Night within the Nether Lands was almost indistinguishable from day; only that it was darker, colder, and infinitely more dreadful.

The forest no longer looked merely twisted beneath the shroud of night. It now looked alive.

The trees loomed like giant corpses frozen on agony, their blackened bark cracked open like rotting flesh.

Branches stretched across the sky like skeletal fingers clawing toward a heaven that had long abandon this forsaken land.

Crimson mist slithered between trunks, thick and restless, while the wind whispered through woods with the sound of distant mourning.

It sounded like ghastly. Like thousands of dead souls murmuring beneath the earth.

Every now and then, it seems like something deep within the forest. It was not seen; only felt.

The group of eight moved carefully through the forest, their footsteps slow against the carpet of dead leaves and damp roots.

No one spoke loudly as even breathing seemed dangerous here.

Veyrath, who had been boasting endlessly back at the cave, had suddenly grown quiet the moment they entered the forest.

The swagger on his face was long gone, replaced by a nervous stiffness.

But no one mocked him for it.

Because truthfully, they all felt it.

The Nether Lands at night was not a place where courage came easily. If anything, it demanded more than that...

They stayed in formation as Regaleon had instructed them.

The four noncombatants remained at the center; while the fighters surrounded them like walls protecting a fragile flame from a storm.

At the very front walked Regaleon.

Golden light shimmered faintly from his battered Amour, illuminating the dark in soft metallic glows.

Though the Armour was still rusted and worn, there was now something deeper hidden beneath its broken surface.

It was as though an ancient majesty that had long since slumbered was beginning to awaken.

His silver Halberd rested firmly in his hand, poised to strike at the slightest hint of danger.

His golden eyes remained sharp as he scanned the area; every tree, every shadows, and every shift in the mist.

The crimson glow from the sky reflected against his Armour, making him resemble a knight dragged from some forgotten battlefield of legends...

Behind the group walked Valmyr.

The failed Vanguard looked like a moving fortress beneath the crude beastskin armour strapped around his body.

His massive Great Shield rested upon one arm while his Broadsword hung heavily in the other.

Unlike before, his expression was no longer carefree. Instead, it was focused and steady.

His sharp eyes constantly swept behind them, scanning for danger, while his shoulders remained tense...

To the right side walked Vaelorin.

The failed Pyromancer clutched his staff tightly, with Fiery Aether flowing around it like breathing embers.

Small sparks occasionally escaped into the cold air before vanishing into the darkness.

His ears were perked while his eyes was sharp. Every sound made him instinctively tighten his grip on his staff...

To the left, Aureleah moved silently.

The shadows themselves seemed to cling to her Cloak lovingly.

Darkness curled around her figure like most while her twin Daggers gleamed faintly beneath the crimson sky.

Perhaps it is because she awakened her Essence Runes, but her daggers were now of two colors.

One gleamed with a silver light while the other was black as the abyss.

Aureleah looked less like a girl and more like a specter birthed from the dark corners of the forest itself...

At the center walked the remaining four.

Kaeloris carried his Lantern carefully, its glow now brighter than before as the Soul Essence spread its light nearly a hundred meters around them, pushing back the darkness like sacred fire...

Beside him walked Caelestra with her silver Coins orbiting around her body slowly like tiny moons...

Sylveris held tightly unto the failed Merchant hand.

The youngest amongst them looked frightened despite trying to hide it.

Her small fingers trembled slightly whenever strange sounds echoed from deeper into the forest...

Veyrath stayed close beside them.

Though he tried maintaining composure, his eyes constantly darted between the twisted trees...

"Why does it feel like something is staring at us?" He muttered nervously.

"That’s because something probably is." Aureleah replied coldly.

Veyrath immediately shut up. Behind them, Valmyr nearly laughed aloud...

After several minutes of walking, the forest began to thin slightly. Then... They arrived.

They were back to the place it all began. The teleportation platform.

The massive circular platform sat silently amidst the clearing like a forgotten relic from another age. The ancient runes carved into its surface glowed faintly beneath the crimson sky.

But the platform itself was dead, dormant and broken. Clearly, it is only meant for a one way trip and can only be activated from the other side...

The group stared at it quietly. This was where they hand been abandoned.

Where terror first welcomed them into the Nether Lands. For a brief moment, memories resurfaced vividly.

There was the clicking sound...

The swarm...

The screaming...

The boy dragged away into the darkness...

And the feeling of helplessness.

Regaleon stepped unto the platform first. "Get into positions." He ordered calmly.

The group obeyed instantly as they separated into pairs. A combatant stood next to a noncombatant as:

Regaleon stood beside Sylveris, which was surprising to say the least. Everyone knew that the pair of sisters had never strayed from one another.

Perhaps, Aureleah trusted Regaleon to protect her little sister... Or it was simply something else...

Aureleah stood beside Kaeloris...

Vaelorin stood next to Caelestra...

And Valmyr stood beside Veyrath.

One after another, the group summoned or activated their Soul Essences as:

Golden light erupted...

Silver light shimmered...

Flames danced...

And the shadows twisted...

A massive bronze Cauldron appeared beside Veyrath with a metallic thud while roots slowly curled beneath the earth around him...

Kaeloris Lantern glowed brilliantly while an ancient Scroll floated beside him silently...

Caelestra’s ornate Chest materialized with heavy elegance while countless Coins orbited around her...

Vaelorin’s crimson Staff burned brighter as he infused Fiery Aether into it...

Valmyr’s Great Shield radiated overwhelming sturdiness...

Aureleah’s Daggers gleamed with chilling sharpness. Like the fang of some prehistoric predator...

And Regaleon’s Armour...

His Armour pulsed softly beneath the darkness. Like a sleeping beast breathing...

This time, however, runes glowed upon every of their Soul Essences. They were the marks of awakened power. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

They were their Essence Runes.

The group unconsciously straightened as confidence surged within them.

Yesterday they were prey. Tonight, they intended to hunt!

Suddenly, the final traces of light disappeared completely from the sky.

Darkness descended fully upon the forest in an immediate, violent manner. As though the world itself had been swallowed whole.

The crimson mist thickened instantly. The wind stopped slightly and even the trees seemed to fall silent...

Only Kaeloris’ Lantern pushed back the suffocating dark as its radiant glow spread outward across the clearing like a protective domain.

The group tensed immediately as no one moved or spoke. Instead they were still as they waited and watched.

Then... They heard it.

CLICK!

It was a single sound. But it was sharp, unnatural and nerve-wracking. Then...

CLICK! CLICK!! CLICK!!!

More followed. Dozens... Hundreds.

The sound echoed through he forest from every direction.

Sylveris paled instantly while Veyrath swallowed hard.

"They are here." Kaeloris whispered.

Then, the clicking sound grew louder... And closer.

Finally, they appeared.

At first, only outlines mover between the trees. There were think shapes and crooked limbs with bodies crawling unnaturally against bark and earth alike.

Then the Lantern light reached them fully. The Wights emerged from the darkness. Like nightmares crawling out of hell itself...

Their pale flesh twitched violently with unnatural movement. Limbs were bent in the wrong way.

Their eyeless faces were smooth and horrifying while black veins pulsed beneath their dead flesh.

Some crawled upon all fours like beasts. Others staggered upright with jerking movements.

Their claws scraped against bark. Their clicking sound; the sound of needle-like teeth grinding together, echoed endlessly...

Yet unlike yesterday, the group did not panic.

Regaleon stepped forward slowly. His Halberd lowered as he fixed his sharp golden eyes upon them. He was reassessing them...

The Wights also stopped at the edge of the Lantern light; watching and waiting. Like predators assessing prey.

Then suddenly, one shrieked...

And the entire swarm burst forward.

"Prepare for battle!" Regaleon shouted.

The group exploded into motion instantly as:

Flames erupted...

Coins spun...

Shadows flickered...

Roots spread beneath the earth...

The prey... Has finally taken the baits.