The storm had finally spent its fury. The rain slackened to a damp mist that clung to the broken cobblestones and soaked the moss-covered walls of the barracks. Outside, the eastern districts were slick and deserted, the air thick and heavy like the city itself was holding its breath. Inside, Squad Four waited in the common room, clustered near the fire pit, their faces drawn tight with exhaustion and tension.
Halvren arrived without fanfare, his boots striking sharp echoes across the stone floor. His usual gruff scowl was deeper today, shadowed with something heavier—concern, perhaps, or a weariness born of knowledge. He didn't waste time with greetings or hollow encouragement. He came for a report.
Liora stood as he approached, muscles still sore but senses keen. Her eyes met his squarely, steady and unflinching.
"Report," he said, voice low and commanding.
Riken, rubbing his wrist where the rune prickled faintly, stepped forward. "We tracked the Beast last night, just beyond the broken aqueducts in the Beast Glades. It was there, watching. It didn't attack. Just... studied us."
Halvren's eyes narrowed sharply. "Watched you?"
"Yes," Liora said quietly, stepping beside Riken. "Carefully. Like it was deciding if we were threats or… something else. It didn't make a move."
Halvren's gaze swept the squad, sharp and assessing. "And the Monster? The one tearing through those patrol areas?"
Danya's voice was steady, measured. "We found the kill site. The claw marks. It's not just an animal. It's something bigger. Smarter."
Halvren's jaw tightened. His usual stoicism cracked for a moment with a flash of grim reality.
"This isn't a simple wild beast. This Monster is learning, adapting." He glanced toward the window where the gray light pressed in. "Faster than anything I've seen before."
The room grew heavy with silence.
Liora felt the weight settle over them all. The quiet between their breaths. The unspoken fear.
Halvren's voice cut through it again, colder now. "Your squads crossed paths with this war."
Riken frowned. "So it's a turf war? Between the Beast and the Monster?"
"Exactly." Halvren's tone was sharp. "The Beast is old—ancient, maybe. Intelligent. It chooses companions. It values balance. The Monster… it brings nothing but destruction. Senseless slaughter."
Liora swallowed, remembering the green feather, the way the Beast had looked at her, eyes sharp and ancient.
"Why do they fight?" she asked softly.
Halvren's gaze hardened. "Territory. Survival. The Monster pushes forward, consuming everything. The Beast defends what it holds sacred."
He looked at Liora, voice low. "You and your squad were never meant to be drawn into this."
Brayden shifted uneasily. "So what now? Do we fight? Do we try to stop it?"
"No." Halvren's voice was firm, unwavering. "You pull back. Immediately."
Murmurs ran through the squad—relief, frustration, confusion all mixed together.
Liora stepped forward, urgency thick in her voice. "But we've seen the Beast. The Monster. We're already tangled in this. If we pull back now, it could strike us while we're vulnerable."
Halvren met her eyes with a steely calm. "That's exactly why you need to step away. This fight—" he paused, voice tight with something close to regret "—is beyond your strength and experience. I won't risk losing any of you."
Vell, who had been silent, nodded slowly. "We're trainees. Not soldiers."
Halvren's expression softened for a moment. "I've sent word to the commanders. Battle-hardened troops are on their way to take over patrols and handle this threat directly."
Riken ran a hand through his tangled hair, half-smiling but still anxious. "So, we just… wait?"
"Yes." Halvren's tone was final. "You live. You train. You survive."
He let the words hang in the heavy air.
Liora glanced around at her squad—faces marked by fatigue and fear, but also determination. She clenched her fists, the ache in her muscles nothing compared to the burning uncertainty in her chest. Part of her screamed to push forward, to meet the threat head-on. But another, quieter part knew Halvren was right.
The fire crackled low, shadows flickering over the worn faces of Squad Four. Outside, the wind tugged at the broken shutters and carried with it a low, mournful howl. Somewhere beyond the city's walls, the Beast and Monster waged their silent war, and the stakes were no longer just territory—but the future of the Empire itself.