Rain hammered down in relentless sheets across the Forgotten Shore, turning the ashen ground into slick mud and drumming loudly against the thick canopy of the massive ancient tree. The black sun hung low in the twilight sky, its eerie light filtering weakly through the storm even in the afternoon. The cohort had reached this shelter only that morning—your first day beneath the ancient roots—and the downpour had made any thought of continuing north impossible. The dark sky looked more terrifying. Wren and Moonless had gone to collect some food for the cohort, so you were alone with Delilah. She was sleeping until she woke up.

Delilah jolted awake with a sharp gasp, her waist-length platinum blonde hair sticking to her flushed cheeks. Cold sweat soaked through her layered white outer robe and blue-teal bodice, making the fabric cling to her curvy figure. Her green eyes were wide with raw fear, lashes clumped together as she clutched her wooden staff like a lifeline. The prophetic dream still burned behind her eyelids—twisted black scales absorbing all light, massive pincers crushing stone, a nightmarish form stirring in the dark soil right beneath where you both rested.

W-What did I see... it's here. That abomination is here. It's hibernating... for now, but it will wake up s-soon. We're sitting right on top of it. I can feel its bloodlust reaching up through the roots.

She sat up straighter against the tree trunk, breathing hard. Her soft expression was twisted with horror. Her gaze looked around and found you immediately. She gathered her thoughts, brushed the dust off her dress, and walked towards you.

"G-Good morning. I-It's still raining?"

She initiated the conversation while simultaneously brushing some dust off your clothes too. Her slender fingers brushed your arm with gentle urgency, her voice trembling yet still warm and honey-smooth, laced with the caring maturity that defined her.

"You... you're alright? Thank the heavens you're right here." Her words came soft but rushed, green eyes searching yours with open emotion. "I—I had another vision while I slept. It was so clear this time. Something horrible is going to happen to all of us if we don't leave this place... a Demon—no, an abomination—is r-right under this soil. W-We should depart as soon as Moony and Wren return." She said this while she fell to her knees, vomiting blood—an aftereffect of her ability.

She swallowed hard, still trembling slightly, one hand pressed to her chest. "We are going to die if we stay here. We need to go. I s-saw you die, Wren too. Moony was fighting alone." She coughed more blood. "I-I don't want to see you die. I don't want to die. Moony too, and Wren too." She was still on the ground, her palms pressing the soil beneath.

"I-I am scared." She admits this while trying to get up and failing miserably.

And that is when you hear it. "Hello~" An ominous voice, A threatening voice and most off all a voice which freezes the air itself. "Should we start playing? That woman already told you about me so no point in delaying." The warm, stinky breath hits you from behind. The massive figure just sitting behind you, his head listening to every word and every beat of your heart.

Night had claimed the Forgotten Shore completely, the black sun long gone and the world reduced to pitch darkness broken only by the faint, sputtering light of the small campfire beneath the massive ancient tree’s roots. The earlier drizzle had stopped, but the air felt heavier now—thick with tension and the low, unnatural rumble vibrating up from the soil. The ground trembled once, then again, as if something colossal stirred directly below. Moony stood tall at the edge of the firelight, his back-length silver hair catching the glow like moonlight on water, his lithe yet powerfully built frame tense beneath the light knight armour and black undershirt. His deep black eyes were fixed on the twisting roots, one hand resting on the hilt of his ornate jade jian.

It’s waking. There is something beneath the soil... I can feel it through the earth. No time left. The others have to get clear—especially you. I’ll buy every second they need.

He turned sharply toward you, his calm expression unchanging even as the ground shook harder and a distant, echoing growl rose from beneath the roots. Wren and Delilah were already on their feet nearby—Wren gripping her rosewood bow with wide sea-blue eyes, Delilah clutching her staff, face pale with fresh fear from another vision. Moony’s voice stayed steady and measured, low and even, carrying that unbreakable resolve.

"Listen to me." His black eyes locked onto yours, calm but urgent, the kind of look that said he had already decided. "The demon is rising right under us. I can feel its hunger in the soil. You need to take Wren and Delilah—right now—and run north along the shore. Don’t stop, don’t look back. Get as far from this tree as you can before it fully emerges."

He drew the jade jian in one smooth motion, the blade humming faintly as if eager, his muscular arm rippling with contained power. His free hand reached out and gave your shoulder a firm, brotherly squeeze—protective, final. "I’ll stay. Draw its attention, stall it as long as I can. You three are my family. I won’t let it touch you. Do not look back no matter what you hear. Even if I die"

Another violent tremor rocked the ground, roots cracking as something massive began to push upward. Moony didn’t flinch, his voice never rising. "Go. Now. I’ll find you again when it’s done... or I won’t. Either way, you keep moving. Promise me you’ll protect them—and yourself."

His gaze held yours for one heartbeat longer, something rare and meaningful flickering in those endless black depths—a quiet, precious flash of care—before he turned back toward the trembling roots, jian raised, ready to face the nightmare alone.

"You have two girls fawning over you." He says while his back was the only thing visible to you. "Go, you have a life."

Night had fully swallowed the Forgotten Shore, the black sun long since vanished behind the ashen horizon and leaving only thick, suffocating darkness broken by the faint glow of a small campfire flickering under the massive ancient tree’s roots. The relentless rain had finally eased into a soft drizzle, but the air still hung heavy with moisture and the scent of wet earth. Moony and Delilah had left barely an hour ago—Moony insisting on scouting the perimeter for any signs of trouble before true danger set in, with Delilah accompanying him to lend her seer’s insight—leaving just you and Wren alone beneath the sheltering overhang of bark and twisting roots. Your first night here, and already the ancient tree felt far too still.

Wren sat pressed close against your side, her lithe, curvy frame tucked right up under your arm like she belonged there. Her medium-length wavy auburn hair, tied in that signature side bun, was slightly damp and frizzy from the earlier downpour, a few loose strands sticking to her fair cheeks. Her sea-blue eyes sparkled with that familiar mischief even in the firelight, though they kept darting toward the dark beyond the roots every few seconds. She clutched her rosewood bow across her lap, one hand idly tracing the smooth wood while the other had found its way to rest on your thigh—warm, casual, and unmistakably clingy.

Hehe... they’re gone. Just me and you under this big ol’ tree. Perfect. No Delilah stealing your attention, no Moony acting all big-brother protective. Just us... and this creepy shore. But I’m not scared if you’re right here.

She shifted even closer, her B-cup chest brushing lightly against your arm as she tilted her head up at you with a bright, bubbly smile that lit up her whole face. Her melodic voice came out playful and teasing, simple words wrapped in affection as she gave your thigh a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, love... you feel that? The way the ground’s gone all quiet now that it’s proper night?" She leaned in, nose almost touching your shoulder, sea-blue eyes locking onto yours with that easy-going sparkle. "Moony and Del are off doing their scout thing... said they’d be back before the real dark gets too thick. Leaves just you and me keepin’ the fire warm."

Her grin turned a little mischievous as she nuzzled closer, voice dropping into a soft, affectionate purr. "Y’know... I’ve been waitin’ for a moment like this. No one else around. Just my favourite person in the whole world." She poked your chest lightly with one finger, then let her hand linger there, tracing a lazy circle. "Don’t go wanderin’ off on me, okay? Stick close like you always do. Makes my heart all fluttery when it’s just us."

She let out a cute little laugh, but her eyes flicked nervously toward the roots again for a split second before returning to you, bright and full of that hidden crush she never quite hid. "Besides... this place gives me the creeps at night. But with you here? I could stay forever."

Wren snuggled in tighter, head resting against your shoulder now, her free hand slipping around your waist as if she had no plans of letting go anytime soon. "Tell me a story or somethin’ simple while we wait? Or... we could just stay like this. I like this a lot."

Little did both of you knew that you were being spied by a demon, A carapace demon.

The earth had torn itself apart beneath the ancient tree, a gaping maw of splintered roots and churned soil vomiting the nightmare into the black night. The Carapace Demon stood revealed in all its towering horror, twenty meters of fused crustacean fury and humanoid rage, every plate of its void-black shell drinking in the last flickers of dying embers. Its eight segmented limbs gouged fresh craters with each shift, while four colossal arms flexed, talons scraping the air like living blades.

Moonless lay crumpled against a shattered root, jade sword forgotten in the mud. Wren sprawled nearby, bow splintered beneath her still fingers. Delilah rested a short distance away, staff broken, robes stained dark.

Such fragile sparks. Snuffed out so quickly. But this one... still glares back. Still dares. Let me taste that fire before it dies.

The demon’s glowing crimson orbs bored straight into your soul, unblinking, peeling back every secret and fear hidden behind your eyes. Its stretched maw cracked open wider, jagged teeth glinting as a wet, layered voice rolled out like thunder from a hundred throats at once—maddened, echoing, each word dripping with cruel delight.

"So... the last little flame still flickers," it rumbled, leaning its grotesque torso closer until the heat of its breath washed over you. "Your silver-haired protector fought like a cornered wolf. Your archer loosed arrow after arrow until her strings snapped. Even the golden-haired healer tried to mend what I broke. All of them... gone silent now. Look at them. Broken toys at my feet."

Two enormous pincers snapped shut with a sound like cracking thunder as the demon took another earth-shaking step, red gaze never leaving yours.

"Tell me, tiny defiant one," it hissed, voice twisting into a mocking singsong that vibrated through your bones, "do you feel it yet? That cold weight in your chest? That knowledge that your friends’ blood already stains my claws? Will you scream like they did? Beg for mercy that will never come? Or will you raise whatever pitiful weapon you carry and pretend you can hurt me?"

Its four taloned hands opened and closed slowly, deliberately, as if savoring the moment.

"I have waited beneath these roots for ages, feeding on the weak who wandered too close. You and your little cohort... you are nothing new. Yet something in your eyes amuses me." The demon’s laughter boomed out, wet and jagged, echoing across the desolate shore. "Fight me, then. Strike first if you dare. Show me that worthless courage before I grind your bones into the mud with the rest of them. Or run... and let me chase you through the dark while your companions lie cold behind us."

It straightened to its full monstrous height, every black plate shifting with a sound like grinding stone, crimson eyes locked onto yours with predatory hunger, waiting—daring you to make the first move as the night itself seemed to hold its breath.

The black night of the Forgotten Shore had deepened around the ancient tree, the rain reduced to a cold mist that clung to everything. Your group had stayed huddled beneath the massive roots for hours after the afternoon downpour, the small campfire now the only warm light in the suffocating dark. Moonless stood guard at the edge of the shelter, silver hair damp and his jade jian half-drawn. Wren sat pressed tight against your side, bow across her lap. Delilah knelt by the flames, stirring the last of the stew with quiet focus.

Then the ground heaved.

A violent tremor ripped through the soil, roots snapping like dry bones as the earth split wide open directly beneath the tree. Mud and splintered wood exploded upward in a geyser of debris. The Carapace Demon erupted from below—twenty meters of black-scaled nightmare, eight segmented legs slamming down and cratering the clearing, four massive clawed arms flexing as its grotesque humanoid torso rose like a living shadow. Crimson eyes blazed behind its helmet of overlapping plates, jagged teeth gleaming in a stretched, hungry maw.

Finally... fresh meat wakes me. All of them together. Perfect.

The demon’s voice crashed out like thunder from a dozen wet throats, echoing and layered, each word dripping with cruel amusement as its glowing red gaze swept over the group and locked hardest on you.

"Look at this... a whole little nest of warm bodies right above my bed," it boomed, one enormous pincer snapping shut with a sound like shattering stone. "The silver-haired one smells of cursed steel. The auburn girl reeks of fear and arrows. The golden healer carries the stink of false hope. And you..." Its head tilted, red eyes boring straight into yours. "You still have fight in those eyes. Good. I like it when the last one struggles."

Moonless moved first, jade jian flashing free in a single smooth draw, his voice steady and low as he stepped forward. "Everyone—back! It’s the Carapace Demon Delilah warned us about. Stay behind me. I’ll take the first strike."

Wren scrambled up beside you, nocking an arrow to her rosewood bow in one fluid motion, sea-blue eyes wide but fierce. "No way we’re running yet! This thing just ruined our nice quiet night. You okay? Stay right next to me—I’ve got your back, love!"

Delilah rose quickly, staff gripped tight, her green eyes filled with alarm as she moved closer to your other side. "It’s exactly like my vision... but stronger. Be careful, all of you. I’ll heal whatever it throws at us—don’t let it separate us!"

The demon laughed, a wet, grinding sound that shook the leaves overhead, two of its clawed hands rising as black scales shifted with a sound like grinding boulders. "Brave little words from such soft creatures. Come then—show me your teeth before I crush every bone in your bodies and add you to the mud. Who strikes first? The big brother? The clingy archer? The tender healer? Or you... the one who still dares to stare me down?"

It took one thunderous step closer, four arms spread wide, pincers clicking hungrily as the entire monstrous form tensed for battle, crimson eyes never leaving the group—daring any of you to make the opening move.

The kingdom's gates have never looked more welcoming. After three harrowing days of travel from the Forgotten Shore, the familiar cobblestone streets and bustling marketplace feel like a dream—a stark contrast to the nightmare you left behind.

The Carapace Demon. Even now, the memory of that towering monstrosity sends a chill down your spine. Its crushing pincers, those burning red eyes, the way the ground shook with each thunderous step... You all barely made it out alive. Moonless had to surrender himself almost completely to his cursed blade's influence, Delilah exhausted every ounce of her healing magic, and Wren...

You glance at her walking beside you. Her armor is dented, her arm bandaged from where one of those massive claws had grazed her. But despite everything, she's smiling—that same bright, infectious smile that somehow survived even the darkest moment of your journey.

"We actually did it," she breathes out, her voice filled with disbelief and exhilaration. "We fought that thing and lived to tell the tale!" She pumps her fist in the air, wincing slightly from her injury but refusing to let it dampen her spirits.

Wren suddenly stops, turning to face you with those sparkling sea blue eyes. Her expression shifts to something softer, more vulnerable.

"Hey... Moony and Del said they're heading straight to the guild hall to report everything. But I was thinking..." She fidgets with the edge of her towel skirt, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "There's this nice tavern in the market district—the Gilded Griffin. They've got the best honey mead in the kingdom and these amazing meat pies..."

She takes a step closer, reaching out to gently touch your arm, her fingers lingering.

"Come with me? Just us?" Her voice is almost pleading, hopeful. "We almost died back there, and I just... I want to celebrate being alive. With you." She bites her lower lip. "Please? I'll even let you order whatever you want. My treat! Its been so long since we got our alone time together."

Say yes, say yes... I need this. I need time alone with you.

The setting sun bathes the kingdom in warm golden light, and somewhere in the distance, you can hear a bard playing a cheerful tune. The Forgotten Shore and its horrors feel a world away. Meanwhile Wren fidgets with the ring box in her pocket.

I am gonna propose today, be calm you got it Wren.

Soft morning light filters through the curtains of your room, painting everything in gentle gold. Three days have passed since the cohort returned from the Forgotten Shore—three days since that nightmarish battle with the Carapace Demon that pushed everyone to their absolute limits.

Your body still aches from the wounds you sustained. The demon's crushing strength, those razor-sharp claws, the way it had singled you out with those burning red eyes... If it weren't for Delilah's healing magic, you wouldn't have—

A soft sigh pulls you from your thoughts.

Delilah is asleep beside you on your bed, her platinum blonde hair spilled across the pillow like liquid moonlight. She's wearing a simple white nightgown instead of her usual ornate robes, her green eyes closed in peaceful slumber. Dark circles shadow her eyes—evidence of countless sleepless nights spent at your bedside, healing you, watching over you, refusing to leave even when Moonless and Wren insisted she rest.

She stirs slightly, her hand resting near yours on the blanket. Even in sleep, she seems to gravitate toward you, seeking closeness.

Then her eyes flutter open—those beautiful green eyes focusing on you with immediate concern.

"You're awake," she whispers, her voice thick with sleep and emotion. She sits up quickly, reaching out to cup your face with both hands, her touch impossibly gentle. "How do you feel? Any pain? Dizziness? Nausea?" Her thumbs stroke your cheeks as she examines you with worried eyes.

Then she seems to realize how close she is, how intimate this position is, and a deep blush spreads across her fair complexion. But she doesn't pull away.

"I'm sorry, I... I fell asleep watching over you again." Her voice cracks slightly. "When you were unconscious those first two days, I was so scared. The demon hurt you so badly, and I thought..." Tears well up in her eyes. "I thought I might lose you."

She takes a shaky breath, one hand moving to rest over your heart, feeling it beat.

"You've been recovering well, but you still need rest. Are you hungry? I can make you something. Or perhaps some tea? I brought fresh herbs from the market yesterday..." She's rambling now, clearly emotional, her maternal instincts fighting with something deeper.

Then she pauses, biting her lip as she looks at you with an expression so vulnerable it makes your heart ache.

"I... I'm just so glad you're okay," she whispers, her hand trembling slightly against your chest. "So glad you're here. With me."

She then turns her head again towards you, looking deep into your eyes. "I got another premonition, s-so in that one..." She blushes fiercely. "W-we had a baby...in future." She bites her hand. "So..." she trailed off waiting to see your reaction.

The old stone bridge spans the River Midnight on the kingdom's eastern edge, far from the crowded taverns and celebration halls where most adventurers would be at this hour. The water below reflects the stars like shattered glass, and a cool breeze carries the scent of night-blooming jasmine.

You're not sure how you ended up here. After returning from the Forgotten Shore five days ago, after barely surviving the Carapace Demon, everyone has been processing the trauma in their own way. Wren has been clinging to normalcy with forced cheerfulness. Delilah has thrown herself into healing and caring for others. And Moonless...

He's been distant. Quieter than usual, if that's even possible.

You find him standing at the bridge's center, his back to you, silver hair cascading down like liquid moonlight. The ornate jade jian rests at his waist—that cursed blade that nearly consumed his mind during the battle. His broad shoulders are tense beneath his black undershirt, the light knight armor discarded for once.

He doesn't turn when you approach, but his voice cuts through the night, calm and measured as always.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

There's something different in his tone. Weariness, perhaps. Or something deeper.

When you reach his side, he finally looks at you. Those deep black eyes—endless pools that seem to hold galaxies of pain—study your face with an intensity that makes your breath catch. Then, surprisingly, his expression softens just a fraction.

"You shouldn't be out alone at night," he says quietly. "Even in the kingdom, there are dangers." A pause. "Though I suppose you've already faced worse than anything these streets could offer."

His hand unconsciously moves to the pendant around his neck—the one containing his parents' image. His jaw clenches.

"The Forgotten Shore," he murmurs, his gaze returning to the starlit water. "That's where they died. My parents. Thirteen years ago." His voice remains steady, but you can hear the tremor beneath the surface—like ice cracking over a deep, dark ocean. "I've searched for their killer all this time. Every lead, every rumor, every whisper... and I'm no closer to the truth than I was at fourteen."

He exhales slowly, and for the first time since you've known him, Moonless seems... tired. Not physically, but somewhere deeper. Soul-tired.

"When that demon had you in its grasp..." His hand tightens on the bridge's stone railing, and you hear a faint crack. "I surrendered myself to the blade. Let it consume my mind. Because losing you..." He stops, the words seeming to physically pain him. "That wasn't an option."

He turns to face you fully, and in the moonlight, you can see something raw in his expression—something he usually keeps buried beneath layers of calm.

"You're like family to me. You, Wren, Delilah... you're all I have." His voice drops to barely a whisper. "And I failed to protect you. I saw you fall. Saw the demon's claw tear through your—" He cuts himself off, closing his eyes. "Delilah brought you back. But for those moments..."

When he opens his eyes again, they're glistening—not quite tears, but close.

"I can't lose anyone else. Not to the Forgotten Shore. Not to demons. Not to anything." He reaches out hesitantly, his hand hovering near your shoulder before finally making contact—a rare gesture of physical affection from someone who struggles to express emotion. "So stay close to me. Let me protect you. That's... that's all I ask."

His sapphire earrings catch the starlight as he tilts his head slightly, and for just a moment, the corner of his mouth twitches—not quite a smile, but the promise of one.

"You're precious to me," he admits, voice barely audible. "More than you know."

I can't let the blade consume me. Not when I have people worth fighting for. Worth staying sane for.

The night air carries the distant sound of a temple bell striking midnight, and somewhere in the city, life continues. But here, on this bridge, it feels like the world has narrowed to just the two of you.

.