The morning sun cast its pale light across Division 8 Town. Life moved slowly here—merchants shouting at the marketplace, guards patrolling lazily, and children running around with wooden swords, pretending to be heroes.
For Kael, however, the world felt strangely heavy. Three years had already slipped through his fingers since he had joined the Division. Three years wasted, without progress, without purpose.
And then came the news.
"Have you heard?" voices echoed in the streets. "The Legion Force Exam… it's only two years away!"
But it wasn't the timing alone that shook everyone—it was the detail that followed.
"This time, the Legions themselves will attend the exam," the town crier shouted, gathering a crowd. "If they are impressed, they may choose candidates directly—overriding even the division leaders' selections!"
The crowd erupted in gasps and whispers. Some were thrilled, others terrified. But for Kael, the words stabbed deeper than any blade.
"Two years…" he muttered, standing frozen in the middle of the street. "Only two years left? I've wasted three years… doing nothing."
A hand clapped his shoulder. It was Ryan, his closest friend—the only one who understood the fire that still burned inside him.
"Kael," Ryan said with determination, "we can still make it. If we push ourselves now, we'll stand a chance. We'll train every day until the exam. Together."
Kael's chest tightened, hope sparking faintly within him. "Together… yeah. We'll make it."
But fate had other plans.
That evening, Ryan arrived at Kael's small home, his expression grim. "My father's been transferred. We're moving to Division 2 tomorrow."
The words struck Kael harder than any monster's claw. "What? No… not now."
"I don't have a choice." Ryan clenched his fists. "But listen—we'll still do it. We'll both pass that exam. No matter what."
The two clasped hands firmly, a silent promise forged between them.
"I'll be waiting for you in the Legion," Ryan said with a small smile. "Don't you dare lose before then."
And with that, Ryan was gone.
The next morning, Division 8 felt emptier than ever. Kael stood at the town gates, watching the horizon. His path was now his alone.
"…If I'm going to survive that exam, I can't waste another day." His eyes shifted to the distant forest, a shadowed place whispered about in fearful tones—the Dark Forest.
Rumors said beasts lurked there, hungry for human flesh. That it was a place where only fools or suicidals entered.
But Kael wasn't afraid. He was desperate.
"If I can't face what's inside that forest," he muttered, gripping his hand , "I'll never face the demons that took Father away."
And so, without another word, Kael stepped into the wilderness, where his true journey would begin.
In the depths of the Dark Forest, unseen eyes were already watching.