The forest felt… alive.
Not in the way the Golden Globe had been, where everything was measured, controlled, and carefully contained—but in a way that was raw, untamed, and quietly overwhelming. The towering trees stretched endlessly into the sky, their branches weaving together to form a dense canopy that filtered sunlight into soft, drifting rays of gold. Beneath their feet, the ground was uneven and damp, layered with fallen leaves and thick roots that twisted over one another like veins running through the earth.
It should have felt peaceful. Instead— It felt wrong.
There was no wind brushing past them, no distant cries of animals, no subtle hum of life that a place like this should carry.
Just silence.
Melly walked ahead of the group, a map held loosely in his hand as his gaze shifted between it and the path before them. His pace never faltered, never slowed, as though he already knew exactly where he was going.
Too certain.
Behind him, the others followed in a loose formation. Koya stayed near the center, Anna walking close at her side while Cal and Meriosa kept pace nearby, with Josh never straying far from them. A short distance behind, Ra'an and Bless moved more quietly, their presence heavier than the rest.
Kelly eventually closed the gap between himself and Melly, glancing at the map before looking ahead again.
"So… bro, are you a hundred on our destination?" he asked, keeping his tone casual, though there was a clear edge of curiosity beneath it.
Melly didn't look at him.
"Yes."
Nothing more. No explanation. No hesitation.
Kelly held his gaze on him for a moment longer, as if weighing whether to press further, but in the end he simply nodded and let the silence return.
It didn't last long.
"This place is strange…" Bless muttered from behind, his eyes scanning the forest around them. "It's way too calm."
He expected someone to respond.
No one did.
When he glanced to his side, he found Ra'an walking in silence—but not looking at the forest. His focus was fixed ahead, locked onto Melly's back, his jaw tight and his hands clenched just enough to give away what he refused to say. He hadn't forgotten. Not the fight. Not the moment he'd needed help
.
Up ahead, Anna's voice broke through the tension, lighter than anything else in the air.
"…and then Cal really thought he could outrun me—"
"I could outrun you," Cal cut in immediately, his tone defensive but not serious.
Anna shot him a look. "You tripped over your own foot."
"That was intentional."
"Intentional?" she repeated, raising a brow. "You planned to fall?"
Cal scoffed, but a small smile betrayed him.
For a moment, it almost felt normal. Almost.
Koya didn't join in. She walked quietly, her gaze forward but unfocused, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. The more they moved through the forest, the stronger the feeling became—subtle at first, but impossible to ignore now. Something wasn't right. She just didn't know what.
They walked for nearly an hour before the forest abruptly gave way.
Melly slowed first, his steps instinctively cautious as the ground ahead simply… ended.
"What is this…?" Cal muttered under his breath.
The others gathered behind them, and whatever words they might have said died the moment they saw it.
The land had split apart.
A massive ravine stretched across their path, cutting through the earth so cleanly it looked unnatural. Its depth was impossible to measure—the darkness below swallowing everything, leaving nothing but an empty void where the ground should have been.
Even the wind that rose from it felt wrong. It didn't just pass by them. It pushed against them. Warned them.
Josh took an immediate step back, his small hand tightening around Cal's sleeve. "I don't like this…"
Bless leaned forward slightly, peering down into the abyss. "There's no bridge…"
"Then we find another way," Kelly said, already turning slightly. "Let spread out."
The group moved without hesitation, scanning the edges of the ravine for any possible path across.
All except one.
Melly remained where he was, standing at the very edge as his gaze traced the distance ahead. He looked across, then down, then up again, as though measuring something only he could see.
After a moment, he exhaled quietly.
"…That won't be necessary."
Before anyone could question him, heat burst outward.
Flames ignited around his body, curling tightly along his form without burning him, their light flickering against the faces behind him.
Then he moved.
He launched into the air in a single motion, rising high above the ravine as the others watched in stunned silence.
"Melly—wait—!" Anna's voice came too late.
Mid-flight, he extended his hand.
The air cracked..Ice erupted outward. It spread rapidly, forming structure over nothing—layering, reinforcing, expanding until a solid path began to take shape where there had been only empty space moments before.
By the time he landed on the other side, the bridge was already complete.
"Come on!" he called out. "It'll hold!"
Cal returned from the treeline just in time to see it.
"…I found a—" he started, only to stop mid-sentence as he stared at the frozen structure stretching across the ravine. "…or not."
No one answered him. They didn't need to.
Kelly was already moving.
The ice felt solid beneath their feet, but the wind grew stronger the further they went, pushing against them with increasing force. Josh stayed close to Cal, gripping his arm tightly as they moved.
Halfway across, the forest answered back. A violent gust tore through the ravine, slamming into them with enough force to shake their footing.
"Careful!" Anna shouted.
A sharp crack echoed beneath them. The ice shifted.
Josh's foot slipped. He didn't even have time to react before his body tilted over the edge.
"Koya—!"
She moved before the thought fully formed. Her hand shot out, catching his arm just as he began to fall. For a brief moment, he hung there, suspended over nothing but empty air, his weight pulling against her grip.
Then she pulled him back. Hard.
He collapsed onto the ice, shaking, his breath uneven.
"…Thank you…"
Koya didn't respond. She simply turned forward again and kept walking.
The rest of the crossing passed in silence.
When they finally reached the other side, the tension didn't ease—it only shifted.
Melly raised his hand once more. Flames flared. The bridge shattered. Ice broke apart into fragments and vanished into the void below, leaving no trace behind.
"Let's keep moving," he said.
Like it meant nothing.
The forest changed as they moved deeper.
The trees grew closer together, their branches hanging lower, forcing them to push through layers of leaves and thick undergrowth. Light barely reached the ground now, leaving the path ahead dim and uncertain.
Melly formed a blade of ice without a word and began cutting through the densest sections, clearing the way forward.
Behind him, Anna slowed slightly, falling into step beside Koya.
"You've been quiet," she said gently.
Koya didn't answer right away. Her eyes remained fixed ahead.
Melly isn't telling us everything." Koya said. "It's me being important related to me having Ikua's arm and if it does... That means Melly know why it choose me."
Anna followed her gaze.
"Ever since the Flow bound he didn't quite act the same... Melly always been quiet, back of the class, keeping to himself. But in the Flow bound he showed he is stronger than Ra'an who is our class number one."
Koya didn't respond. She didn't need to. They both understood.
Eventually, Melly stopped.
"This doesn't make sense…"
The group slowed behind him.
"What doesn't?" Cal asked.
Melly's eyes moved slowly across their surroundings, sharper now.
"We've been out here for hours and?" He frowned slightly. "There's nothing."
Silence settled over them.
"No animals. No predators. Not even insects."
Once he said it— It became impossible to ignore.
The forest wasn't just quiet. It was also empty.
Melly crouched, placing his hand against the ground as he closed his eyes, reaching out for something—anything.
There was nothing. No movement. No presence. No hostility.
His eyes opened again.
"…Stay alert."
By the time they found a cave, exhaustion had already begun to settle in.
No one argued. They moved inside without hesitation.
The air within was cool, still, and strangely comforting compared to the forest outside. One by one, they settled down, bodies giving in to the fatigue they had been holding back.
Melly didn't.
He turned toward the entrance.
"I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" Bless asked.
Melly didn't stop.
"I won't be long."
And then he was gone. Swallowed by the forest.
Deeper within the trees, he moved alone. Slower now. More deliberate.
"This isn't right…"
He pulled out the map again, studying it carefully, his eyes narrowing as something refused to line up.
Then he felt it. A presence. Subtle. Watching. He didn't turn.
"…You're not as quiet as you think." He whispered to himself.
High above, Meriosa stood on a branch, her eyes locked onto him.
She blinked— And he was gone.
"Why are you following me?"
Her eyes widened. She turned— Melly stood behind her.
She dropped down.
Melly also dropped. Stopped in front of her. Stared at her calmly.
"I ask again, why you following me?"
Meriosa hesitated. Then spoke.
"…Everyone has questions, Including me." she said calmly. "You're not telling us everything. Are you?"
He walked past her without stopping.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
She followed anyway.
"You know I don't believe you."
He didn't respond.
They walked in silence— Until they found them.
A small herd of deer, grazing peacefully in a clearing.
Melly glanced at her.
"…Go on."
Meriosa stepped forward, her posture shifting slightly.
"I'll handle it."
He raised a brow, faint amusement in his eyes.
"Really?"
"…I didn't grow up on my own." She said Then she moved.
It happened so fast it barely registered—one moment she was standing still, the next she was already there. A single motion. Clean. Precise.
One of the deer dropped instantly.
Melly nodded once.
"…Impressive."
They returned to the cave, food and wood in hand, the reaction was immediate. Relief. Surprise.
"Dinner," Melly said simply, setting it down.
He sat down.
"We rest for the night... Tommorow we go to a village, not so far from here."
Anna hesitated before speaking.
"…Aren't villages under Ekekiri's control?"
Melly's expression didn't change.
"…Trust me... I've a plan for every possibility"
Night fell quickly.
Darkness settled over the forest like something alive.
Inside the cave, the fire flickered softly, shadows shifting along the walls as exhaustion slowly pulled everyone toward sleep.
Outside— Something moved. A branch snapped. Then another. Slow. Heavy. Deliberate.
Not one. Several.
In the darkness, eyes opened. Watching. Waiting.
Inside the cave— Melly's eyes opened. Slowly. He didn't move. Didn't speak.
But he felt it. Clear as anything. They weren't alone.
To Be Continued.