As Oliver and his companions march forward, an eerie and unsettling fog surrounds them. Thick mist shrouds the grassland—as if the clouds have descended to the land. The hazy, misty atmosphere blinds Oliver and his friends, making it impossible to tell if they are still heading in the right direction. Despite the uncertainty, the group continues walking forward.

"...Oli, are we still on the right path?" Gregory asked in concern as he glanced around. "I don't remember it ever being this foggy..."

"I know. It's strange," Oliver replied. "Why is there so much fog?"

"Is it supposed to be foggy here?" Sophia asked, squinting to try to see through the thick mist.

"No, it's not," Oliver answered. "It's supposed to be scorching here."

"Oh!" Edgar hurried beside Oliver. "What if you use your elemental powers to clear the mist, Oli?"

Oliver chuckled softly. "Oh, Ed, I don't think I should interfere with nature that much."

Sarrah suddenly felt a quick movement passing through her left, and another figure ran past her on her right. "Guys...?" Sarrah called out as panic rose in her voice.

Bethany halted as a silhouette sprinted past her. "Woah! What was that?!" Bethany exclaimed, also noticing the running figure.

     The group stopped, unable to see more than a few feet in front of them in the thick fog. Suddenly, they spotted countless shadows darting past them. As each figure ran past them, Oliver and his companions began to realize they were human beings—guards and soldiers fleeing from something.

"Go back!" one of the soldiers yelled as he ran past Oliver and his companions.

"Retreat!" another soldier shouted as he fled across the fog.

     Oliver and his group watch in confusion. Their lips tighten, and their brows rise high up on their forehead. They stand still as they whip their heads left and right—only to see more guards running away.

"Sir, what's happening?" Oliver stopped a soldier and asked urgently.

The soldier squirmed out of Oliver's grasp and continued to flee as his face contorted with fear. "There's too many of them! Too many!" he screamed before disappearing into the fog.

"What's going on? Who's after them?" Gregory demanded to know as he looked in every direction.

"What's too many!?" Sophia asked as her eyes widened.

"Come on!" Oliver said, striding in the opposite direction of the fleeing soldiers, and the rest quickly followed behind his trail.

     Oliver pushes through the scattering guards. Despite the chaos around him, he smoothly runs against the current, with his companions following behind. Soon, the fleeing guards are nowhere to be seen, leaving the grassy plains empty but covered in thick, misty fog.

     Oliver can hear the swift footsteps over the munching grass gradually disappearing behind him. As they continue dashing across the sharp blades of grass, Oliver spots waves crashing on the shore in the distance. But the misty atmosphere makes it difficult to see the entire horizon.

     Immediately stopping, Oliver's head turns left and right, seeing the lake's shoreline before him. He quickly scans the area for the army, but everything remains silent and abandoned. Oliver glances at his back and sees his companions reaching his back, halting and panting for breath.

"What're they running from?" Gregory asked, kneeling as he caught his breath.

"I see nothing," Sophia gazed at the lake.

"I can say they're afraid of water," Sarrah derided with a flat, monotonous voice. "Such scaredy-cats."

Oliver suddenly raised a finger. "Wait," he whispered loudly.

     Oliver takes a deep breath, listening to gentle waves crashing and splashing. He glances at the violent waters just a few feet away from him. While staring at the misty horizon, Oliver attempts to perceive far-off noises, but all he can hear is the calming sound of the lake's ambient noise.

"What's wrong?" Gregory murmured as he stood beside Oliver.

"I sense something..." Oliver mumbled.

     Oliver stares at the horizon, but all he can see is the white-greyish fog blanketing them. The emptiness of the landscape is almost suffocating. Oliver is about to break his gaze away from the lake when two violet dots suddenly appear from afar, blending with the misty air.

     Within seconds, two more pairs show up on both sides. Then, in a few moments, the mysterious glowing colours multiply until there are hundreds of them, and they seem to be growing by the second. They appear approaching rapidly, about to reach the shore any second.

Bethany gasped, covering her mouth in fear.

Sarrah's eyes widened in terror as she saw the glowing dots drawing closer. "No, not them!" Sarrah's voice shook.

Edgar pointed to one pair among the uncountable dots. "What're they?" he asked.

Sarrah's voice trembled as she replied, "We saw those before... in the woods."

Bethany's voice was barely above a whisper. "Those are the monsters. Those are their glowing eyes..." she stated, frozen in fear.

"...We should run," Gregory said as he gawked at the approaching creatures.

"But we have no time. Those things would catch us!" Edgar said.

"Oh, shoot..." Gregory replied hurriedly. "What should we do??"

"Guys, hide!" Oliver whispered loudly.

Sophia looked around frantically. "Where!?" she restrained her voice.

     Oliver, still facing the lake, raised his left arm. As he did so, green, fluffy bushes grew from the ground instantly on that side. The plants were long enough for Oliver and a dozen more people to hide behind them.

"Hide!" Oliver raised his voice, still maintaining a whisper.

     The group quickly scrambled to take cover behind the bushes, pressing themselves as close to the ground as possible. They felt like cold stones after settling in behind the leafy shrub as they held their breath. The glowing dots were now only a few feet away, and the group could hear their strange, almost rhythmic breathing.

     Finally, the Pyro Void Monsters emerge from the horizon, swimming towards the shore. They arrive in various shapes and sizes. The creatures move in a coordinated fashion—almost as if they're communicating with each other.

     The first row of monsters consists of mammalian wolf-like creatures, their fur bristling as they approach. The second row has the two-legged crocodilian creatures, their jaws snapping hungrily. At the back of the group are the cyclops-like abominations, their single eyes glowing with an eerie intensity.

     Sophia gasps as she covers her mouth in shock, and her eyes widen. She watches Sarrah and Bethany cling to each other for comfort as fear swallows them. The girls tremble, screwing their mouths shut as they close their eyes.

     Edgar's jaw drops open, and his entire body shakes as he witnesses the thousands of gigantic, deadly monsters arrive. His trembling frame causes the bush to quake. And he feels a sense of overwhelming dread washing over him.

     Gregory immediately realizes his cousin is trembling in fear. He leans forward and wraps both of his protective arms around Edgar. Gregory then glances to his left to check on Oliver, who is watching the creatures with a steely gaze.

     The group watches the Pyrovoidians beach themselves. The creatures, grouped and organized, move with a bizarre, hypnotic grace. As a row of monsters stands up from the shallow waters, they suddenly halt, and the rest behind them cease at the same time, freezing in place.