Kai and Cloud were still shuffling forward, their feet sinking into the damp earth of the foggy forest. Towering trees loomed over them like silent sentinels, their twisted branches clawing at the sky. The mist curled around their legs, thick and unyielding, as if trying to drag them down with every step. A faint, pale light shimmered in the distance, marking the end of the forest, but the exact landscape beyond remained veiled, an enigma waiting to be unveiled.

“What lies beyond the forest?” Cloud asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper as he turned to Kai.

Kai simply shrugged, his expression unreadable underneath his mask. “I don’t know. I’ve never traveled in this direction before. There are still many regions I’ve yet to explore, starting with the one ahead of us.”

As they pressed forward, the sounds of the forest grew restless. Leaves rustled with unseen movement, and distant whispers of shifting bushes sent chills down Cloud's spine. The air felt heavier with each step, pressing against him like an invisible force. His limbs ached, his breath felt shallow, and a deep exhaustion clung to him like a curse.

‘They’re getting closer… And I’m just getting weaker with every step,’ Cloud thought, blinking sluggishly. Even his vision felt dim, his body sluggish as though it were sinking in quicksand. ‘Kai will probably try to save me again. But he’s not even mentioning a plan to defend ourselves. That means he’s already decided what to do…’

Kai’s hands suddenly ignited with foxfire, the red flames casting eerie shadows against the mist. “It’s time, Cloud. The shifters are here, and there are a lot of them. Prepare yourself.” His voice was steady, unwavering.

Cloud let out a dry chuckle, though it lacked humor. “Prepare? Do I look like I can fight right now?”

“No, and if I’m being honest, you haven’t looked like you could fight this entire journey. But I don’t want you to fight. I want you to run.” His voice was firm, allowing no argument. “You’re weak and useless right now, but that’s partly because of the forest. Get out of here, and your body will feel slightly better. I’ll join you soon after. This is their territory, fighting them here is suicide.”

Cloud softly nodded, his chest tightening at Kai's words. “Alright. I don’t know how well I can run right now, but I’ll try my best… If I don’t make it as planned, please don’t come after me. I don’t want anyone to die because I was weak.”

Kai sighed, raising his hands as the flickering foxfire intensified. “Then don’t be weak. Make it all the way, and no one will have to die. Now, run.”

Cloud took a deep breath and bolted forward, pouring every last ounce of his strength into his sprint. Behind him, the first wave of phantoms lunged from the shadows, their grotesque limbs stretching unnaturally. Kai met them head-on, dodging with fluid grace before setting them ablaze in midair. Their screeches echoed through the trees, but Cloud didn’t dare look back.

He couldn’t. Even the thought of turning his head felt like an impossible burden. His legs screamed in protest, but his will burned hotter than his exhaustion. The ground blurred beneath him, an unsteady path that felt more like an enemy than a guide. Every step was a battle, every breath a struggle.

‘Why run?’ The thought slithered into his mind like a venomous whisper.

He clenched his teeth and shoved it away. ‘That’s how weak people think.’

The mantra repeated in his head, fueling his every movement. ‘I’ve run up and down a mountain in a few hours. This is nothing compared to that. I have to get out of this forest—I won’t settle for less. I’ll run until I can’t feel my legs if I have to. But I won’t give up.’

Suddenly, a faint white light flared between the trees ahead. It was blinding against the suffocating darkness. Cloud instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, but in that split second, his foot caught against something. A log. He tripped and tumbled forward, rolling across the ground. The impact sent sharp jolts of pain through his body, but the ground beneath him began to feel softer with every roll.

Finally, he came to a stop.

The mist was gone. The air was lighter. And beneath him—

Sand.

Cloud lifted a trembling hand, scooping up a fistful of the fine grains. They slipped through his fingers, carried away by the desert breeze. He exhaled slowly, trying to confirm that this was real. The suffocating weight of the forest was gone. He pushed himself off the ground, sitting up with a sharp inhale. His chest heaved with exhaustion, but for the first time in hours, his body didn’t feel as heavy.

He turned back toward the forest, his brows furrowing.

‘Kai… where are you?’

The dark canopy loomed behind him like an ominous wall, but Kai was nowhere in sight. The flickering red glow of foxfire had vanished within the mist.

Cloud swallowed, then turned his gaze to his surroundings. All he could see was an endless expanse of golden sand and jagged rocky plains stretching toward the horizon. A vast desert. The silence was almost deafening compared to the restless whispers of the forest.

But that didn’t matter.

What mattered was that he had escaped.

And Kai was still in there.

Cloud took a shaky step forward, eyes fixed on the darkness he had just fled.

“Where are you, Kai?” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.