NOVEL NEXT Chapter 79: Celeste's Truth
The group divided tasks efficiently.
Damion and Garrett gathered firewood from the surrounding area, while Zacard and Lucas cleared the campsite of debris and potential hazards.
Lydia went to scout the immediate perimeter, leaving Celeste to set up their sleeping arrangements.
Lucas was in the middle of moving a particularly stubborn log when he felt eyes on him. He looked up to find Celeste watching him with an intensity that made him pause mid-motion.
"Need something?" he asked.
She tilted her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "Just watching you work. You've gotten stronger since we first met, haven't you?"
"Training will do that," Lucas replied, returning to his task.
Celeste moved closer. It seemed like she was there to help with the log, but her proximity was... too close. "You know, I've been thinking about that day. The festival attack."
Lucas tensed up. "What about it?"
"I was so worried about you," she said softly, her hand brushing against his as they both gripped the log. "When everything went chaotic, all I could think about was making sure you were safe...."
She trailed off, "I realized I'd been holding back. Being too... restrained. My family has always taught me to maintain propriety, to never show too much emotion in public. But that day, I almost lost you without ever really having you."
"Celeste..." Lucas started, but she continued.
"No more holding back," she said. "I've decided that life's too short to be proper all the time."
Before Lucas could respond, she leaned in close enough that he could feel her breath on his ear. "After all, what's the point of being engaged if I can't be possessive of what's mine?"
A chill ran down Lucas's spine that had nothing to do with the forest's ambient temperature.
There was the Celeste he remembered from the game. It seemed she had finally run out of patience and snapped.
"We should finish setting up camp," Lucas said, trying to extract himself from the situation.
"Of course!" Celeste agreed. "But tonight, you're sleeping next to me. For warmth, naturally. The forest gets cold."
Lucas opened his mouth to say something, but Lydia's return interrupted them.
"Perimeter's clear," Lydia said. "Though I did find some interesting tracks about fifty meters north. Looked like Iron Tusk Boar markings, but older. Probably moved through here a day or two ago."
"Good to know," Damion said, returning with an armful of reasonably dry wood. "We'll want to keep watch rotation going through the night. Two people at a time, three-hour shifts."
They spent the next hour finishing camp setup. The fire pit was established on the large flat stone, ringed with smaller rocks to contain the flames.
Bedrolls were laid out in a defensive circle around the fire, with packs positioned to serve as both pillows and quick-access points for weapons.
As the sun began to set (what little of it penetrated the canopy anyway) the temperature dropped noticeably. Lucas pulled out one of his rations and began the less-than-appetizing process of eating preserved trail food.
"This is disgusting," Garrett complained around a mouthful of hardtack. "How is anyone supposed to survive on this stuff for two days?"
"By not complaining and just eating it," Zacard replied, though Lucas noticed he wasn't exactly savoring his own meal.
Lydia had supplemented their supplies with some edible mushrooms she'd identified during her scouting, and while they improved the meal marginally, it was still a far cry from academy dining hall food.
As darkness fell fully, the forest transformed. The fungal glow intensified, casting everything in that eerie blue-green light.
New sounds emerged. There were distant howls, the rustle of something large moving through the underbrush, and occasionally, a screech that made everyone's hand instinctively go to their weapons.
"First watch," Damion said. "Celeste and I will take it. Lucas and Garrett, you're second shift. Zacard and Lydia, you get third."
Lucas settled into his bedroll, acutely aware that Celeste had positioned hers directly beside his. It was close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her body despite the space between them.
"Comfortable?" she whispered, turning to face him.
"Fine," Lucas replied shortly, trying to focus on sleep.
"You know," Celeste continued, her voice barely audible, "I've been thinking about our engagement. About us."
Lucas kept his eyes closed. "Now's not the time, Celeste."
"But when is the time?" she pressed. "You're always so distant, so focused on everything else. Sometimes I wonder if you even want this."
Something about her tone told Lucas that it would be wise not to mention the fact that they weren't actually engaged.
Lucas opened his eyes and found her staring at him without blinking.
"I'm focused on surviving the exam right now. We can talk about... us... later." He said.
"Promise?" Her hand grabbed his under the blanket.
She wrapped her fingers with his in a grip that was too tight.
"I promise," Lucas said, because what else could he say?
Celeste was still much stronger than him despite all his efforts.
"Good. Because I'd hate to have to get... creative... about keeping your attention." She said.
She released his hand and rolled onto her back, apparently satisfied. Lucas lay there for several minutes before exhaustion finally claimed him.
He was jolted awake what felt like moments later by Damion's hand on his shoulder. "Your shift," Damion whispered.
Lucas extracted himself from his bedroll carefully, noting that at some point during his sleep, Celeste had migrated closer.
Her arm was draped across where his chest had been, and she made a small sound of displeasure when he moved.
The night was quiet as Lucas and Garrett took up their positions on opposite sides of the camp. The fire had burned down to embers, providing just enough light to see by when combined with the ever-present fungal glow.
"Hey," Garrett whispered across the dying fire. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Lucas replied.
"Back when you defeated me, how did you do it. I mean one moment I was dominating and then something about you just changed." Garrett said.
Before Lucas could answer, a sound from the darkness snapped his attention back to the present. Something was moving through the undergrowth, and it was getting closer.
Lucas's hand went to his sword as he tried to pinpoint the source. Across the fire, he could see Garrett had also noticed, his body tense and ready.
The rustling grew louder. Closer. Then, emerging from between two massive trees, came a creature that made Lucas's blood run cold.
It was roughly humanoid in shape but covered in moss and bark-like skin.
Its eyes glowed the same blue-green as the fungus around them, and when it opened its mouth, Lucas could see rows of needle-sharp wooden teeth.
"Forest Shambler," Lucas identified in a harsh whisper. "Garrett, wake the others. Now."
But before Garrett could move, three more Shamblers emerged from different directions.
They were surrounded.