Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

"I've got something I want to try! I need some space from you!" Ren yelled, as evaded another attack from Shuhei.

"Right," Rin muttered to herself. Her fist landed on the monsters side, staggering it enough for her to create space.

"Damn your punches are something." Ren raised his blade, the tip of it pointed at the false Shuhei. The mana in the air around Ren became visible, swirling into a white mist around his sword. The monster charged in Shuhei's direction, but Rin was prepared.

"Sear and strike, Firecannon!" She raised her hand, firing a massive blast of flames in an instant. Her body recoiled back from the sheer force of the spell. The monster was engulfed by the flames, falling to one knee as it tries to put itself out.

The mist swirled violently around Ren's blade, gathering into a dense, shimmering point in front of him. The air grew colder, frost creeping across the ground in jagged, intricate patterns. Ren's breaths came in short, visible bursts as his mana poured into the attack.

"White Star," Ren called, his voice steady and sharp.

The mist condensed further, taking on a brilliant star-like form—its edges jagged and shimmering with icy energy. The star pulsed once before it shot forward with a deafening crack, leaving a frozen trail in its wake.

The attack struck the creature square in the chest, ice exploding outward in a wave of white light. The monster roared as its movements slowed, its limbs freezing over, frost spreading rapidly like veins across its form.

Rin shielded her eyes from the blinding aftermath, but when she looked back, her breath caught. The fog was finally clearing, revealing the creature still locked in the form of Shuhei—but now kneeling, its entire body encased in thick, glittering ice.

Ren staggered back, his sword lowering as he panted heavily. "Did we get it?"

For a moment, the forest was silent.

Ren dissolved his sword into mist, letting it fade into the air as he strode toward the frozen monster. Without hesitation, he slammed his fist into the icy statue, shattering it into jagged shards. His knuckles struck again and again, ensuring every fragment was reduced to splinters.

Rin reached out her hand cautiously. "Ren, I think it's dead, you—"

But he didn't stop. His fists kept hammering away at the remaining chunks of ice, each blow harder than the last. Rin's hand dropped to her side, her expression softening into a frown. She understood his frustration, even if she couldn't put it into words.

Rin hesitated for a moment, watching him, but the faint groan from Sosuke snapped her out of it. "Sosuke!" she gasped, rushing to his side.

She dropped to her knees, her hands trembling as they hovered over his battered form. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, his missing arm crudely wrapped in tattered fabric that had done little to stem the bleeding. Rin pressed her palms together, channeling a faint, golden light between them.

"Hold on, Sosuke," she whispered, her voice tight. "I'm here." The light spread over his wounds, knitting some of the worst injuries enough to stop the bleeding. Rin's jaw clenched as she worked, sweat beading on her forehead.

When she had done all she could, she grabbed bandages from her pack and tightly wrapped the stump where his arm had been, her movements quick but gentle. "This will have to do for now," she murmured, her eyes darting to his pale face. "You're not gonna die, okay?"

Rin fixed Sosuke's hair, her fingers brushing the dirt and blood away from his face. She lingered for a moment, her brow furrowed as she examined the rest of him.

Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the bandages around his arm, her movements unusually hesitant. She chewed her lip, her eyes darting over every cut, bruise, and scrape, as though she could will them away just by looking at them long enough.

"Sosuke…" she murmured, her voice catching in her throat. "You shouldn't—You could've—" She stopped herself, shaking her head. Her hands moved to his shoulder, steadying him as if to anchor him there, refusing to let him drift any further.

Sosuke's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile, his voice weak but teasing. "Why do you look so worried?"

Rin's breath hitched, and she quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing despite the grim situation. "Shut up," she muttered, fussing with his bandages again to avoid meeting his eyes. "You're lucky you're even alive right now."

"He won't die, he's too stubborn for that." Ren shook his hand in the air, trying to shake off the pain, his knuckles bloody. He crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze on Sosuke who had now passed out. "You ever hear about the Estrella family's durability? It's a big deal. Most only know them because of Sosuke's father, the Sword Saint, but they're all strong." Ren coughed. "They're like little roaches who seem to take anything and survive." He coughed again. "Too bad the rest of the family was killed years ago." Rin's head spun around to Ren. "It seems you don't know what I'm talking about. It was probably covered up really well. The Estrella family was infected by a sickness, all except for Sosuke and his father, died." Ren coughed again, violently this time. He dropped down to one knee and wiped away sweat from his face.

"Ren, your mana is low. You need rest too." Rin put her hands together, preparing another healing spell.

"Don't," Ren waved a dismissive hand. "He needs it more than I do."

Day 2

The morning light filtered through the sparse canopy of the forest, casting faint patterns of gold across the forest floor. A small camp had been erected—a rudimentary shelter of gathered branches and fabric scraps tied between trees. A dying fire smoldered in the center, sending thin tendrils of smoke curling upward.

Rin sat cross-legged by Sosuke, her fingers carefully readjusting the bandages on his missing arm. His breathing was steady, though his pale complexion spoke of how close he'd come to death the day before. She exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, brushing a strand of hair from his face.

Ren emerged from the nearby trees, a bundle of herbs and a flask of water in his hands. He dropped the items beside Rin with a thud. "These should help," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. His face was drawn and tired, dark circles shadowing his eyes.

Rin looked up at him, her voice soft but firm. "You shouldn't be moving around so much. Your mana hasn't fully recovered."

"I'll live," Ren muttered, sitting heavily on a log near the fire. He rubbed his temples, his fingers digging into his hair. "What's important is making sure he does." He gestured toward Sosuke, his voice tinged with guilt. "I didn't expect… him to lose so much blood."

Rin glanced at Sosuke, her lips pressed into a thin line. "He'll recover, but I don't think he can fight like this. Not today, at least."

Ren's gaze hardened. "Then we'll fight for him." He summoned his dagger, the blade glinting in the morning light. "The midterm isn't over, and the forest isn't done with us yet."

From the edge of the camp, Sosuke stirred. His eyes fluttered open, his voice hoarse. "What's with all the whispering?"

Rin immediately leaned over him, her brows knitting together. "Sosuke! You shouldn't be awake—your body isn't ready."

He gave a weak smile, his voice barely audible. "The forest doesn't care if I'm ready. Neither should you."

"You're not fighting," Ren snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Sosuke let out a quiet laugh that quickly turned into a wince of pain. "Don't worry… I don't plan on getting up." He let his eyes drift shut again, his breathing evening out as exhaustion pulled him back under.

"At least we don't have to worry about failing." Ren raised his fingers, summoning a holographic screen. "We've already accumulated 800 points from that one monster, but three teams are ahead of us."

"Who?" Rin turned to Ren, scanning the leaderboard.

"First place is Arthur Veiss, Lyra Valcrest, and Elowen Cysra with 1800 points. No surprise there. Second place is Reid Stark, Rafael Vessler, and Milo Griffin with 1000 points. Third is Elena Varga, Ariya Thorne, and Lucas Storm, also with 1000 points." Ren sighed. "We're never getting top three at this rate. Not with Sosuke out."

"I've only ever heard of four of those people… maybe." Rin tossed a piece of wood into the fire and poked around in it with a stick. "It's cold as shit out here."

Ren watched the leaderboard flicker as he swiped the screen away, focusing on their dwindling options. "We've got one shot left to catch up. Tomorrow, we'll make our move."

Rin sat back against a tree, arms folded tightly against her chest as the cold wind bit at her skin. "Yeah, sure. But we'll need a miracle to top Arthur and the others."

Ren shrugged, tapping the edge of his finger against his knee. "Miracles don't exist. But luck's got a funny way of showing up when you need it." His eyes narrowed as he looked past the flickering flames of the fire, his mind already spinning through strategies, but he kept it to himself for now.

"One more day," Rin muttered. "Then we'll see what happens."

The night seemed endless, and the fire burned low. A quiet resolve settled over them as they prepared for what was to come.