Mist.
It spread around them slowly, seeping through the trees like creeping fingers. Though it was still midday, the sudden fog dulled the sunlight, casting their surroundings into a dim, silvery haze.
Orion and Oriana remained where they were, alert, tense, weapons drawn and ready. Even Fang, still beside Tave, stood perfectly still, his ears flicking but his posture calm.
And Tave…
He narrowed his focus.
Not a sound.
Not a tremor.
Not even the faintest signature of a monster nearby.
This isn't a monster.
"Tave?" Oriana's voice came again, quieter this time. "Can you confirm it?"
"Sure…" he murmured back, stepping forward.
"Tave, don't be reckless," Lily warned quickly.
He raised a hand behind him… Stay back.
And then he moved.
Slow, careful steps brought him through the veil of trees, deeper into the mist. His eyes adjusted easily. His sight hadn't been fully obscured yet. Whatever this was, it didn't feel like a threat. Not directly.
Another soft pssshhh! echoed through the clearing. A hissing burst, then more mist, heavier this time, rolling in from the opposite side of the area.
Tave paused.
There it is.
He dropped into a crouch, inching closer to the ground. Between the thick mist, something was shifting in the soil, small, subtle movements.
He spotted it.
A cluster of dark, twisting stems swaying gently in the breeze. At their tips bloomed strange red flowers, petals tucked tightly under deep black sepals. The color looked unnatural in the haze. Too vibrant, too sharp.
What was the name of this flower again? he thought, narrowing his eyes.
And then it came to him.
Crimson Sepith?
A rare Rift plant. Native to volcanic terrain.
When exposed to high temperatures, its core burst and released pressurized water vapor. Instantly converting to thick, cooling mist.
Not dangerous, unless someone was foolish enough to ignite an entire field of them.
Tave smiled faintly to himself.
***
Tave emerged from the tree line with a soft smile curving his lips, walking calmly toward Oriana. In his hand, he held a small, rounded flower, its shape concealed by tightly closed sepals. He held it out for the young woman to see. Lily also stepped closer, curiosity drawing her in to get a better look at what Tave had brought.
"What is that?" Oriana asked, her tone a blend of wonder and caution.
Tave let out a quiet chuckle. "Just a flower that explodes into thick mist when exposed to high temperatures."
"Ah… I think I've read about this before…" Oriana reached for the flower, inspecting it more closely. "Do you think we could use it for something?"
Tave paused, thoughtful. "Use it?" he echoed, falling silent again. "In a place like this, the flower's only real use might be to create a quick smokescreen. Something to hide us or help us slip away if things go south. But... that could turn dangerous too, since we'd be caught inside the mist as well."
"So we need to be careful," Oriana said. "If we stumble into an area full of these, we could end up surrounded… and swarmed by monsters."
Tave nodded. "These flowers don't grow everywhere. Only in scattered patches. We should take note of their shape and avoid them when we can," he explained.
"Got it." Oriana let out a quiet sigh, her posture easing as she returned to her usual composed demeanor.
"We'll take a short break, then move on," she said, lifting her gaze to the dimming sky. "It's almost nightfall anyway. We should start looking for a place to camp."
"Agreed," Tave replied with a nod.
Tave then returned to his spot, a quiet determination in his steps. There was something he needed to do, something that had been tugging at him ever since their last battle. He wanted to meditate, sensing that perhaps, after defeating so many Tier 3 monsters, he might be on the verge of leveling up.
He settled into a seated position and called out softly to Fang, asking the wolf to keep watch while he focused. The monster wolf seemed to understand immediately. It padded a little ways away from the group, then sat silently, its gaze fixed toward the treeline like a silent guardian.
Tave folded his legs beneath him and closed his eyes, letting his breath slow and his mind clear.
How are we supposed to survive this Rift?
The thought came unbidden, heavy with the weight of uncertainty. Despite trying to calm himself, a deep awareness lingered within him, of how dangerous this place truly was.
They were only four people. Five, if Fang was counted. And worse, the team was far from perfect, its dynamics… complicated.
Still, when he considered the composition of their group, there was a sense of balance, perhaps even an edge. They had two Water element users: Lily and Oriana. That alone was a crucial advantage in a place like this, where the environment was volatile, laced with heat and flame, making water-based abilities especially effective.
Oriana, in particular, had gone beyond the basics. She'd already unlocked affinity with the advanced form of water, the Ice Element. It was a rare achievement, something only a handful could manage, especially while still bound by the limitations of Gaia Guardian. It said a lot about her potential.
Then there was Orion. His affinity lay with Fire, which made him the least effective in this environment, where fire was the dominant element, and monsters had built up a resistance to it. Still, raw power alone made Orion a formidable force. Even without the elemental edge, his strength was nothing to take lightly.
Next... all four members of the team possessed sigils. An edge that not only enhanced their abilities but shaped their roles within the group.
Tave had the Shadow Cloak sigil, which amplified his invisibility within dark environments. It paired perfectly with his Bloodline Override, molding him into the ideal hunter and scout. In the shroud of shadow, he was nearly undetectable. A predator cloaked in silence.
Lily, on the other hand, carried the Raindrop sigil. It heightened her control over water-elemental magic, allowing her to fine-tune her abilities in support and healing. With this, she could manipulate water with such finesse that her utility in battle became irreplaceable.
Orion… well, Tave exhaled deeply just thinking about him. Because in truth, Orion had been designed to be someone exceptional, overpowered, dangerously gifted and overwhelmingly strong.
If the story had played out without interruption, he should have ascended to the rank of Knight Grand Cross not long before the Great War in the Dissidia Kingdom. And even after that, he would survive and rise again, becoming an Imperial Knight before the age of thirty.
His sigil was a terrifying complement to the relic he bore. Let's call it the Bloodflare Sigil. It was etched high on his back, hidden just beneath the skin. Dormant, until triggered by severe blood loss.
Once activated, the sigil flared like living fire, veins igniting with molten energy as though his bloodstream carried the blaze of a volcano. Its form twisted like burning chains, coiling along his spine and branching out across his limbs, lighting him up from within.
The Bloodflare Sigil granted Orion the ability to convert elemental energy into raw power. Boosting regeneration, increasing his attack speed, amplifying damage output, and heightening his brutality. He was, in essence, a magic sword fighter. Deadly in melee, capable of unleashing devastating spells. And if wounded too deeply, he slipped into a berserker state where pain became fuel and reason burned away.
And beyond all that… his Relic.
It wasn't just a weapon. It was a blazing, furious force: Ashen Talon, a relic forged from the remnants of a fallen phoenix. The power it granted was absurd. Orion could incinerate entire hordes with one sweeping inferno, reducing the battlefield to ash in moments. Its fire magic damage was catastrophic.
Even more terrifying? The relic granted him a passive ability. Regeneration that triggered each time he cast a fire-based spell. His flames didn't just burn enemies. They healed him. Kept him going. Made him unstoppable.
Yes… Orion was terrifyingly overpowered. A walking disaster wrapped in chaos and volatility. A problematic, unpredictable force. But in battle? He was a storm the enemy couldn't afford to ignore.
Tave had his reasons for choosing this side. Orion's raw power alone made him worth the risk, no matter how difficult he could be.
And what about Oriana?