Scene—Thorn forest
The sky was bleeding crimson.A full red moon—massive, ominous—climbed slowly over the jagged silhouette of the Thorn Forest, bathing the land in a bloody glow
In the heart of the forest, beneath the eerie scarlet light, four warriors stood still.
They have made up their mind , heart with determination and pride.
James, the captain, looked up at the moon and clenched his fists. His voice was steady but low, like the calm before a storm.
"Yes," he said. "We're ready to face you."
Hans stepped forward, his presence unwavering, eyes locked on the abyss ahead.
"I'm waiting to meet you," he said coldly, "this time… in the real."
Then, it happened.A voice—inhuman and cracked, as if echoing from a broken mirror—drifted through the forest. "Good. Then let's get started."
Scene: Somewhere Deep Within Thorn Forest
Far from the reach of daylight, buried beneath thorns and stone, a hidden cavern stretched like the lungs of the earth.
Inside that darkness, an enormous cave twisted into a long tunnel. Inside the massive cave. In a room a massive throne is placed, half-merged with the stone behind it. And there, upon the throne… sat a human-shaped figure.
Shrouded in black robes that flickered like smoke. He leaned forward slowly fingers steepled—and whispered to the void:
"It looks like…" He exhaled, a sound like dying wind.
"…it's about time to wake you up."
A crooked smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "I've been dying to have a little chit-chat with you guys."
He leaned forward. Fingers lifted—snapped. A loud sound of snap producef
Across the massive wall opposite the throne, four humanoid dragon warriors were entangled in silence.
Their bodies were suspended—half-swallowed by a tangle of thick, gnarled vines and ancient forest leaves. Faint breaths rose from their lips, alive, as trapped in dreaming.But now…coming back inreality.
Their eyelids fluttered. Limbs stirred.
Captain James Rodricks was the first to awaken.
He found himself hanging on a wall covered with leaves and vines, his hands and legs are also tied up with vines . He noticed that other members are also about to wake up.
He tried to break the vines but he failed. He again tried but again the same result. He tried again and again and again but he failed everytime ,
He whispered these vines are too strong like it is unbreakable . He saw his other teammates already wake up and watching him his failed attempts to break the vines
His heart pounded. His whole body was unwounded. No cuts. No bruises. Not even a scratch. Just… perfectly intact.
A chill crept up his spine.He twisted his wrists, growling through his teeth, and tried to tear free.The vines didn't budge.Again, he pulled—harder. Then again. And again.
His muscles flexed, veins bulged, a faint glint of sweat forming on his forehead.
Still nothing happened to vines.He gritted his teeth and whispered, voice low and frustrated:
"These vines…... they're too strong. It's like they're alive… unbreakable."
A rustle to his side caught his attention.
His gaze slid sideways—Jack, eyes now open, watching him silently.
Beside him, Daniel, grim-faced. Below them, Hans, awake as well, unmoving but alert.None of them struggled.They were bound the same way—arms and legs trapped in an eerie tangle of forest vines. Yet none attempted to resist. Their eyes said it all. If James couldn't break them... they surely wouldn't either.
Even Hans, the former shadow warrior, didn't twitch a muscle—only observed.
James stared back at them, breathing heavily. He refused to stop.
Took a breath. Steeled his will. One more try. Just one more.He tensed his arms, ready to rip through the vines with sheer force . But then—a voice echoed through the cavern.A calm, almost amused whisper that cut through the silence like a blade through silk:
"Stop."
James froze mid-strain.
"There's no use. You could try for a hundred years, and you'd still never break free."
The voice was deep, collected—inhuman, yet eerily calm.
James's head snapped toward the direction of the sound.
Shadows stirred across the far side of the cave—a stone throne, barely visible, wrapped in creeping moss and bone-like roots. From its shadow, a figure stirred.
And then… it began to rise. The shadow of the person is getting bigger and bigger.
From the shadows of the moss-covered throne, a man-shaped creature emerged, lit by the faint green luminescence seeping from the cave walls.
He looked like a human almost. But the illusion cracked quickly.
Two sharp, obsidian-black horns jutted from his temples, curving slightly backward like a dragon's broken crown. His elbows were edged with jagged scales, glinting like shards of volcanic glass. And his hands—they weren't hands. They looked like stone, shaped into flesh, fingers ending in chipped claws, knuckles blackened and cracked.
He walked with a casual arrogance, each step echoing softly through the silence of the cave. James glared, his voice sharp and commanding.
"Who are you?"