Two days had passed since the hunting expedition began, and as it neared its end, the squads of the Rox Alliance started returning to Newsauth one after another.
But only four squads came back… The fifth had vanished without a trace.
It was an unprecedented event; never before had an entire squad disappeared so mysteriously. This wasn't just a simple loss—it was a devastating blow, for the missing squad carried within it the most promising talents of the new generation.
Panic spread like wildfire among the trainees, whispers echoing through the grounds: Had the beasts devoured them? Or was something far more sinister at play…?
Inside the grand council chamber of the Rox Alliance, silence weighed heavy. Manuel sat at the head of the table, flanked by senior leaders, files of the missing spread before them.
Burke, commander of defense, broke the silence, his face hard as stone.
"What do we do about this? We can't just ignore the loss of such talent."
On the top of the list:
• Sandro, Wind wielder, 16.
• Mick, Earth wielder, 17.
• Kabel, Lightning wielder, 15.
• Noel and Harris, Fire-wielding twins.
Fiona, head of beast hunting, let out a sharp, dismissive laugh, leaning on her hand.
"Most likely they're dead… either too weak, or they crossed paths with something stronger. Either way… I'll send a search party."
Manuel replied with a faint smile, one that carried no real concern.
"Do so. If they're not found… then let them be counted among the dead."
Behind him, Noah stood tense, her fists clenched, eyes shimmering with worry as the words echoed in the hall.
⸻
Far away… deep in the northern wilds.
Inside a dim cavern, where droplets of water fell in slow rhythm from the damp ceiling, a figure stirred.
The first to awaken was Kabel. His eyes flickered weakly in the dark, exhaustion and hunger weighing him down. Mick followed soon after, then the twins Noel and Harris… and finally, with effort, Sandro forced his heavy eyes open.
He raised his head, trying to take in the surroundings—the jagged stone walls, the suffocating damp air pressing against his lungs.
Before he could speak, Kabel's weary but steady voice cut through the silence.
"So… you're finally awake."
Sandro struggled to sit upright, urgency pushing past his fatigue.
"Where are we? We have to get back immediately—"
Kabel shook his head slowly.
"Don't waste your strength. Two days have passed… I don't know exactly where we are, but one thing's clear—we're being kept here."
Sandro's gaze swept across his comrades, their pale faces gaunt with hunger and thirst, despair creeping closer with every moment.
And then it came—
A deep, resonant thud.
The cavern trembled with the weight of footsteps echoing from the darkness beyond. Heavy. Slow. Deliberate.
Each step carried a chilling certainty—
whoever it was, they already knew the boys were awake…
and he had been waiting for this moment.