Tee’s annoyance with Zod faded when a white fog surrounding them began to transform into a dark gray hue. Suddenly, someone's hand clasped around her right arm tightly, and Miko's voice pierced her ear, filled with alarm. "Guys, what's happening?"

  Tee swiftly pulled her arm free from Miko's grip, her suspicions of pretense brewing. In a swift second, the dark fog parted, revealing a swift-moving mass lunging towards her face.

  Miko shrieked and swiftly retreated, but Tee found herself frozen in shock.

  The creature possessed wrinkled skin with loose folds, its sunken eyes obscured by its snout, which unhinged to expose its throat in a gruesome manner.

  Reacting instinctively, Kie forcefully shoved Tee in the shoulder, urging her to duck. As she fell to one side from the impact of his push, Kie swung his sword above her, aiming to cleave through the beast. However, the creature transformed into black fire, and his blade sliced through what felt like empty air.

  Regaining her balance to prevent toppling over, Tee swiftly rose to a one-legged kneel, just as the black flames soared over her head. From behind her, she heard the cacophony of her teammates' cries mixed with heavy thuds as the two creatures tore through them and disappeared back into the dark fog.

  Kie's grave expression upon Tee standing upright compelled her to take a step back. Thankfully, his gaze was fixed on something beyond her head as he strode past her.

  The parting in the fog gradually closed, causing Miko to rise from her crouched position, sweeping her bangs away from her face. Meanwhile, Zod pulled himself up from the ground, tucking in one leg as he regained his footing. Saeda remained pressed against a tree, her eyes wide open as she stared at the multitude of swords jammed into the ground.

  “Monster?” Zod asked the air.

  Their reflexive attempts to fend off the two monsters had proven futile as the creatures slipped away. The fog began to regain its white hue, gradually revealing glimpses of the brown earth beneath.

  "Did that thing just duplicate itself?" Kie asked, disbelief evident in his voice as he forcefully plunged his sword into the ground. "You've got to be kidding me," he raged.

  "What?" Tee interjected, her only recollection being the swift passage of black flames near her face.

  Miko and Saeda moved closer to their comrades, ready to defend against any potential renewed attacks from the monsters.

  Brushing dirt off himself with trembling hands, Zod questioned, "How are we supposed to defeat something that can multiply into millions? We’re almost out of time." His final words quivered, hinting at held-back tears.

  "Not millions," Kie interjected, one hand resting on his chin. "While it was splitting before my eyes, its four tails also divided until there were only two on each."

  Tee began to calculate in her mind, processing the information. There were four tails when there was a single monster, but after it split in half, each creature possessed half the number of tails.

  Gasping, Tee exclaimed, "That means there's a limit!" They all turned their attention to her as she spoke with enthusiasm, "The number of tails determines how many times it can split itself—four in total. Fascinating."

  Their focus was abruptly stolen by growls emanating from something lurking behind the darkening fog. Gripping the handles of their swords lodged in the ground, they summoned additional weapons and shifted to stand back to back once more.

  "We would have been evenly matched if there had been one more of those things," Saeda remarked.

  No one else offered a comment. The fog nearly reached a state of blackness as they listened to the sound of dirt being kicked up and deep growls echoing from within. Soon, silence enveloped them, leaving only the sound of their racing heartbeats and breaths audible.

  "Is it gone?" Miko whispered. "The growling stopped."

  The absence of any visible change in the darkness fueled Tee's doubts. "It's a trap. They—it wants you to step out there."

  Saeda decided to burst Tee's bubble, reminding her of the Professor's teachings. "These creatures are unintelligent, remember? I doubt they even know how to set a trap."

  "Uncommunicable," Zod corrected Saeda. "That thing has brains."

  Saeda felt foolish for mixing up the words, her mistake now apparent.

  Kie nodded in agreement. "Unlike a Xenosapian, that thing isn't foolish enough to rush at its prey without a care in the world. If it were, it would have attacked us again by now."

  "It won't attack all five of us standing together like this," Zod added. "We need bait, Tee will do it."

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  "What?" Tee blurted, taken aback by the sudden mention of her name.

  "What's the matter, Tee?" asked Zod. "I thought you wanted to get up close and personal. You should be thrilled."

  "Fine," Tee conceded. "I'll be the bait." The ensuing silence reflected their expectation of her next disparaging words. "Let the strongest among us face the monster," she added, standing tall with her head held high.

  Zod sighed. "Can't you just use your eyes to track it and save us all the trouble?"

  "What good is that?" Tee interjected. "Didn't you see how fast that thing moved?" Tee continued. "If it wants to devour us, it will come. Why waste time trying to find it?"

  She took a deep breath, sheathed her sword, and took a step forward, moving away from their protective circle. "It doesn't matter," she declared. "I'll do it."

  Curiosity filled Zod's voice as he asked, "Why are you so brave?"

  Saeda chimed in, "Yes, Tee will do it, and just so you know, I haven't received any visions still."

  "No," Kie spoke up firmly. He turned to face Tee, who had her back turned towards him as she stared into the fog. "No one goes alone," he declared, causing the rest of the group to turn and face him. "We'll split into two groups."

  Tee stomped her feet harder into the ground, trying to hide her trembling. She couldn't understand why her legs still shook, even after Kie reassured her that she wouldn't be going alone.

  Kie commented, "One group will have an extra since we don't divide evenly."

  Tee grabbed onto Miko's arm, pulling her closer until they were within reach. "Miko, you're coming with me," she declared, placing her hand on Miko's shoulder.

  Tee knew the team's strength needed to be evenly distributed, which meant not putting the two best fighters on the same team.

  "Alright," Kie acknowledged.

  "Let's leave already," Saeda said, walking ahead.

  Zod and Kie followed Saeda, while Tee and Miko headed in another direction. After several minutes, they agreed that one of them would walk backward to prevent any potential attacks from behind.

  Tee warned Miko behind her, "There's a branch up ahead."

  Tee couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she thought about Tetra. With no sight of her body and no proper funeral due to her illegal activities, Tee needed closure. She wanted to know if Tetra had been torn apart by a monster that had escaped from across the Veil or if something else had happened. Lost in her thoughts, Miko's question interrupted her train of thought.

  "Tee, can we switch positions now?"

  "No," Tee responded firmly.

  Tee had a gut feeling that the monster would strike from behind, and she wasn't willing to be in that vulnerable position. Miko was the type of friend she needed more of in her life— someone who was quiet, obedient, and always followed her lead without question.

  Miko let out a frustrated sigh, and Tee was reminded once again why she needed to be at the back. "You're the fastest, so it doesn't matter if you get attacked," she explained to Miko, reaffirming her decision.

  Miko felt a surge of guilt as she realized that she had no intention of sticking around if the monster came for them. She knew herself well enough to understand that she would run without hesitation.

  Suddenly, Miko bumped into Tee's back and let out a loud shriek of terror. Before Tee could comprehend what was happening, she felt a gust of wind at her side and saw Miko darting ahead past her, leaving a trail through the parting fog. Tee's eyes widened in horror as she realized the magnitude of the betrayal.

  The heavy thuds of the approaching footsteps reverberated through the ground, growing louder with each crushing impact on roots and fallen branches. A gut-wrenching gnash from behind sent a shiver up Tee's spine, fueling her fear. Without a moment's hesitation, her feet propelled her forward, instinctively urging her to flee as fast as possible.

  Tee summoned a sword in each hand, gripping them tightly as she held them above her waist, their tips pointed towards the ferocious monster chasing behind. It proved challenging to run with two swords, a skill she hadn't fully mastered in training—running while leaning slightly to one side with a single sword had become her usual technique.

  "Dammit!" Tee cursed under her breath, frustration seeping into her thoughts. Another shrill bark from behind sent a shiver up her spine, intensifying her sense of urgency. She pushed herself to run even faster.

  As she sprinted, sharp blasts of air shot through her nostrils with each pounding of her feet on the ground. Her eyes darted rapidly between the approaching trees and the roots obstructing her path, the fog making it difficult to discern her surroundings clearly. Her mind raced in a whirlwind of confusion and panic, leaving her unable to think her way out of the situation.

  The beast's menacing growls echoed behind her, accompanied by the gust of wind brushing against her leg. She narrowly avoided another biting attempt, its aggressive footsteps growing louder and more persistent as they tore into the earth and crushed twigs. Determined to gain distance, Tee decided to take long leaps, hoping to outpace her pursuer.

  Her swords weighed her down, but she refused to let them go; they were her only defense against the creature relentlessly chasing her. She wondered if her current predicament was karma's way of getting back at her for not revealing to her teammates her secret. If that was the case, more was to come.

  Her terrified mind desperately sought justification for her situation. Where were her teammates when she needed them the most? Then, her eyes fixated on a looming tree branch ahead, its height allowing it to stand above the fog. It presented an opportunity for escape from the chaotic chase.

  Summoning her remaining strength, Tee thrust her swords backward one final time, distracting the beast momentarily as it evaded the swift strikes. Seizing the moment, she leaped into the air, reaching out to grab hold of the awaiting branch.

  Her body's forward momentum carried her upwards, her feet soaring just out of reach of the creature's snapping jaws. Upside down, she swiftly bent her knees, drawing her legs in close until the soles of her feet made contact with the rough surface of the branch. Crouching on top of the sturdy limb, she began to regain composure.

  As her trembling subsided, Tee gazed down at the fading trail in the fog, the signs of the pursuing monster gradually receding from view. For the moment, it seemed she had managed to evade its clutches.

  Using one hand to steady herself, she activated a holo-map and initiated a private communication with Miko by clicking on her tag. "Hey Miko, are you alright down there?" she inquired, her voice laced with concern.

  "I'm fine," Miko replied, her voice tinged with relief. "And what do you mean by 'down there'?"