I turned around to see another tunnel behind us. Each tunnel was covered with vines—black veins similar to the ones on the hole's surface. But after looking at the ground, I touched it. It was hard and rough, but the pattern designs weren't like something made by hand or shovels. Something dug here and made the tunnels, and it wasn't human.

My father started to chant again as a blue light flew past my head, startling me as a blue trail lit the tunnel slightly. It was a very long tunnel, and the light only showed a few inches to the ground and ceiling. But the farther the light went, the darker the trail became, until you couldn't see anything.

"Will, watch my six," my father commanded as he started to walk down one of the tunnels. I didn't say a word as I drew my sword and followed right behind, keeping my back towards his. "Don't do any big swings in here. The walls are too narrow."

"Got it."

Staying close as each step left a loud crunch, we slowed. One step after another, I lost sight of the exit light. We continued farther in as the smell worsened, almost making me puke. Roots snapped at our steps as the only visible light we could see was from my father's spell.

It was way too quiet to be normal. And we saw nothing—not even a single bug. We were underground in a dark tunnel, and we saw no bugs. The silence kept us on edge. It was eerie and uncanny.

Then we stopped.

"Will you channel magic into your sword?" my father mumbled.

I'm not used to channeling magic into my weapons, but it was easy since I have been training to channel. Focusing my magic into the sword, it started to glow a faint blue color, enough to give off some light, but only to see a few inches in front of us.

"Good, over here."

Following his orders, I turned around and brought the sword over to him, lighting up the ground. Crouching down next to him, I could determine what he was looking at.

He held a white, oversized hat that could probably touch my waist if I wore it. It was covered in red dirt stains—no, blood. But why was my father looking at this hat?

"This belongs to Doctor Apple; she travels this forest on top of a bear wearing this hat," my father said assertively. "She never goes anywhere without this."

"Then why is it here?"

My father started crawling on all fours to an intersection of tunnels. There, he pulled something off the ground.

It was an arm covered in black veins ripped off from the elbow as a yellow tumor formed on parts of the skin. The skin was ghostly pale, covered in dirt with yellow puss going down it and a single ring on the finger.

There, I saw my father's eyes open wide. Terror filled them as he looked up at me.

"We have to leave," my father said, his voice shaking with fear. I have never seen my father so scared.

"Now!"

Not wanting to argue, I turned around and went straight for the exit. I did my best to run through the narrow tunnels, grabbing onto the walls for any leverage to pull myself.

I was lost here, though. Why are we running? What made this place?

Finally seeing the light, I picked up speed until I stood at the exit. My father was right behind me as he turned me around. "You're up first," he proclaimed, bringing his hands together below his waist.

Understanding what he was trying to do, I sheathed my sword and lifted my foot onto his hands. He proceeds to holster me off the ground as I try to stand up straight on his hand, reaching for something to grab onto. Digging my nails into the ground, I pulled myself up clumsily. Turning around quickly and lying flat on the ground, I offered my hand to him as he jumped up and took it. I was worried he would drag me down for a moment until he used his bow to support himself.

He proceeded to grab my arm and drag me away from the hole.

"What is it? You have been acting like you know what it is!" I yelled out loud.

My father's behavior was unnatural; his puzzling silence and usually calm demeanor were gone. Something is off.

Yanking my arm out of his grip, I pulled his shoulder so he would turn to me. "Tell me what it is!"

"It's a Blight Nest!"

"The Blight? This far north? The Blight has never been this close to both Hearthglen and Asgard." I explained. The idea was impossible. The Blight can't think, nor would it come this far north. Everyone knew that the Blight attacked from the far southwest, where the Fortress of Danamon was.

"I know, but..." Before he could finish his words, I saw his eyes widen. He was looking at something behind me as he grabbed me. "Will!"

My father wrapped his arms around me as we leaped into the air. I could only hear a terrifying roar, wood breaking, and us hitting the ground. Or maybe that was just my head spinning from the impact.

Trying to shake off what just happened, my father pulled me onto my knees as I looked up to see what he saw.

A massive bear, Doctor Apple's bear, I presumed, slammed itself into a tree as it slowly turned around to face us. Its face had a gigantic black gash going down its pearl-white eyes, and its lips were reddened from all the flesh ripped off. Chunks of the bear's lower jaw were torn off, and I could see the bone connecting to the teeth. Its fur was just unhinged, with a black coating and a hint of yellow puss. Its front arm was hairless and elongated as black veins spread up the arm as bone protruded both out of its claws and above it, almost like brass knuckles. A sharp appendage protruded out of the elbow as fur slowly returned when going up the shoulder.

The bear stood on its hind legs, which looked like they had been cut up with knives. They appeared to be much shorter than any bear I have seen—unnaturally shorter. But that wasn't the worst part. The bear's torso was ripped open, and pieces of its ribs protruded outward. The teeth moved like gears on a machine, opening and closing like a mouth, as more ribs protruded out of the back, making the bear look even bigger than it already was.

Before we could do anything, the bear slammed its front arms into the ground and released a shock wave, sending my father and me tumbling backward.