Chapter 189: Scattered
Arthur groaned. His body felt like it had been thrown through a mountain. His vision slowly returned, and he blinked several times before looking around.
The forest was almost unrecognizable.
Trees had been ripped from the ground, branches scattered everywhere, the ground torn apart into deep grooves through the mud. Water from the nearby swamp had spilled across the forest floor, and some trees had been snapped in half while others leaned at impossible angles.
Arthur slowly tried to sit up and then he stopped.
He looked down.
Eden was still in his arms, unconscious but breathing.
Arthur released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "Thank goodness," he said.
He carefully adjusted his position, resting his back against a damaged tree while keeping Eden against him. For several seconds Arthur simply sat there. Then his expression changed as he looked around and saw no one else.
Arthur’s smile disappeared. "Everyone," he murmured.
He stood slowly.
His body was sore, but nothing appeared broken. He looked toward the destroyed forest. "I need to find them," he said.
Arthur moved carefully through the destruction, taking in the damage around him. Massive trees had been ripped from the ground, while sections of the swamp had been torn apart and waterways redirected by fallen trunks. Deep craters marked the earth, and broken branches hung from the canopy above.
As he continued, he noticed how much more the explosion had damaged. Beast nests had been crushed beneath fallen trees, crystal formations had shattered across the mud, and strange plants that had once covered the forest floor were now flattened. Even pieces of old stone structures had been thrown across the area.
Arthur slowed down as he looked around. The explosion hadn’t simply struck one point. It had changed the entire landscape around it.
"That explosion," he said, frowning. "How far did it throw us?"
After Arthur had traveled for a while, Eden slowly moved in his arms.
Her eyes opened, and she looked confused. "Arthur?"
Arthur immediately looked down. "You’re awake."
Eden blinked several times before remembering what happened. Her expression changed. "The explosion," she said.
Arthur nodded. "We’re okay."
Eden suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, and Arthur smiled and gently placed a hand against her back. "You scared me," he said.
Eden squeezed tighter. "I was scared too."
Arthur continued gently rubbing her back.
After a few moments, Eden pulled back enough to look at him. "Did everyone get sent flying too?"
Arthur nodded. "Probably."
Her expression immediately became worried. "Then where are they?"
Arthur looked out across the ruined forest. He could see no sign of the others anywhere. "I don’t know," he admitted. "But we’ll find them."
Eden nodded. "Where do we look?"
Arthur thought for a moment. "We’ll just walk around."
Eden blinked. "That’s the plan?"
Arthur shrugged. "It’s the best plan I’ve got."
Eden then asked, "Why don’t you call them?"
Arthur looked toward the forest. "I could." He paused. "But I don’t know what caused the explosion." His expression became more serious. "If something dangerous is nearby, shouting could tell it exactly where we are."
Eden shivered. "Oh."
Arthur patted her head. "So we’ll keep our voices low."
Eden nodded seriously. "Okay."
They continued deeper into the ruined forest, eventually coming across another dead Beast and then another. Some had been crushed beneath fallen trees, while others had been thrown into the water or against the surrounding rocks.
Arthur became quieter as he looked at them. The students weren’t the only ones who had been caught in the explosion.
The Everglades itself had suffered.
Not everything in the area had died, however. A large Beast suddenly rushed through the trees, forcing Arthur to instinctively prepare himself for an attack. But the creature merely glanced at him and Eden before continuing without slowing down.
Another Beast appeared moments later and did the same. Then a third rushed past them, barely acknowledging their presence as it fled deeper through the forest.
Arthur watched the creatures disappear between the trees. "They’re still running," he said quietly.
Eden looked after them. "What are they running from?"
Arthur shook his head. "I don’t know."
But he remembered the previous day.
The missing Beasts.
The fleeing bird.
Maybe they were clearing out because they sensed the explosion in advance?
Arthur looked deeper into the Everglades. "Whatever happened," he said, pausing, "it’s still happening."
Arthur began searching for anything that might tell them where the others had landed, and Eden eagerly joined him. She moved around the fallen trees, checking broken branches and disturbed patches of mud whenever something caught her attention.
"Arthur!" she suddenly called, pointing toward a broken branch.
Arthur walked over and examined it, but there was nothing useful nearby.
A little farther ahead, Eden spotted another damaged branch and immediately pointed it out as well. Again, they found nothing.
Arthur couldn’t help smiling at her determination. "Good eyes."
Eden beamed. "I’m helping!"
"You are," Arthur said, giving her a small nod. "Keep looking."
Eventually Arthur heard something, a faint rustling above him.
He looked up but nothing.
"Arthur!"
Athy was tangled inside the branches of a damaged tree, only her legs visible.
Arthur blinked. "Athy?"
Athy struggled. "I’m fine!"
Arthur looked at her. "You don’t look fine."
"I’m stuck."
Arthur laughed. "I noticed."
Athy finally broke free and flew downward, landing in front of him, looking relieved. Then she immediately asked, "Y-You didn’t wake up near Athena?"
Arthur shook his head. "No."
Athy’s expression dropped. "I couldn’t find her."
Arthur gently placed a hand against her golden helmet. "Don’t worry," he said.
Athy looked up.
"Athena is strong," Arthur said.
Athy nodded slowly.
Eden then flew over and gently patted Athy on the shoulder. "We’ll find her," she said.
Athy looked at Eden, her expression softening. "Okay."
Athy immediately looked upward, preparing to fly. "I’ll look for them," she said.
Arthur stopped her. "Wait."
Athy looked back.
Arthur looked toward the empty sky and saw there hadn’t been anything moving in the sky. "I haven’t seen a single bird since the explosion," he said.
Athy looked upward.
Arthur continued, "I think there’s a reason."
Athy hesitated. "But I can fly."
Arthur nodded. "I know." He smiled. "That’s why I don’t want you flying too high."
Athy looked surprised. "You don’t want me to scout?"
"Not alone." Arthur pointed toward the ground. "Stay close enough that we can see you."
Athy nodded. "Okay."
Now Arthur, Eden, and Athy continued together, Eden occasionally flying around Arthur, Athy scouting just above the trees, Arthur watching the ground.
As they continued searching, the destruction gradually became less severe, but there were still signs of the explosion everywhere.
They came across a crystal formation that had once grown along the edge of the swamp. The entire cluster had been shattered, leaving dozens of glittering fragments scattered across the mud. Arthur crouched and picked one up, turning it between his fingers.
Eden leaned closer. "Can we keep it?"
Arthur looked at the fragment before smiling. "Probably."
Athy landed beside them and examined it as well. "It’s pretty."
"Then we’ll bring it back," Arthur said, slipping it into his belongings.
A little farther ahead, they discovered an abandoned Beast den. Several small footprints remained inside, partially covered by dirt and leaves. Arthur crouched to examine them.
"They left recently."
Athy looked around the empty den. "But they’re gone."
"Yeah." Arthur stood and glanced deeper into the forest. "Everyone seems to be going somewhere."
Their search continued until they reached a stream that had been completely redirected by a fallen tree. Water flowed through a new channel, carrying broken branches and leaves farther into the swamp.
Eden stared at it. "Can an explosion really do that?"
Arthur looked at the enormous tree lying across the water. "Apparently."
After they had walked for some time, Eden became quieter. Eventually she looked up at Arthur. "What if we can’t find everyone?"
Arthur slowed down. For a moment, he looked across the ruined forest before answering.
"We will."
Eden studied his face. "You’re sure?"
Arthur smiled. "Vedas is tough. Sun complains too much to disappear."
Eden giggled despite herself.
"Mithra is smart, Athena probably already started investigating whatever happened, and everyone else has their Beast Partners with them." Arthur looked ahead. "They’re all strong. We’ll find them."
Athy nodded. "She would."
Arthur smiled. "And everyone else has their Beast Partners." Then, "They’re all strong." He looked ahead. "So we’ll find them."
They continued moving.
After a bit, Arthur noticed something else.
There were several footprints.
He and Eden moved closer while Athy flew lower to examine them as well. The footprints had been partially damaged by the explosion, but several impressions remained visible. One set became another, and then another, all leading in the same direction.
Arthur examined the mud carefully.
The impressions were uneven, and several had dug deeply into the ground. Whoever had made them hadn’t been walking calmly.
They had been moving quickly.
"They were running," Arthur said.
Athy looked around. "Who?"
Arthur didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at the footprints, then at the direction they were going, then toward Eden. His expression brightened. "I think we’re finally getting somewhere," he said.
The three followed the tracks for a short distance. There were several sets of footprints, some deeper than others, some overlapping, and one had a distinctive mark Arthur recognized from one of their group’s boots.
Arthur’s eyes widened. He crouched beside it. "This is Vedas," he said.
Athy immediately moved closer. "Vedas?"
Arthur nodded. "I think so."
Eden’s eyes brightened. "Then they’re alive?"
Arthur looked at the footprints. A small smile appeared. "They survived," he said.
Then he noticed something.
Arthur followed the footprints for several more meters before realizing something was wrong. They weren’t leading back toward the camp.
They were heading deeper into the Everglades.
Arthur slowly straightened, his earlier relief fading into curiosity. Athy looked along the trail and then toward the trees ahead.
"Why are they going that way?"
Arthur didn’t have an answer. After everything that had happened, he didn’t even know whether Vedas and the others had chosen that direction or simply been carried there by the explosion.
But at least they finally had something to follow.
Arthur tightened his grip on his weapon and looked toward the trail disappearing between the trees.
"Let’s find them."
Eden moved closer to his side, while Athy flew just above them. Together, the three followed the footprints deeper into the Everglades.