The ground shook again, this time with enough force that leaves and bits of branches fell from the upper canopy. The sound reverberated through the forest like the beating of distant drums—deep, rhythmic, and growing closer.

The roots suddenly retreated, disappearing into the shadows of the trees, as if something even worse were coming.

Kael raised his sword. "Prepare yourselves."

The silence shattered with a crack. A branch snapped, then another, and another—until the sound became a chaotic symphony of breaking wood. The trees ahead bent and gave way with a monstrous crack, giving way for a gigantic figure to emerge from the forest.

The ground vibrated. The smell of earth, moss, and rot filled the air.

From behind the trees, a colossal creature advanced, dragging a club made from an entire trunk covered in skulls and rusted iron. An ogre.

But no ordinary ogre.

Its skin was grayish, marked with runes that glowed a bright red, as if boiling blood circulated just beneath the surface. Bone spikes protruded from its back, and its eyes—huge and yellow—seemed to burn with a primal, cruel awareness.

"By all the gods…" Amelia whispered, taking a step back. "That's a rune ogre! They went extinct centuries ago!"

Kael flicked his wrist, his sword glinting in the golden reflection of the sun filtering through the trees. "Looks like someone forgot to warn this one."

The ogre raised its face to the sky and let out a roar so loud it made the leaves vibrate and the ground crack beneath its feet. The forest seemed to scream along with it.

Sylphie instinctively recoiled, the wind around her stirring. "This isn't natural… I can feel it—his mana is being forced! It's like something is controlling him!"

Kael didn't respond. He'd already sensed it. The monster's eyes held the same distorted glow he'd seen in creatures corrupted by magic.

The beast charged.

The impact caused the ground to explode. Kael leaped to the side, rolling among the roots as the ogre's club came down and smashed into a clump of trees, snapping them like twigs. Splinters of wood flew in all directions.

Irelia lunged forward without hesitation, spinning her spear and plunging it into the creature's leg. The blow caused the ogre to let out a guttural grunt and turn toward her with terrifying speed. He tried to strike her with his free arm, but she jumped back at the last second—the blow slammed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Amelia!" Kael shouted. "Lower his field!"

"I'm on it!" She opened her grimoire, and the air around her shimmered with floating rune symbols. "Venti Clastra!"

A gust of compressed wind exploded beneath the ogre's feet, knocking it back and knocking the creature off balance.

Kael seized the moment. He lunged forward, his sword arcing, aiming for the beast's right shoulder. The blow was true—black blood gushed, and the ogre's roar sent the birds, wherever they had been hiding, fleeing in despair.

But the wound didn't stop him.

The ogre turned with brutal swiftness, and its massive arm swept through the air like a living wall. Kael couldn't dodge in time—the blow grazed him, hurling him against a tree trunk. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs.

"Kael!" Sylphie screamed, raising both hands. Currents of wind swirled around the ogre, trapping its arms. "Aeris Binds!"

The magic held it back for a moment—but only for a moment. With a roar, the ogre broke free, its chains shattering like glass.

"Damn it!"

Irelia lunged forward again, trying to redirect the creature's attention. The tip of her spear glowed with golden light as she leaped and struck the side of the beast's neck. Blood spattered hotly, scorching the ground.

The creature staggered, but still stood.

"Amelia, we need something bigger!" Irelia shouted, backing away.

"I'm trying!" Amelia replied, her grimoire already glowing brightly. "But the amount of mana this monster exudes is interfering with its circuits!"

Kael stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Then stop playing around!"

He ran again. His sword gleamed, and the golden mana coursing through his body began to leak out, creating a trail of pure energy. The sound it made was like the crackle of distant thunder.

Sylphie realized what he was going to do. "Kael, no!"

He ignored her.

With a powerful leap, Kael reached the ogre's shoulder, using the creature's arm as leverage. The blade sliced through the air, tearing through flesh and bone with brutal precision. The ogre howled, and Kael spun, plunging his sword into the beast's left eye.

The roar that followed was deafening. The creature shook its body violently, trying to tear him away. Kael was thrown into the air, falling heavily to the ground.

Sylphie ran to him, conjuring a barrier of wind to protect them as the one-eyed ogre struck blindly.

"You're crazy!" she screamed.

Kael coughed, sitting up with difficulty. "It worked, didn't it?"

"It worked, almost killing you!"

The ground shook again. The wounded ogre raised its head and began to emit a guttural sound—not a roar, but a series of ancient syllables, charged with corrupted mana. The runes on its body began to glow with doubled strength, and the air grew heavy, suffocating.

"He's growing stronger!" Amelia screamed, the pages of the grimoire turning on their own. "If we don't stop him now, he'll unleash everything at once!"

"Then finish your spell, Amelia!"

"I'm trying, but I need time!"

"Time is what we don't have!"

Irelia spun her spear and drove it into the ground, releasing a golden wave that vibrated the air. "Then we'll win for you!"

Kael looked at Sylphie. "Can you contain his mana?"

"For a few seconds, perhaps."

"That's all I need."

She nodded. "Then go."

Sylphie closed her eyes. The wind around her grew in intensity, until it formed an invisible spiral of energy. The trees bent. The leaves swirled around her like a green whirlwind.

"Anima Ventus: Seal of Air!"

The wind exploded toward the ogre, enveloping him completely. The runes on his body began to tremble, the distorted light flickering like a flame about to die.

Kael advanced.

Each step left golden trails on the ground. The air vibrated around him. He raised his sword, his gaze fixed on the creature's throat.

"For all the Academy's mistakes…" he murmured. "…and for those she killed."

The blade shone like the sunrise.

He slashed.

A perfect arc—swift, clean, precise.

The sword pierced the creature's neck.

For an instant, everything was silent.

Then the ogre staggered, its eyes fading. The runes exploded with red light, and then the creature's entire body began to disintegrate, turning into dark dust that mingled with the wind.

The final sound was like distant thunder—and then, nothing.

The forest fell silent again.

Kael stood still, breathing heavily, his body covered in sweat and dust. Sylphie approached slowly, her hands still trembling.

"You…" She took a deep breath. "You almost used that, didn't you?"

He looked at her, his gaze weary but steady. "I didn't."

"But you thought about it."

"Yes."

The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the sound of the wind.

Amelia approached, panting. "What kind of ogre was that? Those runes… I've never seen anything like it."

"Mind control," Irelia said, wiping the blood from her face. "Someone was using it as a sentry."

Kael nodded. "The same mana I smelled that night. The same scent."

Sylphie frowned. "Do you think it's related to Azalith?"

"I'm sure."

The princess, still stunned, finally found her voice. "It… it followed us?"

Kael looked at her. "No. He was waiting for us."

She paled. "Waiting for us?"

"Azalith doesn't want visitors, princess. And someone there knows we're coming."

Amelia slammed the grimoire shut. "Good. Then it's not just a suicidal journey—it's a journey foretold."

Kael looked north, the sunset tinting his face red. "It doesn't matter."

"You say it as if it were easy," Sylphie said.

"It's not." He sheathed his sword. "But I've run far enough from Azalith. It's time to go back."

The group remained silent for a while, each absorbing what had just happened. The ogre's body had already completely disappeared, leaving only a dark stain on the ground and the metallic smell of burnt mana.

As the wind blew again, carrying the scent away, Sylphie looked at Kael and saw that same look—the same one she'd seen years ago, amid the ruins of the academy.

The look of someone ready to slay their own ghosts.

And this time, she didn't try to stop him.

Night fell over the forest. The group had set up a small camp, silent, protected by disguise runes. The fire crackled low, casting flickering shadows across the trees.

Amelia slept huddled under a cloak. Irelia, motionless, kept watch from a distance. The princess tried to rest, though her eyes betrayed the fear that still haunted her.

Kael was awake.

Sitting on a rock, he stared at the sword resting beside him. The reflection of the flames danced on the blade, distorting his own face.

Sylphie approached silently, sitting beside him.

"Can't sleep?"

He shook his head.

"I thought after nearly getting crushed by an ogre, you'd at least take a nap."

He let out a low sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "I've been worse."

She looked at him, her face softened by the firelight. "You know you don't have to face this alone, right?"

Kael kept his gaze on the dark horizon. "Some things can only be solved by the one who started them."

"But they don't have to be carried by just one."

He finally turned to her. For a moment, the weight in his eyes seemed to lift—just a little.

"If you stay by my side… maybe I'll believe that."

She smiled wearily. "I have, Kael. From the beginning."