"Rrrr-Aaaa...!"

  A long, low roar vibrated through the air like a warning for the group to run immediately. However, in the pitch-black void of the moon's cycle of chaos, flight seemed more perilous than standing still. There was no way to pinpoint the creature's exact location as the sound echoed from every direction, disorienting their ears and making it impossible to distinguish the true source.

  Mira had wanted to ask from the beginning, but now the answer was needed as soon as possible. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she turned to élise: "What on earth has been hunting us?"

  "Blight..." élise answered instantly. Sweat trickled down her face unconsciously, her eyes strained to their limit, peering into the gloom. "It's hard to explain, but think of it as a powerful class of Undead. Don't ask for details; just understand that the mechanics of their birth and infection are vague. The most obvious thing is: do not let them bite you or inflict deep wounds."

  "So they infect people that way?" Kael asked.

  "No... you've misunderstood." élise shook her head, her voice trembling yet resolute. "As long as you are alive, you will not turn. The terrifying thing is... after dying at their hands, the body is overtaken by Blackrot. When that happens, the dead will rise again, but they are no longer human."

  The air grew thick, as if her words had sown an invisible layer of shadow.

  Kael tightened his grip on his longsword, lowering his voice: "So... these transformed ones, are they intelligent?"

  élise hesitated before answering: "Some are not... just roaring, slaughtering machines. But there are types that retain fragments of memory, even knowing how to organize and hunt. Those are the most dangerous."

  The silent space suddenly shuddered. From the darkness came the clink-clink of metal, like the footsteps of an armored knight treading on stone. A chill emanated with every pulse—not a wind, but a musty air mixed with the scent of dried blood and damp earth.

  "Listen to that sound..." élise bit her lip, her trembling hand gripping her staff. "...Cuirassier."

  Mira frowned, whispering: "Sounds like the name of a cavalry regiment?"

  "Not just cavalry," élise shook her head slightly, her eyes unblinking. "They are warriors who once fell, still wearing their full heavy armor in death. Blackrot claims them, fusing the armor to the corpse. They do not know fatigue, they do not know pain... and that iron gallop is the herald of death."

  The roar "Rrrr-Raaaa" surged again, this time accompanied by the screech of steel grinding against stone, a sound so harsh it made their brains ache. The group turned as one toward the direction of the noise, but the sound shattered, spreading out and echoing back from behind them.

  Kael grimaced: "Do they travel in packs?"

  "Cuirassiers do not; they travel alone," élise said. "But that doesn't make them any less dangerous, especially the ancient ones."

  "How old do you guess this Cuirassier is?"

  "Over four years old, based on the depth of the roar; the body must be decayed and covered in fungi."

  Mira swallowed hard, her hands gripping her bow and arrow; tension skyrocketed as the roaring continued to leak out. In an instant, two red flashes of light sparked, causing élise to act immediately.

  "Lorne, do you see it?!"

  Lorne nodded. She commanded at once.

  "Attack it now!" élise chanted her spell while focusing on the target.

  "Ignis Sagitta."

  An arrow as large as an arm's span appeared at the tip of her staff; the intense heat forced élise to release it quickly. The light from the arrow illuminated the void as it flew, revealing the Cuirassier just before the explosion of fire erupted.

  "Did you see it?" Lorne asked, his eyes wide with shock.

  "Yes..." élise nodded faintly. Based on the amount of fungal growth on its body, it must have existed for over six years—an extremely dangerous variant. In their current situation, if they weren't careful, they would become prey for that monster. "We have a real problem..."

  "Raarrgghhh...!!" Its sword rose as the creature charged forward, its body still wreathed in flames.

  "Get back!" élise bellowed, immediately sprinting in another direction.

  Lorne failed to react in time and was closed in upon by the Cuirassier; the heavy sword swung down but was parried by Charg's war hammer. He shoved it back and kicked the Cuirassier in the stomach, but before his foot could connect, his leg was snared by a left arm entwined with thick roots.

  "Dammit...!" Charg roared, trying to push off with his hammer to no avail—he was pulled down to the ground, the creature preparing to finish him with a thrust to the chest.

  "Charg!" Mira fired an arrow. The shot was precise, piercing the monster's right shoulder, causing it to stumble for a moment. Kael seized the opportunity to lunge in and slash at its right arm.

  You're dead, you ugly thing... Kael thought, confident in his swordsmanship against the deceased. But the result was not as imagined. The Cuirassier glared with blood-red eyes at Kael, raising its heavy blade to clash with his sword.

  A loud clang rang out; the strike was blocked cold. Simultaneously, the Cuirassier lunged forward with jagged teeth, intending to bite; Kael retreated in a stumble.

  "A strong one with awareness?" Kael hissed.

  "Residual memory fragments," élise called out from afar, standing beside Mira. "A skill level like this suggests a highly experienced combatant. Watch out for the hooking strikes."

  Mira fired another arrow, this time aiming for the chest, but it was deflected by rusted armor plates. She remained calm, continuing to draw her bow.

  Come on, have to help Charg escape first. Her mind was terrified of the creature that was once human. She glanced at élise—the brown-haired girl reached into her cloak, drew a dagger, and threw it with decisive aim.

  The Cuirassier faltered as the dagger embedded itself in its left eye; it glared at élise as if identifying a new target. Every attack thus far had been ineffective against a body that knew no pain. It roared again, swinging a downward stroke at Charg.

  Lorne cast a spell to push back the Blight.

  "Aer Push!"

  A powerful gust of wind erupted from the young man's fingers, slamming into the Cuirassier and knocking it back several meters. Taking the chance, élise incanted:

  "Fulmen Sagitta."

  A bolt of lightning streaked forth—a line of light so fast and powerful that the sound made the group lose their balance momentarily. Kael backed away, sweat pouring down his body. The lightning struck, the space flashing brilliantly for a split second, but the Cuirassier only stiffened before roaring even more violently. The smell of charred flesh and burnt fungi hit Mira's nose, making her nauseous.

  "Impossible... it's still standing?!" Lorne stammered.

  The Cuirassier sprang up immediately—its armor scorched black, the patches of fungi melted and shattered by the lightning, but the body looked even more horrific. From the charred cracks in its chest, black, writhing roots poked out, coiling and tightening as if replacing bone and meat.

  "That's the Blackrot self-repairing the body..." élise gritted her teeth. "The longer this lasts, the stronger it gets."

  Charg, still rolling on the ground and gasping for air, hissed: "This bastard is no different from an immortal monster!"

  The sound of metal rang out again—not just heavy footsteps, but a rattling like iron chains dragging on stone. Kael looked closely and was horrified to find a length of rusted chain draped over its body, perhaps used to bind it in life. Now it served as a secondary weapon, lashing against the ground and pulverizing the stone.

  Mira fired another arrow at the head—but it bounced off the iron helm, useless. The monster turned its head to look at her, its red eyes glowing in the dark as if wanting to swallow her whole.

  "Don't let it get close again!" élise shouted. "If we get caught in its reach, none of us are strong enough to hold it back."

  But the Cuirassier had already lunged—its speed unexpectedly fast compared to its rotting husk and heavy armor. Kael barely managed to raise his sword in defense; the impact was so great his body was jolted back, his arms going numb.

  Lorne, panicked, launched a spell:

  "Ignis Globus Magnus!"

  A massive fireball exploded right in its face. The flames blew away the outer layer of fungi, but instead of falling, the Cuirassier seemed to grow more bloodthirsty. It let out a low roar that echoed through the passage, and Kael saw it clearly: within those bloodshot eyes, there still flickered the will of a former warrior—distorted by Blackrot into a killing frenzy.

  "There is no doubt now," élise said. "The combat experience of this corpse from before death must have been veteran level. It will be very hard to kill."

  "If we can't kill it then...!" Charg had stood up at some point, swinging his hammer across its legs, toppling the Cuirassier with sheer strength. The massive figure fell onto the hard ground with a "Rrrr." Seizing the moment, Kael stepped forward, intending to end it with a precise thrust to the heart.

  "Wait!" élise screamed. It was a mistake; despite the impact, the Cuirassier was not stunned. It lunged using all four limbs, pinning Kael down and using its weight to tear at his body.

  Kael fell, his entire body compressed by the terrifying weight until he could barely breathe. He swung his sword in defense, but the jagged teeth covered in rotted roots were already inches from his neck.

  "Kael!!" Mira screamed frantically, her next arrow fired in haste but only lodging into the shoulder armor gap, lacking the force to penetrate deeply.

  The Cuirassier roared, its scorched and foul breath blowing directly into Kael's face. The blonde youth struggled to push back, but his arms were shaking violently, and his blade was slowly being forced down.

  In that instant, Charg charged in, his war hammer swinging across the monster's hip. A sharp clang rang out, causing it to lurch sideways just enough for Kael to roll away and escape.

  "Dammit, this rotted corpse is as strong as a devil!" Charg gritted his teeth.

  In a situation like this, I can't use tactics anymore; I have to take a gamble. élise thought, her heart pounding a danger warning. Though not confident in her physical prowess, at least she had a bit of skill to finish the thing trying to kill them all.

  You can do this; just like when you took down that Hobgoblin at the start of the harvest season.

  élise summoned all her courage and shouted to Charg and Kael: "Restrain it... pin the Cuirassier down!"

  Kael looked up, not yet understanding what élise intended to do, but the Cuirassier gave no time for questions—the heavy sword appeared in his vision again, slashing down. The blonde youth used his sword to parry, the clang accompanied by a violent shock through his arms. Charg rushed in, swinging his hammer into the creature's body, causing it to lose its balance and retreat.

  élise drew her remaining dagger and threw it into its body—the more damage it took, the more energy the fungal roots consumed to regenerate, slowing its reflexes.

  The Cuirassier was completely dazed, its body moving slowly even as it still raised its sword. She seized the opportunity, drew her gun, and lunged toward it. Quickly cocking the hammer, it looked back at her for a fleeting moment, and then a "BOOM" echoed throughout the forest. One side of its head was blown away in an instant, causing the Cuirassier to lose all combat capability; the body collapsed, twitching slightly but essentially no longer a threat.

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  "Phew..." Mira sighed, glancing at Kael and Charg; Lorne stepped to élise's side, looking at the cold body lying on the ground. Seeing her mumble something, he asked:

  "What is it?"

  élise didn't look up, only answering: "I'm just reading the information on its armor plate... Fran?ois de Beauharnais, of the 43rd Shock Cavalry Regiment, Royal Papaldian Army," she read for Lorne, glancing at a broken medal of honor on its left chest. "Perhaps a nobleman with significant military achievements... face looks about fifty; hard to determine the state at time of death, but it doesn't look pleasant—two gunshots to the chest, small caliber, so likely an assassination..."

  élise closed her eyes and sighed softly. "A human, a warrior... and in the end, he becomes this."

  Mira bowed her head, looking at the fallen body, her hand still tight on her bow. The name Fran?ois de Beauharnais was foreign, but the way he maintained his bearing in battle—even as a zombie—made her chest feel heavy.

  Kael leaned back against a rock, sweat beading on his forehead, his hands still shaking. He gave a grim laugh, trying to swallow the tremors:

  "Even in death, he knew how to fight better than a bunch of living soldiers..."

  Charg tossed his hammer aside, huffing, his face smeared with dirt and blood. He growled: "Don't romanticize it. That thing stopped being human a long time ago. If we had slipped up, we'd all be lying still right now."

  Lorne remained silent, his eyes fixed on the pulverized skull of the Cuirassier. He whispered to himself: "So Blackrot doesn't just take the body... it swallows the memories, turning experience into its weapon. Every one who falls... is a nightmare reborn."

  élise shook her head, her voice low: "Exactly. That is why Cuirassiers are terrifying. They aren't just strong; they remember how to kill."

  Mira shuddered, unconsciously taking half a step back. No one said anything for a long time. Only the cold wind crawled through the passage, carrying the smell of blood and burnt fungi.

  Kael gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand, his eyes sharp and cold as he looked at the ruined body:

  "This world truly doesn't want to give us a moment's peace... If one was this much trouble, what would a pack of them be like?"

  Lorne looked at the gun in élise's hand—based on his knowledge, its design originated from Mu, particularly a distinctive appearance unlike anything he had seen.

  "Miss Allerian, where did you get that gun in your hand?"

  élise looked at Lorne, not wanting to answer what shouldn't be asked, so she covered it with something related: "The origin is quite long-winded, but you can understand it as a reward I earned for myself. It took some time to get used to..." she waved her hand because of the numbness in her non-dominant side. "...And it's not just a reward, but a weapon that makes anyone standing before it reconsider their every move."

  "Sounds impressive, a weapon stronger than what I've seen with Papaldian officers," Charg said, walking closer to examine the corpse. "But I've never seen one that powerful before."

  élise nodded in agreement with Charg's words.

  "Yes, I'm not entirely sure, but I once asked a Mu veteran; this is a Theodore-Colt-Mug, using 9×29mm Mugnum rounds. This was the gun the 5th President, Theodore Rosaliza, always carried while pushing for industrialization. She was a great figure, especially in the field of technology..."

  "Ah... that powerful woman," Lorne said. "Though her personal information is very private, she contributed much to the Amerikay civilization, considered the one who started bringing the Mu Federation to the peak of continental power." He stepped to where the shell casing had fallen, feeling a bit of admiration for the person who laid the foundation for Mu's true golden age.

  "I don't know anything about high-level figures, but surely that person was also a noble or something to be that confident," Kael poked the tip of his sword into the corpse, showing no respect.

  élise felt annoyed but didn't speak directly, choosing a subtle way to stop Kael's actions.

  "Kael, step back a bit. A Blight, even when destroyed, does not essentially disappear if the corpse remains," she looked at each person meaningfully, basically implying: "Do not insult the dead."

  She holstered the gun inside her coat, raised her staff to use a spell:

  "Ignis Prima."

  A flame appeared at the tip of the refined magic stone, gently launched to incinerate the body of the once-honored warrior.

  élise performed the sign of the Lord Filium—one hand placed on each shoulder, then moved to the stomach to create an inverted triangle, finally forming a circle in the center. That was the respectful greeting for people in Milishial, or a farewell to anyone so that Filium might bless them, leading them to Lux Primaris to begin a new cycle of reincarnation.

  "May the Lumen Fili lead you through the darkness."

  the orange glow of the fire illuminated the void, making the solemn atmosphere suffocating. Mira watched as élise expertly performed the Filium rites and was moved. Charg bowed his head low, showing his sincerity toward the opponent who had once lived and fought alongside them.

  The other three didn't understand the ritual but performed similar actions. Very few escape the influence of the Filium faith—it is like water, always present and necessary for many; the exception is Mu—an atheistic nation that rejects anything contrary to the ideology they pursue.

  It is no exaggeration to say: The race between Milishial and Mu is a race in every aspect of the nation. Between two powerful forces with the potential to launch a massive war that would cover the world in blood and sorrow. But Mu usually avoids escalating tensions—because they are self-aware of the Holy Empire's strength; despite their top-tier development speed, it is still hard to catch up with something a thousand years ahead in not just technology but war experience across the continent.

  "We should go," élise looked at Mira, "staying here is not good..."

  She started walking, using the spell "Ignis Torch"—creating a white flame brighter than Ignis Prima. It was used to illuminate a wide space, though it consumed more mana and was much hotter, with a risk of injury from the intense heat; however, given the current situation, leaving was necessary.

  "We haven't rested enough yet, how will we work tomorrow?" Kael complained, not wanting to leave in the middle of the night.

  "Kael! If you want to sleep next to a dead man, be my guest," Mira stepped after élise, ignoring Kael's trivial needs.

  He looked at Lorne and Charg, who followed without a word, feeling a bit helpless but forced to follow. Regardless of the situation, they were required to move—each step treading on damp ground, the smell of burnt Blackrot and fungi still lingering around them. The space ahead was pitch black, with only élise's white fire clearly lighting the way; but that light was only enough to see ancient trees, rock hollows, and cracks in the ground—everything held potential danger.

  They followed a truncated trail—it might lead out, but it could also lead to something unwanted. Mira looked around; the moonlight was brighter than at the start, the turquoise hue still shining weakly upon the ground.

  After walking for a few minutes, Lorne saw a small fire in the distance, pointing his hand: "Seems like there's someone's campfire nearby."

  "A campfire...?" Kael asked.

  élise looked over, slightly surprised—when they ran into the forest, there were no signs indicating anyone was here. So could it be a merchant caravan or a group of pilgrims in this land? It was very hard to determine, and she herself wasn't sure of the current situation. After all, they had just escaped the danger of the Blight; now they had to be even more cautious of anything suddenly appearing in their sight.

  To be safe, élise turned to Kael and Lorne, signaling them to follow her—neither hesitated; Mira and Charg stayed behind to prevent an ambush and provide appropriate support. Having agreed, the three approached the campfire. There, they saw several tents, along with a fishy stench mixing with a burnt smell coming from that direction. It gave élise an uneasy premonition. As long as it's anything but a Blight—just one Cuirassier had nearly exhausted her strength; now she only had enough to move.

  Coming closer, all three were shocked by the sight—over fifteen human corpses were there, mostly humans, with four demi-human corpses.

  "Damn it...!" Kael was speechless. The condition of each person was hard to assess; only their races could be identified. The bodies were nearly torn apart, the scent still fresh—there was only one possibility.

  "Lord Filium, did the Cuirassier get here first? But this is the opposite direction!?" Lorne exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked at the scraps of flesh scattered on the hard ground. élise, though calmer, couldn't help but feel nauseous at the horrific scene; she swallowed to regain her courage and stepped forward to check the cause of death.

  élise went to the most intact corpse—a fluffy orange tail, cold on a body devoid of life force. She concluded based on the wounds: "Vulnari tribe... This is a piercing wound through the body, bitten severely at the neck and shoulder. The left arm is nearly severed, and there are many other things... moving underneath?"

  "Seems that man named Fran?ois cleared out everyone here already," Kael stepped forward, treading on a corpse missing its internal organs.

  Still doesn't understand the problem... No wonder Mira is annoyed with him. élise shook her head, stepping up to re-examine a few things at the campsite. Overall, nothing special; this place was safe enough for the next task.

  "Lorne... call the other two over; it's safe enough here." She turned her head to look into a tent, then scrutinized the group's attire; a sense of suspicion arose.

  There's definitely something, isn't there? It could be...

  She stole a glance at Kael, slightly hesitant but made a decision. "Kael, you check the corpses again; I'm going into the tent to check further."

  "Uh... yeah..." Kael watched élise enter, then saw Lorne walk over to Mira and Charg. He sighed, kicked the corpse beside him again, and peered at the corpse by the chest—choosing it as the first place to check.

  Inside, élise observed the tent's interior—extremely simple, if not poor, but there were a few extremely luxurious items such as: a ceramic vase engraved with a famous Marquis from the Age of Enlightenment—belonging to the Age of Discovery—over a hundred years ago, at the end of the Expansion Period and the start of the Great Papaldian War, "Jean-Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld Argentier," born 389, died 461. The first person to improve Papaldian weaponry, laying the foundation for combining native steel forging techniques with mining methods from distant colonies, making the famous Fusil de Feu (Musket) into the Fusil Tordu (Rifle), enhancing the Empire's warfare capabilities.

  élise lightly touched the matte glaze of the vase's body, realizing it wasn't something a commoner would own. Things like this only existed in noble collections or cathedral treasuries. The contrast was even sharper as beside it was only a crude wooden table with a cracked surface held together by rattan vines.

  She began to suspect. The person living in this tent was clearly not just some poor commoner. The owner could be a wanderer who once served the nobility, or a lucky thief who looted spoils from a Papaldian merchant caravan scattered during the current turmoil. Naturally, she leaned toward the thief.

  In the dim light of the oil lamp, élise spotted a few more things: a crumpled map drawn in ink with distinctive military symbols; a lead box containing a silver-white stone—likely used for alchemy. It all made her skin crawl. Especially in the box was something known to cause incurable disease.

  Feeling it was too dangerous, she used her staff to close the box, hoping nothing would happen. Continuing her search, the small bed at the back of the tent was the last thing unchecked. élise walked over, peered around, then reached her hand in to check thoroughly. Nothing noteworthy except for fine silk worn ragged at the edges—basically worthless. Suddenly her hand touched something; it was a pouch, with money inside.

  Ah, money! élise quickly took it out—the bag of gold was quite heavy against her palm. The thick cloth pouch was crudely embroidered but sturdy; she shook it gently, and the clinking of gold made her frown. Opening the bag, the oil lamp's light reflected brilliantly off the Napoléor; each bright gold coin struck the others, emitting a warm, deep sound—as if telling stories of ancient glory and war.

  She did a rough count: 120 Napoléor—a small fortune by Papaldian standards. In the imperial currency system, each Napoléor was equivalent to 10 Argentier, 50 Solérie, 250 Denar, 1,250 Demi-sol. Thus, the pouch contained a total of 1,200 Argentier, 6,000 Solérie, 30,000 Denar, 150,000 Demi-sol.

  The weight of the pouch pressed against her: not too heavy to carry, but enough to realize this fortune could change the fate of any wanderer.

  Greed surged within élise like a flood; without a second thought, she stuffed it straight into her coat, re-tying the usual cord to her belt; the clinking of her dagger and gun concealed the money.

  élise took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Though greed had risen, she knew she had to be alert. The gold wasn't simple loot; it was evidence of robbery, or at least someone who understood the value of power and money. And anything of this value surely came with danger.

  She took one last look around. The tent remained silent, but shadows danced on the wooden walls following the oil lamp, making her heart tighten. A small noise behind her made her jump and spin around. No one. Just the wind blowing through a crack, or a small animal looking for food? She couldn't be sure. But the feeling of being watched, of being followed, remained lingering and cold.

  élise stepped out of the tent, coinciding with Kael's foolish laughter.

  "Ahahaaha! We're filthy rich!" Kael shouted, just as the rest arrived.

  "What's going on?" Mira stepped up. Kael turned to look at Mira with a sleazy smile.

  "Look at this, Mira! Look at all this treasure!"

  Without a word, she smacked the back of Kael's head in reproach: "Stop shouting like a bunch of drunks. Besides, we can't take this with us; the Governor will have you in forced labor if he knows you're trading illegal goods!"

  "Why so tense? Someone will surely buy this stuff."

  "No, the important thing is how you plan to get it through the gates," Lorne cut in. "The guards search thoroughly, and merchants won't dare risk items like this."

  Kael answered quickly: "Then sell it on the black market, what's the big deal..."

  "You can't," élise told Kael, looking at him and then the whole group. "Bringing it there would be even worse; how do you plan to prove your funds when you spend it? Every transaction needs witnesses and full paperwork. Like the gun I carry, I only dare pass the guard posts safely because I have a transaction certificate."

  "Is it really that hard?" Kael scratched his head in dejection, stood up to look at the heap of treasures once more, then finally gave up.

  élise saw his face and realized he couldn't do anything—she had spent a lot of effort with the Mayor of Dune City to prove the Theodore-Colt-Mug belonged to her, even though essentially it was taken from a thief. 5 Solérie to buy it back; luckily no one knew its origin or true price, otherwise it would have been worse. Indeed, smuggling goods was the hardest act for a person, no matter how skilled.

  "Forget it, leave it there; we don't want a black mark with the Adventurers' Association," Charg spoke up in a weary voice. "But carry a few gold coins with you, just a few."

  élise nodded, frowning as she looked at the gold pouch in her own hand. "Right, only take enough for the next leg of the journey. We need to be light, agile, and avoid attracting attention."

  Kael shrugged and accepted, taking a few Napoléor and Argentier to stuff into a small pouch. Lorne followed suit, dividing a portion just enough to buy food and supplies if they ran into trouble. Mira stood still, her eyes cold as if she didn't care about the coins, but her gaze swept over each corpse and wound, making everyone fall silent.

  élise looked around again, the uneasy feeling still present. This tent, this gold—all of it was too dangerous to carry recklessly. She turned to the group: "We won't stay here long. Clear away the corpses, take what's necessary, and leave. As fast as possible."

  Lorne nodded, quickly checking the area for suspicious signs. Kael and élise gathered the useful items: daggers, a few small jars of ointment, and the gold pouch she had just taken. Charg and Mira kept watch, their eyes scanning the distant thick forest—where the turquoise moonlight still shone dimly.

  In just a few minutes, everything was ready. élise picked up her staff and tucked it into her belt, taking a long breath. "Let's move. And remember, no noise, no haste."

  Everyone went ahead, with only Lorne and élise staying behind for the final task: Burning this entire place to the ground.

  Lorne hesitated, feeling regret for the leftover wealth, but élise made it clear: burning it would prevent Blackrot from spreading to other graveyards and forming new Blights, and since the bodies here were on the verge of turning, everything had to be destroyed.

  Flames from the two mages were launched repeatedly, incinerating the forest patch, but ensuring the fire didn't spread—at least not unexpectedly. Quickly, both followed after the others.

  They quietly left the campsite, following the trail they had just passed. The smell of burning still clung to them; the unliving corpses served as a reminder that this place was once a disaster. With every step, every heartbeat, every sense was strained, prepared for whatever might emerge from the darkness.