EPISODE 6 - SCENE 1: THE SHADOW OF THREATS

Location: Macchabée Forest, midday.

The wind, heavy and humid, wove through the massive trees of the forest, whispering through the dense foliage. The sunlight, trapped by the towering canopy, filtered down in thin silver rays, casting ghostly glimmers on the ground, where the damp moss shimmered in nearly supernatural hues. Every leaf, every branch seemed burdened with secrets, as if the forest itself harbored remnants of a forgotten past. The silence here wasn't merely an absence of sound but a tangible void, as though nature itself held its breath.

The air was thick with an earthy and metallic scent, as if the forest had absorbed centuries of blood and suffering. Each step William took pressed his boots slightly into the soft earth, the ground swallowing his footsteps in a muted whisper. A strange sensation gripped him—the feeling that the earth wanted to hold him back, to engulf him, to make him disappear into its dark depths. The surrounding vegetation seemed to watch, frozen, almost alive. The roots of the trees twisted beneath the soil like veins, whispering ancient secrets.

An oppressive silence reigned.

The birds, usually noisy, had fallen eerily quiet. No rustling leaves, no sign of life... Only the occasional crack of wood echoed in the surrounding darkness. The wind had stilled, caught in the shadow of fear. A deceptive calm, like the eye of a storm waiting to break. The forest seemed to hold its breath, anticipating the inevitable moment.

William moved forward slowly; each step calculated. Haku and Néro followed closely, forming a defensive triangle. The path had faded into a mere scar in the heart of hostile vegetation. The roots of the trees clung to their boots, but they advanced without a word, their movements precise and synchronized. The tension was palpable, like a taut string ready to snap. Their silent steps made them shadows among shadows, gliding between the trunks like predators lurking in the night.

William's fingers instinctively brushed the ring on his hand—a subconscious gesture in response to the rising tension. His instincts screamed at him to be ready. He didn't need to activate his Shadow Veil to sense that something was wrong. Every tremor in the air, every shift in the earth set him on edge. His muscles tensed slightly, prepared to react at the slightest signal. He could feel the electricity in the air, an internal warning like an unspoken premonition.

Suddenly, a bluish glow hovered beside him. The calm yet urgent voice of Iris broke the stillness.

— Iris (in his mind, fluctuating from blue to green): "Master, my scans are detecting abnormal vibrations beneath the ground."

William raised an eyebrow but didn't slow his pace. His senses sharpened, the sounds of the forest fading into the background of his thoughts. He focused on the ground, scrutinizing every tremor. He could already feel the energy beneath his feet. This wasn't just magic, it was something more primal, more terrifying.

— William (whispering): "More details, Iris?"

— Iris: "The frequency of the vibrations matches movements… unnatural ones. Something massive is moving underground. Fast."

William halted abruptly; his eyes locked on the trembling moss. Now he could feel it—faint, irregular vibrations pulsing like a battered heartbeat. This wasn't just an earthquake or a natural phenomenon. This was something else. A presence.

He turned slightly toward Haku, whose piercing eyes were locked onto the darkness, fully alert. Every fiber of her being was taut, ready to react at the first sign of danger. Haku was his shadow, his partner, and he knew that one's vigilance depended on the other.

— William (whispering): "Are we under attack?"

Haku calmly placed a hand on the hilt of her katana, her thumb poised to draw. Her blade glowed faintly under the filtered light. She waited, like a beast coiled to strike, measuring every movement in the shadows.

— Haku: "My clones haven't detected anything yet. But… something tells me this is only the beginning."

The ground trembled again, this time stronger, more erratic. As if something was approaching, devouring the earth as it moved. The sensation grew more intense. The vibrations became tremors, as if the very land was struggling against an invader from the depths.

Then, the silence was torn apart.

A scream. Sudden. Piercing. Human. Pure terror, an inarticulate agony, before the sound was smothered by the dense forest canopy. The shriek vanished like a candle being extinguished, leaving behind a chilling resonance.

The three warriors exchanged a look, and that simple glance was enough.

Without a word, they quickened their pace. Their movements became fiercer, their steps more assured. They advanced through the shadows, slipping between trees with the precision of hunters, carving their path with the cold efficiency of predators. The tension within them grew, tightening like a coiled spring, sharpening every muscle, every sense. They were no longer just walking. They had become a single entity in motion, their bodies merging with the landscape.

As they progressed, the sounds of battle grew distinct. Metal striking metal. Cries of pain. Magical explosions reverberate like echoes of a desperate struggle. The detonations shattered the forest's eerie silence, like an anguished scream carried by the wind. The chaos of conflict tore through the morbid tranquility of the woods.

— Iris (more urgent now): "Master, we are closing in. Visual contact in 100 meters."

William slowed slightly. He lowered his gaze, his eyes analyzing the vibration patterns. The ground trembled inconsistently, chaotically. This wasn't a single force. It was multiple. A tide. A blind, unrelenting menace.

— William (in a low voice, addressing Haku and Néro): "We're approaching. Get into position and wait for my signal. No reckless actions."

A second scream rang out. Longer. Deeper. A collective wail, mixing fear and despair. Like a funeral chorus announcing a certain death. The earth seemed to revolt, and William could feel the anxiety spreading through the air, intertwining with his own resolve.

William's heart tightened. They pushed forward faster. One last curtain of foliage, one final obstacle, and the scene unfolded before them. They positioned themselves in a defensive triangle, their eyes scanning the terrain. And what they saw chilled them.

In the Black River Gorge, a massacre was in full swing.

Massive creatures descended upon a convoy of merchants and travelers. Towering over two meters, their armored black skin glistened ominously. Their arms ended in razor-sharp pincers, slicing through flesh and metal with disturbing ease.

— Néro (murmuring, clenching his fists): "Scorpion-men, Master. They inhabit the Gorge territories."

The caravans burned. Flames devoured shattered wood, consuming everything in their path. Silhouettes fled, only to be torn apart, powerless against their brutal assailants. The scene was pure carnage, a slaughter under a sky darkened by terror.

— Haku (grimacing): "And that's not all, Master William. Look behind them."

William narrowed his eyes, searching for the anomaly. And then, he saw it.

A thin, upright figure, standing in the distance. Clad in dark armor etched with enigmatic symbols. His gaze was icy, detached, but his aura… it reeked of predation.

The unknown figure had no interest in the massacre.

He was simply there to watch.

William had never seen this man before, but he knew exactly what he was. A warlord. A mercenary. A predator among predators.

His instincts sharpened instantly. His eyes locked onto the shadow observing the battlefield like a beast waiting for its turn.

The real threat had yet to reveal itself.