Chap 80
Days passed after the last disturbance, then more. No twisted silhouettes lingered at the edge of the forest. No pressure filled into the air at dusk, the wind carried same familiar scent of wet leaves and pine rain, and birds returned to branches they had abandoned weeks ago.
The village exhaled.
Work resumed at its old pace near the forest area not fully, but steady , like body relaxes after holding its breath too long. Woodcutter stacked logs higher again, fisherman lingered longer along the riverbanks. Hunters joked again while checking their arrows, voices louder than before.
"If something was still there," someone said near the well one morning, "we would've known."
But I heard covered in mysterious smoke someone chase them out.
"No way!" Other person reject.
"I heard from one of people who was guarding at that time, but he also hear from someone else."
So I'm not sure, he shrugged.
Another replied with a shrug, "maybe it already tested us and moved on."
No one argued. Relief does not announce itself.
It settled, then grows bold.
The forest edge slowly lost its weight.
People still stopped at the old stones, but not far long, conversation continued there instead of cutting off. Children kicked pebbles across the line, daring each other to step closer before running back, laughter echoing too freely.
"It's been a days," a young hunter said one afternoon, adjusting his bowstring. "If there was danger, it wouldn't just sit there doing nothing."
"Maybe it can't cross," another said. "Maybe whatever was there... isn't anymore."
The thoughts spread faster than ever had.
But like always there's a person who wants to test the silent water.
Three hunters! Decided to find out.
They were not reckless boys nor they were experienced, just young boiling blood who grown up in these woods, learned their path by heart, and were tired of boredom and stopping at a line no one could explain.
"We don't provoke," one said as they walked deeper into beyond forest safezone.
Pasting stones, other said "not deeper."
After some walked deeper.
One of them laughed, relief spilled out. "See?" Still nothing, the forest did not react.
Instead, it convinced them.
They returned before sunset, telling the story of bravery and confidence. Others listened. Some nodded. A few frowned — but said nothing.
A news spread like wildfire in every corner of village, Limbo's house was not the expection.
People stood with their back to the forest longer. Voices carried futher. Movements grew careless at the edge.
It bothered him more than the fear ever had.
He couldn't explain himself the Ineffable feelings he had.
Day passed...
The new dawn arrived spreading its wings and capturing everything init.
Smoke rises from place as always.
Doors opened, footsteps crossed passed the house parameter. Somewhere, metal rings against in staedy rhythm that had shaped naval morning from generation.
Peace had its own weight, today...
Humming a sweet melody, while walking and searching Ela felt, something that even before she named it.
She stood at the forest's edge with a woven basket resting against her hip, fingers brushing dew from low leaves as she worked. The herbs here grew wild but gentle, untouched by corruption or anyone only few knew, their scent clean and sharp in the cool air helps soothing the body.
The birds had gone quiet.
Ela thought because of her which was common.
Ela straightened slowly, basket forgotten for moment as her gaze lifted towards the trees. The forest stood as always with thick truck, messed up roots, shadow upon shadow.
Yet something in it had shifted.
Though no movement but something unsettled her.
She focus her attention.
Her grip slowly tightend on the basket.
I'm imagining it, she told herself with faint laugh on herself, turning back at the herbs.
The village was close.
The barrier were present. No reports had come in for months.
Six months.
It's been six months since the incident, peace had returned.
Six months was enough to make people dropped their gurads, careless and carefree.
The sound came, then.
A low leaf rustling.
Not a growl.
Nor the howl.
Something different, heavier dragged across the bark.
Ela turned.
The thing stepped out from between the trees without urgency, without stealth. It's from was wrong, not twisted wildfire, incomplete as if someone began taking shape stopped middle.
It's limbs bent at angles that didn't match its body. It's hideous look stretched, patched together in layers of dull gray and sickly green. No eyes- just swallow hollows where they should have been.
It did not charge.
It studied her.
Ela's breathing slowed.
She didn't screamed or she run only few steps back on the spot.
The beast tilted its head thinking easy prey, mouth opened slightly, a wet sound escaping it's throat as if testing the air.
That was enough, ela moved.
Basket fell from the hand.
Her foot slid back.
Without second thought, it took one precise, calculated clean motion, she struck.
There was no incantation.
No chant nor the flare of visible mana.
Her palm drove forward, not to push , but to end.
The air cracked.
The beast did not have time to react.
It's upper body collapsed inward as if something inside it had been crushed all at once. The force didn't throw it back—it folded it downward, driving it into the floor with a dull final sound.
The body twitched once.
Then went silent.
Ela stood, chest rising and falling evenly.
Only then did her hands tremble.
She turned.
Ran as fast as she can.
Away from own smithy Ronan was helping someone else, then he heard the cry before the bell could rang.
It wasn't a scream.
It was a warning shouted by someone who knew screaming would be too late.
Yet...
"Forest edge!"
The forged was abandon in second.
Ronan dropped his hammer and moved without hesitation, his body remembering something his mind hadn't touched in years. He didn't ask questions. Inner feelings screamed out loud.
He didn't shout orders loudly.
He pointed.
"Checked the barriers!"
Another gesture.
"Get the children inside."
A third.
"Scouts, high ground only. No pursuits."
Men and women moved quickly.
Not because he was loud.
Because they trusted him.
He reached the square just as Ela staggered through the treeline, breath was steady but eyes sharp, and worry.
"There's more," she said sharply catching breath.
Ronan did not ask how she knew.
He nodded once and turned.
"Positions."
The forest answered.
Not with the charge, with pressure.
Hands were short, and heads were more.
"All of the day, it has to be today!"
Shapes emerged from the shadow's, not rushing. They spread out, forming a loose ring just beyond the barriers shimmer.
Different froms.
Some hunched.
Some tall and thin, some dragging themselves forward in slow, deliberately taking steps.
They stopped.
Watched.
The barrier hummed faintly as the pressure built against it, constantly attacks aim to damaged.
To Testing the strength.
Daylight caught them fully. This was not a raid.
This wasn't a hunger.
This was inspection.
Unaware of all this some was busy at a moment like this.
Limbo forge drowned it out.
Metal rang beneath his hammer, sparks scattered as he shaped the edge with controlled presicion. How breathing matched the rhythm, each strike measured, exact.
The Fragment energy lay quite within him, allowing syncing perfectly over the time.
That was finally the chaos and systems prompt broke his focus.
Warning:
Unknown hostile signal surround the area.
Required immediate action.
The forge air shifted.
Not hot or cold but, hollow.
Limbo's hammer slowed.
Then stopped.
He lifted his head.
The system did not show more information.
But his cheat tightened as if knew...
He rushed to step outside.
When the sight hit him all at once.
The protective barrier glowed faintly at the village edge, pressed inward by the enemy strikes that should not have existed this close, this openly, under the sun.
His mouth went dry, brushed form on forehead.
"Damn, I'm late!"
He began to ran.
The barrier held for now.
The beast didn't Push barrier to its limits.
They stood at the edge of it, some pressing clawed hands against the shimmer, others circling slowly as if memorizing it's boundaries.
One lifted its head, it's sharp eyes spot the rushing Limbo as others.
Something different attracted them towards him.
The Fragment inside stirred, as they recognised something.
Limbo stopped at short distance, breath catching.
This wasn't pursuit, this wasn't corruption spreading blindly.
This almost feel like response.
Ronan stepped in front of him without looking back.
"Stay behind the line," he said.
Limbo swallowed. "They're not here to attack."
Ronan tightened his jaw, "that doesn't mean they won't."
Ela joined them, eyes never leaving the forest.
"They're waiting," she said quietly.
"For what?" Someone whispered.
"For movement," Limbo answered.
The beast shifted sideways adjusting.
The system flickered faintly in Limbo's awareness.
No warning, nor the command.
Just plain lines of text, with unknown demand.
Observation.
The air slowly grew heavier.
Then without sound, signal, the pressure eased.
One by one, the beast stepped back.
Not retreating, withdrawing.
They melted into the trees as they had come, leaving the forest edge empty once more.
The barrier dimmed.
Silence slowly fell, uncertain situation.
The village did not cheer or celebrate, no one moved, blinked for serval moments.
Then breath returned slowly.
Questions rises no was present who doesn't think —
What was all this? No one could believe what happened today.
Ronan gazed shifted to Limbo, "you felt that didn't you?" He said.
Limbo nodded
"They weren't driven off," he reply. "May be they've decided."
That night, no one stepped out from homes.
Limbo sat alone by the river, the water reflecting broken starts. The Fragment rested heavy.
He closed his eyes.
Somewhere far beyond the trees, something watched - not in hunger, but patience.
The line had been crossed.
Not by the beasts.
By the world itself.
And this time....
There will be no waiting.