As soon as Aarya leapt through the narrow crack, he found himself in open, cold air. The morning sunlight shimmered faintly over the jungle beyond the ridge, but the air still carried the red stench of Bloodthorn.
The Shadow Seed darted swiftly through the dense paths of the forest. Though its body was small, the glow from its single red eye sent a strange chill echoing across the jungle.
Feran sat on Aarya's shoulder, his silver fur swaying with the wind. "That seed isn't just running… it's trying to reach somewhere. It has a purpose."
Aarya tightened his grip on the Granthnishaan and increased his speed. "Wherever it's going, I have to stop it."
---
The jungle paths were narrow and tangled. Roots twisted beneath the trees, but Aarya leapt over every bush and branch, his feet barely touching the ground.
The Shadow Seed slithered between trees, occasionally dropping to the ground to form small thread-webs before bounding forward again. Every web it created left a blackened patch of earth in its wake.
Feran growled, "Aarya… it's leaving a trail. It's trying to build a new nest!"
Aarya charged the Granthnishaan with energy mid-jump and dove toward the seed from above. He struck a solid punch as he neared, but the seed extended its threads to block the attack and quickly leapt onto another tree.
"It's small… but smart," Aarya said calmly, then chased after it again.
---
After a while, the forest gave way to a set of ancient stone ruins. Broken pillars and crumbling walls surrounded them as the Shadow Seed moved even faster through the debris.
Tiny strands of Bloodthorn residue already lined the ruins. Feran growled, "This place was once a base of the Bloodthorn. If it reaches the core here, it'll become much stronger."
Without hesitation, Aarya charged his Granthnishaan again. This time, his leap brought him close to the seed. He landed a solid punch on its side, slamming it against a pillar.
The seed let out a growl-like screech and drove its threads into the ground. Pieces of the old ruins rose into the air and hurled toward Aarya.
He dodged one chunk and leapt atop another pillar. Feran jumped off his shoulder and began biting one of the seed's threads.
The seed roared again, trying to capture Feran with its extended tendrils, but Aarya landed another strike on the core part of its body.
The seed froze momentarily but then quickly slipped away toward a hidden path in the back of the ruins.
---
Beyond the ruins, Aarya reached a small open field filled with dried leaves and loose soil. The Shadow Seed stopped in the center and suddenly activated its true power.
From its small body, threads shot outward and formed a large, spider-like structure. Its single red eye grew larger, and tiny Bloodthorn buds began sprouting around it.
Feran growled, "It's trying to build a nest! If it succeeds here, the entire forest will fall."
Aarya calmly tightened his Granthnishaan and said, "Then we'll destroy it here."
The seed instantly launched its massive tendrils toward Aarya. He dodged the first, tore through the second with his Granthnishaan, and crushed the third underfoot.
Feran bit through another thread and returned to Aarya's side. "Its center has a weak spot — it's drawing all its power from there."
Aarya spotted the cluster of glowing red threads at its center. He took a brief breath, then launched forward with blinding speed.
He maneuvered through the threads and reached the weak spot. The seed tried to tighten its threads, but Aarya struck its core with a glowing Granthnishaan attack.
The seed let out a sharp cry as its body shuddered violently. Feran ripped through another thread, and Aarya delivered one final punch directly into its center.
The seed exploded with a thunderous pulse, its threads drying and collapsing. All that remained was a small, dark crystal, emitting a faint energy.
---
Aarya picked up the crystal, his face turning serious. Feran growled, "The seed's dead… but this crystal is sending a signal."
And sure enough, distant parts of the jungle began to stir — Bloodthorn residue trembled, and small red eyes started blinking around the trees.
"This isn't over," Aarya said calmly. "This… was just the beginning."
Just then, a distant roar echoed from the direction of the village — something big was heading that way.
---
Grace looked up at the sky. Despite the morning light, thick black clouds had suddenly gathered. Birds above the jungle scattered in a single direction — as if fleeing from an unknown terror.
Riya rushed out of the ridge camp, her face showing rare and clear concern. "This wind…" she said softly, "It's a warning."
The hunters who had just been rescued were resting, but Arjun opened his eyes. "It's coming. The thing that kept us trapped inside… now its true form is arriving."
Rudrak immediately readied his arrow, eyes fixed in the direction of the rumble. "What about Aarya?"
Grace tightened his grip on his spear. "He'll return. Until then… we don't stop."
---
At the northern edge of Crimson Village, a dull vibration like a drumbeat began to shake the ground. The soil trembled faintly, and red threads began emerging from beneath it.
Villagers who had just begun their morning froze in place. Riya shouted, "Everyone, move to the central zone! Grace, secure the perimeter!"
Rudrak alerted the hunter trainees. "Everyone into defense formation! There's a surge on the west edge!"
And then, the first Bloodthorn fiend appeared.
A tall, red creeper-like beast with no legs — only slithering tendrils. It had no eyes, just a gaping mouth spewing red steam.
Grace spun his spear and landed right in front of it. "Why have you come here?"
The fiend didn't answer — it just screamed. More followed behind it.
---
Riya drew her dual blades and stood beside Grace. "This village is my home," she said. "And I won't let some Bloodthorn filth take it."
Grace gave her a small smile. "Then let's show them."
The fiend lashed out its tendrils — one at Grace, one at Riya. Grace caught his with the spear and pinned it into the ground, while Riya performed a spinning slash, slicing through hers.
She closed in and drove her blade into the neck-like area of the beast — red, sap-like fluid spilled onto the ground.
Grace pierced through the lower body of a second fiend, snapping its spine-like growth. "One down."
"Second's gone too," Riya said as the dust began to settle.
---
Near the village center, a small girl — the same one who'd spoken to Riya the previous day — got caught in a moving thread. One of her legs was tangled, and she screamed.
"Someone get my mom!" her voice trembled.
Without hesitation, Riya made her decision. "Cover me!" she shouted to Grace.
Grace held the line and faced off against three incoming fiends as Riya dashed through the tendrils. She lifted the girl onto her shoulder and flipped backward, carrying her to safety.
"You okay?" Riya asked.
The girl nodded, still shaken. "I… thought I was going to die."
"As long as I'm here, no one dies," Riya whispered, gently patting her hair before sending her to the healer's hut.
---
A piercing screech froze everyone.
A large creature emerged from the jungle — the fiend queen. A mutated form of the Bloodthorn, with red buds growing along its back and bell-like vibrations emitting where its eyes should have been.
"This… is the strongest Bloodthorn form yet," Rudrak said. "It's a messenger. It's sending a signal — more are coming."
Grace slammed his spear into the ground. "Then let's take this one down first."
The creature roared and scattered red veins across the soil. Three more fiends sprouted from the earth.
"This village just became a war zone," Riya said.
---
Aarya, returning from the other side of the ridge, saw the red Bloodthorn smoke rising into the sky. Feran growled, "The village…"
"We're not far. Hold on," Aarya said, charging Granthnishaan with aura. With one step, his speed tripled.
He leapt across the upper canopy of the jungle, using every shortcut he could. His feet barely touched each branch before springing forward again.
The village came into view — and he saw: – The central zone engulfed in flames – Grace and Riya battling the fiend queen – Children and villagers trapped in the corners
"I'm late," Aarya muttered. "But there's no time to stop now."
---
The fiend queen screeched again, and from her back emerged a seed — a living Bloodthorn seed, just like the one Aarya had seen earlier.
Grace and Riya exchanged a quick, confused glance as the seed drove its roots deep into the ground. Cracks split the earth beneath the village.
Riya shouted, "It's tearing apart the village foundation!"
Rudrak yelled, "Where's Aarya?!"
And then… a flash of bright blue lightning streaked down from the sky — the glow of the Granthnishaan.
Aarya landed — directly above the seed.
"I'm here," he said, leaping forward to land his strike.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…