CHAPTER 23 - SECOND

"What is going on, Hoax?" Roi asked.

"I found a dead wild bear in the west. I thought it was Meta but it seems like there is someone, aside from us in here," Hoax explained, "I can say that she possesses a different kind of power, I can feel how dark it was, and believe me, it was a strong dark power."

"Haven't you felt it while Lady Samson is around?" Snow asked him.

"No, it is not her's. It was a lot more powerful than Lady Samson's," Hoax said.

"I can't stay here anymore! I don't want to stay here anymore!" Friean was panicking.

"Calm down, Princess," Rex was successful in calming Friean by hugging her.

"We have to stay calm and alert, okay? We were just at the entrance. We have to do it and we have to get out of here complete," Ace talked to all of them.

"To be honest, I am not that fierce to continue this. Like, yeah, I am the next King but I am into sports not to combats!" Mave sounds so scared.

"Just relax, Mave. We can all do this. We all have our weaknesses and of course, our strengths. Just think positively and we will get through this, okay?" Ace comforted him.

After a couple of minutes when all of them were calm and collected, they have decided to start walking deeper into the forest. Large vines, thick leaves, different noises, and muddy pathways. Far different from what you will see on the outside.

"We are totally tricked by the beauty of this forest from the outside," Snow said while having a hard time walking, "Urgh! I hate this!"

"Just like the beauty of someone I know. Nice to see, but dangerous to deal with," David said before he surpassed her while walking.

Snow stopped and was planning to get back from where they are from when Ace caught him and pulled her back into the middle where they decided to position Snow and Friean, "Don't go too far. You might get lost, or worst you might be in danger."

Rex smiled and teased him, "Nice move, brother!"

"May I ask? Why did we go here in the West when this is the area was where the dead bear was found?" Mave was curious.

"Because if we were right," Tosh answered and he was also pertaining to Hoax, Ace, and Roi, "The murderer was done in this area so it will be wandering to other places since this area was already disturbed, other living creatures might be transferred to different directions."

"Oh, I see. You guys were quite knowledgeable about this. Now, I feel worse that I didn't even train in this when I was little," Mave said and stopped when he felt something on his feet. He saw a rope and slowly lifts his feet when he heard something from a distance coming. He located it and luckily he was able to move out of its direction but he fell into the ground, "Woah! That was close!"

"See? Good thing you are an athlete and you have fast reaction time and reflexes," Snow said and helped him to get up.

"So this is not just a forest resided by animals, but also a forest full of trap and courses. We haven't entered an ordinary training. We entered a trial to death," Roi said while looking around the area.

They heard Friean shouted, "Why is it always me to find a dead piece of the body?"

"That was the bear you are talking about, Hoax?" Tosh touched and tasted its blood. He was stunned for a moment, "The bear's blood has venom. It is rare because they usually don't have it. We can eat this but we should dry it up first from its blood before grilling the meat."

"Seriously? We will eat that?" Snow was covering her nose.

"We have no choice, Snow. Sheldon is not here to prepare for us," Roi answered.

"It is not the time to be picky, Empress. Besides, the real goal of this training was survival. You have to survive with just dealing with the things we can see in this forest," David added.

"I know! Okay? But can we have leaves or anything? Like this," she picked a leaf and ate it. But her knees began shaking and she fainted.

"Snow!" Friean called her.

Tosh looked and saw that Snow ate a poisonous leaf, "This is bad! She ate Water Hemlock!"

"What do you mean?" Friean asked while still shaking Snow hoping that she will wake up.

"It was a poisonous plant that. It may look like a pleasant plant but it can kill you," Tosh.

"We have already talked about this, right? To be careful! What we will do now?" Roi was worried.

"I don't know any remedy to this. We can't save Snow in this situation," Tosh felt so sorry that he can't do anything about it.

David was flustered and was not moving. He was too shocked about what had happened to Snow.

"David, are you alright?" Mave asked.

"I should have watched her more carefully. I should have stayed nearer to her. This shouldn't have happened. It was my fault. I didn't take good care of her. I became an irresponsible butler. I deserve punishment," and he cried.

Mave embraced her, "Calm down, bro. You did nothing wrong. It's just that, things really happen. The Emperor will surely understand you."

"What's wrong?" Meta came and she was covered with blood.

"She ate Water Hemlock. And we did not know anything to save her," Friean answered while crying.

"Stupid! You said you'll come when you are needed? Where the hell are you now? It is a life and death situation now where are you?" Meta screamed with all of her might.

"She is not coming," Roi stopped her, "Reserve your energy and promise to never go away from us. It was all planned. No one was to blame."

A tornado-like wind came into their area and it revealed Lady Samson, "The body will be delivered to the Southwest right away. All of you can go back to training as if nothing really happened. I am very sorry for your loss. Just be more careful from now on to prevent this from happening again. We shall go now."

"This isn't right! How can you treat her like just a mere plant that died! How heartless are you?" Friean cried, "I have lost a friend, we screamed for help yet you did not come! You promised, bitch! I'll swear to get back at you!"

It seems like the only person who trusted Lady Samson the most was already gone and up to fight against her. Will all of them survive this cruel forest? Or who will be the next to join Steph and Snow in the afterlife?