Chapter Five: Into the Forest We Go
The bell rang, sharp and metallic, cutting through the classroom like a blade. Students shuffled in their seats, whispering, restless. Something hung in the air—something heavier than the usual dread of exams.
Alex felt it before it was spoken. The mark at her neck stirred, faint as a whisper. She pressed her fingers to it and forced herself to focus.
The headmaster entered, robes trailing like the weight of a storm. His gaze swept the students, lingering for a breath too long on the trio—Alex, Anna, Raymond.
"This term," he said, voice solemn, "your trial will not be held within these walls. The school has sanctioned an expedition—into the forest."
A murmur rippled through the room. Alex's heart lurched. The forest. She had seen it in her dreams, felt its pull in her bones. Now it wasn't a dream anymore.
Beside her, Raymond muttered under his breath, "Great. Because exams weren't already deadly enough." His hazel eyes flicked to Alex and Anna, then back to the headmaster. "What's next? Wrestling dragons for extra credit?"
A few students laughed nervously. Anna didn't. She sat still, her emerald gaze lowered, fingers knotted in her skirt. But Alex caught the quick flicker in her eyes—fear, recognition, maybe both.
The announcement droned on, but Alex barely heard. Her pulse thundered. Nimros's voice echoed faintly in memory: You are late.
When the bell finally dismissed them, the hallway burst alive with chatter. Raymond stretched, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "So, forest trip, huh? Just what I needed. Bugs, mud, and possible death."
"You forgot the part where we'll probably fail miserably," Alex shot back, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
"Optimism looks good on you," Raymond smirked. "Try it more often."
They slowed near the lockers. Claire was leaning against the wall, arms folded, blue eyes sharp as ice. She had heard, of course—she always heard.
"So the school's tossing kids into the forest now," she said dryly. "They don't even survive exams. But sure—let's see if they survive the woods."
Raymond barked a laugh. "Finally, someone who gets it."
Alex tried to smile, but her throat was tight. The forest wasn't just an assignment. It was a summons. A pull she couldn't ignore. And if Nimros was waiting…
Her fingers brushed the serpent-mark.
This wasn't a trial. Not for her.
It was the beginning.