Cloud snorted and pulled her hand back. "I've dealt with worse. Don't treat me like a kid."
Cal held up a small bottle of medicine. "This won't slow you down. Just a quick wipe."
She stared at it like it was a bug. "Fine. But only because I don't want it getting worse."
She let him clean it, but her eyes never left his face—sharp and unreadable.
Cal smiled softly. "See? Not so bad."
Cloud shook her head and pulled her hand away, flexing her fingers. "Don't expect me to make a habit of this."
He put the bottle away. "Okay. But if you get hurt again, you let me help."
She gave him a hard look but said nothing.
They started walking again. The quiet felt lighter now.
Cal glanced at her. "You're not as untouchable as you act."
---
They'd been wandering the Mana Beast Forest for a week, each day blending into the next, a haze of mist, gnarled trees, and the constant hum of wild magic.
The air was thick, oppressive, carrying the scent of damp rot. Cal's legs ached, his boots caked with mud.
The forest had a way of making every rustle feel like a threat. They'd found the river from the map days ago, but it had led them deeper, not out.
The low mana zone they'd hoped for was nowhere in sight. Instead, the mana grew thicker, the air crackling faintly, like a storm about to break.
They pushed through a tangle of vines, the ground soft and slick beneath their feet. The trees here were ancient, their bark twisted into shapes that looked almost human.
Cal's eyes darted to the shadows, the book's warnings echoing: Mana beasts are drawn to noise and mana fluctuations. Cloud's sword was a magnet, and he couldn't shake the feeling they were being followed.
A low rumble broke the silence—not thunder. Cloud froze, her hand on her sword. "Cal," she whispered. "Behind me."
He stepped closer, heart pounding. The rumble came again, louder, from the underbrush. The ground trembled faintly.
Then, with a crash of branches, a beast emerged—a massive Ironclad Boar, its hide like cracked stone, tusks glinting like steel. Its eyes burned red, locked on Cloud's sword.
Cloud's blade flared brighter. "Climb a tree if it charges. Don't try to fight it."
Cal nodded, but his feet felt rooted. The boar snorted, steam rising from its nostrils, and pawed the ground. The air grew heavier, mana pulsing like a heartbeat. Cloud stepped forward, her stance low, ready.
The boar charged, faster than its bulk suggested, the ground shaking with each step. Cloud dodged left, her sword slashing its flank. The blade sparked against its hide, barely leaving a mark. The boar swung its head, tusks missing her by inches. She rolled, striking again, aiming for the softer joint behind its front leg. The beast bellowed, shaking the trees, and turned on her.
"Cloud!" Cal shouted, stepping forward.
"Stay back!" she snapped, blocking another charge with her sword. The impact sent her skidding, her boots digging into the mud.
She gritted her teeth. The boar circled, preparing another charge.
Cal's mind raced.
He glanced around, spotting a muddy stream nearby. "Cloud, the water! Lure it there!"
She didn't respond, but her eyes flicked to the stream. She feinted right, then sprinted toward the water, the boar thundering after her. Cal ran parallel, keeping low, his heart in his throat. Cloud reached the stream, splashing through the shallow water, and turned to face the beast. The boar hesitated, its hooves sinking into the mud, slowing it.
Cloud seized the moment, lunging forward. Her sword glowed brighter, and she drove it into the boar's chest, aiming for the core. The beast roared, thrashing, but the water bogged it down. With a final push, Cloud twisted the blade, and a pulse of light erupted from the wound. The boar collapsed, its body crumbling into ash and mana sparks.
Cal exhaled, his legs shaky. "You… you got it."
Cloud pulled her sword free, panting. "Barely." She wiped blood from her arm, her veil askew but still hiding her face. "That was too close."
Cal stepped closer, checking her wound. "You're hurt again."
She waved him off. "It's fine. Just a scratch."
He frowned, pulling out the medicine bottle. "Let me—"
A rustle cut him off. Not from the stream, but behind them. Cloud tensed, raising her sword, but her guard was down, her body spent from the fight. Cal turned, catching a flicker of movement in the shadows—a second beast, smaller but sleeker, its body blending into the mist.
It lunged, silent, aiming for Cloud's back. She didn't see it.
"Cloud!" Cal shouted, acting on instinct. He dove between them, shoving her aside. The hound's claws slashed toward him, impossibly fast. Time seemed to slow, his heart pounding in his ears. Something snapped inside him—a feeling like the alley with the Cutters, when the shadows moved.
The hound's claws stopped inches from his chest, as if hitting an invisible wall. A faint ripple pulsed through the air, and the beast
was flung back, yelping as it crashed into a tree. The air shimmered briefly, like heat rising from stone, then stilled. Cal staggered, pain searing through his side—not from the hound's claws, but from something deeper, like his body had torn itself apart to stop the attack. Blood trickled from a gash on his shoulder where the beast's claws had grazed him, and his vision blurred.
Cloud spun, her sword flaring green, eyes wide beneath her veil. The Shadow Hound was already recovering, its sleek form melting into the mist. She stepped in front of Cal, blade raised. "Stay down!" she barked, her voice sharp with urgency.
The hound lunged again, faster this time, its body a blur. Cloud met it mid-air, her sword slashing its flank. It snarled, twisting away, its claws raking the ground. The mist thickened, hiding its movements, but Cloud's senses were sharp.
She parried a swipe, then drove her blade into its chest, aiming for the glowing core. The hound let out a final, guttural howl before collapsing, its body dissolving into mana sparks.
Cloud panted, her sword still raised, scanning the mist for more threats. The forest was quiet again.
She turned to Cal, who was slumped against a tree, clutching his shoulder. Blood soaked his tunic, and his face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead.