The walk down the cliffside began in silence. Apart from Tom’s labored breathing and occasional stumbles, the hike was uneventful. The trail wound downward into the lower region of the Abyssal Forest. Ryan watched the pink glow of the petals fluttering by in a hauntingly beautiful display that briefly eased his hearts.

Ka’lou led the way at a steady pace, whistling some carefree tune as if the oppressive forest weighed on him no more than a summer breeze. Mera trailed a little behind him, her head buried in the nav device she clutched in both hands.

Leaving Ryan and Anneli to hang back and make sure Tom wasn’t eaten by some undesirable.

With their comm systems compromised by Vizor, they had all removed their helmets, resorting to low-level Kyyr shielding to protect against the forest’s abyssal condensation. This gave Ryan the chance to take a closer look at Anneli, something he hadn’t had the time—or the nerve—to do before.

Her silver hair cascaded softly to her shoulders, light and airy, with streaks of pale blue threaded through the strands, giving it an iridescent sheen under the forest’s dim glow. The contrast between the cool hues made her hair appear both delicate and deliberate, like something cultivated with care. Sharp, well-maintained bangs framed her face, brushing lightly against her cheekbones and the smooth contours of her jawline. There was a precision to her appearance, a quiet elegance that didn’t seem forced but rather effortless, as though it was simply a part of who she was.

But it was her eyes that truly held him—deep, dreamy pools of silvery-gold that reflected the faint light, as if they carried hidden thoughts just out of reach. They were beautiful, but there was a flicker of nervousness behind them, a wariness that Ryan recognized instantly. The mission... this forest... And of course, the looming realization that they had been practically kidnapped by their new squad captain didn’t really help.

Ryan let out a soft sigh, forcing himself to break the silence between them. “You doing okay?” he asked quietly, his voice low enough to avoid catching Tom’s attention ahead of them.

Anneli glanced over, her lips pressing into a small, hesitant smile. “As okay as I can be, given the circumstances,” she replied, her voice soft but steady.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah... it’s a lot for a first mission.”

Anneli tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering for a moment as if to steady herself. “This place… It’s strange. Beautiful, but... wrong.”

Ryan couldn’t help but agree. The forest was mesmerizing, but there was an undeniable sense of something lurking in its depths, waiting. “Yeah. I’ve culled the forest’s edge before, but it’s never felt like this.”

For a moment, they walked in silence, the forest around them eerily still, save for the fluttering petals and rhythmic pink glow.

“There’s something wrong with him,” Anneli whispered, glancing toward Ka’lou’s distant silhouette leading the way. “What he did to Tom...”

Stolen story; please report.

Ryan followed her gaze, his jaw tightening. “I think Vizor is to blame. I’m honestly not sure he’s even sending backup.”

Tom stumbled ahead of them, letting out a low curse under his breath as he leaned heavily on his side. Ryan sighed. “We’ll get through this,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

Anneli gave him a small, knowing nod. “Yeah,” she whispered, though the doubt in her voice was hard to miss.

Ryan glanced at her one last time before they truly entered the depths of the Abyssal Forest.

It was a ghostly place. The thick canopy of blossoming trees seemed to muffle the breeze, as if the wind itself was unwelcome here. The petals on the blossom’s branches were resistant to the wind's advances, remaining perfectly in place. Under their branches, the ground was surprisingly flat, with seemingly manicured pink grass sprouting barely off the otherwise sandy soil.

Floating carelessly in the air were small pools of water condensed into glassy bubbles that seemed to hold some life. Inside the bubbles swam peculiar creatures—lizardlike fish with scaly bodies that shimmered in gradients of silver, blue, and pink.

They were beautiful, their shimmering bodies gliding effortlessly within the bubbles—until Ryan noticed the unsettling detail: their heads consisted entirely of toothy lower jaws, surrounded by writhing, growths that twisted aimlessly where their faces should have been. Sightless, they swam in endless circles, trapped in their strange, aimless dance.

Team~!” Ka’lou’s voice rang out, cheerful as ever. “Let’s steer clear of those Silver Vorass. They look harmless, but trust me—they’ve got one nasty bite.”

The squad nodded wordlessly, giving the drifting bubbles a wide berth as they continued down the path.

Ryan, however, couldn’t help himself. His curiosity kept him lingering for a moment, his eyes drawn to two bubbles as they gently collided and merged into one larger sphere. Causing two fish to share the same space. Now sharing the same bubble, the larger of the two fish swam cautiously around the smaller one, which aimlessly drifted while the larger explored the new space.

Ryan watched intently as the larger fish began to pull some of the floating plants from one side of the bubble to the other. The smaller fish remained still until the bigger fish comfortably tucked itself into its nest of plants.

The smaller fish, still motionless, began to twitch. Slowly, the strange growths around its jaw stirred, writhing with sudden purpose. The creature’s head shifted and pulsed unnaturally until it had formed a crude upper jaw.

Suddenly, with a violent burst of speed, the smaller fish lunged—its reformed jaw ripping into the larger fish, tearing into its shimmering body. The larger fish thrashed wildly, fighting back in desperation. Managing to catch the smaller fish in its lower jaw, ripping it clean in half.

For a moment, it seemed to be over—until both severed halves twitched, the new half growing a new mouth where the old wound had been. The two newly formed fish, born from the split, swam directly into the larger fish, squirming into its body, tearing it apart from the inside out.

The bubble filled with the larger fish’s blood, staining the once-clear water a sickly crimson. The top of the smaller fish then gathered its plants on its side of the bubble. The lower half sat still.

Tucking itself neatly into its nest. Just as the top fish seemed ready to settle, its newly-split lower half lunged at it, jaws snapping viciously into its body. Both fish thrashed for a moment in a grotesque, cannibalistic dance—until, without warning, they froze, lifeless and still.

Ryan blinked, his mind reeling. What the fuck...?

Ryan stared blankly at the now-bloodied bubble, the fish carcasses drifting listlessly inside.

Anneli gently nudged his arm, snapping him out of his daze. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice low and concerned.

Ryan was at a loss for words before he simply shook his head.

Anneli gave him a sympathetic look, her eyes softening. “Let’s keep moving, Ryan,” she whispered, coaxing him forward as they continued deeper into the forest.