The morning sky was an eerie shade of crimson as Aiden and Aria entered the infamous Crimson Forest. The towering blood-red trees stretched toward the heavens like silent sentinels, their leaves whispering ancient secrets with every gust of wind. The deeper they went, the thicker the air became, as though the forest itself was alive, breathing down their necks.
Aiden adjusted the strap of his newly issued hunter gear, trying to ignore the growing lump in his throat. He had read about this place during his academy days — a hunting ground notorious for devouring even the most experienced hunters. This was no training ground. This was real. And one mistake here could mean death.
Beside him, Aria walked with a kind of grace that made her seem almost untouchable. Her black battle outfit molded to her body perfectly, her long silver hair tied back, twin daggers gleaming like the fangs of a predator. Unlike him, she showed no signs of nervousness. Instead, her eyes scanned the environment with calm precision.
"You're stiff," she remarked, breaking the silence without even looking at him.
"I'm alert," Aiden replied, trying not to sound too defensive.
Aria smirked, the corner of her lips curving ever so slightly. "Same thing for rookies. Different thing for veterans."
Aiden exhaled through his nose. "Thanks for the confidence boost."
"You'll need it," she said, voice light but carrying a subtle undertone of seriousness. "The Crimson Forest isn't kind to hesitation."
As they continued forward, the forest seemed to close in around them. Strange noises echoed from the distance — chirps, growls, and the occasional heavy thump of something far larger. The fog thickened, swirling around their legs like ghostly tendrils.
Suddenly, Aria raised her hand, signaling him to stop.
A low growl emerged from the bushes ahead. Aiden's heart rate spiked instantly. He reached for his short sword, fingers tightening around the hilt. From the shadows emerged a Direfang Wolf, its black fur almost blending with the darkness, eyes glowing with a sickly green luminescence. Its breath was hot, visible even in the chilling air.
And it wasn't alone.
One by one, more wolves crept out — five, then seven, then a full pack of ten. Their growls harmonized into a haunting symphony that made the forest feel even more claustrophobic.
Aiden whispered, "They're surrounding us."
"I noticed," Aria responded calmly. She casually twirled one of her daggers. "Don't panic. We've got this."
Easy for her to say, Aiden thought.
The largest wolf — the alpha — stepped forward, lips curling to reveal sharp, yellowed teeth. Without warning, it lunged at Aria.
She moved like a shadow, graceful and lethal. She sidestepped with impossible speed, her dagger flashing upward, slashing through the beast's exposed neck. Blood sprayed in an arc as the wolf collapsed mid-air, dead before it hit the ground.
The other wolves roared and charged.
"Aiden!" she called out. "Handle yourself!"
With no time to think, Aiden reacted purely on instinct. His first opponent lunged for his throat, but he rolled sideways, slicing upward as he moved. The blade caught the creature's underbelly, spilling its guts onto the ground. The stench hit him instantly, but he couldn't falter.
Another wolf charged from his blind spot, but Aiden spun just in time, slamming his sword into its open mouth, piercing through the soft tissue and into its skull.
Two down.
Three more came at him, coordinating like intelligent hunters. That's when he felt it again — that strange energy deep inside him, something that had been dormant until his arrival in this world. His vision sharpened; time seemed to slow.
Instinct Awakening — First Stage.
The first wolf lunged, but Aiden parried its attack, using the wolf's own momentum to flip it onto its back before driving his blade into its heart. He ducked as the second one swiped at him, slicing across its leg with a counterattack. The last one hesitated for a moment, sensing danger.
Aria's dagger came flying out of nowhere, embedding itself directly between its eyes.
The battle ended as quickly as it had started.
Aiden panted heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow while surveying the blood-soaked ground littered with corpses.
"You held your own," Aria complimented, retrieving her dagger. "Not bad for your first serious fight."
"Not good enough," Aiden muttered. "I froze at first."
"You adapted. That's what matters." She paused, narrowing her eyes at the last wolf she killed. "But look."
Aiden followed her gaze.
On the wolf's forehead glowed a faint red mark — a strange sigil that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"What... is that?"
Aria's face turned grim. "A summoning mark. These wolves weren't natural. Someone is controlling them."
Aiden felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "Who would—"
Before he could finish, Aria interrupted, her voice low and serious.
"The Monarch of Death's cultists."
The air seemed to drop several degrees.
Aiden had heard whispers about them since his arrival in this world. Fanatics who worshipped an ancient sealed entity from the depths of hell itself — a being said to command death and raise armies from the abyss. For decades, the Monarch had been sealed, but rumors of the cult's growing activity had surfaced recently.
"If they're experimenting with beasts this close to the capital, then…" Aria trailed off, biting her lip.
"It means the seals are weakening," Aiden finished for her, voice dry.
Aria simply nodded.
A brief silence hung between them, broken only by the soft crunching of leaves as something massive moved deeper within the forest.
"Come on," she finally said, turning. "We need to report this. The Guild won't be pleased."
As they walked further into the dense woods, neither noticed the pair of glowing crimson eyes watching them from the darkness — full of hatred, intelligence, and hunger.
The real hunt had only just begun.