The sky had turned a soft hue of orange and pink as the sun slowly descended toward the horizon, casting long, creeping shadows through the forest. The once-lively chatter of the birds had faded into a tense quiet, as if the very woods themselves sensed something ominous in the air. Martin, Ika, Lorenzo, and Rem moved quickly yet cautiously through the underbrush, the weight of their recent battle against the boar titan still heavy on their minds.
As they approached the edge of the forest, the towering walls of the academy came into view, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The team’s mission to capture the flying lemurs had been far from what they had expected. But what worried them more was the unknown fate of Rem’s missing teammates.
“We’re almost there,” Martin said, breaking the silence as they navigated the winding path leading back to the academy gates. His voice was steady, but the concern in his eyes betrayed his calm demeanor. “Let’s hope the others made it back safely.”
Rem remained quiet, her face pale, lost in thought as her gaze swept the forest. She replayed the moment the titan had charged in her mind—how Stanley and Leonardo had shouted in confusion before they were separated in the chaos. She clenched her fists, trying to shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at her.
Lorenzo, his amber eyes narrowing, noticed her unease. “We’ll find them,” he said, his voice low but firm. “They might’ve just taken a different route. It’s easy to get turned around in these woods.”
Ika chimed in, her expression softening. “Yeah, the academy’s got search teams. They’ll be on this the moment we report the titan. We’re not letting anyone get left behind.”
As they neared the gates, a group of academy guards stood ready. They had clearly been waiting for the students to return, no doubt alerted by the unusual commotion in the woods. One of the guards stepped forward, a man in a silver uniform bearing the insignia of the academy’s elite corps. His stern expression softened slightly as he saw the students approach.
“You’re back,” he said, glancing at each of them, his eyes lingering briefly on Rem, who was still visibly shaken. “What happened out there? There’s been some disturbance reports.”
Martin stepped forward, his face serious. “There was a titan. A boar titan, in the eastern quadrant of the forest. It wasn’t part of the test. We managed to take it down, but two of her group got separated in the attack.”
The guard’s eyes widened slightly at the mention of a titan. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he glanced toward the darkening woods. “A titan, you say? This is troubling. Are you certain it’s dead?”
“We’re sure,” Lorenzo said. “But Rem’s teammates, Stanley and Leonardo, they’re still out there. We need a search team to find them.”
The guard nodded sharply and gestured to two of his subordinates. “Alert the academic board. We need to send out search parties immediately. Have them search the eastern quadrant of the forest, where the titan was sighted.”
Just then, Neil appeared at the gates alongside Master Khan and Lord Vincent Apollo. Concern clouded Neil’s usually calm demeanor as he took in the students’ battered appearances, their clothes torn and faces weary. Lord Apollo’s gaze immediately found Martin, and a mixture of relief and worry softened his stern expression as he approached his nephew.
“Are you alright?” Lord Apollo asked, placing a steady hand on Martin’s shoulder, his voice thick with concern. He searched Martin’s face for any sign of serious injury, his eyes flickering with unspoken fear.
“I’m fine, Uncle,” Martin replied, giving a small nod to reassure him. But his expression remained tense as he glanced back toward the darkening forest. “But please—Rem’s teammates, Stanley and Leonardo, are still missing. We need to send a search party right away.”
Lord Apollo’s eyes sharpened at Martin’s words, his expression shifting instantly from concern to grim resolve. He straightened, turning to the guards with a commanding presence. “Assemble a search team immediately,” he ordered, his voice steady and unwavering. “Cover the eastern quadrant near the forest’s edge where the attack occurred. Move quickly.”
The guards nodded, snapping to attention as they relayed his orders. Lord Apollo’s jaw tightened as he watched them disperse, urgency radiating from him. He looked back at Martin, giving his nephew’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You did well to make it back safely,” he said quietly. “We’ll find them, Martin. You’ve done your part. Let us handle the rest.”
Before long, Doctor Patrick arrived, moving quickly to inspect the students. His face was a mask of focus as he began tending to their injuries, his touch gentle but efficient. “This should help with the pain,” he said, dabbing a healing balm onto Martin’s cuts before moving to Ika and Lorenzo. Other students, who had returned from their missions and were gathered at a distance, whispered and exchanged glances, eyeing the injured group from afar with a mixture of awe and worry.
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As they awaited word from the search teams, the academy grounds buzzed with subdued energy. Just then, a low blast of the scout’s horn echoed from the direction of the woods. Every head turned toward the gates as a scout ran up to the group, his face pale, his breath labored.
“We found them,” the scout announced, but his voice was strained, and regret weighed down his words. “Stanley Godwill and Leonardo Lanlark. Their bodies were at the base of a ridge, not far from where you said the boar titan was slain.”
A sharp gasp escaped from Rem’s lips, her hand flying to her mouth. Her face drained of color, and her knees buckled as the words settled over her like a weight. “No…” she whispered, the sound barely audible. As the scout continued his grim report, Rem’s quiet disbelief broke into choked sobs, her voice rising into a wail that shattered the heavy silence around them.
Neil moved to her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, but Rem’s sorrow seemed to swallow her whole. Her breathing became rapid and shallow, her eyes unfocused. Before anyone could react, her body went limp, and she fainted, collapsing into Neil’s arms.
“Doctor!” Neil called, his voice tinged with alarm as Doctor Patrick hurried over. With careful hands, the doctor checked Rem’s pulse, his expression softening as he nodded to reassure the group. “She’ll be alright—she’s just overwhelmed. The stress and exhaustion were too much.”
But the scout wasn’t finished. His voice was quieter now, almost reluctant. “There’s something else… The boar titan’s remains—they’re missing. We found signs of its collapse, but the body is gone and there is no residual energy left. It’s as if something or someone moved it.”
Neil’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing through the troubling implications. Lesser titans, upon death, were known to disintegrate entirely, their bodies dissolving back into the earth in a flash of residual energy, leaving nothing but a faint, ghostly shimmer behind. But the absence of the boar titan’s remains told a different story.
He turned sharply to Martin, Lorenzo, and Ika, his gaze serious. “Did you see the titan’s body disappear? Did it dissolve like it was supposed to?”
The three students exchanged uncertain looks before shaking their heads.
“No, sir,” Martin replied, his tone apprehensive. “We… we assumed it would just stay there once we defeated it. But we didn’t actually see it vanish. We left as soon as we were able.”
Neil’s expression darkened as he absorbed this information. The fact that the body remained—even for a short time—pointed to one of two possibilities: either the titan was not truly defeated and was still at large, or someone had taken the body. Either outcome was deeply unsettling.
“It’s crucial for you to understand,” Neil began, his voice taking on a stern but instructional tone, “that lesser titans, once slain, do not leave bodies behind. They’re bound to the natural energy of this world, and when their lives end, their forms disperse. You wouldn’t have been aware of this, but it’s basic titan lore. A missing titan body, under these circumstances, is impossible unless some other force is at play.”
Ika’s face paled as she processed the weight of his words. “So… does that mean… someone took it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Neil nodded grimly, his gaze drifting back to the forest as if he could sense some unseen threat lurking within its depths. “Or worse. It could mean that the titan wasn’t killed at all. If that’s the case, it could still be roaming the area, or even waiting to strike again. Either scenario is cause for serious concern.”
Lorenzo clenched his fists, a mixture of fear and frustration in his eyes. “We did everything we could,” he said, almost defensively.
Neil softened his tone slightly, understanding the strain they’d been through. “I know, Lorenzo. You did everything expected of you and more. But this discovery means there may be others involved—individuals or entities who know titans well enough to manipulate them.”
The students glanced at each other, the reality of the situation sinking in. It was no longer a simple mission gone awry; they were dealing with something far beyond their initial understanding, something dark and calculated.
“Take me to where you found the bodies,” Neil commanded, his tone clipped, as he turned to the scout. “We need to see this ourselves.”
The scout nodded, gesturing for Neil to follow. Master Khan and Lord Apollo exchanged a glance before falling in step behind Neil, their expressions hardened. As they reached the grim scene where Stanley and Leonardo’s bodies had been found, an oppressive silence settled over the group.
Neil crouched beside the disturbed earth, his gaze taking in the unsettling remnants left behind: strange symbols etched into the ground, symbols that seemed crudely carved, yet deliberate. Arranged around the scene were scattered bits of clay and straw, alongside small orbs that gleamed faintly in the fading light. There was something almost ritualistic about the arrangement, a dark pattern that Neil recognized with a growing sense of dread.
“These markings… and these objects,” Neil murmured, his eyes fixed on the strange artifacts. “This is no mere accident. It looks as though Stanley and Leonardo weren’t just victims of the titan; they were part of something darker.”
Master Khan examined the scene with a critical eye, his brow furrowing. “An offering, perhaps? Something meant to invoke—or control?”
“Perhaps,” Neil replied, his voice low. “But these markings… I haven’t seen anything like this near the academy in years.” He cut himself off, glancing at Lord Apollo, who looked equally disturbed.
Lord Apollo crouched, running a hand along the ground where remnants of a circle could faintly be seen beneath the dirt and leaves. “If this is truly what it seems,” he said, voice barely a whisper, “then something has infiltrated the academy grounds under the cover of the titan’s attack. We may have been dealing with more than just a rogue beast from the start.”
Neil’s expression darkened as he rose, brushing the dirt from his hands. His gaze swept over the surrounding forest, thoughts racing. “Whoever—whatever—did this has a purpose here. If they moved the titan’s body, it means they wanted it gone to avoid detection… or they intend to use it.”
He turned back to the scout. “Did you find anything else? Any sign of who or what could have done this?”
The scout shook his head, swallowing nervously. “Only these… artifacts. We didn’t see anyone in the area.”
Neil exhaled sharply, standing to his full height as he turned to Master Khan and Lord Apollo. “We need to increase our patrols along the academy’s borders immediately. I want every available guard briefed on the possibility of intruders with knowledge of titans and dark rituals. And as for these markings…” He paused, scanning the forest with an unsettling sense that they were being watched. “Send a report to the academic council. We need the to examine this scene as soon as possible.”
Master Khan placed a hand on Neil’s shoulder. “This could be just the beginning,” he said quietly. “If someone’s gone to these lengths… they won’t stop here.”
Neil nodded grimly, his eyes lingering on the strange orbs scattered on the ground. Whatever dark force had made its way to their gates, it wasn’t something he’d allow to threaten the academy any further. But as he looked back at the students waiting at the gates, visibly shaken yet determined, he felt the weight of the coming battle. The academy would have to be ready—for this was only the first warning.