We stepped through the portal, and a cold, electrifying sensation rippled over my skin, like static electricity in the air. My stomach twisted, but I clenched my fists and kept my mind focused. When the sensation faded, I blinked and took in our surroundings.
We stood in the middle of a dense, fog-filled forest. Thick, gnarled roots wound across the ground, and ancient trees loomed over us, their branches intertwining to form a near-impenetrable canopy above refusing to give access to light.
This created a shadows dominated scene, shifting and twisting with an unsettling, almost sentient quality. Perfect for Alex's shadow abilities.
“Well,” Blaze said, exhaling slowly, “looks like we’re officially in monster territory.” His gaze darted around, as if expecting something to lunge out at us from the darkness.
“Stay sharp,” Mia said, her voice steady but soft. She had a water orb floating in her palm, ready to be molded into whatever shape she needed.
Jun chuckled, though it sounded a little forced. “At least we don’t have to worry about finding monsters. They’ll probably come right to us.”
“Alex” Blaze turned to me and ordered " Since you're the only one who can move in the shadows without getting detected, use your shadow cloak to scout the area for any danger".
"Okay" I replied activating [Cloak] and disappearing from sight.
"Don't stray too far from us and do not engage with any of the monsters, we'll do that as a team" Blaze commanded in a serious tone.
"Sir yes sir" I replied from within the shadows. I couldn't help myself, he seriously sounded like olden days military commanders speaking like that.
"W-will he be fine alone?" I heard Amara ask from behind me.
"He'll be fine" Mia assured her.
(Why do I smell a red flag ?)
{I don't smell anything}
I moved quietly, which was pretty easy considering I had cloak on, and started scouting for monsters.
---3rd person POV----
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
With Alex leaving to scout the area,the rest of the team stuck together on Blaze's command.
They decided to wait for Alex's report, to move further. The silence soon became boring for everyone, especially Mia so she started a conversation with Amara.
"Amara right?" She asked "I've noticed you quite a few times in class but you always seem to be alone, why's that?"
Mia paused, thinking her question might have been a sensitive topic for Amara and was about to take it back when the purple haired girl replied.
"I-i'm always alone because I don't have f-friends" she said, stuttering.
Her reply made Mia a bit sad so she quickly proclaimed.
"Since you don't have any friends, we'll be your first friends" Mia said and turned to the two boys staying on lookout "Right guys?"
"Any friend of Mia's is automatically a friend of mine" Blaze replied with a smile on his lips.
"More of you means more side kicks anyway so I don't mind" Jun also answered.
"See? I'm sure Alex wouldn't mind being your friend also" Mia said, looking at Amara with a smile.
Mia's words and actions made Amara tear up but before she could cry or say anything, they heard a loud roar in the direction that Alex left towards.
The team rushed towards the roar in a heartbeat, hoping Alex was not in any danger.
------Alex's POV-----
The shadows were like a second skin, cloaking me perfectly as I weaved through the dense underbrush. Every step felt like sinking into darkness itself, and with [Cloak] activated, even the faint rustle of leaves seemed to bend around me, hiding me from any lurking creatures.
I moved further from the team, scanning the area for any signs of movement. The deeper I went, the more the shadows seemed to deepen, and an eerie silence settled over the forest.
Not even the faintest hint of birdsong or rustling branches—just an unnatural, suffocating quiet.
Suddenly, a low growl resonated from up ahead, snapping me out of my focused haze. I froze, blending seamlessly into the darkness.
I spotted a massive wolf like creature moving through the shadows, with its pack following closely behind.
The massive wolf was nearly past me when it halted abruptly, lifting its head to sniff the air.
Damn it. Although [cloak] can hide me entirely, it doesn’t mask my scent completely—and the wolf must have picked up on it.
I froze, barely daring to breathe, watching as the creature's head slowly turned in my direction. Its amber eyes scanned the shadows, narrowing as it sniffed the air again, more intently this time. My heart thundered in my chest, and I willed myself to stay perfectly still. One wrong move, and I'll be visiting the void again.
It seemed to turn away, but before I could react, its massive tail whipped toward me with deadly speed. Thankfully, I’d managed to throw up a shadow barrier just in time, absorbing the blow.
The impact drained more energy than I’d hoped, forcing me to drop [Cloak] to conserve mana—especially since it wasn’t night and Nyx’s blessing wasn’t active.
Finally spotting me, the wolf let out a deafening roar, which I assumed was the signal for the rest of the pack to attack. And sure enough, the moment it sounded, the others charged, their eyes glowing with hunger.
(A little help here author)
{You're fine}
(Y'know, if I die your novel 's screwed right?)
{Nope, I'll just make Blaze or Jun the MC, they're much more fun}
(F*ck you)
Their relentless attacks kept landing on the barrier and keeping this up was burning my mana fast.
I fortified the barrier, conjuring razor-sharp spikes along its surface. Five wolves in the pack lunged blindly, unable to stop in time, and impaled themselves on the spikes.
They collapsed instantly, their snarls silenced, as the remaining wolves hesitated, sensing the danger.
I also got a notification from the system.
[You've killed 5 Level 1 Night clawed wolves, 50 EXP gained]
[Exp: 50/100]
These guys were basically walking XP bags. I couldn’t help but grin, ready to abandon my shadow cover and go all in—until a fireball suddenly shot through the air, slamming into some of the smaller wolves.
‘Looks like they heard the roar’ I thought, smirking.
“Alex, are you okay?” Mia asked, rushing to my side.
“Mostly,” I replied, though I felt the drain on my mana more with each second. “But I’m running low here.”
“Let’s handle the wolves first,” Blaze said, summoning his flame clones, each one radiating heat and power.
“You’re in big trouble for attacking my sidekick, puppy,” Jun said, taking a battle stance with a cocky grin.
‘For the last time, I never agreed to be your sidekick,’ I thought, rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling. With the team here, things were about to get interesting.