The hooded figure stood still, blade pressed firmly against Pete's throat.
"Don't move," he said coldly.
Gregor didn't react at first… but his shadow shifted.
Slowly.
Silently.
It slid across the ground like ink, unnoticed,
creeping behind the hooded student.
The boy narrowed his eyes. "I said—don't—"
Gregor's shadow suddenly erupted.
WHOOOM.
Darkness burst upward, wrapping around the hooded figure mid-motion, stopping his blade just inches from Pete's skin.
The student froze.
"…What—?"
His eyes flicked down, noticing the crest on Gregor's shadow binding—then his expression changed.
"…Academy crest?"
Gregor stepped forward. "You're done."
The shadow loosened slightly, just enough for the blade to lower. Leo and Alya moved in
immediately, tension still high.
Pete backed away, rubbing his neck. "Okay… can someone explain what just happened?"
Gregor kept the boy restrained. "Talk."
The hooded student gritted his teeth… then slowly exhaled.
"…Name's Kael. Third-year scout."
He paused, struggling against the shadow grip.
"…Sent by Headmaster Drakoris. Same mission as you."
Gregor's eyes narrowed slightly, and the shadow loosened just a bit more.
Kael straightened, glaring at them now that he could breathe properly.
"…So that's it," he muttered. "They really sent replacements."
Alya frowned. "Replacements?"
Kael scoffed bitterly. "We were supposed to handle Verdant Hollow. Quiet mission. Clean extraction. No students involved."
He looked at them all.
"…Now I see why they brought you."
Pete frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kael looked away slightly.
"…Don't trust orders blindly. That's all I'll say."
Silence followed.
Gregor finally released the shadow grip completely.
Kael stepped back, adjusting his cloak.
"…You're in deeper than you think," he said quietly.
Alya tilted her head slightly.
"So… simply put, you failed?"
eyes snapped toward her.
"How dare you—"
His voice rose sharply, face tightening with anger.
"Stop." Pete stepped forward, forcing himself between them. "We came here for a mission."
Kael's gaze shifted immediately to him.
"And who are you speaking to like that?"
Leo exhaled slowly.
"Hey."
The single word dropped the temperature of the room.
His presence darkened, bloodlust flickering in his eyes as he stepped forward slightly.
"Stop, guys. We don't have time for this," Thera said quickly. "There are lives at stake."
"This is exactly my problem with boys," Alya muttered.
"Even you, Alya!" Thera shot back.
Alya blinked. "Huh? Me?"
"Get on with your report," Leo said, still sharp, his tone low and dangerous.
Kael scoffed. "Huh… sounds like you're asking for a fight."
"Kael—" Thera started—
"That's Senior Kael to you."
Alya frowned. "Grow up, mister."
Kael's fist tightened, his body tensing as if he were seconds away from striking.
"Okay. Stop." Gregor's voice cut through everything.
Dark shadows surged from beneath him, binding Alya and Leo instantly, covering their mouths and locking their movements in place.
"Thera. Continue," Gregor said calmly.
Thera hesitated. "What is happening right now?"
Kael exhaled sharply. "The villagers are trapped in a cave not far from here."
"By who?" she asked.
"I'm getting there," he snapped.
A pause.
"By a woman. Unknown classification."
Leo struggled against the shadows, muffled frustration vibrating through him.
"I don't think we need his commentary,"
Gregor said flatly.
"Alya." Gregor shot her a warning glance.
Pete frowned. "What did she say?"
"Control your teammates before I do," Kael said coldly.
"Okay… let's take this slowly, shall we?" Thera said, stepping slightly forward, drawing Kael's attention away from the tension in the group.
"Hmph! Hmph!" Alya muffled through Gregor's shadow restraint.
Gregor gave her a side glance, unimpressed. "Will you promise to stay respectable?"
"Hmph." she replied flatly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. The shadows holding her tightened for a moment—then gradually receded back into him.
"And you," Gregor said, glancing at Leo, "I think you're better like this."
Leo didn't respond. He kept staring directly at Kael, unmoving.
Alya let out a relieved sigh the moment she was free. She dusted herself off and smiled faintly.
"Sorry, Mr. Kael," she said, though the tone was clearly sarcastic.
"Could you be more detailed about your report?" she added
"What else am I supposed to explain?" Kael shot back.
Thera stepped in smoothly. "Start with the cave."
"Yeah," Alya added. "The cave, the area, how many are being held—an estimate would be fine."
Kael exhaled through his nose, clearly annoyed.
He looked away for a moment, gathering himself.
"…Fine."
"Remember your place… remember your place," Kael muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else, before continuing his report.
"For the number of people, I would say about five hundred or lower—excluding my teammates—and—"
"That much?!" Thera blurted out, eyes widening in alarm.
Kael's head snapped toward her. "Don't interrupt me again!"
She flinched slightly. "E-ehem… sorry."
He exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly irritated.
"For their whereabouts…" His tone rose again, sharper now. "They're just a few meters away from the stream." ending in a lower tone
Alya's staff appeared in her hand.
"Lecros."
Magic gathered beneath her feet as she slowly rose from the ground.
Her hair drifted with the wind as she ascended above the fog, climbing meter by meter until she hovered just beneath the canopy of the surrounding trees.
She turned slowly, studying the landscape from every direction.
Nothing.
Then she caught a brief glimmer of moving water.
A stream.
She flew higher.
The fog concealed most of the terrain, allowing only fragmented glimpses through gaps in the mist.
Alya narrowed her eyes.
Something was different near the stream.
The mist there was noticeably lower.
She scanned the surrounding area and found several more depressions in the fog layer.
"So which stream?" she thought.
She continued observing.
Then the pattern clicked.
The lowered mist formed a massive oval shape.
"Ah..."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"A body of water."
Her gaze sharpened.
"I'm guessing it's a lagoon."
Unfortunately, the fog hanging over the surrounding land was still too dense. Even with the elevated view, she couldn't identify the cave's location.
With nothing else to gain, she descended.
Landing beside the group, Alya let out an exhausted sigh.
"I only have one question, Mr. Kael."
He glared at her.
"What is it?"
"Do you know the direction of the cave from here?"
"...No."
The answer came immediately.
Then his expression changed.
Concern crept onto his face.
"I wasn't paying attention to direction when I escaped from their clutches."
His eyes widened.
For the first time, he seemed to realize the severity of what he'd just admitted.
Silence fell over the group.
Thera looked between them.
"What is it?"
She turned to Alya.
"What did you find up there?"
Alya rubbed her temple.
"Overall..."
She paused.
"Nothing."
"What?" Thera asked, bewildered.
Pete blinked.
"So basically..."
He pointed into the endless fog.
"We're lost."
"No, no, no, no!" Pete panicked.
"How do we get out of here? How do we?"
He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to keep calm.
"I don't think you guys understand. We can't communicate with Mr. Drakoris because of this..."
His voice strained.
"This fog."
"That's mist to you," Alya corrected immediately.
The group fell silent.
Pete stared at her.
"Huh? Is there even a difference?" His voice rose. "Should that really be our priority right now?"
Frustration seeped through every word.
Alya stared with worry
"I'm as worried as you are, but shouting won't solve our problems."
"We need to think."
She looked around at the mist-covered landscape.
"There are six of us. Although I couldn't count all the depressions, I do know the directions they were in."
Everyone turned toward her.
"If we split up and follow those depressions upstream, they should all lead toward the lagoon."
She paused.
"So if one team doesn't find a cave in their direction, the rest of us can eliminate those paths and follow the remaining route downstream."
Thera nodded immediately.
"That's actually very good."
She thought about it for a moment before adding,
"Yeah. I like that plan."
Pete let out a long breath of relief.
"Phew. I thought we were going to be stuck here."
Alya shot him a look.
"Huh?"
Thera ignored them both.
"So who's teaming up with who?"
Gregor answered first.
"As long as Leo doesn't stay with Kael, I'm onboard."
"I'll volunteer to take care of Leo," Alya said.
She adjusted her grip on her staff.
"If it's just you boys together, a fight is inevitable."
"Gregor," Thera called.
"Okay," he replied.
Pete blinked.
"...Which leaves me with Kael."
Nobody looked particularly happy about that arrangement.
Gregor released the shadows restraining Leo.
The moment he was free, Leo walked straight over to Pete.
"If he causes any trouble," he said while staring directly at Kael, "just scream."
The ill intent in the air slowly subsided as he moved to Alya's side.
The teams naturally separated.
Thera stood beside Gregor, absentmindedly poking at the shadows retreating around his feet.
Leo positioned himself behind Alya like a personal bodyguard.
That left Pete standing awkwardly beside Kael.
He maintained a careful distance, sweat forming on his forehead.
Meanwhile, Kael sat there looking completely defeated.
Alya stepped between the groups and raised her staff.
"Lingius."
Straight rays of golden light spread across the ground, extending in several directions.
As the light touched the earth, the mist near the floor became easier to distinguish.
The glowing paths pointed toward the faint depressions she had spotted from above.
"I can't maintain this spell effectively," Alya explained.
"But it'll guide you close to the streams.
"The rays flickered.
"The spell is already weakening."
She pointed toward the glowing lines.
"Once you get close enough, follow the sound of the water—or detect it yourselves."
"It should be easier from there."
The squad nodded.
"Okay," Alya said. "Let's move."
Before anyone could leave, Thera spoke up one last time. "Please don't enter the cave alone."
For once, nobody argued.