The hunter burst from the trees in an explosion of splintered bark and snarling breath. It didn't look like any creature Elara had ever seen—its body was long and sinewy, covered in dark moss-like fur that rippled as if alive. Its eyes glowed a sickly pale green, fixed directly on her.
Riven reacted first.
He shoved Elara behind him and lunged forward, intercepting the creature's strike. Their bodies collided with a force that shook the clearing. The hunter snarled, its claws tearing into the earth as it skidded back.
"Eli, move!" Riven barked.
But Eli was frozen, staring in horror at the monster.
"What—what is that thing?!"
"A tracker of the Wild," Riven growled. "A hunter of those it marks."
Elara's blood ran cold.
"It's after me?"
Riven didn't look away from the creature.
"Yes. And it won't stop."
The hunter lunged again—faster this time. Riven dodged, grabbing a fallen branch thicker than his arm and swinging it with brutal force. The impact cracked like thunder, but the hunter barely flinched.
Eli finally snapped into action.
"Elara! This way—run!"
She hesitated, torn between instinct and fear, but Riven's voice cut through everything:
"Elara, go!"
She grabbed Eli's arm, and the two sprinted away across the glowing moss. Behind them, she heard another roar, followed by the crash of bodies colliding.
"Riven!" she cried, looking back.
"Don't!" Eli yanked her forward. "He chose to fight—don't waste it!"
The trees swallowed them quickly. Moonlight filtered through the canopy in thin silver beams, lighting their path in broken fragments. The heartbeat of the forest—once steady—now pounded in frantic pulses beneath her feet.
"Elara," Eli panted, "we need to get far enough that—"
A deafening crash cut him off.
Riven flew past them, slammed into a tree trunk so hard the ground vibrated. He dropped to his knees, breath ragged.
"Riven!" Elara tried to run to him—
But the hunter landed between them with a shriek, blocking her path. Its breath reeked of rot and soil, its claws digging deep grooves into the earth.
Eli grabbed a broken branch and swung wildly.
"Stay back!"
The branch shattered against the creature's hide.
It didn't even notice.
"Elara…" Riven rasped, forcing himself to stand, "you have to feel the Wild again. Like you did at the Heartroot."
"I—I don't know how!"
"Yes, you do," he said hoarsely. "Listen to it."
The hunter lunged.
Elara threw her hands up instinctively—
And the ground beneath her erupted in vines.
Glowing roots burst upward, wrapping around the hunter's legs and torso. The creature roared, thrashing violently as the living vines tightened, pulling it to the ground.
Eli stumbled back in shock.
"Elara… what the hell—"
Elara stared at her hands, trembling.
"I didn't mean to—"
"It responded to you," Riven said, limping toward her. "You called it."
The vines strained, but the hunter was far from defeated. With a violent twist, it tore itself free, snapping the glowing roots like threads. It staggered, bleeding sap-like liquid, but its rage only grew.
Riven pulled Elara behind him again. "We can't kill it here. We need to move."
Eli glared. "Move where? The thing is hunting her! We need to get her out of this insane place!"
Riven ignored him. "There's an underground hollow not far from here—a place the hunter won't cross."
Elara grabbed Eli's wrist. "Please, Eli. Trust me."
He stared at her, chest heaving. "I don't trust him."
"Then trust me."
The hunter shrieked again, already recovering.
Eli clenched his jaw. "Fine. Lead us."
Riven wasted no time. He grabbed Elara's hand and ran, guiding her deeper into the forest. Eli followed close behind, glancing back repeatedly as the hunter tore through the underbrush.
"The hollow is close," Riven said. "But we have to reach the ridge."
They scrambled over roots and ducked under low branches until they reached a narrow pass between two massive boulders. A faint glow emanated from within.
"This way," Riven urged.
But as they squeezed into the gap—
The hunter leapt from above.
Riven reacted instinctively—he shoved Elara and Eli into the hollow, spinning just in time to meet the attack. The creature landed on him, pinning him to the ground. Its fangs snapped inches from his throat.
"Riven!" Elara screamed.
Riven fought fiercely, muscles straining as he pushed back against the creature's weight. "Go—inside—now!"
Elara grabbed a sharp rock from the ground and threw herself toward them.
"Get off him!"
She slammed the rock against the hunter's skull.
The creature roared, jerking back. Riven seized the moment, rolling to his feet and delivering a devastating blow to its jaw.
"Elara, inside! Now!"
Eli yanked her into the hollow just as Riven dove in after them. He slammed his shoulder against the stone lever embedded in the wall. The boulders shifted, grinding shut like ancient machinery.
Darkness swallowed the tunnel.
Only their ragged breathing remained.
Outside, the hunter shrieked and clawed at the stone, but the hollow held strong. After several agonizing minutes, the forest fell silent again.
Elara collapsed to the ground, shaking. Riven knelt beside her, gripping her shoulders gently.
"You did well," he said softly. "If you hadn't reacted, I wouldn't be here."
Eli stared at the two of them in stunned silence.
"Elara… you're changing. And he knows why. Don't you?" he asked Riven sharply.
Riven didn't deny it.
"Elara was chosen," he said. "The forest has plans for her."
"And if I don't want its plans?" Elara whispered.
Riven held her gaze—soft, conflicted, pained.
"Then the forest will take you anyway."
Her breath caught.
Eli stepped in front of her protectively.
"Over my dead body."
Riven's expression darkened.
"That," he said quietly, "is exactly what I'm afraid of."