The group pressed on, moving further south. A heavy silence hung over them, thick and unspoken. No one dared to acknowledge Diego’s actions, yet the weight of it lingered in their minds.

  Rain was lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the ground as he walked. He understood why Diego had done it, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. The image of the man’s final moments lingered in his mind, a grim reminder of the reality they faced in the Forsakened Vale.

  "I could be the next one on the chopping block if I'm not careful."

  That thought sent a chill down Rain’s spine. He clenched his fists, shaking off the unease. No—he wouldn’t let that happen. If nothing else, this was a reminder. Strength was the only thing that mattered in this forest.

  As they trudged through the forest, Rain noticed something unusual—strands of green webbing clinging to the trees and underbrush.

  He gnced at Diego and Emily, noticing the distance between them. They were more spaced apart than before, a quiet tension lingering in the air.

  Rain asked, "Diego, did—"

  Diego cut him off, his tone firm. "I know."

  Diego gave a firm order, "Everyone, close in. We've entered enemy territory."

  The group tensed, a ripple of unease spreading through them. Whispers of uncertainty passed between a few, their steps becoming hesitant. Some clutched their weapons tighter, while others darted nervous gnces at the thickening webs around them. A faint sense of panic threatened to take hold.

  Diego expined, "We're in the territory of a spider like monster called the Moss Weaver."

  Diego's voice was firm as he continued, "The Moss Weaver is a territorial predator. It camoufges itself with the greenery of the Vale and uses these webs to trap its prey. If we panic, we’ll only get caught in its design."

  The group swallowed their fear, some shifting uncomfortably, their eyes darting between the trees, searching for any sign of movement.

  Diego gnced at the treetops, his voice steady. "It's blind and deaf, but its sense of touch is immacute. Every vibration on its webs tells it exactly where we are."

  The group grew still, wary of even the slightest movement. Rain’s eyes traced the green strands stretching between the trees, realizing how easily they could trigger the creature’s attention.

  A man at the back of the group hesitantly asked, "Why don’t we just turn back?"

  A brief silence followed before Diego spoke again, his voice steady.

  "No. If we turn back, death awaits us." He let the weight of his words settle before continuing, "A basilisk was near our previous path. I didn't tell you all before because panic would’ve made things worse."

  The man hesitated before asking, "A Basilisk... what exactly is that?"

  Diego kept his eyes forward. "A massive serpent. If its gaze doesn’t stop you, its venom will."

  The group remained silent after Diego’s cim about the basilisk. Whether they believed him or not didn’t matter—turning back wasn’t an option. With no choice but to press forward, they steeled themselves and pushed deeper into the Moss Weaver’s nest.

  Rain studied Diego, his expression unreadable. But deep down, he knew Diego was lying. Even if his control over essence wasn’t as refined, he was certain—if there was a monster that Diego could sense, he would have sensed it aswell.

  Rain could only try to piece it together. 'Why would Diego lie, knowing it put everyone at risk?' His grip tightened. 'Is he that desperate to get to Bryan?'

  He studied Diego again. His face remained unreadable, but Rain could sense it—that faint, almost imperceptible hint of desperation.

  Diego gave the order, his voice steady. "Everyone, get ready. We're moving forward."

  Rain hesitated for a moment, doubt lingering in his mind, but in the end, he followed along.

  He gnced at his surroundings, each step revealing more of the eerie green webs. They grew denser, stretching between the trees like a suffocating veil, their numbers increasing with every cautious movement forward.

  They treaded through the Moss Weaver's nest for what felt like an eternity, each movement slow and deliberate. Every step had to be calcuted, every breath measured. The thick webbing draped over the trees like a suffocating veil, and with each passing moment, the tension in the air grew heavier.

  A man at the back of the group tensed up, his voice barely above a whisper. "I… I just touched something sticky..."

  The moment his words left his mouth, the group froze. Tension coiled around them like a tightening noose, their breaths held as their eyes darted toward the source of the disturbance.

  Then they heard it, a rapid, unsettling skittering echoed from above, sending a shiver through the group. It was fast—too fast—moving across the web-ced canopy with eerie precision.

  Before the man could even react, something yanked him upward. A sickening crunch followed—a brief, choked scream that was cut off almost instantly. Then, silence.

  The group stood frozen, dread creeping into their bones. Whatever had taken him did so effortlessly, as if snuffing out a candle.

  Diego’s voice cut through the tense silence, firm yet controlled.

  “Stay calm. No sudden movements.”

  The group was trembling, eyes darting toward the canopy above, but Diego’s unwavering tone anchored them.

  “We keep moving. Slowly. Carefully.”

  He gnced around, making sure no one was on the verge of panic. “If you don’t want to end up like him, follow my lead.”

  The group pressed forward, their movements slow and deliberate. The thick webs clung to the trees like a suffocating veil, and the faint skittering above never truly faded.

  No one spoke. No one dared to.

  Rain’s heart pounded in his chest as he carefully pced his foot down, avoiding a nearly invisible thread stretched across the ground. He could see the others doing the same, their eyes darting between the webbing and the shifting shadows above.

  The forest felt like it was holding its breath, waiting.

  The group froze instantly at Diego’s command, their breath hitching. No one dared to move.

  Rain’s eyes flickered to Diego, who stood perfectly still, his gaze locked on something ahead.

  “What is it?” someone whispered, barely audible.

  Diego didn’t answer right away. Instead, his fingers twitched slightly toward the hilt of his sword before he exhaled slowly.

  "Our path is blocked by webs... I have to cut it. Everyone, back off," Diego ordered, his voice firm but low.

  The group hesitated for only a moment before stepping back cautiously, careful not to touch any of the surrounding strands. The memory of what had just happened to the man in the back was still fresh in their minds.

  Diego unsheathed his bde, channeling his essence into it. A vibrant green aura surged along the steel, casting an eerie glow against the surrounding webs. The air hummed with energy as he took a measured step forward.

  Rain tensed. He knew Diego was strong, but even the smallest mistake could alert the Moss Weaver. His grip tightened as he watched.

  Diego swung. A sharp arc of energy sliced through air cutting the webbing was cut in one smooth motion, the green energy searing through the thick strands like fire through dry grass. The severed web recoiled, snapping away with a faint twang.

  For a moment, there was silence.

  Then, the skittering started again.

  Then they saw it.

  The Moss Weaver loomed over the cut web, massive and unnervingly silent. Its legs, thick as tree trunks, stretched high above them, each movement fast but calcuted. Moss and fungus clung to its body, pulsing faintly.

  It had no eyes, yet its mouth, lined with jagged fangs, opened slightly as it crawled forward.

  The group froze. The creature hadn’t noticed them yet, but its presence alone made the air heavy. Diego’s grip tightened on his bde. They couldn’t afford a single mistake.

  A ripple of fear passed through the group. Some clenched their fists, others swallowed hard, their breathing unsteady.

  "We have to go under it," Diego repeated, his voice steady but firm. "It's the only path."

  No one spoke, but the hesitation was clear. The sheer size of the creature made the idea terrifying—it could crush them in an instant if they made a wrong move.

  Rain exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. There was no other choice.

  The group watched in tense silence as Diego moved first, carefully weaving through the webs. Seeing him slip beneath the massive creature sent a chill through them—one wrong move, a single misstep, and he would be dead in an instant.

  Rain swallowed hard. The Moss Weaver loomed above, still as if unaware of their presence. Every breath felt too loud, every movement too risky.

  One by one, they would have to follow.

  Rain emerged on the other side, his breath steady but his heart racing. He gnced back at the others, who were still frozen in pce, staring at the monstrous form above them.

  Diego gave him a small nod before turning his attention back to the group. "Next," he said quietly.

  Emily moved carefully, her every step measured as she slipped beneath the towering creature. Rain watched as she maneuvered through the dense webs, her movements tense but controlled.

  For a moment, she hesitated—whether from fear or caution, Rain couldn’t tell—but she quickly pushed forward. After what felt like an eternity, she emerged on the other side, exhaling shakily.

  Rain met her gaze and gave her a slight nod.

  The next was a man in his te 30s he moved carefully, just as the others had. His breath was shallow, his steps deliberate. He was nearly through when—

  Snap.

  A single misstep, a light touch against a strand of web.

  The Moss Weaver reacted instantly. In a blur, its legs twitched, and before the man could even cry out, a massive limb shot down, impaling him. His body went rigid, a strangled gasp escaping his lips before he was yanked upward into the darkness above.

  The group stood frozen, watching in horror as the Moss Weaver carried its prize higher, disappearing among the webbed canopy.

  Diego clenched his jaw. "Keep moving. Now."

  One by one, the rest of the group followed, each step slow and deliberate. No one dared to breathe too loudly, their movements precise, driven by fear and survival.

  The horror of what had just happened loomed over them, but no one hesitated. One misstep had already cost a life—they wouldn't let it happen again.

  Minutes passed like hours, but finally, the st of them made it through. No more mistakes. No more losses.

  They had survived.

  Diego took a deep breath before giving the order, "We push forward. Everyone, stay sharp and move carefully."

  They pressed on, and as days passed, the webs grew thinner and less frequent. The oppressive presence of the Moss Weaver's nest slowly faded, repced by the familiar yet still treacherous depths of the Forsakened Vale.

  As they settled in for the night, Rain took a gnce at their dwindling supplies—the st bits of food nearly dry. He exhaled quietly, knowing that soon, hunger would become another threat they’d have to face.

  Emily sat down next to Rain, following his gaze toward Diego. She didn't say anything at first, simply observing. After a moment, she spoke in a quiet voice, "You're thinking about it too, aren't you?"

  Rain nodded slightly, keeping his voice low. "Yeah... He’s always been focused, but now? It’s different. More desperate."

  Emily sighed, pulling her knees to her chest as she expined, "Diego knows that reaching Bryan is our best chance of survival. Bryan is an Awoken, after all. If it comes down to it, Diego won’t hesitate to sacrifice the non-Whisperers just to get to him."

  Rain's expression darkened. "So that’s it… He’s willing to throw away everyone who isn’t an Essence Whisperer just to reach Bryan."

  Rain fell into deep thought. He understood Diego—survival was his goal too. Escaping this damned forest, ciming his freedom. If it came down to it, he'd kill the group himself if that was the price for his liberation.

  But hearing that Diego was the same as him unsettled Rain. Knowing that someone else was just as willing to do whatever it took to be free… it left him uneasy.