The three individuals—Damien, Keith, and Narna—gathered near the burning campfire, the dense canopy of trees above casting long shadows as the late afternoon sun began to dip below the horizon.
As they stood before each other, The air itself felt lighter now that they had a clear plan for leaving, but an undercurrent of unease still settled amidst them.
Keith held the return teleportation scroll in his hand, his fingers lightly brushing against the glowing material as if debating whether to activate it now or wait a moment longer.
Damien stepped forward, his silver hair catching the dancing flames from the campfire behind him, and turned to Narna. His piercing blue eyes lingered on her for a moment too long, causing her to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, trying to mask her unease.
Keith’s brow furrowed, his protective instincts kicking in as he stepped slightly closer to her. “Damien, is there a problem?”
Damien ignored Keith’s tone and finally spoke, his voice calm but curious. “That healing potion you used,” he said, his eyes dropping briefly to her fully restored arm. “It’s remarkable. There’s not even a scar left. I was wondering… where did you get it?”
Realizing his intent wasn’t malicious or lewd, Keith relaxed slightly, though his expression remained guarded.
Narna glanced at her arm, flexing her fingers as if to confirm it was truly healed. “It’s my mother’s work,” she said, pride evident in her voice. “She’s a high-ranking alchemist, one of the best. That potion is one of her masterpieces.”
Damien nodded thoughtfully, his interest piqued. “When we return, you’ll have to introduce me. If that potion’s anything to go by, she’s someone worth knowing.”
Narna hesitated, unsure how to respond, but before she could, Damien shifted topics again.
His gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. “That ring,” he said, gesturing toward it. “I’ve been curious about it. You’re a beast tamer, right? But I haven’t seen any of your tamed beasts since the fight. I’m guessing they’re stored in there?”
Narna nodded slowly. “It’s called a life ring,” she explained. “It works like a void key, but it’s specifically for living things. It’s incredibly rare—and expensive.”
Her tone soured as she continued. “Not that it did much good. That Obsidian Drake slaughtered most of my tamed beasts. The ones that survived the Feral Ape King didn’t stand a chance against it. Not even my strongest tamed beast didn’t last against it.”
Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe if you hadn’t taken the egg, we wouldn’t have had to fight it in the first place.”
Narna scowled but didn’t argue.
Damien smirked faintly. “Speaking of the egg… I’m guessing it’s in the life ring too. Mind letting me take a look before we leave?”
Narna stiffened, her eyes narrowing. “Why?”
Damien shrugged. “Call it curiosity. Something tells me I won’t get another chance to see it after we leave.”
Keith crossed his arms, glancing at Narna. “It’s the least we can do. He saved our lives, after all.”
Narna looked torn, her pride warring with her sense of gratitude. Finally, she sighed, conceding with a reluctant nod.
Touching the ring on her finger, she activated its magic. With a faint shimmer, the egg materialized before them, hovering slightly above the ground before settling gently.
The egg was massive, nearly as tall as Narna herself. Its surface was an intricate blend of obsidian black and molten orange streaks that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.
Narna’s gaze softened as she looked at it, her lips curving into a smile. “It was worth it,” she murmured. “If I can raise this beast to its full potential, it’ll surpass all the others I’ve ever tamed.”
Damien crouched beside the egg, examining it closely. His silver eyes roamed over its surface, tracing the molten patterns with curiosity. After a moment, he straightened and stepped back, his expression unreadable.
“It’s a good one,” he said simply, turning away from the egg.
Both Narna and Keith exchanged surprised glances. They had expected Damien to be more impressed—or at least show some sign of envy—but his calm demeanor left them puzzled.
Narna quickly clicked her tongue and touched the egg again, returning it to the life ring with a thought.
Keith cleared his throat, pulling the teleportation scroll from his void key. “Alright,” he said, his tone brisk. “Both of you, place your hands on me. The scroll’s array needs all of us connected.”
Damien and Narna obeyed, each placing a hand on Keith’s shoulders. As they prepared for the teleportation, Damien glanced around the forest one last time. The towering trees and dense foliage had been his home for nearly two years, a place of countless battles and growth.
“Goodbye,” he murmured softly, his voice almost lost in the whisper of the wind.
Keith tore the scroll, and an intricate array of glowing symbols appeared beneath their feet. A pulse of light engulfed them, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished.
Far beyond the clearing where the three of the had stood, deeper into the untouched heart of the Forest of Twin Disasters, a familiar colossal crack split the earth. The jagged fissure pulsed with an ominous energy, its depths shrouded in impenetrable darkness.
From the abyss, an eye opened.
Its size was monstrous, dwarfing the surrounding terrain. The sclera was a faintly glowing orange or was it red? While the slitted pupil was a deep black void that seemed to pierce through the darkness.
The eye moved slowly, scanning left, then right, as if searching for something.
The ground trembled with its presence, sending shockwaves through the forest. Trees swayed violently, their roots straining against the quaking earth, and creatures of all sizes fled in terror.
Brrrrrrrnnnnnggg~
The eye lingered open for a few moments longer before closing once more, the forest falling eerily silent in its wake.
As the eyes closed, the rumbling beneath the surface ended, a haunting reminder that something ancient and unfathomable existed within the Forest of Twin Disasters, waiting for the right moment to rise. Now wasn’t it.