Kyron walked through the dense forest, the morning sun filtering through the trees. His hands were casually crossed behind his head, a grin on his face.
"You know," he said, glancing at Neelam, "I feel kind of bad for the weaker students. Just… imagining them trying to survive here… it's brutal. Magical Smilers aren't just dangerous—they're smart, fast, and cruel. Keeping focus on your emotions while in fear… even with extreme training, it's damn near impossible. And they barely learned anything yet."
Neelam chuckled, shaking her head. "You mean you're enjoying thinking about it, don't you?"
Kyron shrugged, smirking. "Well… I wouldn't call it enjoyment. More like… academic curiosity. Plus, it makes surviving feel way more satisfying, you know?"
She rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Of course you'd call it academic curiosity."
The two walked through the forest, stepping over fallen branches and burned-out Smiler carcasses, the silence occasionally punctuated by birdsong. Their casual banter lightened the lingering tension from the night's battles.
"So," Neelam said, teasing, "you planning to lecture me on proper breathing techniques too? Or is that just reserved for the students who got eaten?"
Kyron snorted. "Nah, you survived. Consider yourself above the beginners' mistakes. Lucky for you… lucky for everyone."
Their banter was interrupted by a shout from up ahead.
"Heeyyy!!!" Kyron sprinted forward, waving his arms wildly. "You two also made it this far?"
Ali, walking toward them with Luca, scowled the moment he saw Kyron. Without hesitation, he grabbed Kyron by the collar and shoved him against a tree.
"You meathead!!" Ali bellowed, eyes flashing. "You left us alone at the start when we clearly discussed we'd stick together!!"
Neelam quickly stepped forward, her hands raised. "Alright, alright, guys! Let's not start fighting each other after surviving the forest!"
Luca muttered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah… calm down… it's over now."
Kyron raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay! I get it! I shouldn't have run off. But come on… you should've seen the chaos I was dealing with!"
Ali released him reluctantly, crossing his arms. "Fine. But I swear, Kyron… next time, we stick together, or I'll make sure you regret it."
They all started walking again toward the exit gate, now a united group, sharing their experiences as they went.
"So," Kyron said, "my fight… hands down the toughest. I faced two magical Smilers. One of them—Xu Yonging—he had that blood spikes ability. The bastard could shred you from a distance. And his backstory… it still stings, even now. That fight was… honestly, the best fight I've ever had. I survived only because Xu got cocky. If he was serious… well, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Ali raised an eyebrow, nodding thoughtfully. "Xu Yonging, huh? Yeah… I've heard stories about him. Lucky for you, Kyron. Most people wouldn't have lasted even a few minutes against that kind of strategy and raw power."
Kyron smirked. "Lucky, maybe… or just fast enough to keep him on his toes."
Luca scratched the back of his head, a proud, almost shy smile on his face. "Well… my encounters weren't exactly like that. But you know what? I ended up killing everyone who fought me. Didn't even have to think much. My speed… it's crazy how fast I move when I'm scared. I didn't even realize half the time that I was saving other students."
Kyron tilted his head. "Wait… you're proud of that?"
Luca nodded, eyes sparkling. "Yeah… I was terrified, sure. But the faster my heart raced, the faster I became. If I froze, I'd die. My fear… my cowardice… it became my weapon."
Neelam glanced at him, impressed. "You're saying fear made you the strongest?"
Luca gave a sheepish grin. "Something like that. Weird, huh?"
Ali laughed, shaking his head. "Well… I had my own fun. That four-armed giant Smiler? Took everything I had—strength, strategy, endurance. But I figured out its regeneration trick. The damn thing was sacrificing its insides and other body parts just to keep its hands alive. Once I understood that, I knew exactly where to strike."
Kyron whistled. "That's some clever thinking, Ali. Honestly, you earned that victory."
Neelam, adjusting her katana in its sheath, spoke quietly, almost to herself. "And that spider Smiler… I thought I was done for. Kyron and I barely got out alive. Those illusions and fear techniques I trained in… they saved more students than I can count."
Kyron glanced at her, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Looks like we all had our trials… and survived. Not too shabby, huh?"
Ali smirked. "Not too shabby at all."
Luca added, still nervously glancing at the shadows of the trees, "Yeah… not too shabby. But let's just… get out of here without running into another one, okay?"
Neelam laughed softly. "Agreed. One day, one night, and then we finally get some sleep."
The group continued toward the exit, their laughter and chatter mingling with the gentle rustle of the forest. Behind them, the danger they survived faded into memory, leaving only camaraderie and the faintest traces of smoke and burned leaves.
The morning breeze swept through the forest as Kyron, Neelam, Ali, and Luca trudged forward, their faces showing a mixture of exhaustion and relief. The endless chaos of the exam forest was finally behind them—or so they thought.
Kyron stretched his arms behind his head, letting out a yawn.
"Finally… that must be the exit gate up ahead. I can smell freedom."
Luca blinked and tilted his head. "Freedom smells like mud and sweat to you?"
Kyron shot him a deadpan look. "You talk too much for someone who almost cried when he saw a 15-foot Smiler."
"Hey! I didn't cry!" Luca protested, pointing a shaky finger. "That was a physiological response to fear!"
Neelam snickered. "Fancy words for 'I screamed like a dying goat,' Luca."
Ali chuckled, shaking his head. "You three are hopeless."
They finally reached the massive steel gate — towering and fortified with thick seals that glowed faintly blue. But something was off.
The gate wasn't opening.
Kyron frowned. "Umm… is something wrong here? We were supposed to be picked up from this spot, right?"
Luca scratched his head. "Yeah, I don't doubt that either… but we're still left with nothing here."
Ali slammed his fist against the steel. "HEY! Open the damn gate! We made it through!"
And soon, all four screamed together, their voices echoing through the trees —
"HEEEYY!! OPEN THE GATES! WE MADE IT!"
For a moment, there was silence. Then — CLANK! The massive locks began to shift and the gates slowly creaked open.
From the shadowed entrance, a tall man emerged — draped in a black uniform, his face hidden behind a sleek black mask with a faint white smile painted across it.
His voice was calm, deep, and commanding.
"Congratulations… you've finally made it this far. But your test—" he paused, tilting his head slightly, "—isn't over yet."
Kyron's grin immediately faded. "...Wait, what?"
The masked man folded his arms behind his back. "You were instructed to bring five Smiler fingers. Did you bring them? If so, step forward and submit them one by one. If not…" He gestured toward the open forest behind them. "You may leave now. No shame in knowing your limits."
Luca gulped, fumbling in his pocket. "Y-yeah, got them right here!"
One by one, the four stepped forward, placing their collected Smiler fingers into a small glass box glowing faintly with holy light. The masked man inspected each sample carefully, then nodded in approval.
"Impressive. You four… are survivors."
He turned and gestured for them to follow. "Come. There's something you should see."
The group walked through the gates, entering a vast metallic compound — the Hunter's Association Headquarters. Training arenas, forge halls, and dormitories stretched across the area, with banners that read "For Humanity's Smile."
The man stopped at a wide open hall. Seven students stood there in total, including Kyron's group. The rest… were gone.
"These," the masked man said solemnly, "are the only students who made it. Seven… out of seventy-eight."
A heavy silence hung in the air. Even Kyron's usual grin faded a little.
"…Seventy-one dead or missing," Neelam murmured, her tone low.
Ali clenched his fists. "That's reality, huh?"
The masked man nodded. "Indeed. But for those who remain — your journey begins now."
He turned toward a wall lined with dozens of weapons and uniforms.
"Each of you will wear your hunter uniforms, customized to your fit and fighting style. You may also choose your preferred weapons from this selection. Once chosen, our blacksmiths will craft emotion-forged weapons based on your choices. You will receive them in one or two days."
Kyron grinned again, stepping forward. "Alright, then. I'll take the basic Anger Emotion katana. Simple, sharp, reliable — like me."
Ali smirked. "Basic? You sure that's not because you're too lazy to learn a complex weapon?"
"Shut up, dual-blade addict," Kyron shot back.
Ali pointed to a pair of curved twin blades. "These fit my style — fast slashes, brutal finish."
Luca nervously looked around before his eyes landed on a slender, sharp katana with faint lightning patterns. "I'll… take that one. The light Anxiety Katana. Suits my speed. And… I don't want anything heavy. I might trip."
Kyron smirked. "Trip into a Smiler's mouth, more like."
"Shut up!" Luca snapped, blushing.
Neelam calmly chose a dark, poison-hued katana with elegant engravings. "This one. Lightweight, subtle, deadly."
The masked man nodded approvingly. "Good choices. The blacksmiths will forge them into holy emotion blades in about one to two days. Until then, train with your current katanas."
As they finished, he turned to face the four of them once more, his tone shifting to something deeper.
"The Hunter's Association — as you may not know — is a secret organization funded by the world's governments to suppress and study the Smiler Virus before it overtakes humanity. You will live here, train here, and fight for humanity's survival."
Kyron's grin widened. "So basically… we're official now?"
The man nodded. "Yes. You are now registered Smiler Hunters."
Luca cheered, jumping slightly. "Wait, we actually passed? I thought I'd die five times!"
Ali rolled his eyes. "You nearly did. I saw you run from a squirrel once."
"It was a big squirrel!" Luca retorted.
Everyone burst into laughter, the heavy air lifting for a moment.
Then, the masked man spoke again, looking at them one by one.
"You three boys — I sense a connection between you. A balance of emotions. You will operate as a trio under my orders."
Kyron grinned. "Trio, huh? Sounds good to me."
Ali shrugged. "As long as I'm not stuck with Luca too often."
"HEY!" Luca yelled, indignant.
The man turned to Neelam. "As for you, young lady. You possess skill and intellect, but lack physical strength. Despite no magical Smiler fingers in your collection, you survived — that alone is impressive. However, you are not yet fit to match these three idiots."
Neelam's eyebrow twitched. "Did he just—?"
"Yep," Kyron said with a smirk. "He called us idiots."
"Sounds about right," Ali added, smirking too.
Luca nodded proudly. "Finally, something accurate."
The masked man's deep laugh echoed under his mask.
"From this day forward… you are not just Hunters. You are soldiers in the WAR OF EMOTIONS."
A gust of wind swept through the hall, fluttering the banners as his words echoed like a declaration of fate.
Kyron's grin widened, fire flickering in his crimson eyes.
"The War of Emotions, huh? Guess it's time to show the world what our emotions are really worth."
[TO BE CONTINUED]