Renjiro and Kairro followed the green-haired boy in silence, each step muffled by the thick underbrush. The boy moved lightly, almost like he belonged to the forest itself, and every few paces he’d flash them a wide grin.
“I’m Liko,” he said, breaking the silence. His voice was bright, carrying a casual cheer as though they weren’t wandering through dangerous territory. “And you two?”
Renjiro extended a hand. “I’m Renjiro. And this is Kairro.”
Liko’s smile widened as he shook Renjiro’s hand, glancing curiously at their white phoenix insignias. “Blue Clan, huh? I've never seen any of the other clans besides my own. ” His gaze shifted to Kairro. “You don’t look thrilled to be here.”
Kairro’s lips tightened as he leaned closer to Renjiro. “You sure we can trust him?” he murmured. “What if he’s leading us into a trap?”
Liko caught his whisper, tilting his head. “Guess you’ll have to take a chance, tough guy.” He grinned, but his eyes held a hint of mischief as he turned away.
Renjiro shrugged, meeting Kairro’s skeptical glance. “We don’t have many options. We need help if we’re going to get Goro, Emi, and Yumeru back.”
Liko’s smile faded slightly as he nodded. “If hunters got them, it’s going to be… tricky. But if we reach my home, there’s someone who might know how to get them back.” He continued walking, moving confidently through the dense trees.
Kairro muttered to Renjiro, “Tricky, he says. I feel safer already.”
The shadows lengthened as they walked, and Renjiro eventually broke the silence. “Liko, back there… you mentioned clans. I don’t know much about them. I mean, aside from the Red Clan and Blue Clan.”
Kairro rolled his eyes. “Of course you don’t. There are five clans total, each with unique abilities.” He straightened, a proud edge entering his voice. “The Blue Clan and Red Clan, as you know, focus on combat. But the Green guy here is a bit different.”
Liko smirked. “That’s one way of putting it.”
Kairro ignored him and continued, “Green Clan members are physically weaker than most, but they have a natural connection with healing and nature. They can do things… let’s just say they’re in tune with life itself.”
Liko shrugged. “It’s nothing special. Just a Green Clan trick or two.”
Renjiro listened with growing interest. “And the other clans?”
“The Yellow Clan,” Kairro replied, “known as the Solaris Empire. They cannot create objects out of lumina. Their Lumina ability allows them to create machines, infusing them with Lumina energy. They’re rumored to have devices more powerful than any weapon the Red Clan could dream of.” He paused, and his tone grew quieter. “The last is the Grey Clan. But they haven’t been seen for centuries.”
Liko glanced over his shoulder, a half-smile on his lips. “The Grey Clan’s a mystery even to us, so don’t go chasing shadows.”
Renjiro nodded, his curiosity piqued but aware that the conversation wouldn’t reveal all the answers. As they continued deeper into the forest, he sensed that the other clans held more mysteries than he could have imagined.
As the sky began to darken, they came upon a small clearing. In the center lay an injured deer, its side was torn, and the creature breathed in shallow gasps. Renjiro and Kairro paused, unsure of what to do.
Liko, however, moved forward without hesitation. “Poor thing,” he murmured, crouching beside the deer. He placed a hand gently on its side and closed his eyes.
“What’s he doing?” Renjiro asked, wide-eyed.
“Just watch,” Kairro replied. A gentle green light began to swirl around his hand, forming a soft glow that pulsed with warmth and life. The light enveloped the deer’s wound, and slowly, the torn flesh began to mend, sealing itself as if it had never been there.
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As the wound closed completely, the deer rose to its feet, looking at Liko with wide, dark eyes before darting off into the trees.
Renjiro shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve never seen anything like that. You… healed it.”
Liko brushed his hands off, pride flickering in his eyes. “Just something the Green Clan can do. We may not be as strong, but we make up for it.”
Kairro’s skepticism faded, replaced by reluctant respect. “That’s… impressive.”
Liko winked. “Stick around. I’ve got more tricks up my sleeve.”
Night fell quickly, and as they continued, the forest grew darker, the silence unsettling. They were halfway across another stretch of forest when Liko suddenly froze, his entire body going rigid. Renjiro and Kairro stopped behind him, exchanging wary glances.
“Liko?” Renjiro asked softly. “What’s wrong?”
Liko didn’t respond at first. He was staring into the shadows, his face pale, eyes wide with fear. “Don’t… move,” he whispered, barely audible.
Kairro tensed, his voice a sharp whisper. “What’s wrong with you, Liko?”
Liko swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Screecher.”
The word sent a chill through Renjiro, though he didn’t fully understand what it meant. He strained his ears, and slowly, he picked up the faint sound of movement—leaves rustling and a low, almost inaudible growl. From the darkness, a creature emerged, pushing through the undergrowth.
The thing was slender and skeletal, its skin black as midnight, with sharp spikes lining its back. Its eyes glowed an unnatural white, and strands of dark, wispy hair floated around it as if weightless. It moved on all fours, its claws long and twisted, and when it opened its mouth, rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the moonlight.
Liko took a step back, his face etched with horror. “Whatever you do, don’t let it touch you.”
The creature let out a screech that split the air, making Renjiro’s blood run cold as it lunged. Renjiro and Kairro dove out of the way, and Kairro, acting quickly, charged a Lumina blast and fired it directly at the creature. The blast struck it dead-on, yet the creature merely paused, then lifted its head slowly, seeming unfazed. It stared back, its hair strands writhing aggressively.
Kairro’s eyes widened. “It didn’t even feel that.”
Liko gritted his teeth. “It’s immune to Lumina! We can’t hurt it!”
Renjiro’s voice was tight with fear. “Then we need to run. Now!”
He grabbed Liko by the arm, and both he and Kairro infused Lumina into their legs, racing through the forest with newfound speed. The Screecher followed, its long limbs propelling it forward with alarming agility.
“These things are faster than they look!” Kairro shouted, panic slipping into his voice.
Liko gasped as he kept pace. “Just don’t look back! It’s gaining on us!”
Ahead, a massive tree stood in their path, and with a desperate move, Liko reached out, channeling green Lumina into the trunk. The tree groaned and cracked as a heavy branch dropped behind them, blocking the Screecher’s path. The creature screeched in fury, but it didn’t slow down.
They dashed onward, but more Screechers began to emerge from the trees on either side, their glowing eyes fixed hungrily on the group. The creatures were silent, deadly predators, moving with eerie precision. The forest seemed to close in, leaving them no room to escape.
Renjiro’s heart pounded as he spotted a cliff ahead. At its edge, a waterfall poured into a dark pool below. They skidded to a stop, the sound of rushing water drowning out everything else. Turning, they saw the Screechers advancing, their white eyes unblinking.
Kairro met Renjiro’s gaze, his expression resolute. “We’re out of options.”
Without another word, they took a collective breath and jumped just as the Screechers lunged. The cold shock of the water enveloped them, muffling the Screechers’ screeches as they splashed into the pool below. The creatures gathered at the edge of the cliff, watching, but none dared to jump.
Renjiro gasped as he surfaced, the cold water shocking his senses. He glanced around frantically until he spotted Kairro and Liko a few feet away, both breathing hard.
They swam to shore, dragging themselves onto the rocks. They sat in silence for a moment, catching their breath, the reality of their escape sinking in.
Kairro broke the silence first. “What… were those things?”
Liko’s expression was dark, a rare seriousness in his voice. “Screechers. Predators that hunt Lumina-wielders. They drain Lumina from their victims until they’re… empty.”
Renjiro shivered. “They feed on Lumina?”
Kairro clenched his fists, frustration written across his face. “I hit it with all I had, but it didn’t even react.”
Liko nodded grimly. “They’re immune to it. Attacking them with Lumina only makes them stronger.” He glanced toward the waterfall. “One of their only weaknesses is water.”
Renjiro let out a shaky breath. “So… we escaped by pure luck.”
Kairro muttered, “Let’s hope we never see those things again.”
They exchanged a relieved look, feeling the weight of the night’s events settle over them. With the cold night air creeping in and the exhaustion catching up to them, they set up a makeshift camp nearby. Each of them lay down, grateful for the brief safety water had provided.
As Renjiro drifted off, the image of the Screecher’s hungry eyes lingered in his mind, a reminder that the forest held dangers even more fearsome than the Red Clan.