voice still heavy with sleep but edged with concern. "You okay"
Riven turned his head slowly
His eyes were a bit red
He wiped his face quickly like he didn't want to be seen like that
"I'm fine" he said quietly. "Sorry"
Harkel frowned. "Why are you crying"
Riven looked back at the sky like he was afraid it might disappear
"I just never seen the sun before"
The words made Harkel pause
"How"
"In the Walls most adults work in factories. There are four of them, one covering each section. The smoke makes the sky dark all the time. They give us pills" Riven hesitated, trying to remember the exact word.
"Replicates the effect of what the sun would have on you" Harkel finished. "My family keeps them in case we hunt beasts on planets without sunlight. If it takes more than a day we use them"
Riven nodded slowly
"It's beautiful" he whispered
For a moment Harkel didn't say anything. He just followed Riven's gaze upward
The sunlight filtered through the trees, warming their faces and making the forest look almost peaceful
"Yeah" Harkel sighed. "It's not so bad looking"
⸻
In another part of the forest, three figures stood in a clearing
Jordan shaded his eyes
Joey smiled softly
Nico crossed her arms
"Come on" Nico said, pulling herself together. "We need to keep moving"
She stepped forward but Joey gently stopped her
"That way" he said, pointing in another direction
Jordan followed without hesitation
Nico clicked her tongue but trailed behind them
"How can you be sure we're heading toward your friends and not random people" she asked
Joey adjusted his glasses as they walked
"One time Luka got in trouble for fighting. The argument between him and Miss Lucia got so bad he disappeared for a whole day. We went looking for him. Around that time I had just evolved. At first I didn't understand it but I started seeing light trails around people. Every person's was different"
Nico rolled her eyes but kept listening
"Luka's had red mixed in. Jordan's has black inside. Riven's has green. When we're close enough I can tell the difference"
Nico scoffed
"Okay but how are those two going to help us. Neither of them are exactly geniuses"
Jordan shot her a look
Joey glanced at him and Jordan simply shook his head
They were clearly getting tired of her comments
⸻
Back near the treeline, Harkel and Riven climbed down and started moving
"So where do you think we should go" Harkel asked, scanning their surroundings
His shadow rippled faintly at his feet
It started to bubble
He stopped it instantly
No
This was obviously a test from the academy
There were cameras somewhere. There had to be
He had already shown three shadow beasts. If they discovered he had more than that it could cause problems. His father would not be pleased
Harkel's thoughts were cut off when Riven suddenly pointed
"There. We should go this way"
He was already walking
Harkel frowned. "How do you know"
Riven didn't answer
He just kept moving with steady confidence
Harkel didn't understand it but there was something sure about the way Riven walked, like he wasn't guessing
After a moment Harkel sighed
Fine
He followed
⸻
Inside a large control room, dozens of monitors flickered with live footage of the forest
On several screens students sat in resting areas, already eliminated from the exercise. They watched the remaining participants on mounted displays
"Sir Darius" a man in a lab coat said, eyes fixed on the data beside the footage. "Some of the students have already fallen out. But there are still far more left in the forest than we expected"
At the center of the room stood Sir Darius
His silver hair rested neatly against his collar as he observed the screens in silence
One monitor showed Riven and Harkel moving through the trees
Another showed Jordan's group closing distance from a different direction
Darius's lips curved slightly, barely there but enough to show his satisfaction
"I expect nothing less from the Voss Clan and family"
The control room was dim except for the glow of dozens of monitors lining the walls each screen showing different parts of the forest exam students running hiding fighting surviving
On several screens students sat alone some staring blankly ahead others trembling some with their heads down looking like they had just shamed themselves and their families
Darius leaned back in his chair silver hair brushing against the collar of his coat as his sharp eyes scanned the footage
Only a few carried the striking blue hair that marked the direct bloodline of the Voss family
The rules for extraction were simple
One if a student remained where the academy dropped them and waited the entire night relying on rescue
Two if a student faced a beast they clearly could not handle and required intervention
Three if they gave up
And several of the Voss children had chosen the third option
But not out of fear
Darius narrowed his eyes as he watched a group of blue haired students speaking calmly to others even in the middle of chaos
They were asking about abilities strengths weaknesses
Building teams
Recruiting
Preparing for the Clinton Games before the forest test had even ended
"These are some smart kids" Darius muttered though there was annoyance beneath his tone
He already understood
It was too late to stop the games
Especially when Shen himself was pushing for them
A scientist in a lab coat adjusted his glasses nervously
"Do you want us to do something sir"
Darius didn't look away from the screen
"No let it happen but let's end this fast"
He suddenly stood and pointed toward a man seated at a lower console
"You"
The man froze
"Sir you're not serious this is only for—"
"Do it" Darius cut him off
A slow almost devilish smile stretched across his face
There was no arguing with that expression
The man swallowed hard and picked up a headset
"Release Big Bird on section 1A 2E"
There was silence on the other end
"Are you sure"
The man hesitated glancing back at Darius
"No I'm not but do it"
⸻
Far beneath the academy in an underground steel facility alarms flickered dim red lights across reinforced walls
Rows of chained Rataclaw beasts snarled inside containment fields but they were nothing compared to what stood at the center
A massive yellow bird larger than a tank
Its feathers shimmered like sharpened blades its golden eyes glowing with violent intelligence
Thick white pulsing chains wrapped around its wings humming with energy as they forced the creature down
The air around it felt heavy like the pressure before a storm
A man in a combat uniform stepped forward clasping his hands together closing his eyes for a brief second
"I hope you're all sure about this" he shouted over the low rumble coming from the beast
"We're about to release a level four monster into the first year forest be prepared to move in immediately and extract students as fast as possible"
Around him soldiers and staff exchanged nervous looks some gulping some tightening their grips on weapons
The chains began to glow brighter
Then in a blink
The massive bird vanished
Like it had never been there at all
And somewhere inside the forest
The sky shifted slightly
As if something enormous had just claimed it
In the middle of an empty field, the giant yellow beast landed.
The impact alone cracked the earth beneath its talons. Dust and loose grass shot into the air as its massive wings folded slowly behind its back. The creature tilted its head, unaware of its surroundings at first.
Not far from it, a Rataclaw beast crept through the grass — slightly larger than the usual ones, its claws scraping against stone.
The moment their eyes met…
The Rataclaw's head was gone.
Its body stood for half a second longer before collapsing into the dirt.
The yellow beast — Aurex — crunched down on the severed head, blood dripping from its beak-like jaws.
"Crap…" the man who had teleported the creature muttered under his breath.
Aurex had a dangerous trait — a special addiction to the taste of blood. Any kind. Human or beast. Once it tasted it, the creature entered a frenzy-like high. Its senses sharpened. Its speed increased. Its instincts took over.
After finishing the Rataclaw's skull, Aurex lifted its head.
It smelled it.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Human. Beast. Fear.
The creature loved it.
Its eyes shifted from pure black to a deep crimson red. Slowly, it spread its enormous golden wings and shot into the sky. The force of its takeoff bent trees outward like a storm had just rolled in. Leaves tore from branches. The air pressure alone made the field tremble.
Then it screamed.
A gut-wrenching screech tore through the forest. It wasn't just sound — it was pressure. It felt like the air itself was being crushed.
All across the forest, students didn't just hear it.
They felt it.
Their stomachs dropped as if the ground beneath them disappeared. Their hearts sank into a bottomless pit of dread.
"What was that?" Riven asked, his voice shaking.
Harkel didn't answer. He reacted.
He grabbed Riven's wrist and pulled him hard into a thick set of bushes, forcing them both down low. Leaves scratched at their faces as they pressed themselves into the dirt.
Then the screaming started.
"AHHH—!"
Students' cries echoed through the trees.
—
Back in the control room, panic exploded.
One of the teleport operators wasn't fast enough.
A golden blur flashed across the screen — and the man's arm was gone.
"Get a medic in here now!" someone shouted as blood sprayed across the console. The injured man was dragged away, pale and screaming.
"What the hell was Darius thinking?!" another man yelled. "He had to know this was going to happen!"
"We won't be fast enough to save all these students… what is he planning?!"
The monitors flickered with chaos — red dots disappearing one by one.
—
Running through the forest were Jordan, Joey, and Nico.
Branches whipped at their arms as they sprinted.
They could hear the screams.
And they didn't like how close they were.
"What is going on?!" Nico asked, fear thick in her voice.
"How are we supposed to know?!" Jordan snapped back, not daring to look behind them.
"We just need to get as far as possible and—"
Joey stopped.
Suddenly.
All the screams stopped too.
The forest went silent.
Too silent.
The three of them slowly lifted their heads.
A shadow fell over them.
They looked up.
Aurex hovered above, wings extended wide enough to block the sky. Its crimson eyes glowed. Blood dripped from its mouth, staining golden feathers red.
It stared down at them.
And it was clear.
They were about to become the next screams.