The forest....
The strange wild creatures didn't made their move that day, they just came and vanished, but...but.
People woke to routine.
And yet—
The stones at the forest's edge, once ignored for weeks, were now given attention more than before. Children were taken back to safe place, present hunters in village checked their weapons and ammunition before they leaving, and returned earlier than usual.
The was in shocked, but it had adjusted to situation.
Limbo paid attention to while carrying water from well. Conversations lowers when he passed. Not due to fear, out of caution to child.
The night skin ripped and morning shine.
It had felt like a decision made elsewhere.
Elder chaya did call meeting this time, that along told Limbo how serious it was.
Instead, she moved through the village quietly, stopping to speak with individuals, hunters, guards, a few elders who had not left their homes since the incident. No central gathering.
No shared conclusions.
Information was contained.
By noon, Ronan closed his forged earlier.
"Tools down," he said sharply. "We'll finish tomorrow."
No one spoke.
Sitting in corner Limbo didn't say anything.
Limbo also leave for outside.
He was lost in his own thoughts,
System warning still shows red.
By evening, the decision had already been made, but instead of speaking loud it was carried in silence.
Supplies were gathered, wepons were made mana stone were collected, the schedule were shifted.
The war siren wasn't blown yet.
The village was doing whatever it can to reduce damage, the delay in battle was buying time.
The system flickered faintly in awareness, background process was adjusted.
Something in the world has changed parameters, it influence surrounding beast and animals badly affected.
Someone rising that even, forced to pay attention to being that stayed dormant this whole time, but how long?
Who will stand against it?
Chaya found him there.
"You already know what's coming next, didn't you elder?" Limbo ask.
Their are things that even I can't guess, but one thing is sure world needs its saviour.
We need stand before to face it.
But can we? Limbo said.
"If we not then everyone is doomed."
Until now he done what he can, but we need to stand on our own.
That night , Limbo lay awake beneath the familiar roof oh his home.
Ela slept, as always Ronan was laying beside.
Limbo was stared at the ceiling.
Fragment 5/7.
After the short break first scream didn't come from the forest.
It came from Village wall.
A sharp, panicked cry cut short, followed by the unmistakable sound of wood collapsing echoes with force IT was never meant to resist.
Ronan was already moving before the second alarm bell rang, the pre-calculated possibility.
"Position!" He shout, voice cutting through confusion like a blade slash paper.
Instantly shield line-now! Archers, hight ground! Mages take position!
No one leaves the inner ring!"
Stay in formation.
Villagers surged into motion, not feared or frozen - they were trained by routine, play in lap of mother Nature.
This wasn't their first alarm. It was simply first that they were ready to counter whatever comes.
They have to..
...no option of backing out.
Ela reached the square just as the first shape slammed against the outer barrier.
It wasn't a wolf.
It wasn't anything that belonged to the forest, instead influence by corruption.
The creature s body moved like it was remembering to only devoured, long limbs, joints bending half a breath too long that was seen in daylight. It's height looked like it was stretch unevenly, like it was raised against the nature.
Huff huff...in speed runing...bam.
It struck the barrier again.
The barrier shimmer flared, rippled.
But the barrier held, for now.
More footsteps echoes one by one.
Some maintain distance some Hit the barrier.
"They're testing," Ela said quietly, eyes never show the shiver. "Not charging."
Ronan nodded once. "Then we don't give them what they want."
More shapes emerged, some big some small.
Not rushing, they watched.
Slowly they began to spread along the barrier, each one stopping just far enough apart to cover ground without crowding. Some pressed claws hands against the shimmer, tilting their heads as if listening. Others crouched low.
This was a raid lead by influence.
The barrier shimmer as the attack launch.
Present people watch the scarry scene, naturally some were scare, those who have experience prepared for anything.
CRACK!
A crack small one, almost invisible flickered near the entrance.
"Left flank!" Some shouted.
Ela was already there.
She didn't shout nor hesitate.
She stepped forward and struck.
Instead of using brute force she use precision and form a rolling spike of stone.
Her palm landed against the barrier's weak point, not to reinforce it but to redirect the force. The shimmer steadied, the crack sealing like water smothhing over disturb sand.
The creature nearest her recoiled, not from pain but recognition.
Ronan noticed.
"So," he muttered. "They can feel it."
Another impact.
This one was harder.
The barrier hummed as support mage cough the blood, tone rise, strained increase.
A tall shape stepped forward, longer than the others, it's upper body rise higher as if he was giant tree. It only had one eye, covered in dense corruption.
It raised one arm.
The air thickened.
Ela's breath caught.
"Hold breathing!" Ronan shouted.
Too late.
The strike didn't hit the barrier and slide passed through crack.
Presure not force pushed inward, testing seams, looking for tolerance instead of resistance.
The barrier slowly bent, as the toll on mages began to increase, it was tough to manage with less people.
Villagers amzed.
Someone screamed.
Ronan dug his boots in ground against the stone, muscle screamed as he held the line with his own body, his presence and strength ease the panic around him.
"Hold!" He roared like a lion. "Hold the damn line!"
Somewhere behind them metal rang.
Clear and steady.
A hammer fell one last time before stopping midswing, an old man doing his work, he didn't need to hear the bell.
He felt the chaos.
The forge air hoad become hollow, like breath sucked from a room.
"Monya, what are you doing!" A familiar voice echoes in his ear.
Limbo was there at the door attracted by hammer slam.
And the world snapped into...
The barrier.
The shapes.
Shit...the presure presing inward- not binding, nor chaotic.
Intentional.
Limbo didn't run.
He walked.
Each step measured, grounded.
He was allowed to stay in one condition stay back by his parents, but elder chaya
And limbo other plan.
The close the distance, with each steps it became louder, brighter and sharper. The difference between noise and signal.
One of the creatures turned.
Then another.
Heads titles.
Not towards the village.
But towards someone.
The presure shifted, which gasp by Ela.
"Ronan" she said under her breath.
"I see it," he replied.
Limbo stopped near by distance from everything was clear, visible.
The tall one, pressed straight locking it's attention, the air tremble as he walked.
Ronan stepped middle in his path.
"Stay back!"
The barrier rippled as he crossed it's edge,
Not cracking, or tiny scratch, the certain door-shaped CRACK was appeared.
The beast began to shout, noise intensified.
"Be ready!"