The forest was quiet… too quiet.

Each step we took crunched against fallen leaves, the sound echoing unnaturally far.

The Source of Holy Light hovered slightly above my palm, glowing steadily, but even then, the shadows at the very edge of its radius flickered strangely.

I was almost sure that someone was following us around, but I could just not prove it yet.

Nyx tightened her grip on my sleeve.

"Shopkeeper… do you think the driver ran away because something scared him?"

"I don't know. But whatever it was, we're better off if we keep going and don't stop."

I admitted. But my instincts told me that it was not the reason the shopkeeper had left.

Leo walked beside me, a little ahead of the twins. His eyes scanned every tree and bush, the tension clear in his shoulders.

"This forest… it doesn't feel like the one I remember. Something's wrong. It's too quiet."

Luna, who had been unusually silent since entering the woods, swallowed hard.

"I feel the disturbance as well. It's as if someone is keeping an eye on us this whole time. I don't feel secure here anymore."

She continued.

"Should we turn back? We may be able to find the exit and try heading to the Groove from the other side. It might be safer."

"O-Other side? We have to walk out?"

Nyx echoed, voice shaking.

Leo looked away.

"We will be just fine… probably."

His "probably" did not help.

We continued walking. The air grew heavier, and the temperature dropped enough that I could see everyone's breath fogging in front of them.

Even the light felt thinner, struggling to push back the darkness.

Then—

RUSTLE.

Something moved in the bushes to our right.

Nyx flinched and ran straight into me, burying her face in my side. Her twin followed, his sharp eyes looking around for safety.

"Shopkeeper—something's there!"

"Stay close," I whispered.

The light orb flared slightly, as if sensing danger, sending a bright beam across the forest floor. The bushes trembled again… then fell still.

Nothing emerged.

Leo exhaled shakily.

"We should hurry."

We picked up the pace, feet crunching faster against the ground. But the deeper we went, the stranger the forest felt.

Trees stood twisted, as if they had grown while trying to avoid something. Some trunks even had deep claw marks etched into them—marks too large to belong to any ordinary animal.

"Don't look at the trees. Just look at the light. We must be near the exit by this point."

I quickly told the kids.

They nodded but still peeked around nervously.

Finally, the trees thinned out just enough for the map's marked path to reappear between the roots.

The digital dot representing us moved closer toward the shimmering outline of the grove entrance.

"We're close," I said, more to reassure everyone than anything else.

But just as relief began to settle in, a low humming sound vibrated through the ground.

Luna froze.

"What was that?"

The humming grew louder. A gust of cold wind swept past us, extinguishing every natural sound. Even the night insects went silent.

Only the Source of Holy Light remained steady.

Leo stepped closer to me, voice barely a whisper.

"Shopkeeper… I think something's coming."

The trees ahead swayed, although there was no wind.

Something large moved behind them.

And then—

A shape emerged from the darkness. There were one shape, two shapes, and then three, and slowly it kept being more and more and even more until it was impossible to tell just how many there were.

"Shopkeeper, should we run?"

Leo asked as he stepped closer to me and pulled Luna close as well. Fenrir took a step forward, his growl warning the creatures not to come closer. His body glowed before he sent bolts of electricity toward the monsters.

That made them step back, but they continued to look and growl at us all.

I could not see a way out except to fight. So I took out my staff as well and held it close to me. But that did nothing to intimidate these monsters.

"Shopkeeper, what should we do? Do you have any idea?"

Leo asked as the monsters kept stepping closer and closer. But I noticed that they were not coming close to the holy light.

Or rather, they could not come close because every time they did, the light sizzled them, causing the creatures to cry out in pain.

"For now, stick close to me. The light will keep these people away from us. We need to slowly head toward the exit before they could catch us."

I told everyone as I slowly stepped back and took the kids with me. I was headed toward the exit that was only 500 meters away based on the map.

Everyone else kept pace with me as well in order to get out. But just as I was about to make it, we all heard a familiar voice.

"S-Someone, save me-! I am being attacked. I will die—"

The voice was getting louder and it attracted attention immediately. Even I had to pause to look at that voice.

"Shopkeeper, that is…"

Leo trailed off as he looked at the kids clutching my side. He clearly did not want to say anything traumatic in front of these kids.

But neither Nyx nor Erebus were weak kids, and they looked directly at the forest before Nyx commented.

"That is… the driver, right? Is he calling us for help? What should we do?"

I had to pause and think about this for a second.

I did want to help the driver, but something about this situation felt odd to me. My instincts told me that this was a trap I should not fall for.

So even if I did not have evidence, I decided to trust my instincts.

"Do not pay attention to that voice. It might sound like the driver's but it's a trap. Hurry, we need to get out of here."

The barest hint of regret touched my heart, but I was easily able to brush it off. After all, I was a doctor and I had seen more crushed souls than anyone I knew.

The others did not question my decision. They had finally gotten an excuse to not care, and with one final look toward the forest, they followed me out.

As we ran, I could see the monsters following us out as well. They tried to catch us but were not able to enter the glow.

"Quick-! I can see the exit—"

Leo yelled as he grabbed Erebus and Nyx before he ran. Both Luna and I were slower. Just as we made it to safety, I felt someone smack into me and the light's glow went flying a few feet away.

I rushed for it, but someone else did as well, and they caught it before I could.

"Ugh, what a hassle. To think that this small thing can cause me so much trouble. Tsk, how annoying."

The man clutching the orb in his hand spoke. The orb sizzled his hand and he flinched. But he did not let go of it.

"What are you going to do now, shopkeeper? I took away your source of safety away from you. Now, would you please die for me and my brothers? We are so hungry and we need something to chew on."

The man tried to come close to us to try and intimidate us. The others were also closing in around us, and things were turning dangerous for us.

My pulse spiked, but I forced myself to stay still. Panic would only feed whatever these things were.

Fenrir snarled, electricity flickering dangerously along his fur. Leo stepped in front of the twins, shielding them with his body even though he was trembling. Luna pressed a hand to her chest, her breathing sharp and uneven.

The man holding the orb grinned wider, as if savoring our fear.

"That's right. Stay still. It's easier for all of us if you don't run. The light kept us back, but now… now we can finally eat."

His eyes thinned, pupils narrowing like a predator's.

He took another step.

And the shadows behind him moved—writhing, hungry.

I clenched my staff.

"You don't know what you're holding. Let it go now, while you still can."

He laughed.

"Threats? Really? You should worry about your own life."

The orb flared.

For a split second, white light flashed up his arm. The man hissed in pain, but his grip only tightened, stubborn and greedy.

That was his mistake.

A cracking sound echoed through the forest.

He froze. His expression twisted in confusion just before his knees buckled.

"What—?"

The orb pulsed again, harder this time. Light surged outward like a shockwave, forcing the surrounding monsters to recoil with shrieks. The man dropped to the ground, clutching his chest as if something inside him had ruptured.

I didn't wait for an explanation.

"Everyone, move! The orb is unstable—we use the opening while we still have it!."

I yelled, grabbing Leo's arm and pulling him toward the clearing.

The kids ran. Luna, Leo and I followed.

Behind us, the man's scream tore through the trees as the light swallowed him whole.

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