Chương 23: The Night of the Attack

The forest was quiet. Not peaceful. Quiet. There was a difference. The Mist Forest had never been silent for long. Even at night, there were usually distant cries from magical beasts, the rustling of leaves, or the occasional snap of a branch beneath some unseen creature. Tonight, the forest offered none of that. The expedition camp slept beneath a pale moon. Dozens of tents stood between the trees, their entrances facing inward toward the dying remains of the campfires.

Magical lamps had been placed around the perimeter, their soft light barely reaching beyond the first line of trees. Most of the students were asleep. The teachers were not. Two instructors patrolled the eastern side. Three knights from the Royal Academy guarded the western perimeter. Professor Gareth stood near the central fire with another instructor, speaking quietly. Everything appeared normal. Then one of the magical lamps went out. Gareth looked toward it.

"Did you see that?" The other instructor turned.

"No." A second lamp disappeared. Then a third. Darkness spread across the eastern perimeter. Gareth's expression hardened.

"Wake the students." Before the instructor could move— A roar tore through the forest. It was followed by another. Then another. The ground shook. Students began waking inside their tents.

"What was that?"

"What's happening?"

"Get up!" A scream suddenly cut through the camp. Then came the sound of wood breaking. A massive beast burst through the trees. Its body was covered in dark scales, its eyes glowing beneath a metallic band wrapped around its neck. The creature slammed into a defensive barrier. The barrier cracked. A second beast crashed through from another direction. Then a third. The camp erupted.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Gareth's voice thundered across the tents. The students stumbled into the open, many still wearing only parts of their equipment. Some reached for weapons. Others instinctively prepared spells. Nobody understood what was happening. Then figures emerged from the darkness. Men and women dressed in dark clothing moved between the beasts. They did not attack randomly. They moved with purpose. One man raised a hand. A magical command flashed across the collar of a nearby beast.

The creature roared and charged. A knight barely managed to block its claws. The impact sent him sliding several meters across the ground. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Those beasts are being controlled!" Gareth drew his sword.

"Protect the students!" A fireball exploded near the center of the camp. Students scattered. Leo woke to the sound of an explosion. For half a second, he remained still. Then instinct took over. He was out of the tent before he had fully understood what was happening. The camp had become chaos. A beast tore through one of the supply tents. Students ran between the fires. Someone was shouting for a healer. Another student was crying. Leo's eyes moved across the battlefield. Then he saw Alice.

She was standing near Masha. Both were helping a group of younger students move away from the fighting. Leo immediately headed toward them. A beast suddenly landed between them. It was larger than a horse. Its claws dug into the earth. Alice raised her hand. Light gathered around her fingers.

"Move!" A wall of brilliant light formed. The beast struck it. The barrier shook violently. Masha stepped beside Alice.

"How long can you hold it?"

"Not long."

"Then I'll stop it." Masha slammed her palm against the ground. Stone rose beneath the beast's front legs. The creature stumbled. Leo moved. A burst of magic struck the ground beneath its body. The beast was thrown sideways. It rolled across the dirt before crashing into a tree. Amon arrived a moment later. Flames covered his arms.

"That thing was fast." Leo looked at him.

"Then don't let it get close." Amon grinned.

"Wasn't planning to." The beast charged again. Amon stepped forward. Fire erupted from his fist. The impact stopped the creature for a single moment. That was enough. Alice's light struck it from the side. The beast fell. It did not rise. Amon breathed heavily.

"One down." Leo looked toward the forest. There were more. Many more. The teachers were struggling to contain the attack. The beasts were not ordinary creatures. Some were low-level magical beasts. Others were considerably stronger. A large wolf-like creature tore through the outer barrier and sent two students flying. Gareth intercepted it. His sword struck its jaw. The beast roared and lunged again. Gareth blocked. The force drove his boots into the ground.

"These aren't wild." He pushed the creature away.

"Someone prepared them for this." A knight shouted from behind him.

"Professor! The western side is collapsing!" Gareth looked toward the western perimeter. Three beasts had broken through. Behind them, several armed figures were moving toward the camp. His jaw tightened. There were too many. If the teachers left the students to pursue the attackers, the beasts would tear through the camp. He made his decision.

"Nobody leaves the camp!" The knight stared at him.

"But the attackers—""The students come first." The knight nodded.

"Understood." Gareth raised his voice.

"FORM A DEFENSIVE LINE!" The teachers moved immediately. The students were forced toward the center. The battle became a wall of magic and steel between them and the beasts. Leo fought beside Amon and Masha. Their movements had changed. The three had trained together for years. They knew when to move. When to attack. When to retreat. Amon burned the path ahead. Masha raised stone barriers behind them. Alice illuminated the battlefield, allowing the others to see through the smoke. Leo moved between them.

A beast attacked. He stepped aside. Its claws missed his shoulder by inches. His spell struck beneath its chest. The creature staggered. Amon finished it. Another beast appeared. Masha trapped its legs. Alice blinded it with a flash of light. Leo struck its exposed side. The creature fell. They did not celebrate. There was no time. More were coming. Farther from the center of the camp, several figures moved between the tents. They were not fighting. They were searching.

One of them pointed toward a group of students.

"Take them." Two men moved forward. A knight noticed them.

"HEY!" He charged. One of the men threw a magical device onto the ground. A wave of force exploded outward. The knight was thrown backward. The two men grabbed three students. One screamed.

"Let me go!" The man covered his mouth.

"Quiet." Another student tried to cast a spell. A chain wrapped around his wrist. The magic disappeared. Anti-magic restraints. The kidnappers dragged them toward the forest. Alice saw them.

"Leo!" She pointed.

"They're taking students!" Leo turned. His expression changed. He started toward them. A beast crashed into his path. He stopped it with a barrier. Another appeared behind him. Amon intercepted it.

"Go!" Leo hesitated.

"I've got this!" Amon's flames exploded outward. Masha joined him.

"Go!" Leo ran. But the battlefield was already shifting. More beasts entered the camp. The teachers were occupied. Students were scattered everywhere. By the time Leo reached the edge of the camp, the kidnappers had already disappeared into the trees. He stopped. The forest swallowed them. Alice was nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" He turned back.

"Masha!" No answer.

"Alice!" Only the sound of fighting came back. Then a group of students rushed past him. Leo followed them toward the center. For several minutes, nobody knew who had been taken. The battle continued. Eventually, the number of beasts began to decrease. Some were killed. Others escaped after their magical restraints were destroyed. The remaining attackers withdrew into the forest. The teachers did not pursue them. Not tonight. They had too many injured students. Gareth stood in the center of the ruined camp.

Tents had been destroyed. The ground was covered in broken weapons, shattered magical lamps, and deep claw marks.

"Count everyone." The instructors began checking the students. Names were called. One after another. Leo stood among them. His eyes searched the crowd. Amon approached.

"Leo."

"Where's Alice?" Amon looked around. His expression slowly changed.

"I don't know." Masha came running toward them.

"She's not here." Leo stared at her.

"What?"

"I checked the eastern side. She isn't there." Gareth heard them. He immediately walked over.

"Who is missing?" Masha answered.

"Alice." Gareth's face hardened.

"Anyone else?"

"Six students." A silence settled over the group. Six. No. Seven. Alice made seven. Gareth looked toward the forest. The darkness beyond the camp seemed deeper than before.

"Nobody enters the forest tonight." Amon stepped forward.

"But they're out there."

"I know."

"We have to—""Those creatures were deliberately controlled." Gareth's voice became firm.

"And whoever did this prepared for our response." He looked at the injured students around him.

"We don't know what is waiting beyond those trees." Amon clenched his fists. Leo said nothing. He looked into the forest. Somewhere beyond those trees, Alice was being taken farther away. The campfires continued burning behind him. The forest remained dark ahead. And for the first time since the expedition began, the Mist Forest no longer felt like a place they had come to explore. It felt like something they had entered without understanding. End of Chapter 23