Rilith and Velara stood still, their eyes locked onto the large door pulsing with dark, sinister energy. A low shudder ran down their spines. They had felt this presence before—long ago—but it hadn’t lost any of its terror.
Shennong stood beside them, arms crossed, gaze calm but sharp. He could feel their unease even without looking.
"So," he spoke, breaking the silence, "this is an entity from your side of the world?"
Rilith swallowed hard, her tail curling around her legs. Velara glanced at her, then back at the door.
"Yes," Velara whispered. "It’s... familiar. Unmistakable."
"A presence we hoped never to feel again," Rilith added, her voice tight. "It’s not one we can reason with. It’s evil. Raw and ancient. Even we never dared approach it."
Shennong frowned, staring at the door as if trying to see beyond it.
"What kind of place is your world, behind those gates?" he asked.
Rilith hesitated. Velara answered first.
"Ruined," she said bitterly. "Wastelands, void of water, choking with ash and dust. No trees, no rivers. Just endless ruin and decay."
"But so demons love it," Rilith added. "They find beauty in the despair because they are demons, but unlike them so of them hate living in otherside. It’s why so of them try to co here."
"So even dream of breaking the gates forever," Velara muttered.
"Letting both worlds rge would be a catastrophe," Rilith said. "And our own Succubus Queen... she was one of the advocates of that plan."
Shennong’s eyes narrowed. "The sa queen that gave birth to Yenissa?"
Rilith nodded.
"Yes. Yenissa was assigned to scout this world. To weaken it. But... she changed. Because of you."
"She didn’t fully agree with the Queen’s thods," Velara added. "Maybe that’s why she never completed the mission. She never had the heart to destroy this place."
Shennong looked down, rembering the kind eyes of the succubus who once stood before him, and the chaos that now surrounded them.
"And if I go inside this door," he asked, "will it kill ?"
Rilith and Velara exchanged a glance, unease shadowing their expressions.
"We don’t know," Rilith said softly.
"It depends on the wish of the entity that shaped the bio within," Velara added. "It may accept you... or reject you completely."
Shennong clenched his fists. He couldn’t afford to hesitate. This was his land, his responsibility. Whatever monster dared step through from another world—it wouldn’t find his dungeon a easy prey.
"I won’t let them invade my ho," he said, voice low. "Not again. Not while I breathe."
Rilith and Velara stayed quiet.
"But before I step through," Shennong added, "there are a few things I need to take care of."
He turned his back to the door, eyes distant.
"I need to et Mandira. She must see what that thing we stored has beco. She’ll understand what we’re up against now."
"And Cassandra and Christina," he continued. "I need them out. On the surface. Away from here. Safely. Without it looking like they betrayed anyone."
Just then, a sudden wave of unease swept over him. He paused.
"...They’re here," he said under his breath.
A shimring liquid appeared before him, and with it, Sasha erged—floating, her glowing fra taking form. Her presence was calm but alert.
"Master," she said. "A large group has entered the Moonlight Forest. They’re heading this way."
"Who is it?" he asked, though he already knew.
"Humans," she replied. "Many. Including Archmage Mandira."
Rilith and Velara took a step back at Sasha’s appearance. Their eyes widened.
"She... she looks like..." Rilith whispered.
"Yenissa," Velara finished, clearly disturbed.
They turned to Shennong.
"You built her like that," Velara said, half in awe, half in disbelief.
He gave a faint smile.
"She’s modeled after soone worth rembering."
The two succubi didn’t press further. They knew better than to question the strange bond he shared with Yenissa despite it would being weird in human sense.
Suddenly, Shennong smirked. A dangerous light danced in his eyes.
"I have an idea," he said.
"Oh no," Rilith muttered imdiately. "That smile... that’s never a good sign."
Shennong ignored her. "What if I lead them—all of them—into this new bio?"
Velara raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," he said. "Let’s see how it reacts. How the entity responds. If it sees them as a threat or prey... we’ll learn a lot."
"You’d send your allies—Mandira included—into a place that might kill them?" Rilith asked, half-amused.
"As long as Mandira survives, that’s all I need," he said plainly.
"And if she doesn’t?" Velara pressed.
"Then I’ll use it," he said coldly. "I’ll turn her death into sothing useful."
Rilith blinked. Velara tilted her head, smiling.
"You really are like us," Rilith said, eyes gleaming with mischief. "No hesitation. No human sentint."
"We’re proud," Velara added with a teasing grin.
Shennong looked at them both.
"I’m not trying to be cruel," he said. "But this world isn’t kind. If I waste ti thinking about feelings, I’ll lose everything."
He turned to Sasha. "Guide them. Make sure they find the bio. But don’t interfere."
Sasha nodded. "Understood."
Rilith stepped closer, placing a hand on Shennong’s arm. "And what will you do while they’re inside?"
"I’ll prepare," he said. "If they co back alive, we’ll have answers. If not... we’ll know how dangerous the threat is."
He looked at the door one last ti. It pulsed again, almost like it was breathing.
Rilith and Velara both stared at it too. They could feel it watching.
"Whatever’s in there..." Rilith murmured, "it’s waiting."
"Then let it wait a little longer," Shennong replied.
He turned, his slightly long hair getting swept in the wind.
"We’ve got work to do."
***
Mandira walked at the head of the procession, robes fluttering with every step. Her face was calm, as always—but her mind was in turmoil.
How am I going to fix this? she thought bitterly. No matter how I twist it, Shennong will be blad. Conspiracy. Treason. Killing Soliders. Tampering with forbidden forces...
She clenched her jaw.
"Do I even need to protect him? At the end of the day he did kill soliders," The thought of abandoning Shennong crossed her mind, but she quickly shook her head knowing a talent like that would be very rare to find.
There’s no version of this where he cos out looking clean. Not unless a miracle happens.
Behind her, footsteps echoed with heavy tal rhythm. The sound of dozens of elite knights marching in full plate.
And at the center of them—radiating command and authority—walked King Soris Sturgon.
He wore a majestic set of silver-trimd obsidian armor. A flowing cape bearing the royal stag insignia trailed behind him. His face was unreadable under the silver circlet on his brow.
As they entered the heart of the Moonlight Forest, his deep voice echoed.
"So," the King said, looking around the eerie, dim-lit grove, "this is what started all the chaos?"
Mandira paused and turned to him. "Yes, Your Majesty. This is the place."
He stepped past her, flanked by knights from all royal orders—including Sir Juno’s order..
"It doesn’t look like much," he muttered.
Mandira raised a hand and gestured toward the torn ground ahead. Trees had been splintered, the earth scorched in strange patterns, and the remains of a battle still lingered in the air like smoke.
"There," she said. "The marks are fresh. And..."
She bent down, picking up a fractured piece of blackened steel. It was curved in a unique way—distinctly familiar.
"...That’s Juno’s armor."
Gasps rippled through the knights behind her.
One knelt beside her and inspected the fragnt. "It bears his sigil," he confird grimly.
Another looked around, eyes narrowing. "Then he fell here?"
"No," Mandira corrected. "He might have. I feel his magical presence... but it’s unstable. Faint. Either he was overwheld... or he’s hiding sothing."
The knights exchanged uncertain glances. So looked worried. Others looked indifferent. There were always a few who served not out of loyalty but for power, or gold, or simply boredom.
Mandira noticed the ones who didn’t react. They don’t care if Juno fell, she thought. They just care who’s next in line for power.
King Soris folded his arms.
"Then we proceed," he declared. "What lies further in?"
"I suggest we split up," Mandira said quickly. "The terrain beyond is changing, unstable. If we divide into smaller groups, we can cover more ground."
But a knight from the first order stepped forward.
"With all due respect, Archmage, we cannot risk splitting our numbers while the King is present. Exploration is secondary to His Majesty’s protection."
"I agree," said another knight. "We should remain together."
Mandira frowned but said nothing. If I push it, I’ll draw suspicion. She turned away, masking her frustration.
So much for trying to find Shennong alone...
They began to advance.
The further they went, the stranger the forest beca. Moonlight shimred down in odd angles, even though it was daylight outside. The trees twisted unnaturally, so seeming to lean toward them, branches creaking.
Low growls echoed in the distance. Shadows darted between the trunks.
Then ca the first attack.
A horned beast—sothing like a cross between a wolf and a serpent—lunged from the underbrush. The knights responded imdiately.
"Swords up!"
"Protect the King!"
Blades clashed. Shields rang. Mandira stepped back, preparing a spell.
"Ignis Lancea!" she chanted, and a lance of fire burst from her palm, piercing the creature through its skull.
It dropped, hissing, vanishing into complete silence..
Another one ca from the left. This ti, a order two knight intercepted it mid-air with a massive halberd, splitting it clean in half.
The knights worked like a well-oiled machine.
Yet, even after the battle ended, the unease didn’t leave them.
"Did you feel that?" whispered one knight. "We’re being watched."
Mandira paused.
She felt it too.
Eyes.
Invisible. Distant. Yet present. Like sothing... soone... was tracking their every move.
Shennong? she wondered.
It would be just like him. To hide in the shadows. To watch. To observe.
Are you looking at right now? she thought, turning slightly and scanning the treetops.
Nothing.
Still, the feeling persisted.
Even King Soris looked around, his gauntlet resting lightly on his sword hilt.
"We’re not alone," he muttered. "And I don’t an the beasts."
Mandira didn’t reply. Her thoughts raced.
If Shennong is watching... will he make a move? Or is he testing us?
More importantly...
What does he want to see?
As they pressed forward, deeper into the unknown heart of the forest, Mandira felt her options narrowing.
"What do you want to see Shennong?" Mandira wondered as they kept advancing without knowing the trouble they were getting into.
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