Chapter 48 – The Edge of the World
Part 2: Something That Watches Back
The forest on the Bloodmoon Continent didn't speak the way forests should.
It listened.
Each branch was twisted like it remembered violence. The trees stood too still. The soil was too dark—thick with ancient roots that pulsed faintly when Ariz stepped near. The wind didn't rustle. It hissed.
And still, Ariz walked forward.
Barefoot. Pale. Glowing violet tattoos pulsing with each breath like a living war sigil.
His eyes burned, even in the shadow.
[System Alert: Unknown Territory – Unmapped]
Lifeforms Detected: 3➤ Category: Bloodborn – Tier Unclassified➤ Status: Observing
"They've seen you.They are not running."
Ariz stopped at the edge of a clearing—just short of an old altar, half-collapsed beneath vines and moon-burned moss. The scent of dried blood lingered faintly in the air, not fresh, but remembered.
He knew he was being watched.
He didn't draw a blade.
Didn't prepare a spell.
He just waited.
Something moved in the trees.
Soft. Fast. Careful.
Then a voice—calm, female, dry as stone left too long in the dark:
"You are not one of us."
Ariz turned his head slightly, but didn't answer.
"You're not human either," she continued. "And that makes you interesting."
She stepped into view without fear.
A tall woman—elegant, armored in curved obsidian plates that looked grown from her own skin. Her hair was black, braided down to her waist. Her eyes were crimson… but not glowing.
She studied him like prey she wasn't hungry for yet.
"You smell like ash," she said. "Old ash. Not fire."
Still, Ariz said nothing.
"Most who come here bleed within minutes," she added, almost curious. "You haven't."
He finally turned toward her fully.
"Who are you?" he asked, voice calm, cold, low.
She tilted her head slightly.
"You may call me Lyranei."
No title. No threat. Just a name.
"And you are the reason the border trembled last night, aren't you?"
He didn't confirm it.
He didn't need to.
Lyranei's gaze shifted briefly to his tattoos, then back to his eyes.
"Umbrakin," she said, and there was no question in her voice. Only certainty.
Ariz blinked once.
"You've seen others?"
"I've seen bones," she replied. "You're not bones."
A pause.
"Yet."
[System: Bloodmoon Encounter Log – New Entry Created]
Name: LyraneiRace: Unknown (Classified – Possible Bloodbound Hybrid)Status: NeutralThreat Level: Medium
"First eyes never blink. Watch this one."
Lyranei stepped back toward the shadows, graceful even in armor.
"There's an academy south of here," she said suddenly. "Sword and spell. Monsters teach monsters how not to kill themselves before killing others."
She smirked, just barely.
"If you live that long, maybe I'll see you again."
Then she vanished.
Like she was never there.
Ariz stood alone again in the clearing.
But something had shifted.
The continent had taken its first look at him—and hadn't turned away.
[System Notice: Optional Quest Unlocked – Bloodmoon Academy Entrance Exam]
Test: Survive the Hollowwind Trial Grounds (Solo)
Reward: Academy Admission / Access to Specialized Training / Reputation Establishment
"Not all monsters are born knowing how to kill.Some are taught.Others… teach."
Ariz's eyes narrowed.
The forest no longer felt alien.
It felt like the beginning.