SNAFU

The ground beneath Eydis's feet fractured, sending her rolling into the stream. She narrowly sidestepped the gaping maw of a rocky beast erupting from the fissure. Its roar reverberated through the tranquil forest, a deafening warning that echoed to other trapped contestants.

Natalia's eyes snapped open with the tremor, her hands instinctively weaving a fiery shield just as a snarling tiger lunged. Meanwhile, in the north, Callista watched a flock of ravens take flight, their shadows briefly obscuring the horror before her: a young Azura girl, tears staining her blue eyes, slumped amidst the lifeless remains of her companions, their flare guns, including her own, crushed beneath the creature's gigantic tentacles.

How did it get to this?

**

The victory cheer, still echoing in her ears moments ago, felt like a cruel joke against the colossal horror before her. Tears carved icy tracks down her soot-streaked cheeks, a stark contrast to the haughty smirk that used to be her default armour.

The monstrous octopus, a pulsing tapestry of inky flesh and glittering eyes, mocked her defiance. Each limb, severed moments ago, writhed back into existence, the bones of her friends echoing in their macabre dance. Their demise, a nightmarish symphony of crunching bone and gurgling seawater, had sucked the arrogance from her like a riptide. All that remained was raw, primal terror, a gnawing fear that coiled around her heart like a serpent.

Her hands, slick with despair, clutched the shattered remains of her flare gun. It hung in her palm like a broken promise, a desperate plea for a cavalry charge against oblivion that wouldn't come. Her own power, the water magic that once fueled her pride, now fueled the beast's wrath, a cruel twist of fate that twisted the knife deeper. She was drowning in her own reflection, a prisoner in a cell of her own arrogance.

Then, a searing crack of brilliance split the air. Lady Astra materialised from the smoke, a whirlwind of silver moonlight and cold fury. Her diamond sword sang a deadly aria, slicing through the offending tentacles like silk. But the severed limbs writhed, pulsing with an unholy vitality, and reformed as fast as they fell. Astra stood before Melissa, an ethereal vision tainted only by the glint of predatory steel in her eyes. They were eyes that saw through fear, eyes that held the chilling certainty of battle-forged purpose.

The Azura contestant felt a wave of gratitude wash over her, eclipsing her usual envy. Astra, with her icy grace and diamond blades, carved through the creature's limbs, each severed piece shimmering with the arcane essence of its water heart. It was a feat few Silverkeepers could manage, a display of immense power.

"Who are you?" Melissa whispered, mesmerised.

Astra, poised atop a tentacle, harnessed gravity to unleash a flurry of diamond blades. They pierced the creature's eye socket, cracking the water heart nestled within. But the beast writhed, regenerating, ensnaring Astra in its reattached limb.

"A struggle, even for the mighty," Astra muttered, her voice strained.

The creature boomed, "Easy? No! I am power!" Melissa flinched, fear gripping her as the captured Astra struggled. "It-it..it speaks!" the Azura girl yelped.

"Octopus are brainy; learn biology, will you?" With a defiant glint in her violet eyes, she transformed her body into a shimmering diamond blade, slicing through the tentacle like butter. The creature recoiled, spewing ichor as Astra landed beside Melissa. Eyes blazing, Astra plunged her hand into the exposed water heart, her pure white energy purging the creature's essence. The heart shattered, unleashing a blinding flash that sent Astra crashing to the ground, her body battered but resolute.

Astra limped towards the charred remains of the Azura woman, or what she was before turning into the sea creature, her eyes filled with melancholy. Then, she turned, eyes searching the forest. But before she could leave, a trembling hand grasped her arm.

Melissa, eyes brimming with vulnerability, pleaded, "Please, Lady Astra, take me with you."

Astra's gaze, as fleeting as a hummingbird's, flickered with something unreadable before hardening into ice. "Here," she rasped, the flare gun clattering against the bloodstained leaves. "Stay, or use it. You'll be safe here." Then, like a wraith swallowed by shadows, she dissolved into the tangled embrace of the woods, leaving Melissa alone in the wreckage of the nightmare.

Melissa crumpled to the ground, a choked sob tearing through her. The once serene forest, now painted with the crimson echoes of her lost comrades, mocked her with its silent indifference. The weight of an unknown future clawed at her insides, a venomous serpent coiling around her heart.

Her trembling fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the flare gun, its smooth surface both comfort and condemnation. Its promise of escape sang siren songs in her mind, tempting her to abandon the tournament. But what lay beyond these woods? Could she face the unknown alone, a wounded sparrow adrift in a storm? She was Lady Melissa of House Azura, a pure sorcerer full of pride. Would she give up and forfeit this tournament when she had come this far?

A spark of defiance ignited in her eyes, banishing the fear that had threatened to consume her. This wasn't a place of solace, not anymore. This was a battleground, and she, a survivor, had a choice to make. With a determined glint in her eye, she clutched the flare gun tighter, its cool metal strangely comforting. This wasn't a call to flee, but a summons to fight. The ghosts of her fallen friends wouldn't find peace in hiding, they demanded vengeance.

And Melissa, broken but not defeated, vowed to be their instrument. She raised her chin, the moonlight catching the glint of tears in her eyes. "For you," she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of fallen dreams, "I will fight."

**

Amidst the thunderous thuds of Eydis's boots on the soft earth, cracking branches shrieked like tortured souls. The relentless rocky colossus, each step a miniature earthquake, roared its pursuit. With each calculated steps, the creature's chilling intelligence became hideously clear. It wasn't a mindless beast, but a predator as cunning as it was colossal.

Her gaze darted around, searching for an escape, for some advantage in this nightmare.

Then she saw it: a gnarled oak, its branches low and inviting. With a renewed urgency, Eydis charged through the trees, using their trunks as shields. She ducked under a low branch, then swung up, her fingers grasping the rough bark, pulling herself to a higher vantage point. 

Everything else was a blur of flesh and blood, as an Azura boy mistaken a fallen boulder for sanctuary, met his gruesome end in a spray of crimson. The creature growled and scouted the area for more victims, unaware of a presence above.

The moon, a pale coin dangling in the velvety sky, cast long, eerie shadows through the whispering forest. Suddenly, twin crimson orbs, embers smouldering in the darkness, winked open amongst the trees. They flared, revealing not one pair of eyes, but a dozen. A pack of wolves, unlike any seen before, emerged from the undergrowth. These were no scraggly scavengers, but hulking beasts, their fur the colour of storm clouds, their fangs gleaming like jagged obsidian.

How did it come to this?

A strangled cry, choked by fear, ripped through the stillness. "Get away!" A young fire sorcerer, his face streaked with soot and desperation, hurled a volley of fireballs towards the pack. The flames, vibrant oranges and yellows against the inky darkness, struck the wolves, their fur hissing and smoking momentarily before they shrugged off the burning embers with guttural growls.

A familiar figure, a sturdy commoner whose weathered hands gripped a gleaming sword, lunged into the fray. He danced through the snapping jaws, the clang of steel ringing out in the night. His blade flashed, finding its mark in the flank of one beast, sending it yelping into the shadows. But another lunged, teeth bared in a snarl. The commoner, with a grunt of pain, raised his arm, his shield offering scant protection against the slashing claws. Crimson blossomed on his sleeve, staining the forest floor red.

Sensing her comrades in trouble, a Sylvanwood sorcerer rushed to his aid. Her eyes glowing with emerald light as commanded the power of the forest. Vines, thick as a man's arm, erupted from the earth, slithering towards the wolves with a menacing rustle. One by one, the snarling beasts were ensnared, their struggles useless against the living ropes that squeezed the life from their monstrous forms.

**

"Fuck, what kind of monstrous entity is this!" Natalia quickened her pace, the Bengal tiger morphing into a cheetah, relentlessly pursuing her. She spun, flinging a fireball the size of a pumpkin. It detonated against the cheetah's side, singeing its thick fur. The beast snarled, a guttural rasp that clawed at Natalia's nerves. 

It lunged, jaws snapping at her back. She rolled, heat blasting her skin as the creature grazed her shoulder. Blood blossomed, a stark crimson against her soot-smudged face. Fury flooded her, a white-hot wave that channelled into her outstretched palms. Violent flames bloomed, hungrier than the cheetah's maw, crackling with raw power. She unleashed them in a searing torrent, a whip of flame lashing across the beast's body.

But the flames, instead of scorching, seemed to fuel its fury. With an earth-shaking roar, it transformed again, rising on wings of molten gold, a phoenix reborn in rage. A torrent of fire engulfed Natalia, but instead of incinerating her, it danced around her, absorbed by the crimson embers glowing in her eyes.

Her teeth gritted, the taste of ash coating her tongue. "You're not the only one who can wield this inferno!" she snarled, channelling her burning fury. They clawed at the phoenix's wings, searing its feathers, painting its gold with smouldering streaks. The creature shrieked, the sound of a tortured hymn that echoed through the valley. With a final push, Natalia poured her remaining mana into a vortex of blue fire, a miniature sun condensed into her outstretched hand.

The sky split open, painted with streaks of flame as their powers clashed. From far away, whispers rose on the wind, awestruck murmurs of her name, fear tinged with a grudging respect.

"Is that…?"

"Natalia Robin's power..."

"Damn!"

"A power befitting an heir!"

The creature writhed in agony as blue flames engulfed its form, but an unintended consequence emerged—the fire, unleashed and unbound, creeping towards the distant trees.

"Fuck!"

**

The ground beneath Eydis's feet fractured, sending her rolling into the stream. She narrowly sidestepped the gaping maw of a rocky beast erupting from the fissure. Its roar reverberated through the tranquil forest, a deafening warning that echoed to other trapped contestants.

Natalia's eyes snapped open with the tremor, her hands instinctively weaving a fiery shield just as a snarling tiger lunged. Meanwhile, in the north, Callista watched a flock of ravens take flight, their shadows briefly obscuring the horror before her: a young Azura girl, tears staining her blue eyes, slumped amidst the lifeless remains of her companions, their flare guns, including her own, crushed beneath the creature's gigantic tentacles.

How did it get to this?

**

The victory cheer, still echoing in her ears moments ago, felt like a cruel joke against the colossal horror before her. Tears carved icy tracks down her soot-streaked cheeks, a stark contrast to the haughty smirk that used to be her default armour.

The monstrous octopus, a pulsing tapestry of inky flesh and glittering eyes, mocked her defiance. Each limb, severed moments ago, writhed back into existence, the bones of her friends echoing in their macabre dance. Their demise, a nightmarish symphony of crunching bone and gurgling seawater, had sucked the arrogance from her like a riptide. All that remained was raw, primal terror, a gnawing fear that coiled around her heart like a serpent.

Her hands, slick with despair, clutched the shattered remains of her flare gun. It hung in her palm like a broken promise, a desperate plea for a cavalry charge against oblivion that wouldn't come. Her own power, the water magic that once fueled her pride, now fueled the beast's wrath, a cruel twist of fate that twisted the knife deeper. She was drowning in her own reflection, a prisoner in a cell of her own arrogance.

Then, a searing crack of brilliance split the air. Lady Astra materialised from the smoke, a whirlwind of silver moonlight and cold fury. Her diamond sword sang a deadly aria, slicing through the offending tentacles like silk. But the severed limbs writhed, pulsing with an unholy vitality, and reformed as fast as they fell. Astra stood before Melissa, an ethereal vision tainted only by the glint of predatory steel in her eyes. They were eyes that saw through fear, eyes that held the chilling certainty of battle-forged purpose.

The Azura contestant felt a wave of gratitude wash over her, eclipsing her usual envy. Astra, with her icy grace and diamond blades, carved through the creature's limbs, each severed piece shimmering with the arcane essence of its water heart. It was a feat few Silverkeepers could manage, a display of immense power.

"Who are you?" Melissa whispered, mesmerised.

Astra, poised atop a tentacle, harnessed gravity to unleash a flurry of diamond blades. They pierced the creature's eye socket, cracking the water heart nestled within. But the beast writhed, regenerating, ensnaring Astra in its reattached limb.

"A struggle, even for the mighty," Astra muttered, her voice strained.

The creature boomed, "Easy? No! I am power!" Melissa flinched, fear gripping her as the captured Astra struggled. "It-it..it speaks!" the Azura girl yelped.

"Octopus are brainy; learn biology, will you?" With a defiant glint in her violet eyes, she transformed her body into a shimmering diamond blade, slicing through the tentacle like butter. The creature recoiled, spewing ichor as Astra landed beside Melissa. Eyes blazing, Astra plunged her hand into the exposed water heart, her pure white energy purging the creature's essence. The heart shattered, unleashing a blinding flash that sent Astra crashing to the ground, her body battered but resolute.

Astra limped towards the charred remains of the Azura woman, or what she was before turning into the sea creature, her eyes filled with melancholy. Then, she turned, eyes searching the forest. But before she could leave, a trembling hand grasped her arm.

Melissa, eyes brimming with vulnerability, pleaded, "Please, Lady Astra, take me with you."

Astra's gaze, as fleeting as a hummingbird's, flickered with something unreadable before hardening into ice. "Here," she rasped, the flare gun clattering against the bloodstained leaves. "Stay, or use it. You'll be safe here." Then, like a wraith swallowed by shadows, she dissolved into the tangled embrace of the woods, leaving Melissa alone in the wreckage of the nightmare.

Melissa crumpled to the ground, a choked sob tearing through her. The once serene forest, now painted with the crimson echoes of her lost comrades, mocked her with its silent indifference. The weight of an unknown future clawed at her insides, a venomous serpent coiling around her heart.

Her trembling fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the flare gun, its smooth surface both comfort and condemnation. Its promise of escape sang siren songs in her mind, tempting her to abandon the tournament. But what lay beyond these woods? Could she face the unknown alone, a wounded sparrow adrift in a storm? She was Lady Melissa of House Azura, a pure sorcerer full of pride. Would she give up and forfeit this tournament when she had come this far?

A spark of defiance ignited in her eyes, banishing the fear that had threatened to consume her. This wasn't a place of solace, not anymore. This was a battleground, and she, a survivor, had a choice to make. With a determined glint in her eye, she clutched the flare gun tighter, its cool metal strangely comforting. This wasn't a call to flee, but a summons to fight. The ghosts of her fallen friends wouldn't find peace in hiding, they demanded vengeance.

And Melissa, broken but not defeated, vowed to be their instrument. She raised her chin, the moonlight catching the glint of tears in her eyes. "For you," she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of fallen dreams, "I will fight."

**

Amidst the thunderous thuds of Eydis's boots on the soft earth, cracking branches shrieked like tortured souls. The relentless rocky colossus, each step a miniature earthquake, roared its pursuit. With each calculated steps, the creature's chilling intelligence became hideously clear. It wasn't a mindless beast, but a predator as cunning as it was colossal.

Her gaze darted around, searching for an escape, for some advantage in this nightmare.

Then she saw it: a gnarled oak, its branches low and inviting. With a renewed urgency, Eydis charged through the trees, using their trunks as shields. She ducked under a low branch, then swung up, her fingers grasping the rough bark, pulling herself to a higher vantage point. 

Everything else was a blur of flesh and blood, as an Azura boy mistaken a fallen boulder for sanctuary, met his gruesome end in a spray of crimson. The creature growled and scouted the area for more victims, unaware of a presence above.

The moon, a pale coin dangling in the velvety sky, cast long, eerie shadows through the whispering forest. Suddenly, twin crimson orbs, embers smouldering in the darkness, winked open amongst the trees. They flared, revealing not one pair of eyes, but a dozen. A pack of wolves, unlike any seen before, emerged from the undergrowth. These were no scraggly scavengers, but hulking beasts, their fur the colour of storm clouds, their fangs gleaming like jagged obsidian.

How did it come to this?

A strangled cry, choked by fear, ripped through the stillness. "Get away!" A young fire sorcerer, his face streaked with soot and desperation, hurled a volley of fireballs towards the pack. The flames, vibrant oranges and yellows against the inky darkness, struck the wolves, their fur hissing and smoking momentarily before they shrugged off the burning embers with guttural growls.

A familiar figure, a sturdy commoner whose weathered hands gripped a gleaming sword, lunged into the fray. He danced through the snapping jaws, the clang of steel ringing out in the night. His blade flashed, finding its mark in the flank of one beast, sending it yelping into the shadows. But another lunged, teeth bared in a snarl. The commoner, with a grunt of pain, raised his arm, his shield offering scant protection against the slashing claws. Crimson blossomed on his sleeve, staining the forest floor red.

Sensing her comrades in trouble, a Sylvanwood sorcerer rushed to his aid. Her eyes glowing with emerald light as commanded the power of the forest. Vines, thick as a man's arm, erupted from the earth, slithering towards the wolves with a menacing rustle. One by one, the snarling beasts were ensnared, their struggles useless against the living ropes that squeezed the life from their monstrous forms.

**

"Fuck, what kind of monstrous entity is this!" Natalia quickened her pace, the Bengal tiger morphing into a cheetah, relentlessly pursuing her. She spun, flinging a fireball the size of a pumpkin. It detonated against the cheetah's side, singeing its thick fur. The beast snarled, a guttural rasp that clawed at Natalia's nerves. 

It lunged, jaws snapping at her back. She rolled, heat blasting her skin as the creature grazed her shoulder. Blood blossomed, a stark crimson against her soot-smudged face. Fury flooded her, a white-hot wave that channelled into her outstretched palms. Violent flames bloomed, hungrier than the cheetah's maw, crackling with raw power. She unleashed them in a searing torrent, a whip of flame lashing across the beast's body.

But the flames, instead of scorching, seemed to fuel its fury. With an earth-shaking roar, it transformed again, rising on wings of molten gold, a phoenix reborn in rage. A torrent of fire engulfed Natalia, but instead of incinerating her, it danced around her, absorbed by the crimson embers glowing in her eyes.

Her teeth gritted, the taste of ash coating her tongue. "You're not the only one who can wield this inferno!" she snarled, channelling her burning fury. They clawed at the phoenix's wings, searing its feathers, painting its gold with smouldering streaks. The creature shrieked, the sound of a tortured hymn that echoed through the valley. With a final push, Natalia poured her remaining mana into a vortex of blue fire, a miniature sun condensed into her outstretched hand.

The sky split open, painted with streaks of flame as their powers clashed. From far away, whispers rose on the wind, awestruck murmurs of her name, fear tinged with a grudging respect.

"Is that…?"

"Natalia Robin's power..."

"Damn!"

"A power befitting an heir!"

The creature writhed in agony as blue flames engulfed its form, but an unintended consequence emerged—the fire, unleashed and unbound, creeping towards the distant trees.

"Fuck!"

**

Perched atop an ancient oak tree, Astra watched with growing dismay as the fire gained momentum. "Idiot!" she thought, swiftly scanning her surroundings to ensure she remained unnoticed. Closing her eyes, she attuned herself to the wind's gentle energy, its wavelength resonating with her. Grey light shimmered in her eyes as she attempted to calm the air, hoping to starve the flames of oxygen. But just as the flames began to flicker, a shrill scream pierced the air, pulling her attention towards Mellisa.

There, the once-haughty Azura girl stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Natalia, water swirling around them as she summoned waves to combat the fiery tide. "Let me help," Mellisa offered, her voice surprisingly resolute.

Natalia, eyes downcast with regret, shook her head. "This was my mistake, not yours," she rasped. A gentle nudge reassured her, "Focus, mope later, or we'll die here!" Mellisa's eyes blazed blue, mirroring the fiery chaos around them. She screamed, her voice raw with exertion, as torrent waves of water surged forward, crashing into the inferno in a desperate battle. Steam hissed, fire sputtered, the air thick with heat and tension.

Just as a flicker of hope ignited, nature had a mind of its own. A sudden gust, as if mocking their efforts, fanned the flames back to life with a vengeance. Frustration clawed at Astra, perched unseen among the branches, but she swallowed it, channelling her power with renewed focus.

The wind obeyed, its wild song replaced by an eerie stillness. Seizing the chance, Mellisa dug deep, summoning a torrent that defied reality. The water cleaved through the flames, a rushing river birthed from sheer will, carving a path of scorched earth and extinguished fire. Exhausted but victorious, she collapsed, a weary smile escaping her lips.

Natalia, impressed, joined her side. "I never knew you had it in you, Blue," she admitted, earning a tired smirk from Mellisa.

The Azura girl smirked, feeling drained. "What, you think I'm just your antagonist?"

"Not anymore," Natalia smiled. Their budding camaraderie was shattered as a chilling sight met their eyes. From the smouldering ashes, the phoenix, or whatever infernal entity it truly was, began to reform.

A collective curse, laden with equal parts fear and defiance, escaped their lips as the battle, far from over, took a sinister turn.

"Fuck!"