The forest swallowed them whole.
One moment, the crimson sky blazed overhead, Manila's torches flickering behind them. The next, Ethan stepped between two massive trunks—and the world changed.
Darkness.
Not the darkness of night. Not the darkness of a cave.
Absolute darkness.
The kind that pressed against your eyes. That made you question if you still had eyes at all.
[ALERT: VISUAL INPUT REDUCED TO 0.3%. SWITCHING TO ENHANCED SENSORY MODE. WARNING—MAGICAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED. SENSOR ACCURACY COMPROMISED.]
Ethan froze mid-step.
Around him, he could hear the other children stumbling. Gasping. Some crying out in fear.
"I can't see!"
"Where's the path?!"
"MOTHER! I WANT TO GO BACK!"
A child tried to turn around.
Ethan heard the footsteps—frantic, retreating.
Then a scream.
Not of pain. Of terror.
"THE PATH IS GONE! THERE'S NOTHING BEHIND US! JUST TREES!"
More screaming. More panic.
[CONFIRMED: ENTRANCE POINT NO LONGER DETECTABLE. SPATIAL ANOMALY ACTIVE. THE FOREST HAS SEALED BEHIND TRIAL PARTICIPANTS.]
So there's no going back.
Only forward.
Into darkness.
Slowly, Ethan's eyes began to adjust.
Not to light—there was none. But NEXUS was doing something, processing the faintest traces of ambient energy, constructing a dim outline of the world around him.
Trees. Massive beyond comprehension. Their trunks rose like walls on every side.
Children. Scattered clusters of them, huddling together for comfort.
And ahead—a path. Narrow. Winding. Disappearing into deeper darkness.
That's the way forward.
A small figure bumped into Ethan's leg.
He looked down.
Nira.
The little girl's face was streaked with tears. Her tiny hands gripped the hem of his shirt.
"Mister... I'm scared..."
How did she get in here? She's too young for the Trial.
But she was here now. Inside the Wall. With no way back.
"Stay close," Ethan said quietly. "Don't let go of my shirt."
She nodded, her grip tightening.
The children began to move.
Some in groups. Some alone. Some confidently striding forward. Others shuffling with terror.
Ethan moved with the flow, Nira clutching his shirt, his enhanced senses scanning constantly.
The Prince and Princess of House Koga walked ahead, their guards having been left behind at the entrance. Even royalty entered the Trial alone.
The Dor assassin girl moved like a shadow, already scouting ahead.
Glan—the lazy genius—trudged forward muttering complaints about the darkness.
And somewhere in the crowd, Ethan knew the mysterious boy who had been watching him was still present.
Still observing.
[ALERT.]
Ethan's muscles tensed.
[MOVEMENT DETECTED. 15 METERS BEHIND HOST. SINGLE ENTITY. HUMANOID. DELIBERATELY MAINTAINING DISTANCE. FOLLOWING.]
The watcher.
He's stalking me.
[RECOMMEND CONFRONTATION IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. CURRENT DARKNESS PROVIDES TACTICAL ADVANTAGE—HOST POSSESSES ENHANCED SENSORY CAPABILITY. PURSUER LIKELY DOES NOT.]
Agreed.
Ethan slowed his pace, letting other children pass him.
"Mister?" Nira whispered.
"Keep walking," Ethan said quietly. "See that group ahead? The one with the tall boy complaining about his feet?"
She nodded.
"Go join them. Stay with them until I catch up."
"But—"
"I'll find you. I promise. But I need to do something first."
Nira hesitated. Then, reluctantly, she released his shirt and hurried toward the group where Glan was loudly protesting the unfairness of walking in complete darkness.
Ethan slipped sideways.
The massive tree trunk beside him was wide enough to hide ten men. He pressed his back against the bark, controlling his breathing, becoming still.
Silent.
Waiting.
[PURSUER APPROACHING. 10 METERS. 8 METERS. 5 METERS...]
Footsteps. Soft. Careful. Someone who knew how to move quietly.
But not quietly enough.
[3 METERS. 2 METERS. OPTIMAL INTERCEPT WINDOW: NOW.]
Ethan moved.
He spun around the tree trunk, grabbed the approaching figure by the collar, and slammed them against the bark. In one fluid motion, he drew his dagger and pressed it against the stranger's throat.
"Why are you following me?"
His voice was ice.
The figure didn't struggle.
Didn't panic.
Just... laughed.
Quietly. Almost admiringly.
"Good reflexes. Better than I expected."
Ethan's eyes had adjusted enough to make out features now.
It was the boy from the square. The one who had been watching him.
Up close, he looked about Ethan's age—sixteen, maybe seventeen. Sharp features. Dark hair that fell across his forehead. And his eyes...
His eyes were strange.
In the absolute darkness of the forest, they seemed to hold their own light. A faint, silver gleam that shouldn't have been possible.
"Answer the question," Ethan pressed the dagger closer. "Why are you following me?"
The boy met his gaze without fear.
"Because I know what you are, Ethan."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." The boy smiled slightly. "You're not from this world. You're not from Tera. You came from... somewhere else. Somewhere very far away."
[ALERT: UNKNOWN SUBJECT POSSESSES INFORMATION ABOUT HOST ORIGIN. THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE NEUTRALIZATION.]
Wait.
How does he know?
"Who are you?" Ethan demanded.
"My name is Yama. And before you decide to silence me permanently, you should know—I'm not your enemy. I'm trying to help you."
"Help me? You've been stalking me since the square."
"Observing. There's a difference." Yama's strange silver eyes flickered. "I had to be sure. Had to confirm what I suspected."
"Confirm what?"
"That you're like my grandmother."
Ethan's grip on the dagger loosened slightly.
"Your grandmother?"
Yama nodded slowly.
"My grandfather was a wizard. One of the most powerful of his generation. He completed the Trial when he was twelve. Rose through the ranks. Became a master of spatial magic—the magic of distance and dimensions."
His voice grew softer.
"And one day, he discovered something he shouldn't have. A doorway. A passage to another world beyond Tera."
Ethan's heart pounded.
Another world.
Like Earth.
"He went through," Yama continued. "And on the other side, he found her. My grandmother. A woman from a realm so different from Tera that she might as well have been from a dream."
He smiled sadly.
"They fell in love. He brought her back to Tera. Married her. Had children."
"What happened?"
Yama's eyes darkened.
"The Wizard Council found out."
Silence stretched between them.
"The wizards don't share power," Yama said quietly. "They don't share knowledge. And they certainly don't share worlds. Other realms, other dimensions—they view them as resources. Territory to be conquered. Secrets to be exploited."
His jaw tightened.
"When they discovered my grandfather had found a doorway—and had brought someone through to Tera—they executed him. And my grandmother. Made an example of them."
"But you're still here."
"My father was hidden. Raised in secret by loyal friends. He passed the story to me, along with..."
Yama hesitated.
"...along with certain gifts."
Ethan studied the boy's face.
Is he telling the truth?
[ANALYSIS: SUBJECT'S PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS SUGGEST GENUINE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE. STORY IS CONSISTENT WITH OBSERVED BEHAVIOR. PROBABILITY OF DECEPTION: LOW.]
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because the moment you step before the wizards, they'll know what you are. They'll sense it. The energy of another world clings to you like a scent. You don't belong to Tera—and they will feel that difference."
Yama's silver eyes locked onto Ethan's.
"And when they do, they won't welcome you. They won't train you. They'll capture you. Torture you. Force you to reveal where you came from. And then they'll find your world—and claim it for themselves."
Ethan's blood turned to ice.
Maya.
Earth.
If the wizards find out where I came from...
"How do I hide it?"
The question came out before he could stop it.
Yama smiled.
"I was hoping you'd ask."
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a necklace.
It was simple—a thin leather cord holding a small pendant. The pendant itself was dark metal, etched with patterns too fine to see clearly in the darkness.
"This belonged to my grandmother," Yama said. "My grandfather made it for her. To hide her otherworldly energy. To let her live in Tera without being detected by the wizards or anyone else who might sense her true nature."
He held it out.
"It will do the same for you."
Ethan stared at the necklace.
[ANALYZING OBJECT... UNKNOWN MATERIAL COMPOSITION. FAINT ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED. UNABLE TO DETERMINE FUNCTION WITHOUT FURTHER DATA.]
"Why would you give this to me? You don't know me."
"I know enough."
Yama tapped the side of his head, near his strange silver eyes.
"These are my inheritance. My grandmother's gift, passed through my father's blood to me. I can see things others can't. Auras. Intentions. The shape of a person's soul."
His expression softened.
"Your soul is peaceful, Ethan. Desperate. Afraid. But not cruel. Not hungry for power. You're just trying to survive. Trying to get home."
Ethan was silent for a long moment.
He can see souls?
Is that even possible?
But then again—he was on an alien planet called Tera, standing in a magical forest, with nanobots in his blood. What was "possible" anymore?
"If I take this," Ethan said slowly, "what do you want in return?"
"Nothing."
"Everyone wants something."
Yama shrugged.
"Then consider it payment for a debt my family owes. My grandmother was saved by a stranger once—someone who could have betrayed her but chose not to. Maybe this is the universe's way of balancing the scales."
He pressed the necklace into Ethan's hand.
"Or maybe I just don't want to see another innocent person destroyed by the wizards' greed. The people of Tera deserve better leaders than power-hungry tyrants who hoard magic and conquer worlds."
Ethan looked at the pendant.
Small. Simple. Cold against his palm.
Can I trust him?
[INSUFFICIENT DATA TO CONFIRM TRUSTWORTHINESS. HOWEVER, IF SUBJECT'S CLAIMS ABOUT WIZARD COUNCIL ARE ACCURATE, ACCEPTING PROTECTION IS LOGICAL COURSE OF ACTION.]
And if he's lying? If this is a trap?
[THEN HOST IS NO WORSE OFF THAN BEFORE. CURRENT SITUATION ALREADY CRITICAL. RISK-REWARD CALCULATION FAVORS ACCEPTANCE.]
Ethan made his decision.
He slipped the necklace over his head.
The moment the pendant touched his chest, he felt... something. A subtle shift. Like a door closing. Like a curtain being drawn.
[DETECTING ENERGY FIELD ACTIVATION. UNKNOWN EFFECT SURROUNDING HOST. HYPOTHESIS: PENDANT IS CREATING MASKING BARRIER AS DESCRIBED.]
Yama smiled.
"Good. Now they won't be able to sense that you're not from Tera. At least not easily."
"Thank you," Ethan said. The words felt strange in his mouth. Genuine gratitude was a luxury he hadn't allowed himself in weeks.
"Don't thank me yet. We still have to survive the Trial." Yama glanced deeper into the forest. "And speaking of which—"
He stopped.
His silver eyes widened.
"Move."
[ALERT: MASSIVE ENTITY DETECTED. DISTANCE: APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS. APPROACHING RAPIDLY.]
Ethan heard it now.
Footsteps.
Not human footsteps.
Something enormous. Something that made the ground tremble with each impact.
And then—
A roar.
It split the darkness like thunder.
A sound so deep, so powerful, that Ethan felt it in his bones. In his teeth. In the core of his being.
Somewhere ahead, children screamed.
"What is that?!" Ethan demanded.
Yama drew a short sword from beneath his cloak.
"The first test. The Wall doesn't just let anyone pass. It has... guardians. Ancient creatures that have protected this forest since the beginning of Tera's history."
Another roar. Closer now.
Trees shook. Leaves fell like rain.
[ENTITY APPROACHING. 150 METERS. 100 METERS. TRAJECTORY WILL INTERSECT WITH HOST POSITION IN APPROXIMATELY 45 SECONDS.]
Ethan pulled the repeating crossbow from his back, loading it with practiced efficiency.
Yama moved to stand beside him.
Back to back.
Two sixteen-year-olds in absolute darkness, facing something ancient and hungry.
"Any advice for fighting whatever that is?" Ethan asked.
"Don't get eaten."
"Helpful."
"I try."
The ground shook.
The roar came again—so close now that Ethan could feel the hot wind of its breath.
And in the darkness ahead, something massive moved.
Eyes appeared.
Two of them.
Each the size of a wagon wheel.
Burning with pale green fire.
Staring directly at them.
[HOST. ENTITY IDENTIFIED AS BIOLOGICAL. ESTIMATED SIZE: 15-20 METERS IN HEIGHT. COMBAT ASSESSMENT: EXTREME THREAT. RECOMMENDATION: EVASION PREFERABLE TO DIRECT ENGAGEMENT. ]
Little late for that.
Ethan raised his crossbow.
Yama lifted his blade.
And the beast lunged from the darkness.
The beast lunged.
Ethan squeezed the trigger.
[CALCULATING TRAJECTORY... COMPENSATING FOR MOVEMENT... FIRING SOLUTION: OPTIMAL.]
The crossbow bolt flew true, striking the guardian's left eye.
The creature roared—a sound that shook the trees—and recoiled.
"RUN!" Yama shouted.
They didn't need to be told twice.
The forest erupted into chaos.
Children scattered in every direction, screaming. The guardian thrashed blindly, its massive claws tearing through trees like they were paper.
[ENTITY WOUNDED BUT NOT INCAPACITATED. RECOMMEND CONTINUED EVASION.]
Already on it.
Ethan ran, loading another bolt as he moved. Behind him, Yama's footsteps matched his pace.
"That thing's not stopping!" Yama called out.
"I noticed!"
The path ahead split into three directions.
Left led uphill—toward distant mountains barely visible through the canopy.
Center continued deeper into the flat forest.
Right descended toward what sounded like running water.
"Which way?!" Ethan demanded.
"Up! The mountains! Guardians don't like high altitude!"
They veered left, following the surging crowd of children who had made the same choice.
The ground began to slope upward.
[ALERT: GUARDIAN PURSUING. DISTANCE: 75 METERS AND CLOSING.]
It's still coming.
Ethan glanced back.
Through the darkness, he could see it—a massive silhouette, easily the size of an elephant, charging through the forest with terrifying speed.
And it wasn't alone anymore.
[MULTIPLE ENTITIES DETECTED. COUNT: 6... 8... 12... UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXACT NUMBER. PACK HUNTING BEHAVIOR OBSERVED.]
"There's more of them!" Ethan shouted.
Yama cursed. "The forest is waking up! The Trial isn't just about reaching the wizards—it's about surviving the journey!"
The mountain path grew steeper.
Loose rocks. Exposed roots. Children stumbling, falling, scrambling to their feet and running again.
Ethan's enhanced vision picked out Nira ahead—still with Glan's group, the lazy noble surprisingly keeping pace despite his complaints.
The Prince and Princess of Koga were further ahead, moving with practiced efficiency.
The Dor assassin girl had vanished entirely—probably already far ahead or taking some hidden route.
A child behind Ethan screamed.
He turned just in time to see one of the smaller guardians—a wolf-like creature the size of a horse—drag a boy into the shadows.
The screaming stopped.
[CASUALTY CONFIRMED. RECOMMEND INCREASED SPEED.]
I can't run any faster!
[DETECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS. HOST APPROACHING PHYSICAL LIMITS. MUTATION EFFECTS MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO REDUCED STAMINA.]
Ethan's chest burned. His legs felt like lead.
The mutation. It's getting worse.
They crested a ridge.
The forest opened into a clearing—a natural plateau on the mountainside. Massive trees surrounded it, their trunks like fortress walls.
Children poured into the space, gasping for air, collapsing.
"Is this... safe?" someone wheezed.
"Nothing's safe!" another voice answered.
Ethan scanned the clearing, counting.
Maybe fifty children had made it this far. The rest were either on different paths... or already gone.
[GUARDIAN ENTITIES APPROACHING CLEARING. ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 45 SECONDS.]
"They're still coming!" Ethan warned.
Panic rippled through the group.
"We need to keep moving!" the Prince shouted, his noble training keeping him calm. "Higher ground! The trees—climb!"
But before anyone could move—
A roar split the air.
Not from behind them.
From above.
Something dropped from the canopy.
It landed in the center of the clearing with enough force to crack the stone beneath it.
Ethan's enhanced vision adjusted.
Gods.
It was massive.
Easily four meters tall at the shoulder. Six legs, each ending in claws that looked carved from black ice. Fur that seemed to shift between solid and shadow—one moment white as frost, the next dark as midnight.
And its eyes.
Burning blue. Cold. Ancient.
[ENTITY CLASSIFICATION: APEX PREDATOR. ESTIMATED THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME. SPECIES: UNKNOWN. DESIGNATION ASSIGNED: FROST WOLF ALPHA.]
The creature's presence was wrong.
Not just dangerous. Not just deadly.
It radiated something deeper. The air around it grew cold. Frost spread across the ground where it stepped. The darkness seemed to bend toward it.
This isn't a natural animal.
This is something else.
[DETECTING ANOMALOUS ENERGY SIGNATURE. CREATURE EXHIBITS CHARACTERISTICS CONSISTENT WITH MAGICAL ENHANCEMENT OR SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN.]
The Frost Wolf Alpha's gaze swept across the clearing.
Fifty children.
Fifty potential meals.
Its lips pulled back, revealing teeth like icicles.
And then it moved.
Faster than something that size had any right to move.
It crossed the clearing in three bounds, claws extended, aiming for the densest cluster of children—
Where Nira stood frozen in terror.
The little girl's scream cut through the air.
"NIRA!" Ethan didn't think. He ran.
[WARNING: INTERCEPT TRAJECTORY IMPOSSIBLE. HOST VELOCITY INSUFFICIENT.]
Shut up and help me!
[ENGAGING COMBAT ASSIST MODE. TARGETING SYSTEMS ACTIVE.]
Ethan's vision changed.
The world slowed—not literally, but his perception sharpened. NEXUS was feeding him data faster than conscious thought.
Golden lines appeared in his vision, overlaying reality.
Trajectory calculations.
Movement predictions.
Probability clouds.
A perfect shot.
One chance.
Ethan raised the repeating crossbow.
The golden targeting line locked onto a point just ahead of the Frost Wolf's path.
Not where it was.
Where it would be in 0.7 seconds.
He fired.
The bolt flew.
Time seemed to stretch.
The Frost Wolf lunged.
Nira squeezed her eyes shut.
And Ethan's bolt struck the creature's front left leg mid-stride.
The impact wasn't enough to wound it seriously—but it was enough to disrupt its balance. The creature stumbled, its trajectory shifting by mere inches.
Inches that made all the difference.
Instead of Nira, the Frost Wolf's claws struck stone.
Ethan didn't slow down.
He reached the little girl, scooped her up in one arm, and dove sideways—all in a single motion.
They hit the ground rolling.
The Frost Wolf's second strike missed by a hand's breadth.
Nira clung to Ethan's neck, sobbing.
"I've got you," he gasped. "I've got you."
The Frost Wolf turned.
Its blue eyes fixed on them.
Now it looked angry.
[ENTITY FOCUSING ON HOST. PREPARING FOR FOLLOW-UP ATTACK. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION.]
Ethan scrambled to his feet, still holding Nira.
The crossbow was gone—dropped in the dive.
He drew his dagger.
This is going to hurt.
The Frost Wolf crouched, muscles coiling.
It would be on them in seconds.
And there was nowhere to run.
Then—
Light.
Brilliant. Blinding. Descending from above like a falling star.
A figure dropped from the forest canopy.
She was tall. Elegant. Her dark hair whipped behind her like a banner. And in her hands—
A blade that glowed with inner radiance. Not steel. Not any metal Ethan recognized.
Pure light, shaped into a weapon.
[ALERT: UNKNOWN ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED. CLASSIFICATION: MAGICAL WEAPON.]
The Princess of House Koga landed between Ethan and the Frost Wolf with perfect grace.
Her blade swept in an arc so fast it left afterimages.
The Frost Wolf lunged.
The Princess moved like water.
Her glowing blade met the creature's claws—and cut through them.
The Frost Wolf howled, jerking back.
Black blood hissed where it hit the ground, freezing instantly into dark ice.
"Fall back!" the Princess commanded. Her voice carried absolute authority. "All of you! Behind me!"
The children obeyed instantly.
Even the Prince—her brother—moved without hesitation.
The Princess stood alone, facing the Frost Wolf.
She raised her blade, and the light intensified.
"I am Diana of House Koga," she declared. "Heir to the Crown of the Northern Kingdoms. The weight of this crown is my vow to you."
The Frost Wolf snarled.
Diana's expression didn't change.
"I am the shield that stands against the dark."
The Frost Wolf attacked.
Diana met it head-on.
Ethan had never seen anything like it.
She moved with a combination of trained skill and something else—something that made the air around her shimmer. Each strike of her blade left trails of light. Each movement seemed to flow into the next as if choreographed by something beyond human capability.
Magic.
She's using actual magic.
The Frost Wolf was faster. Stronger. But Diana was precise.
She struck its legs. Its flanks. Driving it back step by step.
And then—with a final, elegant thrust—she drove her blade of light into the creature's chest.
The Frost Wolf's roar cut off mid-sound.
It staggered.
The light from Diana's blade spread through its body like cracks in ice.
And then it shattered.
Not into flesh and bone.
Into shadow and frost.
Dissolving like smoke, leaving nothing but a patch of frozen ground where it had stood.
Silence fell over the clearing.
Fifty children stared.
Diana lowered her blade. The light dimmed but didn't extinguish.
She turned to face them, her expression calm.
"The Trial tests us all. But while I draw breath, I will protect those who—"
A growl cut her off.
Low. Vibrating. Hungry.
Then another.
And another.
From the treeline surrounding the clearing, eyes appeared.
Dozens of them.
Glowing in the darkness.
More Frost Wolves.
Smaller than the Alpha. But still deadly.
And they were everywhere.
[ALERT: MULTIPLE HOSTILE ENTITIES DETECTED. COUNT EXCEEDING TRACKING CAPABILITY. ESTIMATED: 40-60 INDIVIDUALS. CURRENT POSITION: SURROUNDED.]
Diana's jaw tightened.
"Children! The trees! Climb NOW!"
The clearing erupted into motion.
Children ran for the massive trunks surrounding the plateau. Those with rope pulled it out. Those with knives looked for handholds.
The Frost Wolves began to advance.
Slowly. Deliberately.
They knew their prey was trapped.
Ethan still held Nira in his arms.
The trees. We need to climb.
But the nearest tree was twenty meters away. And between him and it—
Three Frost Wolves.
[ANALYSIS: HOST CANNOT OUTRUN ENTITIES WHILE CARRYING ADDITIONAL WEIGHT. RECOMMEND RELEASING SUBJECT NIRA AND PRIORITIZING INDIVIDUAL SURVIVAL.]
Not happening.
[HOST EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT IS COMPROMISING TACTICAL DECISION-MAKING.]
I don't care.
Yama appeared beside him, sword drawn.
"Give me the girl. I'll cover you while you climb."
"You can't fight three of them alone!"
"I don't plan to fight. I plan to distract." Yama's silver eyes gleamed. "Trust me. I'm harder to catch than I look."
Ethan hesitated.
Then handed Nira to Yama.
"Keep her safe."
"Go!"
Ethan ran for the tree.
Behind him, Yama did something—Ethan didn't see what—that made the Frost Wolves turn toward him instead.
Ethan reached the massive trunk.
The bark was rough, with natural handholds, but climbing while the wolves prowled below...
[SUGGESTION: USE ENHANCED GRIP STRENGTH. NANOBOTS CAN TEMPORARILY INCREASE MUSCLE EFFICIENCY IN HANDS AND FOREARMS.]
Do it.
His hands suddenly felt stronger. More stable.
He climbed.
Fast.
Faster than he'd ever climbed anything in his life.
Below, chaos reigned.
Children scrambling. Wolves stalking. Diana fighting three at once, her blade a blur of light.
Yama was already halfway up another tree, Nira clinging to his back.
The Prince was helping younger children climb, organizing a human ladder.
And all around the clearing, the pack closed in.
Ethan reached a thick branch ten meters up.
He pulled himself onto it, gasping.
From here, he could see the full scope of the nightmare.
At least sixty Frost Wolves.
Fifty children.
Not enough trees. Not enough time.
[ESTIMATED CASUALTIES IF CURRENT SITUATION CONTINUES: 70-80%.]
And then—
From deeper in the forest—
A new sound.
Louder. Deeper. More ancient.
Another Alpha.
No.
Three more Alphas.
The pack wasn't attacking yet because they were waiting.
Waiting for their leaders to arrive.
Ethan looked down at his hands.
They were shaking.
Not from fear.
From the mutation.
[HOST. MUTATION ENTERING CRITICAL PHASE. ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE NEURAL RESTRUCTURING: 4 HOURS.]
Four hours.
And we're surrounded by monsters.
Perfect timing.
He looked across the clearing.
Yama had reached safety with Nira.
Diana stood alone, facing the approaching pack.
And in the darkness beyond, three massive shapes moved toward the plateau.
The real hunt was about to begin.