The next morning, Caelum and Aurelia ventured out of their burrow, feeling refreshed after a night of peaceful rest. The forest, which had seemed so ominous before, now felt a little less threatening. The usual sounds of nature surrounded them—the soft rustling of leaves, the occasional distant chirp of insects, and the hum of the forest’s subtle energy.
The air was crisp and cool, with the scent of dew lingering on the plants. Caelum led the way as they explored a new area, one they hadn’t ventured into before. The terrain was unfamiliar, the trees gnarled and twisted, with large vines hanging like serpents from the branches. Strange patches of dense foliage and colorful flowers dotted the ground.
Aurelia crawled alongside Caelum, her eyes darting around as she took in the unfamiliar sights. “This place feels… off,” she said through their telepathic link. “It’s too quiet.”
Caelum agreed. There was a stillness in the air, a sort of unnatural calm that made his instincts tingle. They moved cautiously, their senses alert as they continued deeper into this strange part of the forest. Everything about this area seemed too perfect—the flowers too vibrant, the plants too symmetrical.
Aurelia moved ahead slightly, her focus on a patch of particularly large flowers with thick, vibrant petals. “Look at these,” she said, her voice filled with curiosity. “I’ve never seen flowers like this before.”
Caelum approached, but something didn’t sit right with him. He glanced around, his gaze narrowing. The flowers were large, unnaturally so, and something about the way they clustered together didn’t seem… normal.
Just as he was about to warn Aurelia, something happened.
Without warning, the nearest flower sprang to life. Its thick petals snapped shut around Aurelia with lightning speed, and she let out a sharp cry as she disappeared into its maw. The flower’s fleshy stem coiled like a snake, pulling Aurelia toward the ground as its petals closed tightly around her.
“Aurelia!” Caelum’s mind screamed in panic.
He lunged forward, but the carnivorous plant was quicker than he expected. It slithered backward, dragging Aurelia along with it as it sought cover in the underbrush. Caelum could hear Aurelia’s muffled struggles from inside the plant, and his heart raced.
“Hang on!” Caelum shouted, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to stop the plant from devouring his friend.
He used Appraisal, desperate to know what he was dealing with.
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[Appraisal Activated]
Name: Carnivorous Vine Flower
Species: Predatory Plant
Level: 7
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Rank: E
HP: 50/50
MP: 5/15
Stamina: 40/50
Echo Skills: [Entangle Lv: 5] [Digest Lv: 2] [Poison Spit Lv: 3]
Status Effects: None
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Caelum’s heart sank. This was no ordinary plant—it was a predator, one designed to trap and devour anything that wandered too close. And it had already started pulling Aurelia deeper into its trap.
Without wasting another second, Caelum charged forward, his legs carrying him as fast as they could toward the retreating plant. The flower jerked and twisted, trying to shield itself with the underbrush, but Caelum wasn’t going to let it escape with Aurelia.
“Let her go!” Caelum roared telepathically, slamming into the plant’s thick stem with all the force he could muster. His segmented body hit the vine hard, but the plant barely budged. It coiled tighter around its prey, its large petals pulsing as it began to digest Aurelia.
Aurelia’s muffled voice came through their link, strained but still fighting. “Caelum… help!”
Panic surged through Caelum, but he forced himself to stay focused. He couldn’t just attack blindly—he needed to be smart about this. He darted around the flower, looking for a weak spot, but the plant’s thick stem and fleshy petals made it difficult to find an opening.
He could hear the gurgling sounds of the plant as it tried to digest Aurelia. Caelum’s mind raced. His water affinity might help, but he wasn’t sure how to use it in this situation. He needed to weaken the plant, but every second he hesitated, Aurelia’s chances of survival grew slimmer.
Desperation fueled his next move. Caelum focused his energy, channeling his Water Magic, and directed it toward the plant’s stem. A small stream of water shot out from his limbs, dousing the plant. The flower shuddered as the water hit it, but it wasn’t enough. The plant recoiled slightly, but its grip on Aurelia remained firm.
Caelum's thoughts spun. He needed to attack the core—the part of the plant controlling its movements. But finding it while it twisted and coiled around Aurelia was going to be difficult.
The plant lashed out suddenly, one of its vines snapping toward Caelum like a whip. He dodged, barely avoiding the attack, but the plant was relentless. Its vines flailed, trying to entangle him the way it had ensnared Aurelia.
Caelum’s frustration grew. He couldn’t afford to be on the defensive, not now. He needed to find a way to save Aurelia, but the plant was too strong, too fast. His mind raced, searching for a plan, but nothing seemed to work.
Then, a horrifying thought crept into his mind.
What if he wasn’t fast enough?
As the plant pulled Aurelia deeper into its maw, Caelum lunged forward, determined to make one last-ditch effort. He struck at the flower’s petals with everything he had, hoping to force it to release her.
But before he could land a solid hit, one of the vines coiled around him, squeezing tight. The air was forced from Caelum’s body as the vine held him in place, leaving him immobilized. He struggled, thrashing against the plant’s hold, but it only tightened its grip.
Aurelia’s voice was fading. “Caelum… I—”
Her words cut off abruptly, leaving nothing but silence.
The vine dragged Caelum closer to the plant’s gaping maw, and for the first time, a cold chill ran down his spine. The plant had them both in its grasp, and time was running out.