After the dust settled, four figures emerged from the haze.
Two swordsmen. One man with a shield. And the last… a young girl.
Their entrance caught me off guard. For a moment I forgot where I was, the exhaustion and fear numbing my thoughts—until the blonde-haired man at the front spoke with calm authority.
"Can you two take care of the rest? There are only a few left," he ordered smoothly, his tone carrying the weight of leadership.
"Of course. Leave it to us," the two men replied. One voice was deep and steady, the other younger and full of confidence.
The leader turned toward the girl. He didn't need to say anything more—she seemed to already understand and immediately followed after him.
The two of them walked toward us, while the others stayed behind, finishing off the remaining monsters.
I glanced at both Monica and Draven. Their expressions had changed. Too serious. It was as if they already knew these people.
The thought slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"Father, Mother… do you know them?" I asked, confused.
Both Monica and Draven froze. They looked at each other first, as if silently deciding something, hiding something from me, before my father crouched down to meet my eyes.
"No, Cain. Why do you ask?" he answered calmly.
But the way his eyes shifted told me otherwise. He was hiding something.
"No, Father," I muttered. I wanted to ask more questions, but fear held me back. I lowered my head, biting my lip in silence.
Draven patted my hair gently, then locked eyes with Monica. Something unspoken passed between them.
As the two strangers drew closer, a strange sensation stirred within me. I couldn't explain it—perhaps just my imagination. I didn't notice the faint glow beginning to shimmer from Monica's staff.
When the pair finally reached us, Draven was the first to step forward.
"Hello. Thank you for saving us. I am Draven Vorstheim, this is my wife Monica, and this is my son Cain." His voice was warm, carrying joy on the surface, but I could see it clearly—he was hiding something behind that smile.
The blonde-haired man smiled back.
"Hello. I am Cedric Aurelius Draemont, and this is Selene Caelia Thornevale. The other two behind us are Adrian and Kaelen. It's a pleasure to meet you." He introduced them all generously.
"Introduced?" I thought to myself. "Maybe I'm imagining things".
But Draven's smile tightened.
Cedric tilted his head slightly. "So, why are you here? This is a dangerous area. You should pack up and leave quickly."
Draven's expression grew sterner, but he remained polite.
"We were just passing through to reach town. But… why are there so many monsters here today? This is unusual," he asked carefully.
Cedric sighed. "Actually, we are S rank Adventurer. We were sent to scout a dungeon deeper in this forest. Reports said various monsters have been appearing more frequently here. The higher-ups suspect the dungeon is connected, and they fear this could turn into a Stampede."
"Stampede?" Monica's sharp voice cut through the air. Her eyes widened in shock.
I tilted my head slightly. Stampede? I didn't know what it meant, but the way she reacted told me enough—something dangerous, something terrible. Best to keep quiet.
Draven's jaw tightened. "We should leave quickly," he said, more serious and tense than before.
"Yes," Cedric agreed, "leave before things grow worse. I'll assign someone to escort you out of the forest."
Draven's eyes hardened. "No need. I can handle them myself." He didn't even look at Cedric when he spoke.
Cedric raised an eyebrow, then chuckled lightly. "Oh, that's right. You're quite skilled—we saw you earlier, cutting down monsters when we followed the horde running this way."
"Thank you for saving us," Draven said curtly. "But we don't have time. Please excuse us." His tone was colder now.
From behind Cedric, one of his men shouted, "Captain! We should go now!"
Cedric glanced back. "Ah, yes." Then he looked once more at Draven.
"Be careful on your way. Protect your family." His words were warm, but Draven only gave a sharp reply:
"No need to tell me."
Cedric turned to the girl—Selene. "Let's go."
"Yes," she replied softly, her first words since arriving.
And with that, the four of them departed, while we too prepared to leave.
Neither side looked back.
Unbeknownst to us… far greater danger was still waiting ahead.