Kael walked fast, his boots heavy with mud, trying to keep his breathing even behind the stifling wooden mask.
The healer was right behind him.
Too close.
Even though she had agreed to come with him, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about how easy she agreed to followed along.
Especially with the whole thing of her being surprised that I could talk.
'What was all that about?'
They were nearing the edge of the camp.
The tree line was only twenty meters away.
Safety. Freedom.
'Just ten more steps.'
'Don't look suspicious.'
'Just walk.'
When suddenly—
A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Kael froze.
Every muscle in his body locked up.
The grip was iron-tight, fingers digging into his trapezius with bruising force.
He slowly, agonizingly, turned his head.
Standing directly behind him was a student. He was massive, easily six-foot-four, looming over Kael like a tower of black and silence. He wore a mask painted with a jagged, toothy grin.
Kael's heart hammered against his ribs. He tried to stay cool, but inside, he was screaming.
'This is it. I'm dead. They caught me.'
The massive student didn't speak. He didn't draw a weapon. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small, slate chalkboard and a stick of white chalk.
'Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.'
The sound of the chalk grinding against the slate was agonizingly loud in the silent camp.
The turned the board around and shoved it into Kael's face.
[I HEARD TALKING?]
Kael stared at the messy white letters.
A chalkboard?
The realization hit him like a physical blow. That's why they're silent.
That's why she was shocked when I spoke.
They aren't just quiet—they're forbidden from speaking?
Kael's mind raced.
If he opened his mouth to answer, he would prove he was an imposter.
If he didn't answer, he was suspicious.
Was he supposed to have his own chalkboard?
His mind began working overtime to come up with something.
And to his greatest relief, the healer stepped in.
"Uhmm," she squeaked, stepping between Kael and the giant.
Her hands were shaking visibly. "That... that was me."
The giant tilted his head, the wooden mask staring down at the small girl.
"There is someone injured out there," she rushed out, the words tumbling over each other. "I was talking to myself. Panicking. I need to move ASAP. Critical condition. You know the protocols!"
She didn't wait for the giant to write a response.
She grabbed Kael's hand, her grip surprisingly strong.
"Come on!" she ordered, pulling him toward the gate. "Lead the way! Every second counts!"
Kael didn't argue.
He let himself be dragged away, feeling the giant's gaze boring into his back.
He expected an arrow, a spell, or a tackle.
But nothing came.
They crossed the tree line.
The darkness of the jungle swallowed them.
As soon as they were out of sight, Kael ripped the mask off his face, gasping for air. "That," he wheezed, "was the creepiest thing I have experienced all day. And I fought a tree today."
"Keep moving!" the girl whispered, not letting go of his sleeve. "Don't stop!"
They scrambled through the underbrush, guided by Kael's memory and sheer desperation.
When they broke through the final cluster of ferns, Rylen was waiting. He had Seraphina's sword drawn, pacing back and forth like a caged tiger.
"Kael!" Rylen hissed, lowering his blade when he saw them. He looked at the girl in surprise. "You actually did it? You made it out alive?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kael glared at him as he panted, dropping to his knees beside Seraphina. "Was I supposed to die?"
Seraphina was bad.
Her skin was translucent, her breathing shallow and rattled.
The makeshift bandage was soaked through with fresh blood.
The Healer gasped, dropping her staff and falling to her knees in the mud.
"Oh gods," she whispered, her hands hovering over the wound. "Why didn't you say it was this bad?"
"It's a long story," Kael said, wiping sweat from his eyes. "Can you fix it?"
"I... I can try."
She didn't ask any more questions.
Her demeanor changed instantly.
The nervousness vanished, replaced by a focused, professional intensity.
"Hold her shoulders," she ordered.
Rylen scrambled to obey.
The healer closed her eyes.
She placed both palms over Seraphina's ribcage. A soft, warm humming sound filled the air, and a brilliant white light erupted from her hands.
Seraphina arched her back, a gasp of air rushing into her lungs.
The angry red gash on her side began to knit together, skin rejoining skin, the bruising fading from purple to yellow to nothing.
Color rushed back into Seraphina's cheeks. Her breathing deepened, losing the terrifying rattle.
After a solid minute, the light faded. The Healer slumped back, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Stabilized," she whispered. "She's out of the danger zone. She just needs rest."
Seraphina's eyelids fluttered. She groaned, shifting her weight. "I feel... warm."
"You're alive," Rylen said, his voice thick with relief. He looked at the healer. "Thank you. Seriously. Thank you."
But she didn't smile. She stood up, brushing dirt off her blue uniform. She looked at Kael, then at Rylen, then down at Seraphina.
"You guys aren't from our base," she said softly.
It wasn't a question.
Kael stiffened. "What gave it away? The talking?"
"Among many other things," she pointed at Seraphina.
"You have to go," she said urgently, ignoring the question. She began backing away. "Take her and leave. Now."
"We will," Kael said, standing up. "As soon as she can walk on her own. Give us ten minutes."
"No!" The girl shook her head violently, her eyes wide with fear. "You don't understand. This place... around our base... it's dangerous."
"We know," Rylen said. "You guys have more than twenty guards. We promise to be discreet. No one from your base followed us."
"It's not the people!" she hissed, her voice trembling. "It's not the students! It's something else."
Kael frowned. "Something else?"
"There is something here," she whispered, looking into the darkness of the jungle as if the shadows were listening. "Something that shouldn't be in the exam. It's watching. It's always watching. And if it finds you..."
Before Kael could ask what "it" was, a weak voice cut through the air.
"We have company."
Seraphina was sitting up.
She wasn't looking at the healer.
She was looking into the trees surrounding them.
Her hand was gripping the hilt of her sword so hard her knuckles were white.
Kael spun around.
At first, he saw nothing.
Just the dark trunks of the trees and the swaying ferns.
Then, he saw the masks.
Emerging from the shadows, silently, were figures. Four... eight... twelve.
They didn't make a sound. No footsteps. No rustling leaves. They simply materialized from the darkness, forming a perfect circle around the small group.
About twenty-three wooden masks.
Twenty-three pairs of painted eyes staring down at them.
They blocked every path.
Kael reached for his sword, his stomach dropping to his feet.
"Well," Kael whispered, his voice dry. "I think discretion just left the building."