The wind whistled loudly in Shaan's ears as the phoenix swiftly glided through the dense grove of trees, appearing right in front of them.
"I think… we should be safe now if we keep moving like this."
"U-Uhm… I don't think so…" Chelsie pointed behind them, her hand trembling.
A swarm of grotesque creatures—bat-like, twisted, and fast—poured through the trees, chasing them without slowing down.
"Th-Those attacks earlier… th-they came from them," she said, swallowing hard. Her face turned pale. "Th-There are more of them now…"
"What?" Theo clenched his fist, irritation flashing across his face. "Damn it… fine. Then let's do this."
He immediately steered the Phoenix into sharp, erratic movements—zigzagging through the forest, diving between branches, and cutting through narrow gaps. He tried to shake them off, hoping the dense trees would disrupt the swarm's pursuit.
