Chapter 7:Too Late to Start

Squadron 1, led by Keith and Alex, returned to base camp safely. The injured members were given bandages, but they were still breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

"I can tell you guys aren't feeling any better," Keith said, handing out water and massaging the sore muscles of his comrades with the aid they had brought. "It's merely the first week. If I let my men go before me, I don't know how I could ever forgive myself."

"That's Captain for you, boys," Alex said, adding branches and leaves to the dying fire. "Originally, we planned on immediate assistance, but since this is what it is, let's just stand here and wait."

"Sorry," one of the soldiers apologized.

Alex made a dismissive gesture with his left hand. "When Ethan gets here, you'll get treatments, so calm your mind and have faith. We're still in the early chapters of the story."

A few minutes later, Lelloid arrived, leading Ivan and Sandro, along with their men. Squadron 3's safety was secured, though they also had injured members requiring immediate treatment.

"Same page," Ivan greeted them, settling near the large fire.

The members of the squadron rose from their seats, aiding their wounded comrades.

"Some large insects, also?" Alex asked Ivan, standing beside him.

"You guessed it. Oh, and there are, actually, those you call deer, too," Ivan replied.

"Great, food supply secured," Alex said.

"Everything recorded in the library seems to be real. They're no fiction," Ivan stated.

At that moment, Oscar and Ethan arrived.

"Oscar, Ethan… where are your guys?" Ivan asked the two.

Oscar and Ethan stood motionless, their faces etched with fear, their fists clenched tightly.

Ethan stopped biting his lip and began to speak, "We're late…"

***

Thorns clawed at Ethan's tunic as he tore through the undergrowth, the forest floor a blur beneath his pounding boots. Oscar, agile for his size, weaved beside him, their breaths ragged gasps in the cold night air.

They burst into a clearing, moonlight filtering through the lake's surface, reflecting a shattered view.

Their scouts lay still in the running water. Blood stained the river in macabre crimson, a symphony of death replacing the chirping crickets.

Sandro's stomach lurched. He had seen his share of carnage in his years as captain, but this… this was meticulously cruel. Every body bore deep, clean cuts, the work of a master swordsman or something far more terrifying.

A primal fear coiled in Oscar's chest, his face ashen in the moonlight. They didn't need words to understand the gravity of the situation. This wasn't a skirmish gone wrong, but a deliberate act of decimation.

Before them stood a figure, imposing and still. Long white hair, threaded with dark 

streaks, cascaded down its back. Pointed ears emerged from the flowing strands, and one pale eye, fixed and unblinking, stared eternally skyward. It wasn't a gaze of reverence, but a frozen stare, the eye locked in a condition called hypertropia.

The figure wore a long, white robe, adorned with swirling black lines, and the air around it crackled with an unnatural energy. A faint scent of burning lingered, yet no fire flickered anywhere.

The figure turned slowly, its movements unnaturally fluid. Its voice, when it spoke, was a breezing undertone. "Late."

Sandro and Oscar froze, their weapons feeling woefully inadequate against this otherworldly presence.

"Forth," it said, its gaze piercing. "I like to be suprised by courage."

The sly gaze, reaching into the very depths of their souls, amplified the weight of its words. Neither man dared to breathe, let alone speak. Their throats constricted with a primal fear.

"Coming here hoping I clash with them. I hoped to be wrong. But if truly among them… you two start to unalive is right solution."

Ethan and Oscar stood rooted to the spot, their gazes fixed on the figure. The words echoed in their minds, a cold dread settling in their hearts.

"Now is already too late. And to begin with, not a single second is worth a start for you."

They were outmatched, outgunned, and utterly helpless against this otherworldly being. There was nothing they could do but stand as statues.

The figure withdrew something from its robe: a small, pitch-black gem. Its right hand, holding the gem, was partially obscured by something resembling a charred insect. The creature, black as charcoal with a faint, red glow emanating from within, seemed to be fused to the top of its hand. It looked like a burned creature gripping the figure's flesh, yet it was hard to say if it was truly alive.

At first, it looked as if he intended to shatter the gem, his grip tightening. But then, he paused, changing direction and walking away.

"Pursue me, and I'll pursue you," he said, his voice a low, chilling whisper. "Contemplate that." He paused, then added, "Tweaking for you two is fitting. Don't stop.

***

"Let's catch up to that thing," Ivan declared, rising to his feet.

Alex intercepted him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, he won't be far within reach. Vice versa also. With our condition here, reluctantly, we are at his mercy."

"So he's the prey? Nope, I can't accept that," Keith countered, pushing past Alex and Ivan.

"If anything happens, what about your men? Oh, I forgot, you said it earlier, so go on," Alex provoked.

Keith stopped, considering the consequences. He gritted his teeth, his face flushed with anger. "I could make a change. Don't underestimate me."

"Nobody is doing that, my brother," Alex replied, his voice calm.

Ethan was busy tending to the injured members. Meanwhile, Oscar approached Lelloid, who sat on a tree trunk near the campfire.

"Sir, we need answers," Oscar said, staring at the old man. "My friends set out on this quest for a view-changing discovery, not to die in misery. Is there any explanation? Just what is this former home of ours, guide?"

Lelloid stood up, nodding. "I couldn't agree more with you."

He walked to his horse and began inspecting its inventory. He retrieved a thin book with a hazel cover and silver borders.

"Now I'll fulfill my role," he said. "I expect we'll encounter Iris in a few days to discuss this issue. This is a journal I found while inspecting the kingdom's archives. It contains shocking information that could shake our country."

Lelloid flipped through the pages of the book. The squad remained silent, the crackling of the campfire the only sound in the night air.

Lelloid began to read from the first page.

"To whoever is reading this: This is the truth. You now bear the truth. You are not alone. On the other soil of the world, there are ones like you. We are among you, separated. Once united on the foreign land you perceive day and night. Throw away your beliefs of all this time. Listen to this tale, and please… act."

-To Be Continued-