The journey back to the Holy Order's stronghold wasn't victorious. It was silent.
Theo walked with a slight limp, leaning on his spear. Veyra had stopped trying to question Nathan after the third time he said, "Later." Now, her glances came only when she thought he wouldn't notice.
He noticed.
The gates loomed ahead as dawn bled over the horizon. Cold steel. White stone. The rising sun behind it painted long shadows across the courtyard as they passed through.
They didn't speak a word to the guards.
Didn't need to.
By the time they reached the inner halls, Sirah was waiting. Arms crossed, jaw set tight, dressed in black tactical robes like she hadn't slept.
Nathan barely stepped inside before she said, "Report."
Theo looked at Nathan. Nathan nodded. "We found the nest. It wasn't Verthorna migration. It was worse."
Sirah's brows tightened. "How worse?"
"Surnoks," Veyra answered. "Multiple. At least five. And there's a pattern in the burn sites, they weren't random. They were markings. Symbols."
"Territorial," Theo added. "Protective. The one we fought first… it wasn't hunting. It was guarding."
Sirah's silence hung heavy. "What happened?"
"We killed it," Nathan said.
"And the others?"
"They chased us. Cornered us. I… fought them off."
Sirah's eyes narrowed slightly. "You fought them off?"
Theo spoke, slowly. "Nathan… used Light magic."
Silence.
Sirah turned to Nathan. "Light magic."
He met her stare. "Yes."
"You weren't sanctioned."
"No."
"You're not marked by the Faith."
"I know."
She studied him for a long moment, then glanced at Veyra. "You're sure?"
"I saw it," she said. "It wasn't just Light magic. It was… deeper. Sharper. Controlled, but barely. He saved us."
Sirah nodded once. "Alright. The Council's going to want answers. But right now, we have bigger problems."
She gestured for them to follow.
Down the stone corridor. Past locked archives and reinforced doors. Into the war chamber—where maps sprawled across the table like wounds.
"We've tracked Surnok migrations for over a decade," she said, laying a map down. "Always isolated. Always in dead zones."
Veyra stepped forward. "This nest wasn't dead. The land's still alive. They only moved because something drove them out."
Theo's voice dropped. "The Demon Faction."
Sirah nodded grimly. "Exactly."
Nathan stared at the map. "Where?"
"We don't know yet," she admitted. "But if they pushed the Varanthas out of their territory, they must be growing. And fast."
"What's the Council doing?" Theo asked.
Sirah gave him a bitter smile. "Debating. Trade wants to avoid disruption. Faith wants to send exorcists. Shadows says to let the forest burn."
Nathan frowned. "And what do you want?"
"I want a real team on the ground. I want to know why they would set up a Surnok nest. And I want someone who's survived a Surnok fight to lead it."
All eyes turned to him.
Nathan blinked. "You want me to go back?"
Sirah gave a tired smile. "I want you to finish what you started."
There was no argument. Not from Theo. Not from Veyra.
Just the quiet understanding that whatever they'd stumbled into… it was only beginning.
__________________________________________________________________________________
The campfire sputtered low, casting a flickering glow over the battered trio. Nathan crouched near the edge, his face set, a rough map scratched into the dirt before him.
Veyra nursed a wound on her arm, silent but watching. Theo sat cross-legged, still stealing glances at Nathan like he was seeing him for the first time.
Nathan jabbed a finger at the center of the map , a rough circle ringed by crude marks.
"The nest is here. This whole forest is part of it. They're not moving because they're guarding something important."
Theo leaned in. "Eggs?"
"Maybe," Nathan said. "Or something worse. Either way, if we don't stop them now, they'll spread."
"And the Surnok?" Veyra asked quietly.
Nathan's jaw tightened. "They're not mindless beasts. They're working with the Scarspawn. Someone's commanding them — maybe the demon faction itself. They're organized."
Theo exhaled slowly. "This isn't just a hunt anymore. It's war."
Nathan nodded grimly. "Exactly. Which means we can't charge in swinging. We need to be smart."
He outlined three paths leading to the center. "We split into two teams. Distraction and strike. I'll draw out the guards — the Surnok themselves if I have to. Veyra, you and Theo get inside, find the nest core, and destroy it."
"Wait." Theo frowned. "You're taking on how many Surnoks alone?"
Nathan met his eyes steadily. "Enough to buy you time."
Veyra's brow furrowed. "You can't use your full power again. If the wrong people see—"
"I know," Nathan said sharply. He forced himself to breathe, to steady the fire boiling under his skin. "I'll manage."
Theo shook his head. "That's suicide."
Nathan offered a grim smile. "Only if you don't finish your part first."
For a long moment, no one spoke. The fire crackled, and in the distance, a low rumble of movement shook the trees.
Finally, Theo stood, slinging his spear over his shoulder. "Fine. We'll finish it."
Veyra rose too, brushing dirt from her tunic. "Don't die, Nathan. You're not allowed."
Nathan smiled faintly. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Above them, the moon slipped behind a cloud. Darkness swallowed the forest whole.
And the war for the nest began.