The branch where the cloaked man had stood still swayed gently.
Leaves brushed against one another, dry and restrained, producing a faint sound that lingered longer than it should have—as if the forest itself had not yet accepted that the weight above it was gone. The bark bore shallow scratches. Nothing dramatic. Nothing obvious to the untrained eye. But to those accustomed to reading signs, the marks were unmistakable.
He was gone.
And yet, his presence refused to fade.
Kael stood at the very front, his head slightly raised, his eyes fixed on the now-empty branch longer than anyone else's. Not because he expected the man to return. And not because he intended to pursue him.
It was something else entirely.
Something he had seen—briefly, almost by accident—had lodged itself into his thoughts like a small thorn beneath the skin. A symbol. Not unfamiliar. And yet… not something that should exist in a place like this.
"Did he really leave?" Bram's voice finally broke the silence.
It was low. Rough. Stripped of the usual humor he carried so easily.
"He did," Kael replied quietly. "Before we even realized."
No one asked how he knew. The twelve of them were experienced enough to understand a simple truth: when Kael said something was gone, there was no trail left to follow.
Daren stepped forward half a pace and crouched, pressing his fingers into the damp earth between ancient roots. "No attempt to hide his tracks," he muttered. "He didn't care whether we noticed."
"Or he wanted us to know he'd been here," Sereth added calmly.
The words hung in the air—heavy, unresolved.
Kael finally lowered his gaze. "Whatever his reason, he didn't intend to fight. Not now." He paused. "But his presence wasn't a coincidence."
Behind them, Arnold shifted the large shield strapped to the supply cart. The muted scrape of metal rang clearly in the stillness. "If that's the case," he said, "then something is wrong with this area."
No one disagreed.
They moved again.
The formation changed naturally—without commands, without raised voices. Kael remained at the front. Bram and Daren spread slightly to either side, each about ten paces away. Sereth and Kareth formed the second layer, while Cale and Elden watched the narrowing path to the right, where roots and undergrowth pressed in closer with every step.
At the center, Arnold stayed with the cart.
Eiran and Ruine sat there, their bodies still stiff from the previous battle. Arnold said little, but his stance was unmistakable—the shield anchored on one side, his free hand never far from his weapon.
Eiran scanned their surroundings.
Something had changed.
It wasn't just the silence. The forest felt… denser. The trees stood closer together, and the sunlight that once filtered through now fractured into thin, dying lines that never quite reached the ground.
"We're not on the outskirts anymore," Ruine whispered.
Eiran swallowed. He felt it too. As though their steps had not only taken them farther forward—but deeper, in a way that distance alone could not explain.
Ahead, Nox vanished and reappeared between trunks like a living shadow. Varek moved steadily along the left side, his massive frame balanced in a way that felt unnatural for a man who fought with nothing but his fists.
Lys and Ivo held the inner rear—close enough to engage instantly, far enough to react.
Then the forest answered.
Four large shapes emerged almost simultaneously from between the trees.
Orcs.
But not ordinary ones.
Their skin was darker, tinged with gray. Their muscles bulged unnaturally, thick cords of veins visible along their necks and arms. Their eyes were not wild—but focused.
Mutated.
"Four," Bram growled, rolling his shoulders.
"Kael takes the front," Daren said, a thin smile forming. "As usual."
Kael did not reply.
He stepped forward.
The first orc roared and charged, its axe descending with full force. Kael did not retreat. He stepped inward, his body shifting less than an inch from the weapon's path.
Vitalis flowed.
Not exploding.
Not surging.
Flowing—controlled, deliberate, like a long breath finally released.
Kael's blade moved. To an untrained eye, it wasn't particularly fast. But to those who truly saw, it was a single, flawless line. The orc's head separated before its body could even comprehend death.
To the left, Bram smashed into his opponent, twin axes layered in Vire. Every swing served a purpose—bone shattered, joints failed, and the finishing strike came without hesitation.
Daren was different.
He closed in almost recklessly. His fists struck. His legs turned. His body never stopped moving. Every blow sought a precise place—neck, ribs, hip joint.
"Of course," he muttered as he slipped past the final swing. "This art was created to subdue creatures like these."
The fourth orc fell.
Before anyone could fully draw breath, heavy footsteps followed.
More were coming.
"Additional contact," Sereth called out.
This time, they arrived in groups.
Ivo moved first, his sword precise and economical. Lys spun beside him, slipping into every opening with practiced ease. Varek struck an orc bare-handed—the crack of bone echoed clearly even amid the chaos.
Nox emerged from shadow, his blades already red before his target could even roar.
Cale and Elden held the rear, guarding the cart.
Arnold did not move.
His shield was planted firmly into the earth.
Eiran watched with wide eyes, his heart pounding—not from fear, but from understanding.
This wasn't a random encounter.
It was a trial.
"This is… strange," Ruine murmured.
Eiran nodded. These orcs weren't attacking blindly. They came in waves. From specific directions. As if guided.
"Kael," Sereth said during a brief lull. "This forest—"
"Is being used," Kael answered. "As a testing ground."
Daren laughed quietly, breathing heavier now. "Figures. This is the far edge of Aurine. Few ever come deep enough to notice."
"And the monster hierarchy here…" Kareth added. "It's broken."
Kael nodded. Vitalis still flowed through him—warm, steady. For the first time, he did not restrain it.
He let the forest feel him.
The forest responded with a deeper silence.
Somewhere beyond sight, something was watching.
Not with ordinary eyes.
Kael glanced once more toward the empty branch.
"I remember that emblem," he said softly—so quiet that no one but himself truly heard it.
And for the first time since they had entered the forest's core—
He knew.
They were not merely fighting orcs.
They were being summoned.