Chapter 19 - The Hunt Concludes

Primordial Preserve – DawnThey walked in silence as dawn broke over the forest.Ethan's hands hadn't stopped trembling since leaving the gate. Every sound spiked his heart rate—branches creaking, distant animal cries, the rhythmic crunch of five sets of boots on packed earth.Seven percent. We're inside that number now. Either the seven or the ninety-three.Nova led them, map clutched in shaking hands. Every hundred meters he stopped. Checked the map. Muttered numbers under his breath. Checked again. His lips moved constantly—calculations, prayers, or both.Blake walked with his hand resting on his new sword hilt. Not gripping. Just touching. Reassurance through repetition. Every few minutes he'd glance at his brother.Jake moved more carefully, eyes scanning constantly—canopy, undergrowth, their backtrail. Analytical even now. Categorizing threats. Calculating risks.Diana walked behind Ethan. Silent. Every ten seconds her head turned—checking flanks, checking behind, checking shadows. Her hand stayed near where Murakami would manifest. When a bird took flight suddenly, her hand moved halfway to summoning before she caught herself.Still can't turn it off. Whatever they did to her, it's permanent."Six hours to mountain base," Nova said. His voice was tight. Controlled. Like he was physically restraining something trying to break free. "Keep pace. No talking. Sound carries."They walked.And walked.And Ethan's fear grew with each step deeper into wilderness.First Hour – Forest DepthsThe trees grew denser. Older. Trunks wide as houses. Canopy so thick above that morning light turned gray-green.This deep, the Preserve felt alien. Wrong. Like stepping into a world that didn't want humans present."Stay close," Nova whispered. "Don't touch anything glowing. Don't investigate unusual sounds. Don't—"A roar echoed through the trees. Distant but massive.Everyone froze."Thornback Bear," Nova identified. "Two miles east, maybe. Territorial but slow. We're fine if we keep moving.""How many wizard-level beasts in this area?" Jake asked quietly.Nova's laugh was broken. "Three confirmed. Maybe five. The panther's one. There's a Void Serpent near the cliffs. Crystal Mantis in the ravines. And rumors of things without names.""Comforting," Blake muttered.They walked faster.Ethan's legs already ached. His pack felt heavier with each step. But the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the fear.Every shadow could be death. Every sound could be our last warning.Diana moved up beside him. Didn't speak. Just walked parallel for several minutes.Finally: "You're breathing too fast.""I'm terrified.""Good. Use it. Fear makes you alert." She paused. "Just don't let it paralyze you when the moment comes.""How do you manage it? The fear?"Diana was quiet for a long time. "I don't manage it. I just... function through it. My training didn't teach control. Just taught function despite.""That sounds—""Brutal. Yes." She looked away. "Don't ask more."She dropped back again.Leaving Ethan alone with his thoughts and growing dread.Second Hour – First ContactThey'd been walking two hours when Blake suddenly grabbed Jake's arm. "Stop. Don't move."Everyone froze."What?" Nova whispered.Blake pointed slowly. "There. Thirty feet. Right side."Through the undergrowth—scales. Red and black patterns. Moving.The Razorback Salamander emerged into view.Massive. Twelve feet of pure predator. Eyes like molten copper that swept across them with alien intelligence.Ethan's heart hammered so hard he thought the beast would hear it. His breath caught. Terror wanted to make him run but he forced his legs to stay still.Don't run. Don't move. Don't breathe too loud.The Salamander's tongue flicked out. Tasting air. Analyzing.Seconds stretched into eternity.Then—it turned away. Slid back into undergrowth. Gone.No one moved for thirty seconds after it vanished."How close was that?" Blake's voice shook."Too close." Nova started walking again, faster now. "We're in deep territory now. Everything from here on is dangerous."Jake's laugh was nervous. "Everything wants to kill us and we're walking toward something worse."No one disagreed.Ethan's hands shook worse now. The Salamander encounter made everything real in a way it hadn't been before.That thing could've killed us. Easily. And it's not even what we're hunting.The forest felt hostile now. Watching. Waiting.Third Hour – DoubtBy the third hour, exhaustion was setting in.Ethan's legs burned. His back ached from the pack. Sweat soaked through his clothes despite the cool air.Blake was limping slightly—old injury from previous training flaring up.Jake had stopped talking entirely. Just walked with grim determination.Nova looked worse with each step—decades of age showing despite wizard apprentice longevity. His breathing was labored. His hands shook worse.Only Diana seemed unaffected. Moving with machine-like efficiency. Never slowing. Never complaining."Water break," Nova gasped. "Five minutes."They collapsed against trees.Blake massaged his leg. "This is just the approach. We haven't even reached the mountain.""Having doubts?" Jake asked quietly."Aren't you?"Jake was quiet. "Yes."Nova overheard. His head snapped up. "It's too late for doubts. We're committed. The Academy knows we're here. We come back with panther's eyes or we come back as failures.""Or we don't come back," Blake said."That too." Nova's voice cracked. "So we succeed. We have to succeed. There's no—there's no other option for me."Desperation leaked through every word.Diana spoke from her position against a tree. "Fear is normal. Doubt is normal. But we signed the waivers. We took the contract. So we finish it.""Easy for you to say," Blake muttered. "You have Great Wizard backing. If this fails, you have options. Rest of us—""I have debts that will kill me if I fail," Diana cut him off. Her voice was flat. Dead. "Don't assume you know my situation."Silence."Five minutes done," Nova said. "Move."They moved.But doubt walked with them now.Fourth Hour – Breaking PointThe argument started small.Jake stumbled over a root. Blake caught him."Watch your footing.""I'm watching. These roots are everywhere.""Then watch better. Can't afford injuries before we even reach the mountain.""I'm fine.""Your leg's cramping. I can see it.""It's manageable.""Is it? Because when the panther charges and you can't run—""I said it's manageable!"Voices rising. Stress fracturing composure."Both of you shut up," Nova hissed. "Sound carries. Predators hunt by sound."Blake rounded on him. "We've been walking four hours. When do we get there?""Two more hours.""Two more—" Blake's laugh was bitter. "We'll be exhausted before we even start the hunt.""Then be exhausted," Nova's voice cracked. "I've been exhausted for fifty-three years. You can manage one day.""That's not—""I SAID SHUT UP!"Nova was shaking violently now. "This is my last chance. My last attempt. Academy rules—three dangerous hunts maximum. This is three. If we fail, I'm expelled. Seventy-one years old and expelled like a failed child."His voice broke completely."So I don't care if you're tired. Don't care if you're scared. Don't care about anything except killing that panther and taking its eyes. Understand?"No one responded.They walked in tense silence.The group cohesion was fracturing under stress.And we haven't even faced the panther yet.Fifth Hour – The ClimbThe forest ended at rocky slopes.Mountain of Tamara rose before them—brutal, jagged, hostile."From here we climb," Nova said. "One hour. Maybe ninety minutes. Then we position and wait."The climb was agony.Loose stones gave way underfoot. Sharp rocks cut hands. Steep inclines burned muscles already exhausted from the walk.Ethan slipped twice. Caught himself both times but felt his energy draining.Blake was favoring his leg badly now. Jake stayed close to his brother, ready to help.Nova climbed slowest—gasping, stumbling, barely keeping pace.Diana climbed like a machine. Never slowing. Never stopping. Trauma had made her something other than entirely human."There," Nova finally gasped. "The pond."Through the tree line below—a clearing. Still water reflecting gray sky."That's where it drinks?""Every evening. Just before sunset." Nova checked the sun's position. "Three hours. We position now. Absolute silence from here on."They descended to the tree line.Ancient trees grew close here—trunks five feet wide forming natural barriers."Positions." Nova's hands shook as he pointed. "Blake, Jake—east side behind those two large trunks. Diana—west side. Best sight lines from there. Ethan—with me, north side. Upwind. It won't smell us."Blake opened his mouth—"No talking," Nova cut him off. "From now until after the kill—silence. One sound at the wrong time and we all die. Understand?"Everyone nodded.They moved to their positions.Ethan crouched behind a massive trunk beside Nova. The automatic crossbow felt impossibly heavy. The Arrow of Death pulsed with green light—loaded, ready, deadly.Nova leaned close, whispered directly into Ethan's ear: "When I tap your shoulder twice—shoot. Between the eyes. Center skull. Perfect shot. Can't miss. If you miss we all die.""Understood.""Six hundred stones in that arrow. Fifty-three years on this moment. Don't. Miss."Perfect. No pressure at all.Nova settled into position.They waited.The Wait – First HourThe first hour was adrenaline.Every sound was the panther. Every shadow was death. Ethan's finger hovered near the trigger, ready to fire instantly.His heart raced. His breathing came fast. Every nerve was alert to maximum.It could come any second. Any second now. Be ready. Be—Minutes passed.Still nothing.His muscles were already starting to ache from holding position.Across the clearing, he could barely see Jake behind a tree trunk. Jake shifted slightly—adjusting position.Everyone's feeling this. The waiting is psychological torture.Nova beside him was trembling constantly. His breathing was ragged. His hands shook so badly Ethan worried he might accidentally signal too early.He's barely holding together. Fifty-three years of pressure about to explode.The sun descended slowly. So slowly.Time felt broken. Stretched.The Wait – Second HourThe second hour was worse.Adrenaline was fading. Exhaustion replacing it.Ethan's legs cramped from the crouch. His back screamed. His arms ached from holding the crossbow ready.His mind started wandering—What if it doesn't come? What if tonight it breaks pattern? What if we wait here all night for nothing?Then jerking back to focus—Can't lose concentration. Can't let mind wander. Stay alert. Stay—But exhaustion made alertness harder.He caught himself spacing out. Snapped back. Spaced out again.How much longer? How much—Jake across the clearing shifted again. More pronounced this time. His left leg must be cramping badly.We're all suffering. All barely holding on. And the panther hasn't even arrived yet.The sun sank lower.Shadows deepened.The Wait – Third HourThe third hour was breaking point.Everything hurt. Legs, back, arms, neck—every muscle screamed for movement, for relief.Ethan's mind was numbing from stress and stillness.Can't think clearly anymore. Too tired. Too scared. Just want this over—Nova's hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.Ethan jerked alert.Nova pointed.The forest had gone silent.No birds. No insects. Nothing.That means—Movement at the clearing's edge.The Glowing Eye Panther emerged from darkness like death made physical.Massive. Graceful. Deadly. Those eyes—brilliant green, glowing, hypnotic.Every trace of exhaustion vanished from Ethan's body. Pure terror-fueled adrenaline flooded his system.That's what we're hunting. That thing. How did I ever think this was possible?The panther moved toward the water. Slow. Confident. No fear. Nothing in this forest threatened it.Ethan's hands shook violently. His heart hammered. Breathing came in gasps.Control it. Control the fear. Can't shoot accurately like this—He forced his breathing to slow. In. Out. In. Out.Hands still shook but less. Not steady. Just functional.The panther approached the water's edge.Lowered its head—Nova's hand touched Ethan's shoulder. Ready position.Ethan raised the crossbow. Sighted down the barrel.The angle wasn't perfect. Skull bone too thick from this trajectory.Need it to lift head slightly. Just a bit—Nova tapped once.Not yet. Angle's wrong. Seventy percent success maybe. Need better—The panther drank. Head still low.Nova tapped twice. SHOOT NOW.No. Still wrong. Wait for—Nova's grip tightened painfully on his shoulder. Urgent. Desperate. SHOOT.Just wait. A few more seconds. It'll adjust and—CRACK.A branch snapped.Loud in the silence.East side.The panther's head whipped up. Those glowing eyes locked onto the trees where Blake and Jake hid.Its muscles coiled. Ready to charge.No time left. Have to shoot now—Ethan forced his breathing even. Forced his hands steady through pure will.Can't let fear win. Not now. Diana's going to die. Everyone's going to die if I can't—The panther tensed—Diana burst from her position. "SCATTER!"She manifested Murakami—brilliant white blade blazing.The panther roared—sound like thunder—and launched toward Blake and Jake's position."RUN!" Nova screamed.Everyone ran.Blake and Jake exploded from their hiding spot, sprinting away.The panther was impossibly fast. Closing distance in seconds.Diana charged from the side—not to fight it, to intercept—"DIANA NO—" Ethan shouted.She didn't stop. Rushed the panther from its flank.Murakami swung—The panther's paw struck.Diana flew sideways—ten feet—slammed into a tree trunk. Collapsed motionless.The panther turned toward her.Approaching slowly. Deliberately. Preparing to kill.Fifteen feet between Diana and the panther. Too close. If I shoot and miss the death magic splash could kill her—Movement from both sides. Blake burst from the right. Jake from the left."[Flame Arrow]!""[Ice Shard]!"Both spells struck the panther—barely hurt it but got its attention.The panther whirled. Confused which threat to engage.Nova appeared from the trees. "[Flame Shield]!"A wall of fire erupted—not to hurt, just to block vision—"CAN'T STOP IT!" Blake's voice broke. "NOTHING'S WORKING!"The panther charged Blake—faster than thought—Blake dove aside. The panther missed by inches.Turned. Charged again."SCATTER!" Nova screamed. "DON'T LET IT CORNER YOU!"They scattered. Running in different directions.The panther herded them. Intelligent. Tactical. Separating prey.We're going to die. All of us. This was insane. Why did I think—"ETHAN!"Diana was on her feet. Limping badly. Blood running down her face."TREES!" She pointed north. "Narrow corridor! FUNNEL IT!"The tree formation. If we can force it into restricted space—"NORTH!" Ethan shouted. "Everyone north!"They ran toward the northern tree line.Crashed into the formation—ancient trees grown in nearly straight corridor. Twenty feet wide. Hundred feet long.The panther pursued. Entered the corridor behind them.Trapped them."Now what?" Blake gasped.The panther advanced slowly. No rush. Prey was cornered."Twins!" Ethan could barely speak through gasping breaths. "Fire—water—""WHAT?""FOG!"Blake and Jake stared at each other."How—""JUST TRY!"Blake cast Flame Arrow randomly. Jake reflexively cast Ice Shard to defend—The ice hit flame mid-flight. Shattered into steam.Fog exploded outward."AGAIN!" Ethan shouted.They understood now. Blake fired. Jake shattered the flame with ice.More fog. Thicker.The panther charged through the mist—"EVERYONE DOWN!" Ethan screamed.They dropped.Ethan forced himself upright. Raised the crossbow despite every instinct screaming to hide.Through thick fog—could barely see anything. Just shapes. Sounds.The panther's breathing. Heavy. Close. Maybe ten feet—Can't see clearly. Don't have perfect angle. But out of time. Out of options.His hands shook violently.Everyone dies if I miss. Diana almost died saving us. Can't waste—He forced his breathing slow. Forced his hands steady as possible.Won't be perfect. Just has to be good enough.Aimed toward the sound. Toward where the head should be.One shot. Only chance.Pulled the trigger.THUNK.Wet impact sound.Then—roaring. Not attacking. Pain. Confusion.Silence.They stayed down, weapons ready, barely breathing.The fog dissipated slowly.The Glowing Eye Panther lay on its side.The death arrow protruded from its neck—not the skull shot Ethan aimed for, but fatal. Green death magic spread from the wound like poison.The panther's legs twitched. Its breathing came in ragged, wet gasps. Choking on its own blood.It was dying.They stood slowly, weapons raised, ready for final attack.The panther just lay there. Eyes dimming. Life draining.It took one more labored breath.Then stillness.Blake approached carefully. Checked for pulse. "Dead."Nova stood frozen. Staring. Not moving. Not speaking.Then his legs gave out.He collapsed to his knees and began to laugh—high, broken sound. Not joy. Release. Fifty-three years of pressure finally escaping."Dead." His voice cracked. "It's actually—after fifty-three years—we—"He couldn't finish. Just knelt there, laughing and crying simultaneously, decades of failure finally ending.Diana limped over to Ethan. Blood still running from the gash on her head."You stayed.""Couldn't run.""Could've. Should've." She paused. "Thank you."Blake sat down hard. "Thought we were dead. Multiple times—certain we were—""Me too," Jake admitted. His voice shook. "When that branch—my fault—almost killed everyone—""We're alive," Diana cut him off. "That's what matters."Ethan collapsed against a tree. His whole body shook—violent tremors he couldn't control. His vision swam. His stomach lurched.We survived. Actually survived. How? How are we not dead?He looked at his hands. Covered in dirt and blood. Trembling so badly he couldn't make them stop.I shot it. The arrow. Through fog at sound alone and I—His breathing was coming too fast. Hyperventilating. Vision tunneling."Ethan?" Diana's voice from far away. "Breathe. You're in shock. Breathe."He tried. Couldn't. His lungs wouldn't work properly.Should be dead. All dead. Why aren't we dead?"Ethan." Diana grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me. Breathe with me. In. Out. In. Out."He followed her rhythm. Slowly. His breathing calmed slightly.The trembling didn't stop. But the panic attack eased.Nova forced himself to stand. Walked to the panther on shaking legs. Pulled out a knife with trembling hands."The eyes. Need—transformation—fifty-three years—"He carefully extracted both glowing orbs. Wrapped them in cloth with reverent care. Placed them in a preservation container like handling holy relics.Then turned to Ethan."You didn't shoot when I signaled.""The angle was wrong.""And when the plan failed—when everything went wrong—you adapted." Nova's voice was soft. Wondering. "The corridor. The fog. You created strategy from chaos.""We all—everyone contributed—""Team success," Nova agreed. He looked at all of them. "Not individual heroics. Team."They stood in silence for a moment."The arrow," Jake said quietly. "Should we retrieve it?"Nova shook his head. "Death magic that concentrated stays active for days. Touch it and you die. We leave it.""Six hundred stones—""I know." Nova looked at the corpse. "But I'm not dying to retrieve it.""The materials," Jake pressed. "Fur, claws, teeth—valuable—""Too heavy," Nova said. "Three days walking while exhausted. And panther corpses attract scavengers. Need to leave before they arrive."Blake was studying the panther. "Did Academy check-in beacon activate when we left?""Yes," Nova said. "Deactivates when we return. If we don't return within seven days, they send recovery team.""To rescue us?""To retrieve bodies." Nova's smile was grim. "Academy doesn't like losing students without knowing why."Ethan's body still shook. Couldn't stop.Diana sat beside him. She was shaking too. Her hand kept moving toward where Murakami manifested—checking, reassuring."We should move," Nova said. "Dark soon. Need to make distance before scavengers arrive."They forced themselves up.Limping. Exhausted. Traumatized. But alive.Started walking away from the corpse.Behind them, the Glowing Eye Panther lay dead in darkness.Apex predator finally defeated.And five desperate people walked away with their impossible victory.The First Night – CampThey walked for two hours before exhaustion made continuing impossible."Here," Nova gasped. "Defensive position. Camp."They collapsed in a rough circle, too exhausted for proper camp setup.For long minutes, no one spoke. Just breathed. Just existed.Blake broke the silence. His voice shook. "Dead. We were—like five different times—certain we were—""Seven," Jake said quietly. "I counted seven distinct moments death probability exceeded ninety percent.""But we adapted," Diana said. "Plan failed. We adjusted. That's why we survived."Nova clutched the preservation container. "Fifty-three years. Gave up hope years ago. Kept planning because—what else was there? But I'd stopped believing it would actually work."He looked at them. Couldn't finish.Ethan sat with his back to a tree. His body still shook—couldn't stop, hadn't stopped since killing the panther.Did that really happen? Did we actually—He kept replaying it. The fog. The sound. The shot. The impact.One foot different and I'd have missed. Everyone would be dead.His hands trembled violently.Diana sat apart from the group. Every few minutes her head snapped toward sounds—checking threats, expecting attacks.When Blake shifted position, her hand flew toward Murakami. Half-manifested before she caught herself.Just Blake. Not a threat.She forced her breathing to slow. Forced her hand down.Everything's a threat. Everyone's an enemy. Can't turn it off. Can't—Jake sat staring at nothing. "My fault. The branch. Almost killed everyone. My fault.""Stop," Blake said. "We all—""No. My fault." Jake's voice was flat. Dead. "I shifted wrong. Made noise. Alerted it.""We survived," Nova said. "That's all that matters."But Jake just stared at darkness. Replaying the mistake endlessly.They tried to sleep.Blake jerked awake every ten minutes. Phantom panther attacking in his dreams.Jake lay with eyes open. Couldn't close them. Every time he did, he heard the branch snapping.Diana sat with back to tree, refusing sleep. Every sound was the panther. Every shadow was death.Nova muttered constantly. Sixty percent. Breakthrough probability. Sixty percent. Sixty percent.Ethan shook uncontrollably. His body thought he was still running even though he'd stopped hours ago.They didn't speak about it. Everyone pretended to sleep.But no one slept that night.Not really.The hunt was over.But the trauma was just beginning.