The following morning arrived beneath a blanket of gray clouds.

The sky was overcast.

The air was cool.

A faint mist drifted between the rooftops of Briar Hollow as the village slowly came to life.

Or rather…

As much life as it still had.

Ashen stood outside the small home Chief Voldon had offered them for the night.

He adjusted the strap securing the dagger at his waist.

The new robe Lyric had bought him only days earlier fluttered gently in the breeze.

He still wasn’t used to wearing it.

It felt…

Too nice.

A moment later, Lyric stepped outside.

Her sword rested comfortably at her hip, and her travel pack had been stripped down to only the essentials.

She looked toward the forest beyond the village walls.

“We’re leaving.”

Ashen nodded.

He was ready.

Or…

At least he wanted to believe he was.

⸻

Voldon waited for them at the village gate.

Dark circles hung beneath his tired eyes.

It was obvious he hadn’t slept.

He held out a rolled parchment.

“A map.”

“It marks every place the beast has been spotted.”

Lyric accepted it with a nod.

“Thank you.”

Voldon hesitated before speaking again.

“…Please.”

“Be careful.”

His eyes drifted toward the distant forest.

“This thing…”

“…it doesn’t behave like any mana beast we’ve ever seen.”

Lyric met his gaze.

“I’ve noticed.”

With one final nod, the two stepped beyond the village walls.

Behind them…

The heavy wooden gates groaned shut.

THUD.

⸻

The first hour passed quietly.

Birds sang overhead.

Branches swayed gently in the morning breeze.

For a while, Ashen almost wondered if the villagers had exaggerated the danger.

Then…

The birds stopped.

He noticed immediately.

“…It’s quiet.”

Lyric didn’t answer.

She had noticed long before he did.

⸻

The deeper they traveled…

The stranger the forest became.

Ancient trees bore deep claw marks across their trunks.

Broken branches littered the ground.

Entire sections of earth had been ripped apart, as though something enormous had dragged itself through the woods.

Ashen crouched beside a massive footprint.

It was nearly as large as his entire body.

“…That’s impossible.”

“No.”

Lyric answered calmly.

“It isn’t.”

Ashen slowly rose to his feet.

“…Was this made by the beast?”

“I believe so.”

She continued walking.

“But something doesn’t feel right.”

⸻

The forest grew darker.

Even though it was still morning.

The canopy above had become so thick that only scattered rays of sunlight reached the forest floor.

The temperature dropped noticeably.

Ashen instinctively pulled his robe tighter around himself.

“…It’s getting colder.”

Lyric nodded once.

“I know.”

⸻

Minutes later…

Ashen stopped.

Bones.

They covered the forest floor.

Broken antlers.

Ribs.

Skulls.

Dozens of them.

None were human.

Mana beasts.

Some had long since turned to brittle skeletons.

Others…

Still had flesh clinging to them.

Ashen swallowed.

“So many…”

Lyric knelt beside one of the corpses.

Its rib cage had been crushed inward.

Not eaten.

Not torn apart.

Simply… crushed.

As if something had killed it…

And left it where it fell.

Her expression hardened.

“This isn’t hunting.”

Ashen looked around uneasily.

“…Then why?”

Lyric stood.

“I don’t know.”

And that answer unsettled her more than anything else.

⸻

They continued deeper into the forest.

The smell reached them before the clearing did.

Blood.

Old blood.

The metallic scent hung so heavily in the air that Ashen instinctively covered his nose.

His stomach churned.

With every step…

The smell grew stronger.

Until…

They entered the clearing.

Ashen froze.

The ground had been stained a deep crimson.

Scattered across it lay the remains of countless mana beasts.

Wolves.

Boars.

Massive cats.

Creatures Ashen couldn’t even recognize anymore.

Some bore enormous claw wounds.

Others had simply been ripped apart by overwhelming force.

Flies buzzed endlessly above the carnage.

Ashen stared in horror.

“…How…”

His voice barely escaped.

“…How many died here?”

Lyric didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

Even she had never witnessed anything like this.

⸻

Suddenly…

Her serpent spirit stirred.

A low hiss echoed through her soul.

Not anger.

Not a warning.

Unease.

One quiet thought reached her mind.

Something watches.

Lyric’s hand slowly settled on the hilt of her sword.

She didn’t draw it.

Not yet.

Ashen noticed.

“…What is it?”

Without taking her eyes off the surrounding trees, Lyric answered softly.

“Stay close.”

For the first time since they had met…

There was unmistakable tension in her voice.

Ashen obeyed immediately.

The forest had become completely silent.

No birds.

No insects.

No wind.

Nothing.

Only…

Crunch.

A branch shifted somewhere above them.

Ashen slowly lifted his head.

His breath caught.

Two enormous golden eyes stared back at him from the branches.

Watching.

Waiting.

The creature slowly unfolded its massive wings.

Pitch-black feathers drifted lazily through the air.

Its body was nearly twice the size of a horse.

Its razor-sharp talons sank effortlessly into the thick branch beneath it.

An overwhelming pressure flooded the clearing.

Ashen’s knees nearly buckled.

His heart pounded violently against his ribs.

Every instinct screamed at him to run.

His body refused to move.

The creature tilted its head.

Studying them.

Almost…

Curiously.

Lyric stepped calmly in front of Ashen without taking her eyes off the beast.

Her thumb gently pressed against her sword’s guard.

Click.

The blade slid free just enough to gleam beneath the dim light.

The enormous bird released a deafening screech.

SKREEEEEEEEEEE!

The sound shook the entire forest.

Hundreds of birds burst into the sky.

FWOOSH!

Trees trembled.

Leaves rained down around them.

Ashen stood frozen in terror.

Lyric narrowed her golden eyes.

Then…

She smiled.

A calm.

Confident.

Warrior’s smile.

“…Now this…”

she whispered.

“…is worth drawing my sword for.”