Morning came quietly — too quietly.
The forest, usually filled with rustling leaves and chirping birds, hummed instead. The sound wasn't natural; it was like a vibration carried through the roots, echoing faintly underfoot.
Alaric stood near the edge of the village, leaning on his staff, half awake and fully annoyed. His snow-white hair stuck out in every direction, and his golden eyes were still hazy from sleep.
He stifled a yawn. "I miss the days when the forest didn't buzz like a broken flute."
Ryn, crouched beside him and adjusting his boots, snorted. "You mean the days when you could sleep in till noon?"
"I call that 'recovery time.'"
"Kael calls it laziness."
Alaric waved his hand vaguely. "Details."
From behind them, Kael's firm voice cut through the soft morning air. "If you two are done talking, grab your gear."
They turned. The veteran hunter stood a few paces away, already fully armed — the edge of his blade faintly reflecting the early sunlight. His expression was sharp but calm.
Ryn quickly straightened. "Are we going out again?"
Kael nodded. "We'll scout the northern ridge. The forest's changes are spreading fast. I want to see how far the new growth reaches."
Alaric groaned. "Can't we send someone else? Like, maybe one of the glowing squirrels?"
Ryn elbowed him lightly. "You're the one who made the forest wake up, remember?"
"Yeah, but I didn't ask it to overachieve."
Ashen approached then, as silent as the mist itself. His long coat brushed against the grass, black fabric faintly dusted with dew. His silver-gray eyes flicked between them — calm, unreadable, but somehow always seeing more.
"We should move," he said softly. "The balance feels… off."
Kael nodded once. "Agreed."
The group set off, boots crunching over soft soil as they followed the winding trail that cut through the trees.
The forest looked brighter than before — too bright. Rays of light passed through the leaves, painting the air in streaks of gold and green. The scent of blooming flowers hung thick and sweet. It should've been peaceful, but something about it felt wrong.
Alaric slowed his pace, frowning. "It's too quiet."
Ryn looked around. "You say that every time."
"No, I mean really quiet," Alaric said. "Where are the birds? The rabbits? The usual stuff that runs away from us before we even get here?"
Kael stopped, scanning the trees. His hand hovered over his weapon. "He's right."
The silence deepened. Even the hum beneath the soil stilled for a moment, like the forest was holding its breath.
Ashen lifted his head slightly, his tone calm but low. "Something approaches."
Before anyone could respond, the sound came — faint rustling, followed by the soft crunch of earth.
Ryn gripped his spear. "Beast?"
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Maybe."
Then the bushes ahead shifted — and a creature stumbled out.
At first glance, it looked like a deer. Its antlers glowed faintly green, and its fur shimmered with light. But then they saw the black veins running through its legs and the faint red tint creeping along its eyes.
Alaric's chest tightened. "Oh no…"
"Corruption," Ashen murmured.
Kael drew his weapon in one clean motion. "Positions."
Ryn stepped beside Alaric, nervous energy in his grip. "You think it's like the last ones?"
Alaric shook his head slowly. "No… this one's different. It's half and half."
The deer-like creature raised its head. For a brief second, its eyes flickered gold — pure and calm — before clouding again with crimson light.
It let out a distorted cry and lunged.
Kael moved first, meeting it halfway, his blade flashing as it clashed with the creature's horn. Sparks flew. The beast staggered but didn't fall — its wounds closing almost instantly as green light flowed over them.
Alaric blinked. "It's healing itself!"
"Life mana," Ashen said sharply. "The forest's power is fighting the corruption inside it — both at once."
"So it's fighting itself," Alaric muttered, gripping his staff. "Perfect."
The creature let out another snarl, its body twisting unnaturally as if torn between two wills.
Ryn moved in to flank it, but the beast swung its head violently, nearly knocking him aside. Kael caught him before he fell, planting his feet.
"Stay back!" Kael ordered.
Alaric raised his staff, focusing mana through his fingertips. The familiar hum of life and death danced at his palms — one warm, one cold. The ground trembled faintly as his aura expanded.
Ashen's voice was calm beside him. "Careful. Too much force and the forest may react."
"I know," Alaric said through clenched teeth. "But if I do nothing, it'll rip itself apart."
He drew a deep breath and slammed the bottom of his staff into the ground.
A pulse of soft green light spread outward, wrapping around the creature. It froze, the glow crawling up its legs and along its body. The black veins recoiled, and for a moment, the deer stilled completely.
Ryn exhaled. "You did it!"
"Almost—"
Before Alaric could finish, the red glow flared violently, bursting through the healing light. The creature roared and broke free, throwing itself at him with blinding speed.
Ashen moved.
In less than a breath, his sword drew a silver arc through the air — silent, clean, deliberate.
The corrupted beast froze mid-charge.
Then it fell, lifeless, its body dissolving into faint motes of light and shadow.
The forest went silent again.
Ashen slowly lowered his sword, his voice steady. "The corruption is adapting."
Alaric wiped sweat from his brow, heart pounding. "You mean it's learning?"
"Yes."
Kael crouched beside the dissolving remains, frowning as the faint glow lingered. "Then it won't stop here."
Ryn looked between them. "So what do we do?"
Ashen sheathed his sword. "We prepare."
Alaric sighed, leaning on his staff. "Of course we do."
But as they turned back toward the village, he couldn't shake the feeling that the forest wasn't done testing them. The hum beneath the soil had returned — deeper now, like a drumbeat waiting to begin.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the village, the tension hadn't eased.
The air felt different now — heavier, like the forest was breathing too close to them. Even the faint glow that had seemed beautiful the night before felt sharper, almost watchful.
Ryn kicked at a root sticking up through the dirt path. "So… what do we tell them? That the forest's half healing and half trying to kill itself?"
"Something like that," Alaric said dryly, dragging his staff behind him. "Though maybe leave out the part where it tried to use me as target practice."
Ryn snorted, but there was no real humor in it.
Kael stopped as they neared the wooden fence marking the edge of the village. His eyes scanned the treeline, sharp as ever. "Something's off."
Alaric frowned. "You mean besides the fact that the trees are glowing like festival lanterns?"
Kael didn't answer. He stepped forward, kneeling beside a patch of soil. The grass there had turned faintly black, the roots crumbling beneath his fingers.
Ashen joined him, eyes narrowing. "Corruption residue."
Ryn's face paled. "Already? But we just—"
"It's spreading faster than before," Ashen said quietly. "The balance is unstable."
Alaric's stomach sank. "You mean the forest's life mana is fighting back too hard. It's making cracks."
Kael stood, his voice grim. "Then we need to contain it before it reaches the fields."
As if on cue, a scream cut through the air.
All four of them turned.
From the direction of the riverbank, villagers were running — shouting for help. The glow from that area flickered, pulsing between gold and red.
Ryn gripped his spear tighter. "That's not good."
"Understatement of the year," Alaric muttered, breaking into a run.
They raced through the narrow path between homes, the soft dirt turning slick beneath their boots. The air grew thick with mana — clashing scents of life and decay mixing until it was hard to breathe.
When they reached the river, the scene hit them like a punch.
The water glowed crimson.
Vines that had once bloomed with faint light were now twisting wildly, lashing out like snakes. In their grasp was a creature — no, several — animals caught between decay and growth, their bodies covered in both flowers and rot.
Villagers stood back in terror, shouting.
Kael moved instantly, barking orders. "Everyone inside! Now!"
Ashen stepped forward, silver aura pulsing faintly at his fingertips. "The river's mana flow has been infected."
Ryn turned to Alaric. "Can you fix it?"
Alaric hesitated, heart pounding. "Maybe… but if I push too much, I'll just make it worse."
"Then don't," Kael said, cutting down a vine that had lashed toward them. "Control, not force."
Alaric exhaled sharply, gripping his staff. Right. Control. Not force.
He stepped closer, the heat of clashing mana washing over him. The ground beneath his feet pulsed like a heartbeat.
Closing his eyes, he focused. The warmth of life — calm, flowing — and the cold pulse of death — precise, sharp. Two sides of the same rhythm.
He could hear Ashen's calm voice behind him. "Balance them. Don't dominate."
Alaric inhaled slowly, then raised his staff. "Alright… let's try this again."
He pressed the bottom of his staff into the dirt. The light surged — not blinding this time, but smooth. Threads of white and green weaved through the corrupted vines, untangling them slowly. The crimson hue began to fade, replaced by a steady glow of gold.
The creatures calmed, their twisted forms dissolving into harmless motes of light.
The villagers, who had hidden behind the fences, peeked out cautiously.
Ryn whistled under his breath. "Remind me never to annoy you."
Alaric let out a shaky breath, swaying slightly. "Yeah, well… remind me to actually eat breakfast before saving the day next time."
Ashen caught his shoulder, steadying him. "You did well."
Alaric looked up at him, a tired grin on his face. "Thanks, zombie da—uh, Ashen."
The faintest twitch pulled at Ashen's lips. "Almost."
Kael approached, scanning the now-calm river. The glow of life had stabilized, but traces of corruption still lingered at the edges. "You bought us time. That's enough for now."
Alaric nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, but if this keeps spreading, we won't be able to keep up."
Ashen's eyes turned toward the forest again. "Then we find the source — before it finds us."
Night came slow and uneasy.
The once calm glow of the Grand Forest was gone, replaced by shifting hues of red and green bleeding into the dark. The soft hum that had once lulled the village to sleep now pulsed unevenly — too fast, too erratic.
Alaric sat near the edge of the firelight, his staff laid across his lap. The embers reflected faint gold in his eyes as he stared at the faintly glowing horizon.
The village had quieted after the attack, but the silence wasn't peace. It was fear holding its breath.
Kael was still awake, sharpening his weapon in slow, measured motions. The rasp of steel filled the night like the steady beat of a heart.
Ryn sat a few paces away, staring up at the sky. "Do you think it'll stop?" he asked softly.
Alaric glanced at him. "The forest?"
"Yeah. All of it. The glowing, the monsters… the way it feels like it's watching us."
Alaric leaned back on his hands, thinking. "I don't think it'll stop. Not on its own."
Ryn frowned. "Then what do we do?"
He hesitated before answering, eyes tracing the flicker of firelight. "We keep it from breaking apart. Life and death — it's all the same thing. We just need to make them stop fighting."
Ryn blinked. "You make it sound simple."
Alaric smirked faintly. "Yeah, well… it's easier than saying I have no idea what I'm doing."
Ryn laughed quietly, but it didn't last. His gaze drifted toward the forest again, where the vines glowed faintly in the dark. "Still… I'd rather be out here with you guys than hiding inside."
Alaric glanced at him, a small, genuine smile flickering across his face. "Same."
Kael's voice broke the brief calm. "Rest while you can. Tomorrow, we move deeper into the forest. If the corruption's spreading from somewhere, we'll find it."
Ryn groaned. "You mean another trek through glowing trees and angry vines?"
"Exactly."
Alaric sighed dramatically, stretching his arms. "Can't wait. Maybe next time the forest will offer us snacks before trying to kill us."
"Doubtful," Kael said flatly.
Ashen approached quietly from the shadows, his long coat brushing against the ground. The faint glimmer of moonlight caught the edge of his pale face. "He would still complain either way."
Alaric gave him a mock glare. "Hey, you could show a little sympathy for the chronically exhausted."
Ashen's voice carried that familiar calm — dry but faintly warm. "You recover quickly enough for someone so exhausted."
"Yeah, well, magic burns calories," Alaric muttered, sitting cross-legged again. "And I'm starving."
Ryn tossed him a piece of bread from his pack. "Here. Eat before you start preaching about mana metabolism again."
"Thank you for understanding my struggle," Alaric said, taking a large bite.
Kael hid a small grin as he continued sharpening his weapon. For a moment, the tension eased — a fragile pocket of warmth amid all the chaos.
Then the wind changed.
The flames flickered, leaning toward the forest. The hum in the air deepened — not loud, but heavy enough that everyone felt it in their bones.
Ashen turned his head sharply, silver-gray eyes narrowing. "Do you feel that?"
Alaric froze mid-bite. "Yeah… something's moving."
The fire dimmed. The glow from the trees brightened instead, painting their faces in faint green light.
Ryn stood, spear in hand. "What is it this time?"
Alaric set down his food and rose slowly, staff in hand. He didn't answer right away.
The pulse he felt wasn't like the others — it wasn't wild or violent. It was rhythmic, calling. Familiar.
Then, deep within the forest, a faint glow ignited — the same golden-white color as Alaric's mana.
Ashen noticed immediately. His voice softened, low but edged with concern. "It's calling for you."
Kael stood as well, blade at the ready. "From the ruins?"
"No," Ashen said. "Deeper. Something else has awakened."
Alaric's fingers tightened around his staff. His chest ached faintly, the same way it had the first time he'd touched life mana as a child.
"I can feel it," he said quietly. "It's… like it knows me."
The wind stirred again, carrying with it faint whispers — not words, but emotions. Longing. Sadness. A cry for balance.
Ashen stepped closer, voice steady but gentle. "You don't have to answer it tonight."
Alaric glanced up at him. "But if I don't, it might not stop calling."
Kael looked between them, unreadable. "We go at dawn," he said finally. "Whatever it is, we face it together."
Ryn nodded firmly. "Yeah. No running off alone this time."
Alaric gave him a half-smile. "I wouldn't dream of it."
But even as he said it, his eyes stayed fixed on that distant light deep in the trees.
It pulsed again — slow, patient, waiting.
And though the others eventually slept, Alaric stayed awake, sitting by the dying fire.
The whispers in the air grew softer, almost soothing, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he heard his mother's voice — faint, distant, calling him home.
He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.
"…Guess I really don't get a break."
The forest hummed in response.