The fire stabilized quickly. The flames grew to a size sufficient to illuminate the clearing without consuming too much material. Warm light extended in irregular circles over the ground covered with leaves, projecting shadows that moved with each spark. The shelter, leaning against a small terrain elevation, offered basic protection against wind beginning to slip through the trees.

Students finished organizing around that nucleus.

Bīng Xuě sat near the fire, legs crossed, feeding the flames with small branches he placed with almost distracted precision. His expression was calm, as if all this were part of a long game.

"Not bad," he said, looking at the result. "Could be worse."

Gerald dropped onto a nearby stone, releasing air with a heavy sigh. He removed his glasses a second to clean them with his sleeve before putting them back on.

"I still think this is crazy..."

"It’s training," a voice responded from the other side.

It was Lyria. She remained standing, spear resting on the ground, watching the environment while speaking. Her posture remained firm, even with accumulated fatigue.

"And they’re not guiding us anymore," she added. "So it better work."

Marlon sat beside her, sharpening one of his daggers with short, repetitive movements. The metallic sound mixed with the fire’s crackling.

"As long as nothing weird shows up..." he murmured without looking up.

Kenji, leaning against a tree trunk, kept his eyes half-closed. He wasn’t sleeping, but didn’t talk either. His attention seemed divided between the group and the forest.

Aku remained silent. His gaze followed the flames’ rhythm, but his attention wasn’t there. Every so often, he diverted his eyes toward the darkness beyond the light circle.

Time passed without incidents.

They talked little. Loose comments about classes, about the previous combat, about what they expected from the next day. Bīng Xuě broke the silence occasionally with some light observation. Gerald responded, somewhat more relaxed now that the situation seemed stable.

Little by little, fatigue began imposing itself.

"We should take turns," Lyria finally said. "Watch."

Marlon nodded.

"Two awake at all times."

Kenji opened his eyes completely.

"I’ll start."

Lyria accompanied him.

The rest settled as they could. Some got into the shelter, others stayed near the fire, leaning against rocks or trunks. Gerald hesitated a moment before lying down, using his bag as an improvised pillow.

"Wake me... if something happens..."

Bīng Xuě was already half reclined, with an arm behind his head.

"If something happens, we’ll all wake up for sure."

Aku didn’t lie down. He leaned against a rock, eyes half-closed, in a stillness that wasn’t complete rest.

Night advanced.

The fire reduced slightly, but Bīng Xuě, even half asleep, added branches occasionally, keeping it alive. Shadows moved more freely now, extending and contracting with each change in flames.

The forest became more active.

Distant sounds, soft creaks, the brush of something moving through vegetation. Nothing close. Nothing immediate.

Until it stopped being distant.

Kenji was the first to react. His posture changed before making any noise.

"Something’s coming."

Lyria tightened her spear’s grip.

The sound repeated. Clearer this time. Branches being pushed aside, leaves crunching under real weight.

Aku opened his eyes completely.

The rest began sitting up, still drowsy.

"What’s happening...?" Gerald murmured, getting up halfway.

Then they saw it.

Two pairs of eyes glowed in the darkness, at ground level. Then another, a bit higher. Silhouettes outlined among trees, moving with calculated slowness.

"Monsters," Marlon said, standing up immediately.

The creatures advanced one more step, partially entering the fire’s light.

They were quadrupeds, with low and elongated bodies, with dark skin covered in irregular plates. Their limbs ended in long claws, adapted for digging and gripping. The head was narrow, with a jaw opening more than normal, revealing several rows of small, sharp teeth.

They weren’t large. But they moved in a group.

"Great..." Gerald whispered.

One of the monsters released a dry sound, like a click, and the rest responded. They dispersed slightly, surrounding the clearing.

Gerald stood up completely. His breathing accelerated a second, but his eyes focused quickly.

"Listen," he said, raising his voice just enough for everyone to hear. "Don’t break formation."

He moved to the center, turning around to evaluate positions.

"Marlon, right. Kenji, left. Lyria, with me at the front."

He pointed with the staff.

"Don’t let them get close to the fire. If they get in here, they’ll surround us."

The others reacted without arguing.

Bīng Xuě was already standing, stretching his arms with a slight smile.

"Finally."

The creatures attacked.

Two of them launched from the left flank, fast, hugging the ground. Kenji moved to intercept them, deflecting the first with a lateral blow and retreating a step to avoid the second.

On the right side, Marlon advanced, his daggers gleaming as they reflected fire. He crouched, dodging a charge, and responded with a clean cut that opened one of the monster’s plates.

Lyria advanced a step to the front, planting the spear in the ground to stop another creature’s direct advance.

Gerald didn’t move randomly. His gaze jumped from one point to another.

"Don’t chase," he ordered. "Hold the line."

A creature tried circling from the rear. Aku moved without warning. An azoth tentacle emerged from the ground like an extension of his shadow, catching the monster by the neck and slamming it against the ground before it could approach.

The impact was dry.

Gerald saw it, but made no comment. He adjusted his position.

"Good. Aku, cover rear."

The creatures changed strategy. They stopped launching head-on and began moving in wider circles, seeking gaps.

"They’re going to test endurance," Gerald said, more to himself than the others. "Hold on."

One of the monsters jumped toward the center. Bīng Xuě received it with a lateral step, grabbing it mid-air and turning his body to slam it against the ground forcefully.

He didn’t stop there. He immobilized it with a quick movement, pressing its neck until it stopped moving.

"Next," he murmured.

Combat became more intense for a few seconds.

Creatures tested, attacked, retreated.

The group held position.

Each time one tried breaking the line, someone intercepted it.

Gerald didn’t stop giving orders.

"Closer. Don’t separate."

"Kenji, don’t open up so much."

"Marlon, retreat half a step."

His voice was constant, firm. He didn’t shout. Didn’t hesitate.

Little by little, the number of creatures diminished.

One fell under Lyria and Marlon’s combined blow. Another was trapped by Aku’s azoth. Bīng Xuě neutralized two more without losing rhythm.

The last ones retreated.

The sound of their steps moved away among the trees.

Silence.

Only the fire’s crackling and the group’s agitated breathing.

Gerald lowered the staff slowly.

"...They’re gone."

No one spoke for a few seconds.

Then Marlon let out a short laugh.

"Not bad."

Lyria nodded.

"Good coordination."

Kenji returned to his initial position, leaning against the tree.

Bīng Xuě stretched, as if he had just finished warming up.

"That was it?"

Gerald dropped onto the stone again, this time without containing exhaustion.

"Almost gave me something..."

He adjusted his glasses with still tense hands.

"But... it worked..."

Aku returned to his place without saying anything.

The fire kept burning.

The camp still stood.

And night still wasn’t over.