Ripped pieces of cloth, a fallen pack, and a trail of long since dried blood.

Ivan and Sasha kneeled on either side of Sam while Mai kept watch over them.

“What’d I’d say? Didn’t I tell you we’d find something captain? We just had to keep at it.” Ivan said, his determination reignited by their findings. “What do think Sasha? How long has all this been here?”

“A day or two? Maybe three? It couldn’t have been here any longer or the rain would’ve washed away the blood.” Sasha answered, unsure about her findings.

“Agreed.” Sam said as he shifted through the pack. If it had been out here any longer it would’ve been caught in that heavy rainfall a few days prior. “This bag isn’t wet.” He pulled out the same box of rations that all their bags contained. Only a few remained. “And whoever it belonged to survived long enough to make it through most of their box. If they were being smart about their portions, one person could get by on this for awhile.”

“We have to follow the trail. If we move fast, we can save them.” Ivan declared.

「Quest Generated: The Lost」

「Description: You’ve found the remnants of a lone survivor. There is evidence of a struggle but if you move quickly there may be hope for them yet.」

「Objective: Follow the blood trail.」

“And look. Even these weird boxes want us to go after them.” Ivan added on. Sasha nodded along with his words. “We’ve got to do it for everyone back at camp.”

Sam casted a look upwards. Maybe two to three hours of daylight remained. If they did this they’d end up having to setup camp for the night. Not something they’ve ever done.

“What do you think Mai?”

“Quests give rewards.” Short and practical. Those golden eyes didn’t show a shred of compassion for the person who might be dying as they speak.

He wasn’t much better. Their lives came before this stranger’s.

He transferred the useful things from the lost pack into his own and stood up, longsword drawn. “We’ll follow the blood and decide what we do depending on what we find, agreed?”

No one protested the decision.

Step by step, slash by slash, the group cut the deepest they ever have into the vast forest of the island, the trail of blood like a string tugging them along.

“Hold on.” Sam called out to Sasha and Ivan who led the pursuit. It had only been for a split moment but he couldn’t sworn he saw a glint among the fallen leaves and underbrush.

A quick rummage through the dirt produced a knife, the type provided with the packs. Blood stained its blade but not like any he’d ever seen; a dark green tint hugged the slimy substance and a putrid scent wafted off it. The smell of death, something he’s become far too familiar with. The trail of blood that led to this was dry so why did this green tinted substance remain disgustingly fresh?

“We might be dealing with a new monster. Be ready for anything.” Sam warned, opting to leave the blade behind. Who knew what type of diseases that thing carried.

If the others weren’t on guard before, they were now. Ivan especially. Shield held higher, he hovered closer to his sister.

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Despite Sam’s insistence that the man make use of an axe or spear, Ivan continued to wield only the shield. If it weren’t for his steadily growing strength there’s no way such a reckless decision wouldn’t have been viable but the results spoke for themselves and would -hopefully- continue to do so. At least Sasha heeded the advice and now kept a pair of the basic survival knives at her waist in case anything slipped past them and got to her.

They soon reached their destination.

Free of the foliage, Sam recoiled and nearly tripped back into it.

A massive mansion filled out the clearing. Made of pristine marble, the tall structure felt as though it belonged in an entirely different world not on some monster filled island. Statues of various animals and expertly trimmed hedges decorated the stairway that paved the way to the double door entrance. Blood trails from different parts of the forest, including the one that led them here, converged and ran up the center of the stairs.

Jarring as it was to go from dense forest to an expensive mansion, that wasn’t what caused Sam to recoil. Nor was it the bloodstains.

An ominous aura oozed out from the fine marble walls. It reached out and like skeletal fingers crackled, snapping closed as if to snuff out the very essence of life within him.

Sam’s breaths quickened. His chest tightened. The warm energy within him morphed into a raging inferno.

The stranglehold tightened, affronted by the act of defiance.

Death is all that awaited them behind those walls.

Ivan and Sasha walked ahead, admiring the building, blissfully ignorant of the dark energy pouring out from the building. He tried to warn them but the words refused to form.

He looked to Mai.

Her brow furrowed and sweat dripped down the side of her face, lips parted for slow deep breaths. Someone like her struggling to fight off fear spoke volumes.

A blood curdling scream came from the mansion.

Ivan ran forward, ignorant of the danger and Sasha followed. Sam reached out while taking a shaky step forward only to collapse to a knee, left with no other choice but to helpless watch as the two vanished behind those fancy doors.

How long did he and Mai remain there, stricken with terror by the oppressive energy? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? It felt like an eternity.

It was only once the raven haired woman raced past him and up the stairway that Sam surfaced above the sea of fear.

He wanted to flee. To return to camp and pretend he’d never come across this place but he knew better. Without those three things would fall apart.

Sam gritted his teeth, rose up, and chased after them.

He burst through the doors.

No Ivan. No Sasha. No Mai.

Sam stood alone in a dark room. A flickering flame, housed in a small lamp on a wooden office dust, provided a dim fleeting source of light. Unable to make out any immediate danger and free of that soul crushing presence, he placed his sword in one hand and picked up the lamp, shinning it around the room.

A study of some sort by the looks of it. Book cases lined the walls, shelves neatly stocked full of knowledge.

How did he end up here? There was a door to leave the room but it wasn’t the same double doors he’d come through. And why was it dark outside? The window behind the desk showed off an extravagant garden complimented by a serene starry sky, no mountains or trees in sight.

It looked almost magical.

Maybe it was magic. Literal flames healed his wounds; magic was as good an explanation as any.

As much as he’d like to scour the wealth of pages, finding the others took priority. He restricted his examination to the desk itself. Two books in particular caught his attention.

A slim black journal kept closed by a latch and a thick brown tomb, odd symbols engraved into its metal spine.

「Item Acquired: Diary of a Forgotten Mage」

「Description: Locked by a simple spell, its contents remain inaccessible to those who lack the proper mana training to unravel it. Perhaps it can shed light on the secrets of this island.」

「Item Acquired: The Manifestation of Mana」

「Description: A beginner’s guide that details the process one must undergo to obtain basic control over mana: a powerful force capable of what the ignorant would label magic. Worn and brimming with insightful notations, the book has seen extensive use.」

Well that’s convenient. Too convenient to be anything but intentional.

A rough thud shook the study’s door.

Sam slipped the two books into his pack and prepared both lamp and sword.

Another thud. Then another. And another. As the weight behind them mounted, he picked up on faint groans beyond the door.

One more thud broke the door.

Shadowy figures stumbled through the splintered doorway, shuffling and trudging along through the darkness towards him. A revolting stench hugged them. The same disgusting smell from that knife.

They dragged themselves into the flickering light.

Sam gasped.