The Forbidden Forest Mayhem

Chapter 18: Forbidden Forest Mayhem (Bom's POV)

The three of us stood at the edge of the Forbidden Woods, where the trees whispered and something inside definitely wanted us dead.

Screeches. Growls. Laughter? Yeah, not the friendly kind.

I looked at Clavis and Bob. Both were tense.

Actually… so was I.

Sure, I'm immortal. Handsome. Powerful. But if some monster slices off my gorgeous , perfect head? I'm gone. Or if someone throws an Amrazona stone at me? Boom—slow, dramatic death. So yeah, today I brought backup.

"Well," I said, raising my hand dramatically. "Before we enter, a moment of courage."

Clavis raised an eyebrow but placed his hand on mine. Bob hesitated, then joined.

"We're three strong men , two with average beauty and one gorgeous ," I declared. "We got this. Worst case scenario… we lose Bob."

Clavis nodded like I'd just spoken gospel.

Bob screamed. "WHAT?! I want to live! Good luck to you both—I'm out!"

He spun to run, but Clavis snatched him by the collar and dragged him back.

"Bob," I said calmly, "we need your help. What are we?"

Bob blinked. "In danger?"

Clavis sighed. "He means friends."

Bob's face lit up. "Oh! Right. Friends."

"Exactly," I nodded. "And friends sacrifice each other—I mean, help each other."

Bob grumbled. "You said I'd last two minutes in there. What about Clavis?"

I shrugged. "Alone ? More than you thats sure ."

Clavis chuckled.

"You want me to die," Bob muttered.

"Only hypothetically."

We entered the woods—me on one side of Bob, Clavis on the other—basically dragging him like a toddler between exhausted parents.

"Any idea what kind of monsters are in here?" Clavis asked.

I rubbed my chin. "Hmm… maybe Kortanz witches? Lamborians? Something worse?"

"Guys…" Bob's voice trembled.

"Maybe a cursed unicorn?" I continued. "Or shadow spiders…"

"GUYS!!" Bob shrieked.

I turned—and froze.

Less than a minute in, and already...

Trolls.

Not one. Not three.

An entire clan. At least twenty. Giant, ugly, hungry.

Bob whimpered. "I wanna go home I'm Too …"

"Too young and handsome to die, I know," I muttered.

Clavis drew his swords. "Bom?"

"I'll take the middle. You go left. Bob, right."

Bob shrieked, "THE LEFT HAS LESS TROLLS—I'LL TAKE LEFT!"

"Fine," Clavis said with a sigh.

"Bom," Clavis added, "levitation won't cut it here."

I smirked. "Who said that's my only trick?"

I stepped toward the trolls, hands raised.

"Hello, noble creatures!"

Bob: "Is he… trying to befriend them?"

Clavis: "Or trying to get us killed."

"We come in peace!" I added.

One troll hurled a log directly at my face.

SMACK.

"MY FACE! My beautiful, symmetrical face!!"

That's it. No more Mr. Nice Bom.

Red lightning crackled in my palms.

"You want chaos?" I shouted. "HAVE SOME!"

CRACK! BOOM!

I unleashed red thunder that ripped across the clearing. Trolls screamed. Bob tripped on his own sword. Clavis slashed through their ranks with deadly grace.

I levitated, spun midair, and zapped two trolls into the dirt. Another leapt for me—Clavis intercepted with a clean cut. Bob, screaming, somehow managed to stab one in the knee.

The fight was chaos. Explosions. Roars. Dirt. Screams.

And then... silence.

The trolls were gone.

Dead or unconscious. Either way, we won.

And there we were.

All three of us collapsed in a tangled heap on the forest floor—sweaty, bruised, and lying on top of one another like three defeated pancakes.

"I'm so tired," I moaned. "Regis cuddled me like a body pillow all night. I didn't sleep."

"I thought you were the strong one," Clavis muttered.

"I'm gorgeous, not a god."

Bob mumbled, "I want to go home…"

"Just ten minutes," I said, flopping flat on the grass. "Ten minutes and I'll—"

"GUESS WHAT?!" Bob screamed.

I bolted upright.

Yeah.

Of course.

No break for us. Ever.