The sun hung lazily above the forest canopy as Milly still disguised as Mila, stood before her Class F students.
Their uniforms fluttered in the gentle morning breeze, nervous eyes flicking between the towering trees and the faint sound of beasts echoing somewhere far inside.
"Alright," Milly began, clapping her hands, "today's activity is simple: survive for six hours."
"Six hours?!" one boy yelped, clutching his bag.
"Miss Mila, this is suicide! We can't even survive ten minutes without getting lost!"
Milly tilted her head, smiling mischievously.
"That's why it's called training."
Groans filled the air.
"And remember," she continued, pacing like a commander on the field, "you're allowed to use spells and basic tools but no lethal magic. The goal is teamwork, not explosions."
Someone muttered, "Tell that to Class S…"
"What was that?" Milly said sharply, gold flickering faintly in her blue eyes.
"N-Nothing, Miss Mila!"
She chuckled softly. Still afraid, huh? she thought, amused. At least they were learning respect.
Once they entered the forest, the students spread out into small groups.
Milly walked behind them, hands in her pockets, watching how they handled themselves. A few tried to light campfires; others tried to hunt weak monsters or rather, run away from them.
"Miss Mila! We saw something move!"
"That's called an animal, genius!" another shouted.
Milly smiled, shaking her head. "At least they're alert…"
She found a large boulder and sat atop it, scanning the treetops. The sunlight broke through in soft rays, making the scene feel almost peaceful.
Yet deep down, she felt… uneasy.
Her mind wandered brief flashes of other forests, burning skies, violet eyes watching her.
She rubbed her temple, forcing a deep breath. Not again. Not now.
"Miss Mila?"
She blinked; one of her students stood nearby, holding a poorly tied rope trap.
"Is this good enough?"
"Hmm." She inspected it. "You'd only catch yourself with this thing. Try again tighter loops, and watch for movement."
The student nodded eagerly and ran off. Milly sighed.
"Kids these days…"
Hours passed, and the activity went smoothly no major injuries, no monster ambushes.
At least, until a sudden tremor shook the ground.
Boom!
Leaves rained down as birds scattered from the trees.
"Miss Mila! Something's coming from the east!"
Milly's instincts flared. She could feel it an aura, faint but familiar.
She clenched her fists, whispering, "That pressure… why does it feel like him?"
She turned to her students.
"Everyone! Gather and retreat toward the marker zone! Now!"
Her voice carried a weight none of them had ever heard before firm, commanding, almost inhuman.
The students scrambled to obey, while Milly stayed behind, eyes narrowed toward the east.
A cold wind brushed past, whispering through the trees like a voice from another world.
She steadied her breath, the tips of her fingers faintly glowing crimson.
"If it's you…" she whispered to the forest,
"Then you better not make me remember."