A terrifying, deafening ROAR erupted from the mouth of the cave, so powerful it felt like it shook the very air around them. It was a sound of pure, unrestrained rage. It sent a primal shiver of fear down their spines, raising the hair on their arms and making their blood run cold.
The three of them were frozen behind the bush, their faces pale with terror.
"We should get back," Ivan whispered, his voice tight. "The bear beast is inside there."
The others nodded, their faces ashen. The trio sprinted back to their camp, trying to run as fast as possible while making as little sound as they could. Thankfully, the steady drumming of the rain covered their frantic retreat.
As they burst back into their own clearing, Leonardo looked up, startled. "Oh, you guys are back."
"Y-yeah," Ivan managed to say, panting for breath.
"Why are your faces so pale?" Kevin asked, noticing their terrified expressions. Lyraena, sitting by the fire, just observed the situation, her eyes sharp.
"We must have gone in the wrong direction," Ivan said. "We didn't find any students who set off a firework, or any leftover camp."
"Mhm?" Leonardo prompted, sensing there was more.
Ivan took a deep breath. "We found the bear beast."
Kevin looked at his brother for confirmation, and Kalvin gave a grim, jerky nod.
"We are in its territory," Ivan continued, his voice low and serious. "If it decides to hunt, we'll be its food." He looked at everyone, letting the weight of his words sink in. No one seemed to have an objection yet. "We need to find Marcus's group. With their six and our six, we would be twelve. We can stand our ground against the bear."
Jomana immediately looked at him, her face hardening. "No."
"What do you mean, no?" Ivan asked, frustrated.
"No means no," she snapped. "We aren't teaming up with Marcus's group. Not if it means teaming with Romana."
"So you'd rather be food for the bear?" Ivan shot back.
"No! I'll figure out something else. I won't team up with them!"
"You're being unreasonable, Jomana!"
"I don't care!" she yelled, stepping forward and grabbing the collar of his shirt. "I said we won't—"
"Enough."
Lyraena's single word cut through the air like a whip. They all looked at her. She stood up, her expression calm but unyielding.
"Ivan is right this time," she said, her authority silencing any further argument. "We have to team up with a strong group, and according to Ivan, they have a very good spot." She then looked directly at Jomana, her voice softening slightly but still firm. "I dislike Romana as much as you do, but we are going there. Get ready."
Jomana stared at her, then at the ground, then back at Ivan. She shoved him away, murmuring, "Fuck you, Ivan," before turning to gather her things.
---
On the back of a giant eagle beast, two injured students groaned in pain. Jin sat with them, his usual lazy smile gone, replaced by a serious, cold expression. Once the beast settled just outside the forest, Jin jumped off and immediately went looking for Commander Valerius.
He found him near the main command tent, observing the forest.
"Hey, Commander," Jin said, his voice flat. "What's this forest test about again?"
Commander Valerius turned, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "Jin? I'm pretty sure I told you to stay in the forest, right?"
"And I asked you a question," Jin replied, his tone making it clear he wasn't asking politely.
The Commander held his gaze for a moment, then took out a cigarette and lit it, a small cloud of smoke obscuring his face. "It's about learning survival skills in a forest."
"And the dog beasts you released?"
"To simulate unexpected obstacles that may happen, Jin."
Jin stared at him, his eyes narrowed. "You have nothing to add?"
"No," the Commander said coolly. "I don't."
"That prince boy told me that they encountered a bear beast," Jin said, his voice dangerously low. "What do you have to say about that? Did you know about it?"
Commander Valerius was silent for a long moment, taking a slow drag from his cigarette. "Yes," he answered finally. "I know about that. It's the biggest obstacle in the forest."
In a flash, Jin moved forward and grabbed the Commander by the collar, slamming him against a tent pole. "Are you fucking serious!" he snarled, his face inches from the Commander's. "You'd put students in danger, again!"
Commander Valerius just smirked, completely unfazed. "Hey, Jin. It's your fault for not noticing the bear when I sent you to 'clean' the forest. You are the one to be blamed, not me." He looked Jin in the eye, his smirk widening. "Now, go back to the forest and do your job. I'm sponsoring your 'trips' because you do jobs for me. Is that understandable?"
Jin's face was a mask of pure fury, but the mention of his "trips" made him flinch. Something about them was desperately important. He let go of the Commander, his hands clenched into tight fists. He turned around and stalked back towards the forest without another word.
---
The journey to Marcus's camp was tense, weighed down by Jomana's foul mood. They finally reached the familiar cave around sunset.
Ivan recognized the spot immediately. As they approached, Romana and Lucinda, who were standing guard outside the cave, spotted them. Romana smirked and called back into the cave.
"Orion! Your friend seems to be doing fine! He's here!"
Orion walked out of the cave quickly, a look of relief on his face. "Ivan!"
But immediately behind Orion, Marcus emerged, a smug, proprietary look on his face. He ignored everyone else and fixed his gaze on Ivan.
"Yo," Marcus said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I'm pretty sure I told you if you go, you aren't welcome back here, Princess."
Ivan didn't flinch. He met Marcus's gaze, his own expression cold and determined.
"Marcus," he said, his voice quiet but carrying immense weight. "This is my camp." He took a step forward, closing the distance between them until they were face to face. "And just because I let you borrow it doesn't mean it's yours now."