The forest fell silent.
Not the natural kind of silence—but a suffocating one, as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
The Camouflage Serpent's massive jaws remained pressed against the glowing shield surrounding me, its venom-coated fangs grinding uselessly against the barrier. The impact sent faint tremors through the ground, but the shield held—for now.
I, Charlie, and even the serpent itself stared in stunned disbelief.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the monster hissed violently.
Its enormous body coiled back, muscles tightening like a drawn bow, before it struck again with terrifying force.
CRACK!
A sharp fracture split across the curved surface of the shield. The glow flickered, rippling outward like disturbed water, and the light dimmed noticeably.
My breath caught in my throat.
It won't last… maybe two more hits at most…
I pressed a trembling hand to my chest. Beneath my shirt, the ancient book pulsed weakly, its warmth faltering like a dying heartbeat—each strike draining it further.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Charlie's rigid posture loosen just slightly.
"Good… he's protected for now…" he muttered hoarsely, more to himself than to me.
Gritting his teeth, Charlie forced himself upright despite the blood soaking his leg. Pain carved deep lines into his face, but he ignored it completely. The serpent's attention remained locked onto the glowing shield around me—giving him precious seconds.
Seconds he desperately needed.
Charlie clasped his hands together, fingers trembling as he formed a complex sign.
Under his breath, barely louder than a whisper, he murmured,
"Spirits of flame… heed my call…"
The air shifted.
Leaves rustled all around us—
yet there was no wind.
The forest itself seemed to recoil as heat began to gather around Charlie's hands. The air warped visibly, bending as if scorched by an unseen flame. A low hum filled my ears as the temperature climbed unnaturally, each breath growing heavier than the last.
Charlie drew in everything he could.
The glow around his palms intensified, flames trembling as if struggling to be contained. Sweat rolled down his face, his jaw clenched tight as his body strained under the pressure.
I could feel it—even from where I stood.
He needed power.
He needed precision.
He needed to end this—before the monster ended me.
But the serpent moved again.
Its massive head lunged forward—
BAM!
The second impact slammed into the shield like a battering ram. The ground shook violently beneath our feet, and more cracks spiderwebbed across the glowing surface, spreading like shattered glass.
I stumbled backward, my heel catching on loose roots as panic surged through me.
One more hit…
That thought rang through my mind like a death sentence.
The shield was already splintered with cracks, its glow flickering weakly, each fracture pulsing as if it might give way at any second. I could feel its fragility now—feel how close it was to shattering.
Charlie's breathing turned rough and uneven behind me.
Each breath sounded forced, dragged from deep within his chest as he pushed far beyond his limits. Sweat ran down his face, and the flames around his hands trembled, unstable, threatening to collapse.
"Just… a little more…" he muttered through clenched teeth, voice strained. "Young Master… hold on…"
The words weren't reassurance.
They were a plea.
The serpent shifted. Its enormous body tightened around the tree, muscles coiling with deliberate menace—and with chilling clarity, I understood that if it struck again before Charlie finished…
There would be no second chance.
The serpent lifted its head higher, higher still, until its shadow swallowed us whole, blotting out what little light filtered through the canopy. The forest seemed to grow heavier, the air thick and suffocating, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
The serpent was gathering everything it had.
Preparing a single, decisive strike.
Charlie looked up, eyes widening as the color drained from his face.
"…This is bad," he muttered, instinctively shifting into a defensive stance.
The serpent's jaws slowly opened, stretching wider than seemed possible—rows of venom-soaked fangs gleaming as it locked its gaze onto us.
The final blow was coming.
"YOUNG MASTER! MOVE AWAY FROM THE SHIELD WHEN I SAY SO!"
Charlie's shout tore through the chaos.
I nodded instinctively, though my body felt sluggish, unresponsive. My heart hammered so violently it drowned out the serpent's hiss, the cracking wood, even my own breathing. Every instinct screamed at me to run—yet my feet felt rooted to the ground.
Then the serpent moved.
Its massive body surged forward, jaws yawning wide as shadows swallowed the glowing barrier—
"NOW! MOVE!"
I didn't think. I didn't hesitate.
I threw myself backward with everything I had, muscles screaming as I hit the ground and rolled away.
CRRRRSHH!
The shield shattered.
Light exploded outward in a violent burst, fragments of shimmering energy scattering like glass struck by a hammer. The glowing shards lingered for a split second—beautiful, fragile—
Then dissolved into the air like dying fireflies, their radiance snuffed out as if it had never existed.
At that exact moment—
Charlie thrust both palms forward with everything he had left.
The air screamed.
"FIRE EXPLOSION!"
A roaring torrent of heat erupted from his hands, violently compressing the space ahead as if the world itself were being pushed back. Flames didn't simply ignite—they were born in an explosion of raw power, surging outward in a blinding wave. The temperature spiked instantly, scorching the ground beneath his feet and warping the air into rippling distortions.
The flames slammed directly into the serpent's eye.
BOOOOM!
The forest shook as if struck by thunder.
The serpent let out a monstrous, ear-piercing hiss—half scream, half roar—as fire devoured its eye and scorched the surrounding scales.
I clamped my hands over my ears, heart hammering uncontrollably.
The creature writhed in agony, smashing its massive body into the ground and surrounding trees. Trunks cracked, branches snapped, and the earth trembled beneath its violent thrashing.
Nothing extinguished the flames.
Its roars grew desperate.
Still screeching in agony, the massive serpent recoiled. Its enormous body unraveled from the tree in a violent thrash before it fled—slithering deeper into the forest at terrifying speed, flames still raging across its ruined eye. Branches snapped and foliage exploded in its wake until the sound faded into the distance.
Then—
Silence.
An eerie, unnatural silence reclaimed the forest, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Only then did my legs finally give way.
I exhaled shakily, the air tearing from my lungs, my knees buckling beneath me as the reality of survival crashed down all at once. My heart still hammered wildly, refusing to slow.
Behind me, Charlie staggered.
He dropped to one knee, his body trembling, one hand pressed firmly against his injured leg.
"Charlie!" I cried, panic flaring anew.
I rushed to his side and threw his arm over my shoulder, feeling how heavy he suddenly was. His breathing was uneven, shallow, every movement clearly costing him.
"We… we have to go," he whispered weakly, his voice barely audible. "It… it might come back…"
Fear clawed at my chest again.
I tightened my grip on him, forcing my trembling legs to hold.
And together, we moved—away from the place where we had nearly died.
We limped away in the opposite direction, branches snapping and leaves whipping against our faces as we fled.
We ran.
And ran.
And ran.
Until my lungs burned like fire and Charlie nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Finally, I spotted a dark opening behind a cluster of thick shrubs.
"A cave… Charlie, there!"
We half-fell into the small cave, breaths ragged, bodies trembling.
Weak evening light filtered through the forest canopy above. Shadows stretched long and cold, swallowing the entrance almost immediately.
The cave was barely large enough for two people—a cramped hollow of damp stone, tangled roots, and uneven walls. The air was cool and heavy, carrying the faint scent of moss and earth.
But it was shelter.
Safe.
Hidden.
I dragged a medium-sized boulder toward the entrance, muscles screaming as I pushed with everything I had left. I stacked leaves, branches, and moss over the remaining gap until the cave nearly vanished into the forest.
Then—
I collapsed onto the ground.
Charlie leaned back against the cave wall, wincing as he touched his injured leg. Despite the pain, he tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve.
"You're… binding your wounds?" I asked weakly.
He let out a tired chuckle.
"I know a little about medicine. Enough to keep myself alive."
I watched silently as he cleaned and wrapped the cuts on his arm and leg.
The cave fell quiet. For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Charlie asked, "Young Master… earlier, that shield… how did it appear?"
I hesitated.
Slowly, I reached beneath my damp shirt and pulled out the ancient book. Its cover was still faintly warm against my palm.
"This…" I whispered.
"This book did it."
Charlie froze. His eyes widened completely.
The cave fell into absolute silence.
Charlie stared at it as though he were seeing something beyond understanding.
Neither of us spoke again.