The gate to the Red Forest shimmered like liquid glass.
One by one, the first-years stepped through—and in an instant, the academy vanished.
Towering trees loomed in every direction, their trunks thick and ancient, their leaves forming a ceiling so dense that sunlight barely pierced through. The air felt heavy, saturated with mana that prickled against the skin.
They were in the Red Forest.
Kiren turned around instinctively. "Where'd the instructors go?"
They were gone.
No Kael Rourke. No Caldan Rhel. No watching eyes. Only the distant hum of magic.
"They're probably already at the Red Tree," Lyra said, her voice tight.
Nervous murmurs spread through the students as they craned their necks to study the treetops. Each of them carried the same limited supplies: a sleeping bag, a magic lamp, a single bottle of water, a camping tent, and a small pouch of food pills.
One by one, groups began to peel away, heading in different directions in search of suitable campsites. Voices faded. Footsteps disappeared.
Soon, only three remained.
Vane. Lyra. Kiren.
Lyra exhaled slowly. "So... where do we start?"
Kiren sniffed the air, his expression sharpening. "Before we set up camp, we need water. A river or stream. Preferably close by."
He paused, inhaling deeply—
"There," Vane said, pointing north.
Kiren blinked. "How do you know?"
Vane shrugged. "The water's imbued with magic. I can sense it."
Kiren stared at him for a moment, then scoffed. "Show-off."
They made their way through the forest, leaves crunching beneath their boots. The deeper they went, the denser the mana became, pressing in like an invisible fog.
After a moment, Kiren glanced sideways. "Come to think of it... I don't actually know what kind of magic you use. Care to share?"
Lyra immediately kicked his ankle and shot him a warning look.
Vane barely reacted. "Since we're a team," he said calmly, "and we need to survive together... fine."
He lifted his hand slightly. "My ability is control over mana."
Lyra froze. "Seriously?" she whispered. "I thought only the Creators could shape mana. That's how they made the world."
"I can't shape it on their scale," Vane replied, studying his palm. "But I can mold mana into any form of magic I want."
Lyra's eyes widened. "That's how you made the storm—by shaping the mana in the air."
Vane nodded.
Something fluttered overhead.
He looked up just in time to see a black raven perched briefly on a branch. Its dark eyes met his.
Then it flew away.
Moments later, Kiren shoved through a thicket of bushes—and stopped.
"There," he said.
A river stretched before them, its waters crystal-clear and faintly glowing, flowing with a quiet grace that felt almost sacred.
"It's beautiful," Lyra breathed.
Kiren volunteered to pitch the tent, but before he could even unroll it, Vane waved a hand. Mana surged—and the tent assembled itself neatly beside the riverbank.
Kiren glared. Vane ignored him.
Logs were gathered. A fire sprang to life at Vane's command. After swallowing their first ration of food pills, the three sat around the flames, the forest unnervingly quiet around them.
Though it wasn't yet nightfall, the thick canopy kept the world dim.
"We should start hunting soon," Kiren said. "Better cores mean better provisions."
Vane nodded, distracted.
"You're right," Lyra said. She pulled out a folded map, handed out before they'd entered the gate. "Where do we begin?"
Kiren sniffed the air again—
—and both he and Vane pointed across the river at the same time.
"That way."
Kiren shot Vane another glare. Vane, as usual, ignored him.
Lyra stepped closer to the river. The current looked slow, gentle even. She dipped a foot into the water—
—and instantly froze.
"I—can't—move," she gasped.
It felt like wading through cement.
Kiren grabbed her arm and hauled her back onto the bank. "The river's not as peaceful as it looks."
Lyra opened her mouth to apologize—
—and sneezed.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished.
She reappeared five feet away.
Kiren tilted his head. "What just happened?"
Vane sighed. "Pure mana exposure. Her magic's destabilizing."
Lyra sneezed again.
This time, she appeared dangerously close to the fire.
Vane was already moving. He took her hand, closed his eyes, and focused. The air around them pulsed faintly.
After a moment, he exhaled and looked at Kiren. "I've siphoned some of her mana. The episodes should stop—but she can't hunt like this. Someone needs to stay with her."
Kiren nodded immediately. "Then I'll do the hunting."
"You don't have mana," Vane said. "The river won't affect you."
Kiren tested it—and sure enough, he crossed the water without resistance.
"Lucky me," he muttered, disappearing into the trees.
Silence settled over the camp.
The fire crackled softly.
Lyra broke it first. "You've been thinking about it, haven't you?"
Vane didn't look up. "About what?"
"The seer's words," she said gently. "That you'd destroy the school."
Vane stared into the flames, his eyes distant. "You're cursed with this power. You'll destroy everything," he murmured, or more like recited.
Lyra was certain he wasn't speaking to her—but she reached out anyway, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll figure it out," she said. "Together."
Vane scoffed weakly. "If I don't skin the werewolf first."
Lyra shoved him lightly. "No one is skinning anyone. Let's just focus on staying alive."
They sat in silence for a while before Vane spoke up, "You should start feeling the effects of mana depletion," Vane said. "Drowsiness—"
He stopped.
Lyra was already asleep, slumped against his side.
Vane sighed. Carefully, he lifted her and carried her into the tent, laying her gently onto her sleeping bag.
He lingered there for a moment, watching her breathe.
"I may destroy everything," he whispered into the quiet forest,
"but not you."
And Somewhere beyond the river, a black raven cawed, and the Red Forest listened.