The carriage rattled violently as it moved deeper into the Ruin's Forest.
The wheels groaned under uneven ground. Chains clinked with every movement. Inside, silence pressed down harder than the metal collars around their necks.
Ivandoe Horntail kept his breathing steady.
But his mind was not calm.
Across from him, Narissa studied the forest through the barred window.
"The Ruin's Forest," she said quietly. "No patrol route should pass through here."
Ivandoe frowned. "Meaning?"
"It means they don't care if we survive the trip."
That sentence landed heavily.
Outside, the forest was alive in the worst way.
Twisted trees leaned inward like watching figures. Mist crawled between roots. The deeper they moved, the less natural everything felt.
Then—
The carriage stopped.
Voices outside.
"We rest here," a guard ordered. "Night travel is too risky."
The door opened.
Cold air rushed in.
For the first time, Ivandoe saw the outside clearly.
And then—
A man stepped forward.
Tall.
Calm.
Wearing a worn cloak instead of armor.
Unlike the others, he didn't carry cruelty in his presence.
Only certainty.
"Ivandoe Horntail," the man said.
Ivandoe stiffened. "Who are you?"
The man studied him carefully.
"I am Lucas Camelous."
Narissa narrowed her eyes. "Another handler?"
Lucas shook his head.
"No. I am the one breaking this system."
A pause.
Then he raised his hand.
The suppression collars shattered instantly.
Metal fell to the ground like dead weight.
Energy returned—
Violently.
Ivandoe gasped as something inside him reignited.
"What did you do?!" a guard shouted outside.
Lucas turned slightly.
"Move," he said calmly. "Now."
The forest exploded into chaos.
Students poured out of the carriage.
Guards shouted.
Spells were prepared—
But Lucas raised his hand again.
A wave of force pushed the guards back into the darkness.
Ivandoe grabbed Narissa's wrist.
"Come on!"
They ran.
Into the Ruin's Forest.
Branches tore past them.
Roots tried to trip them.
The forest itself felt like it resisted their escape.
Behind them, voices echoed.
"Stop them!"
But Lucas' voice cut through the chaos.
"Don't stop running!"
Narissa led the way instinctively, reading terrain quickly.
"This way—there's cover!"
Ivandoe followed without hesitation.
For hours, they moved through darkness and mist.
Until finally—
The sounds behind them faded.
Silence returned.
They collapsed into a clearing.
Breathing heavily.
Alive.
For the first time since the academy… free.
Narissa looked around cautiously. "We lost them… for now."
Ivandoe stared at his hands.
His power was back.
But changed.
Unstable.
Different.
He looked at Narissa.
"We're not safe yet."
She nodded.
"No. But at least now… we can fight back."
Deep within the forest—
Something ancient pulsed faintly beneath the earth.
Responding to him.
Calling.
And far above that unseen force—
A future had already begun to unfold.