CHAPTER 1098: SUDDEN CLOUD

The forest that was located far from the kingdom basked in golden light, its canopy filtering warm rays that danced across the clearing.

A group of four adventurers lounged beneath the trees. Their laughter echoing between the trunks.

They were amateurs that were new to the trade but burning with pride after their first real hunt. The carcasses of a few killed monsters lay off to the side, already stripped of useful hides, claws, and their cores.

Their campfire crackled softly, sending thin trails of smoke curling through the leaves.

"This is not a bad thing for a half-day’s work, guys," said Ryn, a young man with a messy mop of brown hair and a grin too wide for his face. He leaned back against a log, stretching his legs and sighing in contentment. "When we sell these parts, I will buy a decent sword so that I don’t use that rusty scrap from the guild’s reject bin."

"You said that last time," replied Lira, the group’s ranger, without looking up. She was sharpening her dagger with deliberate strokes, her ash-blond hair tied back with a thin leather cord. "And you still bought cheap ale instead."

"I must say that that ale was very decent," Ryn said, smirking.

Their leader, a tall man named Coren, laughed quietly as he stirred the pot above the fire. The scent of stew filled the air in simple but comforting ways.

"Let him dream, Lira. If we start arguing about his priorities we’ll never finish a single quest. As long as he moves then it’s fine," Coren said.

The fourth, a small and quiet Mage named Elrin, sat cross-legged beside the fire with eyes half-closed.

"You should both dream less and eat more. The stew’s ready," Elrin said.

They crowded around as Coren ladled out steaming portions into wooden bowls.

For a moment everything was peaceful. The world shrank to the warmth of the fire, some laughter, and the clinking of spoons and the faint breeze of the forest around them.

But then the ground trembled.

They heard a faint rumble at first like the distant growl of a passing big monster. The group froze in the middle of their bite. Another rumble followed a few seconds later. This one was louder, sharper, and carried a low vibration through the soil.

Ryn frowned and glanced up. "...Thunder?"

Lira’s head snapped toward the sky. It was a flawless blue, with not a single cloud in sight. The sunlight filtered through the canopy just as bright as moments ago.

"That’s not a sign of rain," Coren muttered. He stood and scanned the tree line, his hand instinctively resting on his sword hilt.

Elrin tilted his head, listening. "It came from the west. Closer to the main road, maybe?"

Lira rose to her feet with bow in hand. Her sharp eyes swept through the dense foliage, catching nothing unusual. She didn’t see any shifting shadows or any flicker of movement. Only the whisper of wind and the soft rustle of leaves.

"There are no clouds or pressure shifts," she said quietly. "But the air feels weird."

Ryn chuckled nervously. "Could be another of those Magic things the other group’s mages do, right?"

Coren shot him a look. "Hmm... I don’t think so. That was not... a Mage’s spell."

Another distant boom rolled across the forest, shaking loose a few dry leaves.

Lira’s expression hardened. "It’s not the weather. It’s something else... something unnatural."

Ryn groaned, dropping his spoon with a sigh. "Why does something weird always happen near this kingdom? Can’t we have one quiet month without anything happening?"

Elrin’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"I knew that quiet doesn’t last too long here," he said softly. "It never does after that ancient god events."

The four finally stood in uneasy silence. Their stew was forgotten as the tremors faded into an ominous stillness.

The forest that moments ago alive with birdsong had fallen completely silent.

Coren was the first to break the silence. He exhaled slowly while his eyes were still locked on the west where the last tremor seemingly had come from.

"Pack up," he said, his tone leaving no room for debate. "We’re moving."

Ryn blinked in disbelief, half a spoonful of stew still hovering near his mouth. "What? Already? We just sat down! At least let me—"

"Now," Coren repeated with a sharper tone this time. He kicked dirt over the campfire, smothering the flames until only smoke remained.

Ryn groaned and set his bowl down with exaggerated care.

"Every time we finally get a break, something happens. Every. Damn. Time." He grabbed his pack and started shoving things inside without care, muttering under his breath. "Next hunt, I’m picking the spot. Somewhere boring. Somewhere quiet. Maybe underground."

Lira was already moving efficiently, tying her quiver and slinging her bow over her shoulder.

"You wouldn’t last a day underground," she said flatly. "You’d complain about the air, the smell, or the dark."

"Yeah, but at least the ground doesn’t rumble like it’s about to wake up and eat us," Ryn shot back, glaring at her.

Elrin had not moved yet. She stood still, her small hands pressed together as if feeling something invisible. Her brows furrowed.

"Wait," she said softly.

Coren turned to her. "What is it?"

"The air," Elrin murmured. Her voice was faint, distant, as if she were listening to something beyond hearing. "There’s Magic flowing through it. Not natural... it feels heavy." She opened her eyes, and they gleamed faintly with blue light before dimming again. "It’s better if we go now."

Ryn’s expression changed instantly. He froze halfway through packing his bedroll, then gave a small, defeated nod.

"Alright. No more arguments from me." He stuffed the rest of his things into his pack with hurried hands. "Let’s go before that thing notices us."

Coren’s voice grew steady again. "Stay together. If something moves, don’t stop to look and just run. We’ll find shelter closer to the main road."

The four of them started moving through the forest. The quiet pressed down heavier than before. Every rustle of branches or the creak of trees seemed too sharp.

Minutes passed before Ryn said. "The birds aren’t even coming back..."

"No," Lira replied, glancing upward. "And neither is the sun."

He frowned and followed her gaze. The golden light that once filtered through the canopy had dimmed. A strange chill crept through the forest.

Above the treetops, clouds were gathering fast. Far too fast.

Elrin stopped walking. Her eyes narrowed. "That’s shouldn’t be possible."

Dark gray clouds twisted and coiled, swirling toward a single point high above them. Within moments the sky was nearly black even though the sun should have still been high right now. Lightning flashed without sound, leaving behind a pale streak of unnatural light.

Coren’s hand went to his sword again. "Keep moving."

The wind began to rise.

They picked up their pace.

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