Day 2 Class B
Firelight dances in the inky darkness of the night, illuminating the dense canopy of the forest that surrounds us. The hearty smell of cooking meat permeates the air, blending with the earthy scent of damp soil and lush foliage. Seated around the fire, my comrades and I watch the deer we'd hunted roast over the flame. The day had been long and arduous, but the promise of a hot meal lightens the mood, at least for a while.
Our camp is basic, a shelter of branches and leaves arranged in a half-circle around the fire, but it's home. For now, at least. Nearby, the sound of a brook gurgles in the background, providing a comforting soundtrack to the otherwise quiet night. I miss Ash... I hope he's doing fine, haha, well I'm sure he's fine since that little red hair girl scolds him.
"Wow, you truly are amazing, Sera~ Because of you, we hunted it much faster than expected~" Nyssa coos from across the fire, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
My fingers wrap around the cool handle of my somewhat crude knife, which is lying in the grass next to me. I feel a faint smile tugging at my lips, though I quickly suppress it. Nyssa is good-natured, but I'm not one for flattery. This knife is better than expected, I'm glad I have someone like Nyssa. If it wasn't for her it would've been a disaster.
"I've hunted before, so I know a few tricks," I reply with a shrug. The fact that I'd led the successful hunt seems to have momentarily elevated my status within the group. It's not a position I'm comfortable with.
"Oh, come on~ you're amazing! How did someone like you end up in Class B?~" Nyssa asks, her words hanging in the air as she turns the deer carcass over the fire with a stick.
Before I can respond, Gareth, a tall, lanky guy with shaggy brown hair chimes in. He was one of the few from our class who had some actual survival experience. "Yeah, Seraphina, your skills are top-notch! Weren't you the one to hold yourself against Isadora the longest? Honestly, how could they put you in Class B?"
I can't help the sigh that escapes my lips. Class rankings, skills, competitions, it's all the same to me. What does it matter if you're in Class A or Class B if you're stuck on an island, trying to survive?
"It doesn't matter what class I'm in, it won't change my growth," I reply, trying to sound casual, but my words have an edge to them. Kael... I think he was placed in class A, as expected of him. I still owe him money, he changed ash's life as well as mine. How am I supposed to pay him back for that?
Nyssa grins, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Wow~ As expected of you, you don't care about such things~."
Turning my attention away from the group, I stare at the crackling fire. I can hear the soft hum of conversation continue around me, the occasional laughter echoing through the forest. For the moment, everyone seems to have forgotten our situation. Their smiles are genuine, their worries temporarily forgotten. I wish I was in Kael's class, I don't know why but I feel like I'd enjoy it more.
I should feel relieved, perhaps even happy. But all I can feel is the weight of the responsibility I've unwittingly taken on. I'm not a leader, I'm just someone who knows how to survive. Damn, I need to start getting it together, whether I like it or not I was chosen as the leader.
Tomorrow, we'll have to come up with a plan. Find water, hunt for food, make a new shelter. It's not going to be easy, but we have to do it. This test is as much about survival as it is about teamwork. And if we're going to get through this, we need to stick together.
Sighing, I close my eyes, listening to the sounds of the forest around me. The crackle of the fire, the distant hoot of an owl, the rustle of leaves in the wind. Well, I should stop contemplating, If I want a good life for Ash I need to work hard.
Just as I'm about to drift off into a world of my own, my lips part slightly. A single syllable escapes into the cool, night air, a mere whisper drowned out by the crackle of the fire. "V..."
"V?" Nyssa's voice carries a note of surprise, cutting through my thoughts like a knife. She scoots closer, her eyes wide and questioning. "Hey, don't tell me you know V? So, tell me, are you friends or are you closer than that~" Her arm loops around my shoulders, her tone laced with a subtle aggression that I don't seem to understand.
I pull away slightly, feeling somewhat cornered. I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "It's nothing like that. He helped me deal with the students' charges," I explain, my tone huffy and a bit defensive. Nyssa's hand lands heavily on my shoulder, her touch a strange mix of comfort and warning.
"Good~ Good~ I was afraid it was more than that." She looks somewhat relieved, though I'm not entirely sure why.
"But how do you know him?" I ask. "It seems like you know him quite well based on your reaction to his name."
Nyssa pulls back, her gaze flickering towards the fire. "Well...I have him for one of my classes.. Yea, he left a good impression," she murmurs, looking a bit flustered.
At that moment, I notice the two girls from our group, Elara and Zara, whispering. The glances they throw our way are full of disbelief and amusement.
"Seriously, does Seraphina not understand Nyssa?" Elara whispers, her dark eyes twinkling with mirth.
"Isn't Nyssa's reaction pretty obvious? Isn't Sera too dense?" Zara replies, her red lips curved into a smirk.
Their hushed words reach my ears, causing a flicker of confusion to settle within me. What do they mean? Too dense? The confusion is evident on my face as I turn to them, my eyebrows knit together.
Choosing to dismiss their comments for now, I sigh and reach for my portion of the cooked deer, allowing the warm, juicy meat to fill my mouth. Its richness seems to mute the puzzling conversation, pushing it to the back of my mind.
Meanwhile, Nyssa, her face flushed a bright shade of red, is vehemently trying to explain herself to the other girls. "It's not like that!" she exclaims, but her words are met with teasing giggles and skeptical glances.
From my spot by the fire, I can only shake my head, a soft sigh escaping my lips. In the wilderness, it seems, even the normal rules of interaction can get complicated. And I've just unwittingly walked right into the middle of it.
As I take another bite, a burly figure approaches me from the shadows. The firelight dances across his chiseled features, illuminating the deep furrow of worry between his brows. Eamon, one of the few who could hold his own against the more physical challenges. His usually bright eyes now hold a weariness that I can't help but empathize with.
"Ugh, isn't it too much to ask us to compete with Class A? Thanks to you we've managed to travel quite a bit into the forest safely. I'm sure we'll find the way out, but do you think Class A will beat us?" he asks, his voice low and grating.
I sigh, turning my gaze from the flickering fire to meet his. "I don't know, Class A is known to have the most talented students, but that doesn't mean they're superior to the other classes. We haven't found any big beasts yet so we've had it quite easy. If Class A has found any challenges, they're probably not as deep into their forest as we are."
As if summoned by the shift in the conversation, Remy, a slender girl with a head full of curls, pads over to us. Her stance is as rigid as her voice. "That's right, and even if they haven't found any danger, none of us know what the way out is. That's what makes this test equally difficult for both classes."
I sigh again, nodding in agreement. Remy's words echo my own thoughts. I honestly couldn't care less about winning this competition; my main concern is ensuring that we all make it off this island in one piece.
But before I can voice this, an eerie stillness descends upon our camp. The chatter dies down, laughter fades, and even the fire seems to shrink, as though the forest itself is holding its breath. Then, the undergrowth rustles. The sound isn't loud, but in the newfound silence, it's deafening.
Every eye turns towards the source of the sound, my own included. There's an anxious prickle at the back of my neck, a stirring in the pit of my stomach. My hand instinctively moves towards my knife, fingers curling around its worn handle. The sounds are coming from all directions, what the hell is it?
The woods around us seem to come alive, a symphony of snapping twigs and rustling leaves echoing through the night. It's an orchestra of fear, a reminder that even in our camaraderie, we are not alone in this forest. Something is out there, lurking just beyond the light of our fire. And it's moving closer.
"Everyone get into Formation 3, they are on all sides!" I command, my voice echoing across the small clearing. The sudden shock of adrenaline sharpens my senses as I witness the group immediately moving into positions, just as we had drilled countless times before. Formation 3 puts the support in the middle, the mages right after them, and the front-liners circling them. We become an island in the darkness, a human fortress waiting for an attack.
Ariadne, one of our mages with the ability to sense life energy, narrows her eyes, her body rigid as she surveys the surrounding woods. "Whatever they are, there are five of them," she announces, her voice tight.
I grit my teeth, my grip tightening around my knife. "Five of them? Tsk, what a hassle," I mutter under my breath.
An uneasy voice from behind me, belonging to Gareth, one of our strongest front-liners, breaks through my thoughts. "How should we deal with this?"
Before I can answer him, a large figure bursts from the shadows, its muscular form reflecting eerily in the flickering firelight. Its head is distinctly reptilian with a jaw lined with pointed, sharp teeth. Its body, however, is bulky, reminding me of a Gourth but with the smooth grace of a panther.
The creature stands tall, its presence commanding and intimidating, the moonlight glinting off its scales as it roars, sending a wave of bone-chilling fear through our formation. My heart pounds in my chest as I stare it down, determination steeling my gaze.
Gareth reacts swiftly, his hand reaching out to grab a thick log lying nearby. He swings it in a wide arc, the speed of his swing sending a rush of air pressure hurtling towards the creature. The fire crackles in protest as the gust of wind stirs the flames, casting dancing shadows across the clearing.
The creature stumbles back a step but quickly regains its balance, its black eyes glowing with a predatory focus. This thing... it's built like a tank, it's going to be a tough fight. I clench my jaw, feeling the tension in the air. For now, it's just a standoff.