Zhadra pointed her hammer at the clone, no not exactly at the clone rather what was behind it, the weak point.

The clone barely crossed its hands when…

And Boom, the ground shook, a blinding light filling the cage, the smell of fire filling the air, as red projection flared from the hammer head, obliterating everything in its path, dirt, the clone, everything was swallowed by the light.

After a few seconds, the energy die down, the clone was gone, along with a gaping hole, torn through the forest cage, revealing the lighter expanse of the Netherveil, outside the forest.

The smell of burnt wood permeating through the air, as the dome receded into Orivin's shield, he patted Zhadra's back, grinning.

"No time to waste," he hoisted Tavena onto his back and rushed towards the opening, following Zhadra and Jake.

Serif dashed forward, appearing at the entrance, leading the way out, they had to hurry.

He looked up at the burnt tree branches, already trying to regrow, trying to heal.

"Hurry," he muttered, the light of the Netherveil looking like their salvation at this point.

The group hurried, breaking into a sprint, but they were slow, at least Zhadra was slow, most likely due to exhaustion, at this rate they wouldn't make it before the path sealed itself.

He was about to head back and help her, when Orivin, hoisted her onto his other shoulder, and broke into a sprint, Zhadra frowning, but didn't protest.

Even with the Shield and two humans on him, he did not seem to be slow.

But at that moment, Jake tripped, rolling through the dirt, he quickly got up and continued sprinting.

But Serif frowned, the vines were getting faster, the exit in front rapidly getting smaller.

I have to do something, he dashed forward, turning to a blur, covering the remaining distance in seconds.

Then he twirled his chains forming a circle, big enough for people to pass, and he started spinning, around the rims of the exit, chopping or rather, sawing off the growing edges with the spin, preventing it from reducing size.

A quick fix, a way to buy time, it wouldn't last, the vines already trying to grow around the spinning chain, but using the other, he got rid of any.

But the forest wasn't going to let it go that easily, it started growing faster too fast, Serif gave up, rather, he swung his chain, screaming through the air, it wrapped around Jake and pulled, throwing him out of the forest.

Orivin still sprinting forward, Serif's chains approaching him this time.

But at that's second, Serif's instinct screamed, something was wrong, a cold chill travelled up his spine.

Then clank, his chain collided against another chain, from behind Orivin, the chain sent back to him.

Orivin grinned, and spun around, throwing Zhadra and Tavena towards Serif while simultaneously pulling his shield out.

Serif caught the two effortlessly, Tavena screaming out as Orivin slammed his shield into the ground, a glowing projection forming, covering the entire tunnel.

Tavena continued to scream, trying to get out of Serif's hand, trying to approach Orivin, but she couldn't, the vines growing rapidly ahead of them, isolating Orivin.

"Get going," Orivin shouted as something clanged with his shield, pushing him back.

Just before the vine closed, he grinned at Serif, a dashing smile, pretty cool, Serif thought as he leapt out of the tunnel, the trees covering the entrance as his chains snapped back to his wrist.

Serif looked back at the forest, the tunnel completely covered now, dark trees hiding what was inside, along with Orivin.

He held on tightly to Tavena who kept struggling, trying to get back to the forest, screaming Orivin's name.

"Where…where's Orivin?" Jake's voice came from behind, trembling.

Serif looked down, jaws clenched, Tavena slamming her fists onto his chest.

Jake collapsed to his knees, head bowed down, Zhadra slowly walked towards him, her expression grim.

She placed a hand on Jake's shoulder, but her mind was blank, what was she supposed to say?

Serif felt utterly helpless, he was supposed to be the leader, but there was nothing he could think of to do at this moment.

Orivin was supposed to be the one to deal with all this, while he was supposed to be the protector, but he failed and now.

His nails dug into his palms, blood trickling down, Tavena weakly struggling.

At this rate, the team wouldn't make it, not due to monsters but due to his lack of emotional intelligence.

He looked at Tavena 's head, the only thing coming to mind was to knock her out.

The only reprieve was the forest seemed to be unable to cross a border, but he was still wary, he had learned not to trust those so called borders.

He turned towards the group, Jake still on the ground, Zhadra just standing, hurriedly cleaning something from her face.

"Hey," Serif started, "you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking away, "he had a granddaughter," she whispered, perhaps to herself, but Serif heard.

"How about him," his gaze moved to Jake on the ground, head bowed down.

Then Zhadra did something unexpected, she bent down and hugged his back.

Serif's eyes widened, wasn't that too much, no it was just right, in the few days they had been together, Orivin had been something more to Jake, he really needed this.

Jake lifted his head, tears strumming down his face, snort leaking out of his nose which he drew back, and grinned, wiping his tears with his sleeves.

Serif frowned at the sight, was he going to have another Tavena on his hand.

But Jake's next words proved otherwise, " I'm fine, there's nothing we can do about the past anyway," he muttered grinning, tears streaming down.

"Orivin wouldn't want us sulking for nothing, and who says he's dead," he tilted his head and stood up.

"We don't know that, so let's get moving," he walked towards Serif and patted Tavena's head.

Her eyes blankly looking at him, "he wouldn't be happy seeing you like this."

"He'd say smile," he gently pinched the edge of her lips and pulled, "you look prettier that way."

Serif looked down on Jake, confusion written all over his face, what happened, is this the same wimpy kid, what exactly did Orivin do to him, his gaze on Jake's back as he walked away.

"Hey…" Zhadra snapped her finger, interrupting his thoughts.

"What are you spacing out for," She narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing," Serif answered.

She looked down at Tavena still in his arms, "you should let her go now."

Serif frowned, "right," he muttered, releasing her, but he held her hand, preventing her from falling on the ground.

She was exhausted, physically and mentally, Serif lifted her and strapped her to his back.

"What," he asked as he saw Zhadra gawking at him, brows raised, mouth slightly opened.

She burst into boisterous laughter, "nothing," she turned away.

What's so funny, he wondered.

Doesn't matter, for now, he look up, towards the ruins of the tower, we head there.

His eyes widened, something was staring at him, he sharply turned around, the dark forest still, behind him, nothing else.

But he knew better than to believe that false sense of peace.

"Let's go," he muttered as he headed away from the forest.

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