"Ahhh." Damon drew in a deep breath and stretched, turning his head slowly to the side. The sun was shining somewhere that was not here. This place knew no sunlight, only mist and towering trees that swallowed the sky.

He could have spread his shadow perception, but after what had happened here years ago, he still had not fully overcome that trauma.

He stepped out of his tent fully armored, his long hair shifting gently with the wind.

Now then, what was the plan to deal with Ashergon. Damon had the method. It was simply difficult to pull off.

That was assuming he did not die instantly.

A soft crunch came from beneath his boot. Damon paused and looked down. Something faintly reflective lay half buried in the soil.

He narrowed his eyes and crouched, picking it up.

A crude shard of glass.

"Hmm. Glass."

"Oh, you found one. Looks like this fort was a rush job."

Leona’s voice came from behind him.

Damon turned and smiled with an easy, teasing warmth.

"Ohhh, if it isn’t my bestie."

Leona’s tired eyes suddenly brightened. She stepped closer and pinched his arm with a small laugh.

"You’ve really changed. I can’t believe you just said that."

Damon shook his head lightly. He was no longer a student. The academy was behind him. Those days felt distant now.

Leona’s smile faded just as quickly.

"Everyone’s changed so much. Grown so much. I feel like I’m the only one who hasn’t changed. It’s like I don’t know where to go or what direction to grow."

Damon did not expect the sudden seriousness in her tone.

"Is that wrong. I don’t think you need to change. After all, Leona is perfect."

She did not smile. Her expression remained calm, thoughtful.

"Isn’t change inevitable. And a lack of it stagnation. Even storm clouds change and bring rain."

Damon tilted his head slightly, searching for words he did not usually say out loud.

"I like the storm, Leona. I like the way the wind howls with small droplets of rain. I like the way the sky darkens and the world is covered by the vast shadows of distant clouds. I like the way the wind carries dust onto my face. I love the sound of thunder after lightning has passed. More than that, I like when the storm hits and washes the world, bringing cool air. I love when it passes and the world returns to silence."

He did not look at her.

"The storm comes with fury, or so the world thinks. But I think it is kind. I think it wants to wash away the stains of the world."

He reached out and rested his hand gently on her head.

"I love you, Leona."

His voice was soft.

"You’re like the storm. Chaotic, maybe. The world does not notice because they are too afraid of what comes next. But I see it. The clouds blocking the sun so that shadows can rule. So thank you for always blocking out the sun for me and letting the world see that the quiet shadows are not as terrifying as they think."

Leona’s eyes widened. Her hand rose to her chest as if steadying her heart. She could not look away from him.

"I was helpful," she asked quietly.

"Yes. You’ve always been. I trust you to always have my back no matter what."

Tears suddenly slipped from her eyes. She tried to wipe them away, but it was too late.

"I... I will always have your back. No matter what," she promised.

To Damon, he had only spoken words to comfort a friend.

To Leona, it was a promise that could never be broken.

Within her, a storm had formed. One that no longer doubted.

"Are you two just going to stand there. We are joining the vanguard force on the morning march."

Evangeline’s voice rang out from the front of a column of marching soldiers.

The soft hooves of the bicorn pressed into the damp forest floor, each step sinking slightly into the spongy earth. The trees stood unnaturally still, their silence broken only by the distant whisper that never truly faded.

Evangeline raised her hand, and the moving column of troops halted at once.

Damon exhaled slowly and drew his sword.

They had reached the end of the rune-marked path. Beyond this point, the forest would fight back.

Something dragged itself out from between the trees.

Its body looked like a bloated mass of flesh coated in thick slime. It moved with sickening slowness, pushing through the mist as a single malformed arm stretched forward. Jagged pieces of bone and cartilage jutted from its surface at odd angles.

What made it truly unnerving was not its appearance, but the dense aura rolling off it.

Fifth class.

Evangeline thrust her hand forward. A radiant wall of light flared into existence around the column just as the creature’s body ruptured.

A massive wave of slime burst outward like a living tsunami, hissing and searing as it struck the barrier.

"Don’t let it touch you. A single drop and your soul will be extinguished," Evangeline shouted over the noise.

A knight from her flank spurred his mount forward with a roar, spear lowered. Several others followed in tight formation.

As they charged, they lifted their weapons and cast spells in unison.

From behind them, brilliant flashes streaked through the mist as destructive spells tore across the battlefield, kicking up dirt and vapor in their wake.

Screech.

The creature let out a distorted cry.

The leading knight hurled his spear. It struck deep into the mass of flesh, and a veil of ice spread rapidly from the point of impact, freezing the slime into hard crystal.

The charging knights trampled over it with their steeds, shattering the frozen mass under iron hooves.

At the same time, a prepared array of magical artillery fired from the rear, obliterating what remained.

From start to finish, the exchange was smooth and practiced, like a routine they had repeated countless times.

Damon glanced at Evangeline.

She turned slightly toward him and lifted her hands again, signaling fresh orders to the troops.

"We’ve been doing this for a while. Every horror has a weakness to exploit. This isn’t like when we first entered the Whispering Forest years ago."

Her eyes swept over the silent trees ahead.

"This time, we are the hunters."