The forest had gone quiet.
Too quiet.
After the intense battle, the air felt heavy—but something was still wrong.
Daniel slowly opened his eyes.
Everything was blurry at first.
"…Mary?" he whispered.
Mary immediately leaned closer, relief flooding her face. "Daniel! You're awake!"
The others gathered around.
Felix crossed his arms but smiled slightly. "Took you long enough."
Zoya sighed. "You scared us."
Daniel sat up slowly, holding his head. "What… happened?"
"You don't remember?" David asked.
Daniel paused.
Flashes came back.
The voice.
The power.
The light.
"…Throns," he muttered.
Mary's expression changed. "Daniel… what was that power?"
Daniel looked at his hands.
"I don't fully understand it yet," he said honestly. "But it's not something normal…"
Silence fell for a moment.
Then—
Mrs. Stone's voice echoed from behind.
"Good. You're awake."
Everyone turned.
All the teachers had arrived.
Their expressions were serious.
Mrs. Stone walked forward, observing the destroyed surroundings.
"This area… looks like a battlefield," she said.
Felix nodded. "It was."
Mrs. Stone's eyes shifted to Daniel. "We'll talk about that later."
Then her tone changed.
"Right now, we have a bigger problem."
Everyone's expressions tightened.
"The Yellow Team is missing."
Silence.
Daniel frowned. "Missing?"
"Yes," Mrs. Stone said. "We searched the entire area. No bodies. No clear signs of death."
David's eyes narrowed. "So… they're alive?"
"Most likely," she replied.
"But taken."
A chill ran through everyone.
Zoya crossed her arms. "Taken by who?"
No one answered.
Because they all knew the possibility.
Daniel's fists tightened.
"…The Master."
Mrs. Stone looked at him.
"So you felt it too."
Daniel nodded slowly. "He was here… or at least watching."
Felix stepped forward. "Then we don't have time to waste. We should go after them."
"No."
Mrs. Stone's voice was firm.
Everyone froze.
"You are not strong enough yet," she continued. "If you rush in blindly, you will only make things worse."
"But—" Noah started.
"No arguments," she said strictly.
"This is no longer just a competition problem. This is something much bigger."
Daniel stood up.
His body still weak—but his eyes determined.
"So what do we do?" he asked.
Mrs. Stone looked at all of them.
"For now… you continue the exam."
"What?!" Lucy said in shock.
"How can we just continue like nothing happened?" Lily added.
Mrs. Stone's expression didn't change.
"Because that is exactly what the enemy expects you not to do."
Everyone went silent.
"If this 'Master' is watching," she continued, "then your movements matter. Your growth matters."
She looked directly at Daniel.
"Especially yours."
Daniel understood.
This wasn't just about survival anymore.
This was preparation.
"For what?" Felix asked.
Mrs. Stone turned slightly.
"For a war."
Those words hit differently.
A war.
Not just missions.
Not just ghosts.
Something far bigger.
David suddenly stepped forward.
"There's something I didn't tell earlier," he said.
Everyone looked at him.
"Before we entered the forest… I saw someone."
Daniel's eyes widened slightly.
"A person… standing near a tree. I tried to read his mind…"
"And?" Zoya asked.
David's expression grew serious.
"There was nothing."
Silence.
"Nothing?" Noah repeated.
"No thoughts. No presence. Like… he wasn't human."
Mary slowly stepped closer to Daniel.
"That means…" she whispered.
Daniel finished the sentence.
"…he was connected to the Master."
Mrs. Stone nodded slightly. "Most likely."
The tension in the group increased.
"So he's watching us directly…" Lucy said nervously.
"And maybe even testing us," Felix added.
Daniel looked down for a moment.
Then clenched his fist.
"Then let him watch."
Everyone looked at him.
Daniel's eyes were sharp now.
"We'll grow stronger. We'll pass this level."
"And when the time comes…"
He paused.
His voice dropped.
"We'll take back the Yellow Team."
A small smile appeared on Felix's face. "That's more like it."
Zoya smirked. "Finally talking sense."
Mary didn't say anything.
But her eyes showed trust.
Mrs. Stone observed them for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Good."
She turned slightly.
"Level 2 will continue."
Everyone straightened.
"This time… be more careful," she added.
"And Daniel—"
He looked at her.
"Don't lose control of that power."
Daniel nodded. "I won't."
But deep inside—
He wasn't sure.
Later That Night
The team sat together near their temporary camp.
No one was relaxed.
The atmosphere was tense.
David looked around, making sure no one else was nearby.
Then Zoya leaned slightly toward him and spoke in a low voice—
"David… listen carefully."
He looked at her.
"No one should know that you can read minds," she said seriously.
"Not anyone."
David frowned. "Why?"
Zoya's tone didn't change.
"Because if the Master finds out… you'll become a target too."
Silence.
"This secret stays between us eight… and Mrs. Stone," she continued.
"Remember that."
David nodded slowly.
"…Got it."
Daniel, sitting nearby, quietly listened.
Everything was connecting.
The Master.
The missing team.
The strange man.
And now—
Them.
This wasn't just an exam anymore.
This was the beginning of something much bigger.
He looked at the dark forest ahead.
And for a moment—
He felt it again.
That presence.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.