Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Day 3

The morning light struggled to pierce through the thick canopy of Kirrindal Forest, casting the camp in a muted gray. Rin sat by the dwindling fire, prodding at the embers with a stick. Her hair was disheveled, her uniform smudged with dirt, and her usual lazy demeanor was replaced with quiet alertness. The forest had a way of wearing people down, and by the third day, exhaustion clung to her like a second skin.

Sosuke lay nearby, still unconscious, his condition unchanged. Despite her best efforts to keep him warm and safe, his face remained pale, and his breathing shallow. Rin chewed on her bottom lip, eyes flicking to him every few seconds as if willing him to wake up.

Ren emerged from the shadows, his expression grim. His white hair was damp with morning dew, and his silver eyes scanned the camp before settling on Sosuke. He crouched beside Rin, his voice low. "How is he?"

"Same as yesterday," Rin muttered, tossing the stick into the fire. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself. "Not better, not worse. Just… there."

Ren studied Sosuke for a moment, his jaw tightening. "He doesn't look like he's improving." His words were blunt, but his tone carried a rare softness. He reached out, placing a hand on Sosuke's forehead. "Still cold."

Rin's hands clenched into fists. "I've tried everything I can think of. Fire, blankets, mana. Nothing works. If we don't figure something out soon…" Her voice wavered, and she quickly turned away, hiding her face.

Ren sat back on his heels, exhaling sharply. "It's not your fault. This forest is designed to push us to our limits, and we've been running on fumes since Day 1." He glanced at her. "How much mana do you have left?"

"Enough to hold a flame," Rin replied, her tone bitter. "Not much else."

Ren nodded, his expression unreadable. "Then conserve it. We're not out of this yet." He stood, brushing dirt from his uniform. "I'll scout the area again. Maybe there's something out there we can use—an herb, a spring, anything."

Rin glanced up at him, her brown eyes shadowed with fatigue. "Don't get yourself killed out there. If you don't come back, I'm stuck babysitting alone."

A faint smirk tugged at Ren's lips. "Noted." He slung his weapon over his shoulder and turned toward the trees. "Keep the fire going. I'll be back before noon."

"How are you?" Elowen asked, stepping out from her makeshift tent, her tone calm but probing.

"I'm fine," Rin replied curtly, poking at the campfire with a stick.

"Are you sure? I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks, but I'm okay. I swear." Rin's eyes stayed fixed on the flickering flames, her voice even but distant.

Arthur dropped down beside the fire, his messy red hair damp from sweat or dew. "I'd wager every group is struggling by now," he said, breaking the silence. "No way they've got enough mana reserves left to be operating at full strength on Day Three."

He pulled up the holographic leaderboard, the faint blue glow lighting his face. "Still number one—2400 points. Second place goes to Reid, Rafael, and Milo."

Lyra groaned as she flopped down near the fire, her hair in a disheveled braid. "Do I have to hear my stupid brother's name first thing in the morning?"

"Brother?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Reid," Lyra muttered, not looking up. "Reid Stark. He's my half-brother, technically. Different last name because he was… disowned by the Valcrest family." Her voice hardened. "Can't use spells and has shitty mana control."

"Yet they're second," Arthur said, leaning back on his hands, his tone grudgingly impressed.

Lyra didn't respond. Instead, she grabbed her sword and stood, brushing off her clothes. "I'm hungry. I'm going to see if I can hunt something. Tired of berries."

"I'll come with you," Arthur offered, standing and stretching.

"Suit yourself," Lyra said, her tone clipped as she headed toward the forest, Arthur trailing behind.

Rin glanced up briefly as Lyra and Arthur walked off, their voices fading into the dense forest. She sighed, her focus returning to the fire. The camp felt quieter without their chatter, but the stillness only made the weight in her chest heavier.

Elowen lingered nearby, her sharp, calculating gaze flicking between Rin and Sosuke. "You know, Rin," she said carefully, "there's nothing wrong with admitting you're scared."

Rin stiffened, her hand tightening around the stick she was using to stoke the flames. "I'm not scared," she said flatly, though the crack in her voice betrayed her.

Elowen knelt down, her tone calm but pointed. "You're not just worried about him. You're afraid of failing. Of losing everything you've worked for here."

Rin didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the fire. The truth in Elowen's words stung more than she wanted to admit.

"No one's here," Elowen said softly, her voice gentle but steady. "I promise you—it's safe to talk to me." She reached out a hand but hesitated, pulling back when she saw the silent tears streaking down Rin's face, glistening in the firelight.

"I'm scared he won't wake up." Rin's voice cracked as she finally spoke, her fingers tightening around the stick she was using to stir the fire. "This is the second time he's been hurt this bad. How much more can he possibly take?" She wiped at her face roughly, as though trying to erase the evidence of her vulnerability. "I know for a fact that if any one of us had been through what he has, we'd be dead."

Elowen nodded. "I understand. But you're strong. You'll get through this."

Rin didn't reply. She focused on the fire, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.

Lyra groaned as she sat down beside them. "I'm tired of berries. I swear, if I see one more, I'm tossing it at the nearest tree."

Rin chuckled. "Go for it. Maybe the forest will appreciate it."

Arthur appeared from the trees, his expression as serious as always. "It's time to move. We need to head out now."

No one objected. Everyone moved to grab their things and prepared to leave. Rin kicked away the campfire and walked over to Sosuke, crouching beside him.

"How long do you think it'll take us to get to the extraction point?" Lyra was stuffing her bag with food, water, clothes, and other supplies, her movements quick but precise.

"Dunno. Couple hours, likely. We're pretty far from it," Ren said, scanning the dense forest with a grimace. "Not upset to be leaving this place."

"Ugh, why couldn't we have moved closer yesterday if we already knew where it'd be?" Lyra groaned.

Ren crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Really? You wanted to move that far with everyone in bad condition and two of us worse off?"

"Well, when you put it like that…" Lyra trailed off, shrugging.

Arthur stood at the edge of the tree line, waiting with his bag slung over his shoulder. He turned back to shoot Ren a pointed look, urging him to hurry.

"Right." Ren shifted his attention to Rin, who was adjusting Sosuke's blanket and checking him over. He grabbed his things, tossing his bag over his shoulder, and walked toward her.

"How are we going to take him?" Rin asked without looking up.

"I got it!" Lyra rushed over to them, weaving hand signs rapidly. "This is a little different from typical spells. I can summon a beast to help."

Ren tilted his head, his silver eyes narrowing in curiosity. "You don't need an incantation?"

"Nope, just hand signs. Summoning spells work differently because of their structure," Lyra explained as she knelt down, placing her palms flat on the ground. A large glowing circle appeared, mana swirling around as it took the shape of a large creature.

"It… looks like a dog," Ren muttered, blinking rapidly.

"Because he is!" Lyra hopped onto the animal's back and patted its side with a grin.

Ren stepped back slightly, lifting his hand to his face as if to shield himself.

"Don't tell me you're scared of this little thing!" Lyra teased, brushing her fingers through the beast's fur. "He won't bite, I promise."

"Let's just get him on there," Rin said, her sharp tone snapping Ren out of his hesitation.

"Yeah, sure."

Ren and Rin lifted Sosuke together, carefully placing him across the beast's back. The summoned creature stood steady, its glowing eyes calm and watchful.

Once Sosuke was secured, Arthur glanced at the group. "We'll keep a steady pace. If anything slows us down, we deal with it quickly and quietly."

Rin nodded, walking beside the beast to keep an eye on Sosuke, her hand occasionally brushing against the dog's fur to steady him. Ren took the lead with Arthur, keeping his eyes on the dense forest ahead.

"You've got to admit," Lyra said, falling into step beside Rin, "he's cute, right?" She gestured to the summoned creature.

"Sure," Rin said absentmindedly, her focus still on Sosuke.

The group moved in relative silence, their steps careful as they navigated through uneven terrain. Occasionally, Arthur would stop to signal them to wait while he scanned the surroundings, his sharp eyes catching movements in the shadows that were nothing more than wind-blown branches.

After an hour, Ren broke the silence. "Do you think we'll lose points for helping each other?"

Arthur glanced at Ren. "If they we do, it's just another test. Points don't mean much if you can't survive long enough to use them."

"Great," Lyra muttered. "Now I'm thinking about how much we're behind Reid."

"Focus on getting out of here first," Rin interjected. "You can worry about your brother later."

Arthur turned his attention to Elowen, who walked quietly beside him, clutching her staff tightly. "You've been quiet," he said, his voice steady but curious.

"There hasn't been much for me to say," Elowen replied softly, her gaze fixed ahead.

Arthur's sharp blue eyes scanned her, noting her tense shoulders and the way her fingers gripped the staff as if it might slip away. "You don't… feel guilty, do you?"

Elowen stopped in her tracks, startled by the question. She turned to him quickly. "No, I—" Her words faltered, and she let out a heavy sigh. "A little. I feel like if I were a better healer, I could've done more to help him. If… if he dies, it'll be my fault."

Rin bit her lip, her eyes narrowing as she looked away, trying to keep her frustration in check.

Arthur shook his head firmly. "He's not going to die. He wouldn't," he said, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his tone carrying an unwavering certainty.

The group fell silent as they walked, the crunch of their boots against the forest floor the only sound.

It wasn't long before the dense trees began to thin, revealing a sliver of light ahead. The six of them emerged from the forest's edge and stepped into a vast, bumpy grassland that stretched as far as they could see.

Lyra sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she looked at the expanse. "Are we ever going to make it? What if we don't get there on time?"

"We will," Ren said, his voice steady but quieter than usual.

Lyra glanced at him, waiting for more, but his focus was fixed on the horizon.