The bustling tavern was a subdued cacophony of murmurs and crackling hearthfire. Ash sat at a corner table, staring into his untouched bowl of stew. The night after their disastrous mission weighed heavily on him, the shame of failure and the sting of near defeat gnawing at his thoughts.

  Grant, seated across from him, gnawed aggressively on a chunk of bread, his frustration evident. "We should've had it," he muttered, slamming the table with his fist. "That wolf wasn't unbeatable. We just weren't ready."

  "We weren't coordinated," Ash replied softly, his voice barely audible over the background noise. "And Nel fainting didn't help."

  "I did my part," Nel shot back, sitting nearby with a goblet of wine. Though pale and still recovering from his mana overuse, his pride remained unscathed. "If my spell had landed, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

  Leona looked up from her seat, her quiet voice cutting through the tension. "Arguing about it won't help. We need to learn from this, or we'll fail again."

  Ash sighed, pushing his stew aside. The party's morale was as tattered as their pride. But he wasn't ready to give up.

  The roar of laughter from the next table made Ash's stomach tighten. Another party-likely a higher-ranked one-was celebrating. One of them, a stocky man with a steel pauldron, clapped his companion on the back.

  "Best hunt we've had all week! Took out three miasma-touched beasts, easy."

  Ash clenched his fists under the table. Easy.

  A barmaid passed by and paused just long enough to glance at their untouched meals. "You lot look like you lost a fight," she said, smirking.

  Nel scoffed, lifting his goblet. "Not lost. Just... a learning experience."

  Ash exhaled slowly. "We're going back tomorrow," he said, determination hardening his voice.

  Grant raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

  "Yes. We can't let this defeat define us. We know what we're up against now. If we plan better, we can finish this."

  Nel groaned, leaning back in his chair. "Fine, but if we're doing this, I'm not carrying the whole team again."

  Ash ignored the barb and turned to Leona. "Are you with me?"

  The acolyte hesitated, but after a moment, she nodded. "We need this. I'll do my best."

  Grant smirked. "Alright, then. Let's kill that oversized mutt."

  That night, sleep eluded Ash. He lay awake in the cramped inn, the quiet punctuated by the occasional snore from Grant or Nel's restless muttering. Was he truly any different from the coward who fled Halford three years ago?

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  Unable to bear the oppressive stillness, Ash slipped out of bed and stepped into the cool night air. The moon hung high, casting silvery light over the courtyard. He walked aimlessly, his feet eventually leading him to the edge of the forest. The memory of the wolf's glowing yellow eyes made his skin prickle.

  A faint rustle caught his attention. He froze, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword.

  "Who's there?" he called out, his voice low but firm.

  Silence.

  Then, a deliberate step, light but not concealed. Not hiding-waiting.

  An elf with shimmering blonde hair emerged from the darkness into the moonlight, her piercing green eyes locked onto him. She moved like the shadows themselves, a longbow slung over her shoulder, a dagger glinting at her hip.

  "You're loud for someone sneaking around," she said, tilting her head slightly.

  "I wasn't sneaking," Ash replied, his brow furrowing. "Just... thinking."

  She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Thinking's dangerous out here."

  Before Ash could respond, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, her movements silent as the wind. Ash stood there for a moment, bewildered. She had been watching him. Studying.

  The next morning, the party set out for the forest again. The tension from the previous day lingered, but there was a renewed sense of purpose. Ash had spent the night devising a plan, and though it wasn't perfect, it was better than charging in blindly.

  The wolf's massive paws crushed the underbrush, each step sending vibrations through the ground. Its lips curled back, revealing teeth stained with old kills.

  Grant moved first-too fast. His sword whistled through the air and struck nothing but empty space. The wolf anticipated it, twisting away like a shadow.

  Tch. Don't react-think! Ash's grip tightened on his sword. His heart pounded-what if they failed again?

  The wolf lunged, its claws slashing through the air. Ash barely dodged, the force of the attack sending him stumbling. His arms ached from swinging his sword, and he could feel the strain in his legs as he struggled to keep up with the creature's relentless assault.

  "Grant, flank it!" Ash shouted, his voice hoarse. "Leona, stay behind me and keep those wards up!"

  Grant grunted in acknowledgment, his sword flashing as he moved to the wolf's side. Leona's voice was steady as she chanted, her hands glowing with protective magic. Nel, for once, held back, his face pale but focused as he aimed smaller, more precise spells at the wolf.

  Despite their improved coordination, the wolf was relentless. Its glowing eyes locked onto Ash, and it lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from his face. Ash raised his sword, but he knew he wouldn't block the attack in time.

  Suddenly, an arrow sliced through the air, embedding itself in the wolf's shoulder. The beast howled, staggering.

  Ash's eyes widened as he spotted the elf from the night before perched in a tree, her bow drawn. Without hesitation, she fired another arrow, this one grazing the wolf's leg.

  Seizing the moment, Ash surged forward. With a final, desperate swing, his blade found its mark. The wolf's head fell from its body, and its massive form collapsed to the ground.

  Panting, Ash turned to the elf. She had already descended from the tree, her movements swift and silent. Her piercing green eyes met his, and for a moment, neither spoke.

  "Thanks," Ash said finally, his voice hoarse.

  The elf shrugged, her expression neutral. "Don't thank me. I was just ensuring you didn't get yourself killed."

  "Still," Ash insisted, stepping closer. "You saved my life. Who are you?"

  She hesitated before answering. "Tess."

  "Tess," Ash repeated, offering a small smile. "I'm Ash."

  "I know," she said curtly. Her gaze shifted to the rest of the party, who were slowly regrouping. "Your team needs work."

  Ash nodded, accepting the critique without protest. "You're right. But we're trying."

  Tess's eyes softened slightly, but she quickly masked it. "Don't die," she said before turning and disappearing into the forest, leaving Ash and his party to process what had just happened.