Seeing how Alex darted off without warning, the other first-years exchanged startled looks before rushing after him. His speed had left them behind, but instinct told them to follow. When they finally caught up,they stopped in shock.
Alex stood calmly in a small clearing, his blade lowered, his breathing steady. At his feet lay two dead monsters, their bodies still twitching faintly as dark blood seeped into the soil.
"We've got two," Alex announced flatly, as if it were nothing.
"That was fast," one student muttered, eyes wide. "How did you even do it?"
Alex's gaze flicked to the speaker, unreadable, before he shrugged. "It's aa secret."
"Tch. What speed?" another boy scoffed, folding his arms. "Anyone can pull that off."
Alex turned his head just enough to meet his eyes, a sharp, almost predatory gleam flickering across his gaze. Then he looked away, refusing to waste words on him. "How do we store the monsters?" he asked instead.
"How about we put them inside this?" Finn suggested suddenly. He held up a small bag, plain on the outside but pulsing faintly with hidden enchantments. "It's a spatial container. I can store anything inside—well, anything except living creatures."
"Whoa, really?" one of the students exclaimed, awe replacing his earlier doubt. "That's… that's some cool stuff you've got there."
Finn grinned, clearly enjoying the attention, then walked toward Alex. He extended the bag with both hands. "Here. You should keep it."
Alex didn't move to take it. His brows lowered faintly. "…Why give it to me?"
"Because," Finn replied with a disarming smile, "you're the only one I trust to handle it properly. It'll be safer in your hands."
"I have no interest in carrying things for others," Alex said coldly, turning away. "It's your bag. Carry it yourself."
"Alex, come on," a bespectacled girl spoke up, her tone almost pleading. "He's right. You're strong, more capable than any of us. It'd be better if you held onto it. At least, we won't have to worry about it being taken by other students."
Alex turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Do you take me for a fool?" His voice cut through the air like steel. "I didn't come here to play games or run errands. If you can't carry it, then leave it here to rot." He turned his back and began walking away, Raphael following silently at his side.
Several students hissed under their breath, their anger sharp.
"Who does he think he is, acting so high and mighty?"
"It's just a bag! What's so hard about carrying a bag?"
Before their muttering could grow louder, Finn sighed. His easy smile faltered for a moment, his voice dropping into a sharper edge. "If it's so easy, then why don't any of you carry it?" His gaze swept over them, piercing. "Instead of blaming someone for your weakness, maybe try facing it. If you're smart, you'll avoid provoking him."
The others fell silent, and Finn slung the bag back over his shoulder before jogging after Alex and Raphael.
"Hey!" he called, smiling again as though nothing had happened. "Wait for me!"
Neither Alex nor Raphael acknowledged him. Finn's steps quickened until he fell in beside them, his grin turning slightly strained. "Don't be so cold, at least say something. How about you, Raphael? Can't you talk?"
Raphael's head turned just slightly. His eyes glinted with something sharp. His lips parted, and a single word slipped out.
"Die."
The air seemed to thicken. Finn staggered as though struck by an invisible hand. The bag slipped from his shoulder as both of his hands flew to his throat. His face twisted, his eyes watering, his mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land. Gasping, choking, his knees hit the ground.
Alex stopped, turning to Raphael with a hard look.
Raphael's brow furrowed under his friend's gaze. His lips twitched, then he muttered again. "…Release."
Instantly, Finn dropped his hands, coughing violently. He gulped air greedily, red-rimmed eyes brimming with tears.
"Not everyone enjoys your jokes," Alex said to Raphael quietly, then turned back, continuing on.
Behind them, Finn wiped at his eyes. For a fleeting moment, his expression twisted into something darker, colder, but it vanished so quickly it could have been imagined. By the time he looked up again, he was smiling. "Wait up!" he called hoarsely, forcing a laugh. "Don't ditch me yet."
He slung the bag back onto his shoulder and ran to catch up.
The three continued onward until they reached a stretch of land where the air grew heavy with thick fog. The mist curled around their ankles and pressed against their skin, unnaturally cold. Visibility dropped to a few feet.
"Something's wrong," Raphael muttered, scanning the haze.
Before Alex could reply, faint shapes slithered in the fog. The sound of claws scraping against rock filled the air. Within moments, they were surrounded by strange, lizard-like monsters. Their bodies were small but muscular, their scales glinting green. Each hissed, their tongues dripping with black venom.
"Careful!" Finn said quickly, eyes widening. "I know these things—they're poisonous. Even a scratch could paralyze you. Don't let—"
"Die."
Raphael's mutter cut through Finn's warning. Instantly, the lizard-creatures dropped where they stood, bodies spasming once before going limp. The forest went silent, save for the faint drip of venom on the ground.
The students stared, breath caught in their throats. Yet the fog remained, thick as ever, pressing in.
Alex frowned. "If the monsters caused the fog, it should have cleared by now."
"I think something else is creating it," Finn said, squinting ahead. He pointed through the haze. "There—it's coming from that direction. Should we check it out?"
"Yes," Alex answered without hesitation. His eyes gleamed faintly. "I was going anyway."
"Let me pack these first," Finn said quickly, crouching to shove the lizards' corpses into his bag.
Alex watched him with faint curiosity. "That thing doesn't fill up? Or get heavier?"
"Nope." Finn grinned, clearly proud. "Limitless space. Doesn't matter if it's monsters, weapons, even buildings. As long as it isn't alive, I can store it. And look—it doesn't weigh a thing."
Alex gave a small hum of acknowledgment. "Convenient." He turned, leading the way into the fog. Raphael followed silently, and Finn jogged to catch up behind them.
But as they moved deeper, Finn suddenly staggered. The bag slipped from his shoulder again. He dropped to his knees, clutching his head with both hands.
"Check him," Alex ordered sharply.
Raphael bent toward him, but before his fingers could touch, Finn's body went slack. He collapsed unconscious on the damp ground.
Alex's eyes narrowed. "The fog?"
"Strange…" Raphael straightened, scanning the mist. "If that's the cause, why aren't we affected?"
The realization struck both of them at once. The teachers, Derek, Colt, Kelvin were nowhere to be seen.
"They were with us," Raphael muttered. "So why aren't they here now?"
"Something's wrong," Alex said lowly. His eyes swept the white haze, his body tense. "Look around you. Do you even remember the path we came from?"
Raphael turned, but the fog had swallowed everything. The world behind them was gone, leaving only shifting white. His face hardened. "The mist isn't natural. Something is hiding in it. And it's… luring us."
They fell silent as a faint sound reached them—footsteps. More than one set.
Alex and Raphael exchanged a sharp glance, then slipped behind the nearest tree, crouching low.
Through the veil of fog, voices drifted closer.
"Do you think the poison worked?" one asked, the tone casual, cruel.
A pause followed it then another voice answered after some time, low and certain. "Of course. No one survives that mist."