Verdant

"The forest is the Beast Lord," the teenager's words echoed in Alex's mind.

The chilling realization that made his skin crawl.

Alex narrowed his gaze.

It wasn't as though he hadn't suspected it before—he'd felt it the moment he stepped foot into this cursed place.

The oppressive aura, the unrelenting sense of danger that [Danger Sense] only amplified, all pointed to one thing:

The forest wasn't just alive; it was the enemy.

But hearing it confirmed by the boy in front of him added a weight Alex couldn't ignore.

The stakes were far higher than he'd realized.

Alex's brow furrowed as he began to piece everything together.

His mind worked quickly, but a flicker of movement caught his attention—the boy's head was drooping, his eyelids fluttering dangerously close to shutting.

"Hey, kid!" Alex barked, snapping the teenager back to attention.

The boy blinked groggily and muttered, "It's Dorian."