Rin’s breath paused, her chest tightening after hearing Erin’s words. Her voice struggled to leave her body in the proper way, little more than a whisper. "I have to go into the forest?" she questioned.
The silver-haired girl smiled, calm and unwavering. "Yes. You must go into the Hunting Cage."
The answer made a burst of anger flash through Rin, snapping her out of her shock. Her pink eyes burned with sudden anger, her voice rising in disbelief. "Are you insane?! You know what’s happening inside, right? The monsters, the demons, the chaos—no one can enter! No one! So how the hell am I supposed to do it?! And—who even are you?!"
Erin didn’t react to her outburst. Instead, she bent down and picked up a small stone from the ground, as if Rin’s fury didn’t concern her in the slightest. "Only you can save the people inside," she stated calmly, her words cutting through Rin’s rage like a blade.
Rin’s breath caught. Her frustration halted as her mind tried to process what she had just heard. She watched Erin casually toss the stone toward the do only to see it bounce right off, as though it had hit solid tal.
Erin looked at her. "Pick up a stone."
Violet head confused. "What are you—?"
"Pick up a stone," Erin repeated, sharper this ti. The command in her voice left no room for argunt.
Still reluctant, Rin bent down and grabbed a random rock, gripping it tightly. "Fine," she muttered.
"Throw it at the do," Erin instructed, watching closely.
With a confused face, Rin tossed the stone. Her pink eyes widened in shock as she saw the difference—the rock didn’t bounce off entirely. It partially entered the do, ramined for a fraction of a second before being rejected and bouncing back.
"What...?" Rin murmured.
Erin sighed softly, folding her arms. "This do rejects anything that emits mana."
Rin’s expression remained blank, her mind struggling to understand the aning.
Erin continued, her voice patient. "Everything alive emits mana—humans, trees, animals. It’s constant, even when we don’t notice it. The do recognizes that energy and pushes it out. When I touched the stone before throwing it, it carried traces of my mana, so it was fully rejected."
Rin still looked lost. "And...?"
Erin’s violet eyes locked onto her, the intensity behind them undeniable. "But you... you’re different."
Rin stiffened.
"You don’t emit mana like other people," Erin explained. "Most people constantly release mana without thinking about it. You, however, for one reason store most of it inside your body, emitting less than seventy percent of what others do."
Rin swallowed hard. "What does that an for ?"
"It ans you can enter," Erin said simply. "I will perform a small rift pulse which allows only you to enter."
Rin took an instinctive step back, her breath uneven. "No—no, this is ridiculous." Fear seeped into her voice, mixing with defiance. "Even if I could go inside, what could I even do? I wouldn’t make a difference! I’d probably die the second I stepped in!"
Her hands curled into fists. It was too much for her, too impossible, too reckless.
Erin stepped forward, closing the space between them. Her voice remained soft—but utterly unwavering. "You won’t die."
Rin t her gaze, her emotions a storm beneath the surface. Erin’s eyes held no doubt. No hesitation. Only truth.
"Your fate won’t end here," Erin said. "Instead... it will change here—for the better."
_____
The students huddled in the bushes, their bodies stiff with fear, hands clamped over their mouths as they watched the grueso scene happening before them.
A few Shadowrend Harpies were dining on the bodies of two unfortunate students, their claws cutting through flesh with horrific ease. Bones snapped, arms were ripped off, and the beasts shrieked every now and then.
Leo narrowed his crimson eyes, scanning the monsters while Elynn’s interface ca into vision.
[Scanning target...]
[Identified: Shadowrend Harpy]
[Classification: B-ranked monster]
[Attributes: Winged, bird-like creatures with razor-sharp talons. Mana feathers enable high-speed aerial dives, sonic shrieks that disorient, and swarm coordination in flocks of 8-12. Can identify even the faintest sound.]
[Weaknesses: Fragile bones, vulnerable to fire or wind mana that disrupts flight, susceptible to bright light or loud counter-sounds.]
[Found in area: 8]
Leo gestured silently to the group, his movents controlled and deliberate. No noise. His eyes made sure every single student understood the command. We’re taking a different path.
The group nodded, fear locking them in obedience. Moving with excruciating care, they placed each foot down deliberately, stepping over roots and leaves without a single sound.
Their breaths were shallow, the tension thick enough to suffocate. The harpies remained oblivious, their horrifying feast continuing without interruption.
The harpies were still unaware, their ghastly banquet proceeding uninterrupted.
Then—a blunder.
As Varkas shifted his footing, his boot pushed a loose rock concealed among the leaves. The stone rolled—TINK—rattling against another stone with a soft noise.
The harpies froze mid-feed, their heads snapping up. Their eerie, hollow eyes scanned the trees, their black-and-white vision flickering until they spotted the glowing figures hidden in the underbrush—bright, distinct, human.
A sharp SCREECH split the air.
In an instant, the flock launched into the sky with terrifying force, their wings stroking furiously as they located their prey. Two of them broke formation, diving straight towards the students.
Olyraa let out a startled gasp, panic overwhelming her as she instinctively shielded herself.
Rowan moved with reflex speed, putting himself between her and the harpies with a sharp breath. His body prepared for impact as the harpy’s talons ca out for them—
WHISH!
Leo’s hunting knife flashed across the air, afla with fire mana. It sliced through the first harpy’s skull, making the sharp pop of bone. The beast crashed dead to the ground.
The second harpy was seconds from impact—but never made it.
Leo charged forward, his sword humming with heat as fire mana erupted along the edge of the blade. With a single swift, savage blow, he cut through the beast, cleaving it in two in mid-air. The body fell imdiately, smoking as the flas consud its flesh.
Above, the remaining harpies circled, gathering for another coordinated strike.
Leo exhaled, rolling his shoulders, his grip tightening around his sword. His smirk was sharp, almost amused despite the chaos.
"Well then," he muttered, eyes locking onto the circling flock. "Looks like I’m roasting so birds today."
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