Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

Arthur's eyes widened as the atmosphere shifted. The sparks dancing across Sosuke's body intensified, coiling and arcing like living serpents. Even his katana seemed alive, trembling with the raw energy coursing through it.

Lyra took an unconscious step back, her voice wavering. "Is he really… using it now? I thought you needed years to master a core technique."

Arthur gritted his teeth, glancing at her. "You don't 'master' something like that overnight. He's barely holding it together. Everyone—" his voice turned sharp, commanding, "stay back! He's dangerous right now."

Elowen froze, clutching her staff tightly. Her gaze flicked to Sosuke, then to Rin, whose condition had visibly worsened. Blood soaked through her clothes, and her breaths were shallow. Elowen started toward her. "She's—"

"Don't!" Arthur barked, his sword raised defensively as if to block her path. "He'll lash out at anyone, even us. You can't get close."

Sosuke didn't acknowledge them. His purple eyes glowed faintly, unfocused, as though something primal had taken hold. He strode toward the monster, each step deliberate, electric arcs leaving scorched marks on the ground.

The beast, despite its wounds, roared and lashed out with its claws. Sosuke dodged with a speed that was almost inhuman, electricity propelling him forward. He slashed once, a clean, powerful cut that left a deep, smoldering wound across the creature's torso.

The monster shrieked, rearing back, but Sosuke gave no reprieve. He moved again, faster this time, a blur of lightning and steel. Sparks erupted with every strike, the beast's movements growing sluggish as the electricity coursed through its body.

"Sosuke, stop!" Lyra shouted, but he didn't so much as glance her way. His silence was unnerving, the cold, calculated precision of his attacks even more so.

Arthur clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around his sword. "He's not listening. He's too far gone."

The beast's tail whipped around, forcing everyone to scatter. Arthur grabbed Elowen and yanked her back just in time. "Don't just stand there! Keep your distance!"

Rin coughed weakly, her hand reaching toward Sosuke. "He's… stronger than this thing," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He'll win."

But Sosuke wasn't just fighting to win. There was no restraint in his attacks, no strategy—just overwhelming power. With every strike, the beast's body convulsed violently, the stench of burning flesh filling the air. His katana crackled, electricity dancing along its edge before exploding outward in bursts that singed the surrounding forest.

The monster roared again, desperation in its movements as it tried to retreat, but Sosuke pursued relentlessly. Each strike grew more reckless, the energy around him growing increasingly unstable.

Arthur watched, his usually calm expression clouded with concern. "He's losing control…"

Elowen glanced at him, her brow furrowing. "Can't we stop him? What if he hurts himself?"

Arthur shook his head. "No one's stopping him. If you try, you'll end up like that thing—or worse."

Sosuke finally leapt high into the air, his katana glowing white-hot. The energy around him surged, the air itself humming with tension. He brought the blade down with a deafening crack, a blinding surge of lightning exploding outward upon impact. The ground shook violently, and a massive crater formed beneath the beast as it let out one final, ear-piercing shriek before collapsing.

For a moment, there was silence. The electricity in the air dissipated slowly, and Sosuke stood in the middle of the wreckage, his katana still crackling faintly.

But then his body swayed. Sparks leapt unpredictably from his arms, and the glow in his eyes flickered. His knees buckled slightly, his breathing erratic.

"He's still not in control," Arthur muttered, stepping in front of Elowen and Lyra instinctively. "Everyone, be ready to move if he—"

Sosuke stumbled forward, planting his katana into the ground to steady himself. The unstable energy around him began to calm, the arcs of lightning dissipating as his shoulders heaved with heavy breaths.

Lyra lowered her hands, her gaze fixed on him with a mix of awe and unease. "He's… done?"

Sosuke completely collapsed, the energy fully dissipated. Ren and Lyra rushed forward. They lifted him onto their shoulders, dragging him next to Rin. Elowen raised her staff, "Energy of the gods, Divine Heal." The energy surged from the staff, hovering over the two. "It's not instant." She focused herself on the spell.

Arthur stood back, arms crossed, observing the scene with a mix of caution and begrudging respect. His sword hung loosely at his side as he watched Ren and Lyra carefully lower Sosuke next to Rin. The faint hum of Elowen's spell filled the silence as golden light bathed the two unconscious fighters.

Lyra wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and glanced at Ren. "Well, that was a disaster. You guys are lucky we didn't leave you to deal with that thing on your own."

Ren glanced at her, his silver eyes tinged with guilt. "Lucky? I'd say reckless. We didn't exactly give you a choice."

Arthur scoffed, leaning against a nearby tree. "Reckless doesn't even begin to describe it. Showing up halfway through the fight and using up the last of your mana to weaken it for us? You're an idiot."

Lyra nudged Ren with her elbow, smirking. "Don't mind him. He's just bitter about the points you stole."

Ren sighed, running a hand through his white hair. "I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't fair. We weren't in any shape to fight, and we still came in like we owned the place." He hesitated, then bowed his head slightly toward Arthur and Lyra. "Sorry. That was on me."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his stoic face. "Huh. Didn't think you'd admit it."

Lyra leaned back, crossing her arms. "Well, that's one apology. Now, what about Rin? She's the one who put her life on the line."

Ren nodded solemnly, his gaze drifting toward Rin. "She'll get one too. When she wakes up."

Elowen's soft voice interrupted. "The spell's working, but it'll take time for both of them to recover. Rin's injuries were severe, and Sosuke…" She glanced at the unconscious swordsman, her brow furrowed. "He pushed himself too far."

Lyra crouched down beside Sosuke, brushing dirt off his face. "Why'd he do it? I mean, I know he's got this whole 'hero complex' thing going on, but this… this was something else."

Ren hesitated before answering, his expression conflicted. "It's Rin. She means a lot to him. More than he'll ever admit."

Arthur snorted, his voice low. "And he nearly killed himself over it. Typical."

Lyra shot him a glare. "Not everyone operates like you, Arthur. Some people actually care about their teammates."

Arthur didn't respond, his eyes flickering to Elowen the to the horizon.

Elowen, ever the mediator, spoke up. "It wasn't just about Rin. Any of us could've died."

The group fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in.

Ren finally broke the tension, his voice steady. "We owe you. All of you. If you hadn't been here, that thing would've wiped us out. Sosuke would've tried to take it down alone, and…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

Arthur straightened, his gaze sharp. "I mean, we did attack it first… You'll owe us when we see the points distributed. For now, let's just survive this forest."

Ren gave him a small nod. "Fair enough."

Lyra's voice softened, a rare moment of sincerity. "Let's just get them through this. Then we can argue about points and pride."

Arthur smirked faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "For once, I agree."

The group settled into a tentative quiet, the golden glow of Elowen's healing spell continuing to weave its magic as the forest seemed to hold its breath around them.

After a few hours, they made it to Arthur's group's camp. Ren and Lyra helped expand it to make more room for both groups.

"I think it's strange that we're working together in a challenge like this. I guess they never explicitly said we couldn't." Ren spoke as he set up a small tent from sticks, leafs and whatever things they had. "Maybe that was the point."

"It's temporary." Arthur sat on a log next to the campfire, sipping his canteen of water.

"Oh come on, they helped a lot. It doesn't need to be temporary if it's not against the rules." Lyra argued. She sat down on the log across from Arthur. "It's nice having new company isn't it? Or, I guess you wouldn't know. You're not the biggest fan of people."

Ren chuckled softly as he tightened the final knot on his makeshift tent. "You've got a point, Lyra. Arthur's not exactly the poster boy for teamwork. Bet he'd ditch us the second he thought we'd slow him down."

Arthur didn't look up from his canteen. "I'm right here, you know."

Lyra smirked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "He's got a point, though. You're not exactly the warm and fuzzy type. What's it like up there on your high horse, Arthur?"

Arthur shot her a sideways glance. "Quiet. Peaceful. You should try it sometime."

Ren sat down next to Lyra, brushing dirt off his hands. "Arthur aside, I think this is good for us. If we're stuck here for three days, might as well make the most of it." He turned his silver eyes toward Lyra, a playful glint in them. "You don't seem like the camping type, though. Let me guess—glamping only?"

Lyra laughed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Excuse you, I'm plenty capable in the wilderness. I'll have you know I built a whole shelter back in survival class."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Professor Aleron confiscate it because it collapsed on someone?"

She groaned, throwing up her hands. "That was one time! And it wasn't even my fault—who knew you couldn't tie a roof together with vines?"

Ren chuckled again, leaning back slightly. "Right, totally not your fault."

Arthur watched the two with a faint frown, his gaze flicking between them. "If you two are done flirting, maybe focus on not getting us killed tomorrow."

Lyra's face turned slightly red, but she quickly masked it with a sharp glare at Arthur. "Oh, please. We're just having a normal conversation. Not everything's about survival, Mr. Doom and Gloom."

Ren's ears tinged pink as well, but he kept his tone even. "Arthur's just jealous he doesn't know how to have a normal conversation."

Arthur snorted. "Jealous? Of what, exactly? Watching two children pretend they're not completely out of their depth?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, but her grin lingered. "Whatever, Arthur. At least we know how to have fun."

Arthur sighed and stood. "I'm going to check the perimeter. You two should check up on your friends and Elowen."

There was a brief moment of silence. Ren stared into the fire, lost in thought, contemplating what lay ahead.

"While you daydream, I'll go check on them." Lyra adjusted her glasses and stood up. She walked over to the teepee where Elowen was still healing Rin and Sosuke. She crept up close and tapped Elowen on the shoulder. Elowen jumped, letting out a small scream.

"Why would you do that?" Elowen blurted, still startled.

"I thought it'd be funny." Lyra grinned, though her tone softened when she asked, "How are they?"

Elowen stood up, adjusting her position. "The girl is healing much faster. She'll wake soon, but as for the boy…" She sighed, lifting her staff again. "He's nearly drained of mana. Healing spells require a bond with the person's mana to work, and since he has almost none left, it'll take a long time. He might be out for the rest of the midterm… maybe longer."

"That makes sense," Lyra said, her gaze drifting over to Sosuke. "He went that far just for her, right?"

"That is what I believe," Elowen replied. She lifted her staff once more, and her hands glowed faintly. "Divine Heal." The energy flowed from the staff, enveloping Sosuke and Rin.