The forest was wrong.
Ren didn't realize it at first—not consciously. There was no sudden roar, no obvious threat. Just a subtle pressure pressing against his skin, like the air itself had grown heavier.
Too quiet.
No insects.
No distant monster cries.
Even the vines hanging from the towering trees seemed unnaturally still.
Ren slowed his steps.
His instincts—sharpened by days of nonstop combat—itched faintly at the back of his mind.
"Something's off," he muttered.
Kian, walking ahead with his sword resting loosely on his shoulder, glanced back. "You feel it too?"
Lira nodded, her hand brushing the vines at her side. "This place… it's breathing."
They stopped.
That was when Ren leaned back against the tree.
The world exploded.
The bark beneath Ren's back shifted.
Not cracked.
Not broke.
Moved.
A scream ripped through Ren's mind—not a sound, but a warning buried deep in his instincts.
Mana surged.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
Before Ren could even form a thought, ice erupted around his chest, forming a translucent shield just as the tree behind him split open.
A blade-shaped vine, gleaming with compressed mana, burst forward—aimed directly at his heart.
CRACK—!
The impact was catastrophic.
Ice shattered outward in a storm of fragments. The shield held for a heartbeat longer than it should have—then the vine punched through, tearing past the last defense and ripping across Ren's side.
Blood sprayed.
Ren was thrown violently forward, his body smashing through roots and vines before slamming into the forest floor.
He didn't scream.
He didn't move.
"REN—!"
Lira's scream echoed through the forest.
The Tree Demon awakened.
The ground trembled as ancient roots shifted beneath the soil. The tree's trunk split wider, glowing veins pulsing beneath its bark like a living heart.
Vines exploded outward in all directions.
Not wild.
Not random.
Targeted.
Kian moved without thinking.
He sprinted forward, sword flashing as he intercepted the first vine mid-swing.
CLANG—!
The impact rattled his bones. His feet dug into the soil as he was pushed backward several steps.
Too strong.
He blocked another strike.
Then another.
Each clash sent sharp pain screaming through his arms, reopening wounds that hadn't healed. Blood soaked into the handle of his sword, his grip slipping despite his effort.
"Lira—move!" he shouted.
A vine whipped toward her side.
She twisted, but it clipped her shoulder and slammed her into the ground.
Pain exploded.
The world spun violently as the air was torn from her lungs. Her body refused to respond, limbs heavy and numb as she lay there gasping.
No… no…
Nearby, Kian took another hit.
A vine smashed into his ribs, launching him sideways into a tree trunk. The impact drove the breath from his lungs.
He coughed violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth, splattering the bark.
He staggered upright anyway.
"I'm fine," he rasped, even as his legs shook beneath him. "Still… standing…"
The Tree Demon didn't care.
Another vine descended.
Kian jumped.
Not heroically.
Not cleanly.
Pure instinct.
He twisted midair, throwing his sword up between himself and the attack.
CRACK—!
The force was wrong.
Too heavy.
The shockwave tore through his arms, splitting skin and muscle. He was hurled backward, slamming into the ground hard enough to bounce.
His sword nearly flew from his grip.
Blood streamed from his head, dripping into his eyes.
He spat red and forced a grin. "Told you… I'm okay…"
But his knees buckled.
The Tree Demon drew back a thicker vine—its edge sharper, denser, humming with mana.
A killing blow.
Lira's fingers twitched.
Her lungs finally filled with air as she sucked in a ragged breath. Pain screamed through her shoulder, but she forced mana through her veins anyway.
She pushed herself up.
"Kian!"
She ran.
Vines erupted beneath her feet, propelling her forward unevenly. She reached him just as his body started to fall.
The killing vine descended.
She wrapped vines around Kian's waist and shoulders, yanking him close.
"Stay awake," she whispered fiercely. "You're not dying here."
Kian coughed again, blood staining her arm. "Still… okay…"
She planted her feet.
Vines shot backward, anchoring into the soil and nearby trees.
Her mana flared violently.
Slingshot.
The tension snapped.
They launched forward in a violent arc, tearing through the forest in a blur of motion.
Behind them, the Tree Demon reacted.
The ground split apart.
Roots shattered.
A massive blade vine, far larger than the others, erupted from beneath the soil—its edge gleaming with condensed mana.
Too fast.
Too close.
Lira felt it.
The pressure at their backs.
The absolute certainty of death.
She twisted instinctively midair, tightening her hold on Kian to shield him—
And the blade closed in.
Somewhere behind them, blood soaked into the forest floor.
Ren's fingers twitched.