They ran like there was no tomorrow, drenched in boiling blood and dirt. The only option was to keep moving, their feet pounding the ground as the wind howled and the heavens screamed above.
Those who didn’t run?
They fell. And once they fell, they didn’t rise again—only their screams lingered, guttural and raw, twisting into something unearthly until Azriel found himself wondering if it was possible for a human to make such sounds. But even that fleeting thought drowned in the thunderous cacophony overhead as he ran, red lightning flickering around him, forcing him to match the relentless pace.
Amaya, though a master, was running just fast enough for him to keep up. She prioritized Azriel and Jasmine over the soldiers, who had a grim choice: stay close to Amaya and Cole or risk being devoured by the horrors lurking in this infernal forest. None dared stray.
Azriel, no stranger to speed, pushed his limits with his lightning affinity, and it kept him in step with the advanced ranks. Blindly charging forward wasn’t an option; the void creatures hid in wait, and every step in these woods invited disaster. And so, they pressed on under Amaya and Cole’s lead, for hours that blurred into one unending moment.
Above them, the battle raged on, thunderous and close, never retreating.
*****
The world had turned colorless, and Azriel’s face was blank, stripped of all emotion. He had no choice but to engage [Void Mind]—the raw fear alone would have destroyed him otherwise. He couldn’t afford even the slightest lapse.
Exhaustion weighed on him, yet his face betrayed nothing. Under the veil of [Void Mind], every trace of his physical strain vanished, replaced by eerie calm. So when they finally stopped, Azriel was among the few who didn’t collapse on the rocky shore.
Behind them, the ancient woods burned. Black smoke spiraled up to merge with dark clouds. And ahead stretched an endless black sea, mirroring the bleak sky.
The sound of the distant battle was relentless, and as Azriel turned, he caught glimpses of red and gold flaring above the trees.
“It has to be at least a monarch-ranked void creature,” he murmured, his gaze tracing the darkened sky. Only something of that scale could keep Grandmaster Mira at bay.
He looked back at the others, some glancing his way with wary, questioning eyes. Azriel ignored them, walking forward, his back straight, eyes fixed on the ink-black water. The onyx shore gleamed under the dim light, but Azriel’s attention was unwavering.
The sea lay perfectly still, a surreal contrast to the chaotic wind tearing through the air and tossing his hair wildly.
“My prince…”
Azriel’s head turned at Amaya’s voice. She approached him, pristine and composed, untouched by blood or dirt, her face subtly disturbed as she took in his detached expression.
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The coldness around him faded as he let go of [Void Mind]. A faint smile cracked his face.
“A little tired, but I’ll manage.”
Amaya blinked, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor, then sighed.
“I’m glad you’re unharmed.”
Azriel observed her silently as she looked over at the others, exhausted and wary. They might have escaped the woods, but there was no reprieve in sight.
‘My head…’
He resisted the urge to groan as his pulse throbbed painfully. The strain of switching [Void Mind] on and off was jarring, and he felt nauseous, his senses blurred.
‘After using [Void Mind], my physical burden always feels… lighter.’
But before he could dwell on it, a frustrated voice cut through his thoughts.
“Just what in the name of the gods was that?”
Cole’s outburst snapped everyone’s attention. He stormed over to Amaya and Azriel, his face pale, eyes wide with anger.
Azriel furrowed his brows, while Amaya’s gaze hardened, the air around her turning frigid enough that Azriel felt a shiver run through him.
“Sir Cole, calm yourself. If you panic, the soldiers will do the same,” she warned, her voice a measured blade.
“And I shouldn’t panic?”
Cole’s voice was barely controlled.
“Some… some incomprehensible being showed up. It’s still fighting Grandmaster Mira! And we’ve been attacked by void worms—twelve lives lost! And now, gods know what else is happening!”
He turned, his glare falling on Azriel.
“Why is King Joaquin even here? I don’t believe the tale that he’s ‘exploring’—for all we know, this is another twisted scheme by your Crimson King!”
“Mind your words, Sir Cole,” Amaya’s voice reverberated, silencing the crowd. Her presence pressed down on them like a weight, chilling their bones.
Cole faltered under her gaze but held on to his frustration, his face still tight with fury.
Azriel was silent, but another cold voice sliced through the tension.
“You may accuse my father all you want when you stand before him, but for now, we need to reach him. Wherever he is, it’s the safest place for us.”
The others turned as Jasmine joined them, her face streaked with blood and grime, her eyes narrowed at Cole.
“And be mindful, Sir Cole. You represent the government, so your words reflect on them.”
Cole’s jaw clenched as he registered the implication, muttering under his breath.
‘Can’t blame him,’
Azriel thought, suppressing his own frustration.
‘None of this makes any sense…’
They all stood in a fog of uncertainty. No one—not even Amaya, perhaps—could say what creature Mira was fighting. Whatever it was, it had driven the woods to madness.
Azriel felt the weight of his own composure. Even after disengaging [Void Mind], he was oddly calm. His gaze wandered to Nol, silver hair matted with blood, watching the woods with unsettling curiosity, then to Lumine and Yelena, their faces pale.
In a way, Azriel realized he had nothing to prove. Two years in the void realm had already marked him. No one needed to act like a survivor in this place—they either lived or didn’t.
And all of this… this was considered tame.
Azriel stifled a bitter chuckle as Jasmine approached, about to speak. He cut her off, his tone gentle.
“Are you alright?”
She blinked, surprised, then offered a faint smile.
“I’m just disgusted… but unharmed.”
Azriel nodded, and Amaya’s voice reached everyone.
“Rest time is over. We’re close to the tunnels. Stand up and move—whether you follow or not, I doubt the danger in those woods will wait for you.”
No one argued; they rose quickly, shaken but ready. And together, they started eastward, pushing deeper into the unknown.