Branches whipped past Althea’s face as she ran, her breath sharp and ragged. Keal kept a tight grip on her wrist, pulling her through the narrow gaps between trees. Lyssa darted ahead, clearing the path with swift kicks and slashes of her dagger.
Behind them, the metallic CRACK—CRACK—CRACK echoed again.
Keal swore under his breath. “It’s phasing faster.”
Lyssa glanced back, silver hair flashing. “That thing shouldn’t be able to move that quickly in a corrupted state!”
Althea stumbled over a root, nearly falling, but Keal lifted her before she touched the ground.
“I’m trying!” she gasped. “I— I can use the barrier—”
“No!” Keal interrupted. “Not while running.”
Lyssa nodded. “You’ll collapse. Or worse — lock us inside it.”
Althea hated that they were right.
The forest thinned suddenly into a sloped clearing full of tall, stone-like reeds. The moonlight hit them, making the whole field glow pale silver.
But the peaceful moment shattered instantly.
A jagged shape flickered into the clearing behind them — the corrupted scout.
It no longer resembled a person.
Its limbs were fractured into sharp angles.
Its shadow split unnaturally across the ground.
And its single glowing eye pulsed erratically, like a broken lantern.
Lyssa’s voice lowered into a whisper. “It’s worse than before.”
Keal pulled Althea behind him. “Althea, listen to me. If it attacks, you need to block. Just block. Nothing more.”
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Althea’s hands trembled.
“But… my barriers don’t last.”
“They don’t need to last,” Keal said. “They just need to hold long enough for us to move.”
The scout snapped toward them so fast Althea barely saw the movement.
CRACK— SNAP— STATIC.
It lunged.
Althea screamed—
threw her arms up—
and the force field burst into existence with a thunderous BOOM.
A perfect sphere flared around her, Keal, and Lyssa.
The corrupted scout smashed into it.
The impact exploded with a shockwave that sent cracks spidering across the barrier.
Althea cried out, clutching her head. “I can’t—! It’s too strong!”
Lyssa braced one hand against the barrier wall.
“Althea, breathe! Focus on one thing—just one! Hold the shape!”
Keal pressed his palm to Althea’s shoulder, grounding her.
“You’re not alone. We’re here.”
The barrier shook violently as the corrupted scout clawed and slammed and phased against it, its body flickering in and out of form.
Althea squeezed her eyes shut.
Hold. Hold. Hold—
The creature stepped back—
—then phased forward at terrifying speed.
It hit the barrier with a shattering roar.
The shield exploded outward in a burst of blue light, throwing all three of them back into the reeds.
Althea landed hard, gasping.
The scout stood over her.
Its single eye dimmed, flaring with glitching light.
Its head tilted unnaturally.
And in a warped, static-filled whisper, it rasped:
“…r—un…”
Althea froze.
Lyssa’s eyes widened. “Keal… it spoke.”
Keal stared in horror. “That… wasn’t corruption. That was a warning.”
The scout’s body jerked violently as if something inside it pulled invisible strings.
CRACK.
Its eye flickered red.
The unnatural rage returned.
Althea scrambled backward. “We have to move!”
“Agreed!” Lyssa shouted.
Keal caught both girls by the arms and yanked them toward the far slope.
The corrupted scout shrieked and launched after them—
—only to be hit by a streak of silver light from the sky.
A distant, gentle pulse.
Just like the watcher.
The scout convulsed, its body glitching madly.
Then it fled into the trees as if dragged by some unseen force.
All three stood frozen, panting, staring at the forest where it vanished.
Althea whispered, “What is happening to this world…?”
Keal shook his head. “Something is controlling that scout.”
Lyssa swallowed. “But who? And why follow us?”
Althea stared at the spot where the silver light had vanished.
She didn’t know the answer.
But someone, somewhere above the thresholds, was watching every step she took.
And they were far from done.
