The forest thickened as they pressed on, shadows knitting themselves into long, jagged spears between the pines. The air was damp and cold, carrying the faint scent of moss and old rain. Dusk had settled fully now, the canopy blotting out what little light remained, turning the path ahead into a tunnel of muted greens and blacks.

  Josh moved at the front, shield raised, senses alert. His strides carried a looseness that hadn’t been there days ago, the kind of confidence born from surviving too many close calls. His boots crunched over fallen needles, each step measured but unhurried.

  The next ambush came almost lazily.

  A rustle. A shriek. Then the undergrowth erupted. Seven goblins burst from both sides of the path, their mottled skin glistening in the dim light, jagged blades raised high.

  Josh didn’t even flinch. “Same as before! Form up!” he barked, voice steady, almost casual, as if calling a drill rather than facing death.

  Perberos was already moving, bowstring drawn before the first goblin cleared the brush. His arrows flew in quick succession, each release a sharp thrum in the air. Two goblins crumpled mid-charge, their snarls cut short, bodies tumbling into the ferns.

  Brett twirled his staff with theatrical flair, green sparks snapping from his fingertips, his confidence blooming, fed by the others. “Wonder who will kill the most?” he quipped, before launching a firebolt that streaked through the gloom like a comet. It struck a goblin square in the chest, detonating in a burst of orange flame. The creature was hurled backward, smoke curling from its charred armour as sparks drifted lazily in the air.

  Josh braced, letting two goblins crash into his shield. The impact rang like a drumbeat, but he didn’t stagger. His counterattack was brutal efficiency, one goblin’s collarbone split under a clean horizontal slash, another gutted with a single thrust. Their blood steamed in the cold air, the metallic scent mixing with pine, and something else no one wanted to think about.

  Carcan’s light shield shimmered across his exposed side, forming a translucent barrier that caught a dagger mid-swing. Josh glanced back at her with a grin. “Getting good at this.” as he finished the goblin off.

  The last two goblins faltered, eyes darting to the bodies of their kin. They turned to flee. Perberos didn’t allow it. Two sharp whistles of his bowstring, and silence reclaimed the forest.

  Brett stretched, shaking his arms loose. “Well. That was… almost boring.” Carcan frowned but said nothing, pulling her cloak tighter as they moved on.

  The next ambush was larger.

  A dozen goblins this time, appearing where the trees pressed close around a rocky bend. Their yellow eyes gleamed like lanterns in the dark, teeth bared in jagged grins. The sound of their approach was a chorus of guttural snarls and the slap of bare feet against stone.

  Once, that many would’ve sent the party scrambling for survival. Now, Josh just laughed, a short, sharp sound that cut through the tension. “Don’t bother hiding behind a wall. We’ve got this.”

  The terrain here was treacherous, roots coiled across the path like sleeping serpents, slick with moss. Jagged rocks jutted from the ground, forcing the party into uneven footing. A shallow stream cut across the bend, its water black in the fading light, the stones beneath it slick and sharp.

  He charged first, shield raised, catching the initial rush. The slam was thunderous. two goblins crushed in one blow, their bodies folding under the force. The rebound spun him slightly, so he used the momentum to slash with his sword, sending another sprawling into the dirt. Josh followed with downward slashes, his sword carving arcs of silver through the gloom. Blood sprayed in wide fans, catching the faint light like rubies in the air.

  A goblin tried to flank him, darting over the stream but its foot slipped on the wet stone, sending it crashing into the water. Brett’s firebolt found it mid-fall, steam hissing up as flame met spray.

  Another goblin leapt from a low branch, aiming for Perberos but the archer sidestepped, letting the creature land awkwardly on a root. Its ankle twisted, and his arrow took it clean through the throat before it could recover.

  Brett stood behind Josh, weaving spells with lazy precision. Each firebolt was a surgical strike, the air rippling with heat as they found their marks. One goblin leapt high, blade raised and vanished in a burst of flame before it even landed. “I could do this all day,” he muttered, not looking at his mana bar.

  Perberos loosed arrows in perfect rhythm, his movements mechanical yet graceful. Every shot found a target before it could close the distance. “Too easy,” he laughed, though his golden eyes kept scanning the treeline, wary for something more.

  Carcan lingered at the rear, staff ready, but her magic was barely needed. Only once did she step forward, when a goblin’s dagger slipped past Josh’s shield, scraping across his arm. Her hand lifted, light spilling from her palm, knitting the shallow wound closed before the blood could drip.

  Moments later, it was over. Twelve bodies lay scattered across the forest floor, some sprawled in the stream, others tangled in roots or slumped against stone. Josh planted his sword tip-first into the earth, leaning against it with a smirk. Sweat streaked his brow, but his voice was light. “What was that? A warm-up?”

  Brett laughed, twirling his staff like a baton, mimicking his friends confidence. “If that’s the best the forest can throw at us, we’ll be back in town before supper.”

  Perberos retrieved his arrows with calm efficiency, but his expression stayed tight. “Don’t let it get to your heads too much,” he warned. “Confidence turns to carelessness quicker than you think.”

  Josh waved him off, still grinning. “Relax, Prob. We’ve got this. You saw how easily we handled them, they’re just goblins.”

  Caistina remained behind them, watching and judging.

  ---

  The air between the trees grew heavier as they pressed on. Shadows stretched longer, thicker, as if the forest itself had heard Josh’s earlier bravado and now leaned in to listen.

  Somewhere deeper in the gloom, something larger stirred.

  The forest fell silent, not the gentle hush of night, but a suffocating stillness that pressed against the skin like damp cloth. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

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  Josh walked at the head of the party, shield slung lazily at his side, sword resting on his shoulder. The last skirmishes had left him flushed with confidence, his steps almost jaunty.

  So when the undergrowth ahead erupted with another swarm of goblins, his lips curved into a grin. “More of them? Fine. Let’s finish this quickly.”

  He surged forward before Perberos could bark a warning. Shield lifted, blade ready, he crashed into the pack with reckless momentum. Goblins shrieked and scattered at the force of his charge, two skewered in rapid thrusts, another slammed flat beneath his shield bash.

  Behind him, Brett muttered, “He’s going to get himself killed one of these days,” though his tone carried more amusement than fear. Sparks were already dancing across his staff.

  Carcan frowned, hand hovering midair, unable to prepare a spell. “He’s too far ahead—”

  The warning died on her lips.

  From behind the goblins came a sound that did not belong in this forest.

  A roar, deep, guttural, primal, like stone grinding against stone. The air itself seemed to shudder. Trees shook, birds exploded skyward in a flurry of wings. Goblins froze mid?step, snarls cut short, their feral eyes snapping toward the source of that earth?shaking bellow.

  And then it stepped into view.

  The troll was massive, easily twelve feet tall, its hunched shoulders brushing low branches. Grey, leathery skin clung taut over muscles like slabs of rock, veins bulging as it lumbered forward. Its arms were grotesquely long, claws thick as daggers. A jutting lower jaw bristled with yellowed tusks, drool stringing down onto the moss below. Each footfall sank deep into the earth, sending a rumble through the ground.

  A cave troll.

  Josh’s smirk vanished.

  The goblins howled, surging forward with renewed courage now that their guardian had arrived. Josh tried to step back, but their daggers flashed, hemming him in. One nicked his thigh, another scraped across his side, forcing him to raise his shield just to stay standing.

  And then the troll was upon him.

  The first swing came like a falling tree. Josh lifted his shield, braced with all his weight and still the impact sent him sprawling, trainers skidding through dirt. One goblin was flung aside by the same blow, vanishing into the treeline. Pain screamed through Josh’s arm, the wood of his shield splintering under the force.

  “Josh!” Carcan’s voice rang out, but he couldn’t spare a glance.

  The troll roared again, leaning forward, eyes glowing like coals. It swung both hands in a brutal hammerblow. Josh raised his shield too late; the edge of the strike clipped him, sending him tumbling through the brush, breath blasted from his lungs.

  Goblins closed in, stabbing and shrieking. From the ground, Josh slashed wildly, cutting one down but the troll’s shadow loomed above before he could rise. He thrust his sword upward in desperation, burying it into the creature’s thigh.

  The blade sank bare inches before grinding to a halt, scraping uselessly against dense hide. Not even close to a killing wound.

  The troll didn’t flinch. It grabbed at him, one massive clawed hand closing around his shield and tearing it away like a child ripping a toy from weak fingers. The shield was hurled aside, splintering against a tree.

  Josh’s heart pounded, the certainty of death pressing down on him. He rolled away just as the troll’s foot came down, the ground quaking with the impact.

  “Hold him off!” Perberos shouted, loosing arrows that thudded harmlessly against the troll’s flesh. Each shaft snapped like twigs.

  Brett hurled firebolt after firebolt, flames bursting against the creature’s chest, lighting it in brief flashes of orange. The troll swatted at them like gnats, advancing on Josh with relentless force.

  Carcan’s silver light flowed toward Josh, closing cuts and bruises but healing wasn’t enough. The next swing would crush him.

  The troll swung again. Josh lifted his sword in both hands to parry, but the sheer weight of the blow knocked the weapon free. It spun into the dirt several feet away.

  Now unarmed, Josh staggered upright, chest heaving. The troll bent low, tusks bared, drool dripping hot onto his armour. Its breath reeked of rotting meat.

  Josh clenched his fists, but he knew the truth: he couldn’t beat it. His blade couldn’t pierce its skin, his strength couldn’t match its weight. He was utterly out of his league.

  “Fall back!” Perberos shouted, firing another arrow to no avail.

  But Josh couldn’t move, goblins pressed around him, the troll looming like death given form.

  The creature raised both fists high, ready to crush him into the earth.

  And Josh, for the first time since stepping into this world, felt something colder than fear.

  Helplessness.

  “Josh!” Brett’s voice cracked, raw with panic. He flung his staff forward, channelling every ounce of mana he had left. A searing bolt of flame streaked across the gap, exploding against the troll’s temple in a burst of heat and smoke.

  The troll flinched, but only barely, turning its head with a low snarl, charred flesh already knitting before their eyes.

  Perberos loosed arrow after arrow. “Damn it, it’s flesh is like stone!”

  Carcan knelt, hands glowing as healing magic surged towards Josh. “Stay with me, you’re not dying here!” she snapped, though her voice trembled.

  Josh saw the truth: nothing was stopping the monster. Its foot began to fall. His shield was shattered. His sword was gone. Shame burned hotter than pain. His voice caught in his throat, realisation hitting him that they were going to die, but maybe they didn’t all have to die. He gulped and managed to shout “You… you guys need to run. I’ll keep its attention! RUN!”

  And then the air screamed.

  Invisible chains of wind snapped into existence around the troll’s limbs, wrenching it backward. Its stomp halted inches from Josh’s chest, the ground quaking as the restrained beast bellowed in fury.

  Caistina stepped into view. One hand raised, fingers spread, eyes blazing like twin amethysts. The air howled around her, leaves torn from branches and spiraling into a cyclone.

  “Pathetic,” she hissed. Brett wasn’t sure if she meant the troll or the party.

  The troll thrashed, straining against the whirling bonds. Caistina clenched her fist, the monsters bones cracked under the pressure.

  Her other hand swept down in a savage arc. A blade of wind materialized in midair, vast and keening, slashing across the troll’s chest. Flesh that had resisted arrow, sword, and fire peeled apart in a geyser of black ichor.

  The monster roared, stumbling but she wasn’t finished. With a flick of her wrist, dozens of smaller blades formed, slicing in a storm around its body. Each cut was precise, stripping muscle from bone until the towering brute collapsed to its knees, howling in agony.

  Caistina raised both hands, the cyclone shrieking at her command. The air itself became a guillotine, cleaving through the troll’s neck. The head toppled into the dirt with a thunderous crash, the body slumping after, spraying ichor across the forest floor.

  Silence fell, broken only by the faint rustle of settling leaves.

  Caistina lowered her hands, winds dissipating. She stood like a statue, gaze fixed on the trembling party.

  “You thought yourselves strong,” she said coldly. “A handful of goblins and drakes defeated, then you strut like seasoned warriors. Overconfidence dulls the senses. It makes you sloppy. And sloppy gets you killed.”

  Her eyes lingered on Josh, pale and shaking, leaning heavily on Carcan. Brett’s staff rattled in his grip. Even Perberos said nothing.

  “You cannot fight like this again. If you do, the next monster won’t fail to end your lives.”

  Josh lowered his gaze, shame burning hotter than any wound. Brett swallowed hard. The forest seemed to lean in, bearing witness to their humiliation.

  Caistina flicked her hand, the last trace of her magic vanishing on the wind. “If you want to live, you’ll learn humility or you won’t live long enough to regret it.”

  The trees whispered around them, heavy with the weight of her warning. For the first time, the party understood how fragile their confidence truly was.

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