~OmniscientThe first thing the creatures at the other side noticed was the portal.It bloomed open above the undergrowth like a wound that had forgotten how to close, light spilling outward in colours the realm did not naturally produce. The forest reacted immediately—fronds recoiled, spores tightened their drift, the ground itself shuddered as though bracing.Portals meant disruption.Disruption meant meat.They emerged from the deeper canopy in numbers, the herd moving with the lazy confidence of apex things that had never known refusal.One stepped forward, amber light spilling from its eye-sockets.“The portal brought us lunch,” it said, its voice a reverberation through bone and sinew.Another chimed in, voice trembling with the rush of anticipation. “Do you smell it? The air smells… different. Alive, but small. So very small.”The herd chattered amongst themselves, their movements chaotic, wings and tails colliding, teeth bared at one another in eager competition. They bickered

~LaurentWe didn’t linger after that.Lingering was how people died in this new world that used to be Elarion.I collapsed the perimeter with a thought, shadows peeling away from roots and stone like they’d never been there at all. The forest didn’t protest. It rarely did when I asked politely.Ivelle and the others looked at me in shock. They were expecting that we would stay longer. To be honest, I did too but after hearing Ivelle speak, I knew that if I wanted to protect them, we had to keep moving.I didn't have to explain much for them to realize that we were not staying anymore. We packed light, fast, muscle memory guiding hands more than words.By the time the first hint of false dawn brushed the canopy, we were already moving.I took point.The forest thickened quickly, branches knitting overhead until the sky became a suggestion rather than a fact. Ash thinned, replaced by damp soil and old growth. The kind of place monsters preferred—cover, blind angles, plenty of sound to h

~DenzelThe moment Laurent vanished into the trap that he basically jumped into himself, I knew we were in trouble.Not because he was gone.But because the monsters didn’t follow him.Four of them peeled away from behind the distorted space that I assumed Laurent was trapped like they’d been waiting for a cue, their auras rolling forward in controlled waves that made the forest recoil. These weren’t berserkers. They didn’t rush. They advanced—slow, deliberate, already dividing us in their heads.From their movements, I knew they had to be S-rank.I could only match one and here I was having to deal with four.I swallowed and shifted my stance, feet sinking into the loam as I drew the elements closer. The ground answered first. A low, steady presence beneath my boots, patient and unyielding.One monster shifted from the rest and faced me while the others headed for Kendrix and the others.We were obviously outmatched.Not a little.Badly. Why did Laurent have to dive headfirst into a

~LaurentI thought and thought until I realized that the most unlikely thing I'd do when trapped in cage was... nothing and so, that was what I did. Absolutely nothing. I sat on the ground and folded my arms and stared at nothing. If my intuition was correct then the way out of this cage was by doing the most unexpected thing. At first, nothing happened but soon the whole barrier started shaking. It struggled to keep its form as a result of the lack of energy supplied. I smiled. This was a very smart trap these monsters made. It fed off my energy. The more I struggled to get out, the more energy I gave out and the stronger it became.Before long, the barrier snapped and I was thrown back into the real world with a loud bang. The first thing I saw was Denzel and the others entering a stance as the S ranked monsters were closing in. I smiled as I walked forward to intervene. Catching their attention without even trying. "I guess I arrived just in time." The air snapped as I stepp

~VyrathI stood at the edge of the clearing longer than necessary, feeling the pressure in the air stabilize into something inert. The distortion remained, faint but resolute, like a door that acknowledged my presence yet refused to open.Not locked.Unready.I exhaled slowly.So be it.Every system had prerequisites. Even the most arrogant of constructs needed conditions satisfied before it would yield its function. The realm was not denying me the Key.It was scheduling me.“I’ll return,” I said quietly, more statement than promise. “When I have what is required.”The clearing offered no reply.I turned away without another glance.The forest shifted again as I moved, no longer parting in reverence but adjusting in calculation. Branches bent just enough to avoid contact. Roots sank a fraction deeper, as if memorizing my weight. The realm was learning my tolerances.Let it.I walked until the pressure behind me faded into irrelevance.Only then did I reach for the book.It slid free