To Isaac, patrol was one of the worst parts of being a part of the Aetherwing Brigade. Sure fighting horrifying monsters was enough to send anyone to an early grave, but it was kind of thrilling. Patrol however meant stomping up and down the streets of Antigua in its relentless, sweltering heat. It didn't help that the citizens stared at Isaac with a gormless inquiring look. He tried to fight the urge to snarl at them.

Falmouth was also particularly scary at night. The area had been sectioned off due to the relentless monster attacks, and although Bayu had placed wards here, Isaac felt increasingly unsettled as he wandered through the earthy undergrowth.

"Need some company?"

Issac jumped. "Kai! A little warning?"

Kai stepped out from behind some trees, a grin on his face. Following behind him was Tomoya, his face dark and troubled. Isaac was still trying to sort out his feelings regarding Tomoya, he had saved his life (which was worringly beginning to become a repeated occurence) and had since then barricaded himself in the airship, only emerging to wander in the streets of Antigua alone. Isaac wondered how Kai managed to bring Tomoya along.

"Hello Tomoya, you alright?" Isaac smiled, letting his left dimple show (he thought it made him look less harmless).

Tomoya rolled his eyes.

"So have you seen anything?" Kai said, his eyes scanned their surroundings.

"Nope, it's boring. Where's Bayu, is he not coming to patrol?"

"He says he's got an idea that can help us with the witch-elf conflict so he's gathering materials at the moment."

Isaac felt that uncomfortable feeling settle in his stomach again. The feeling of inadequacy. Bayu alone had set up the incoming banquet, the wards that protected all of Falmouth. Isaac had tried to work on some new inventions whenever he could steal some time but he was unfortunately in the middle of a creative block.

"I feel a bit useless." Isaac couldn't help it. He didn't know if it was the bond or his own neediness but whenever he saw Kai, his kind smile, those glowing amber eyes, he felt the need to unburden every single thought in his head. Even now he was fighting the urge to grab onto his arm or sink into his shoulder. He only held back because of Tomoya's surly look.

"You are useless." Tomoya responded blandly. He leaned against a tree, his hands tucked deep into the pockets of his uniform.

"Excuse me?" Isaac stomped up to him.

Tomoya raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who said it, I'm just affirming your statement."

"Alright guys-" Kai held up his hands as if to placate them.

Isaac ignored him. "You're not supposed to say anything Tomoya. I said that so Kai could say to me 'you're not useless' and soothe my ego."

"That's pathetic." Tomoya cast his eyes to the sky as if done with the conversation.

"Pathetic, are you calling me pathetic? And to think I was going to thank you again for saving me."

Tomoya's eyes darkened, a shadow passing over them that made Isaac's stomach knot. There was something in that look—sharp, volatile, and unrelenting. It reminded him of the factories back home, the moment his hands had nearly been caught in the grinding gears of the machines. The same whisper of panic curled through him now, a visceral memory of metal screaming and the looming inevitability of his hand almost being torn apart.

"Do you think this is a game Isaac? You're part of one of the most elite military organisations in the world and you're seriously telling me you can't protect yourself?" Tomoya scoffed. "What are you even doing here?"

Kai's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, slicing through the tense air like a blade.

"That's enough."

The tone froze both Tomoya and Isaac mid-breath. "It's not your place to question why or why not someone is here. In our squad, we protect each other. No questions asked."

Tomoya's expression twisted in defiance, but he stomped away without another word, muttering a parting shot over his shoulder. "You know I'm right."

The words landed like a dagger in Isaac's chest. His throat tightened, and he felt a sudden sting in his eyes. Hot tears threatened to spill, but he blinked them away furiously, unwilling to give Tomoya the satisfaction of knowing he had struck a nerve. Without another word, Isaac turned and bolted deeper into the forest.

The world closed in around him. The dense, tangled foliage of Falmouth seemed alive, shadows reaching out like claws to catch him. The moon hung high above, its pale light piercing through the canopy and dappling the ground in ghostly patches. His boots crushed the undergrowth with every hurried step, the sounds of the forest swelling around him—chirps, rustles, the occasional snap of twigs underfoot. Yet even as he ran, the forest seemed endless, swallowing him whole.

Then, the smell hit him.

It was acrid and metallic, a putrid stench of blood that made his stomach churn. Isaac slowed, his breath hitching as he spotted crimson smears glistening on the trees, dripping from the leaves, pooling in the roots of the growth around him. His gut twisted with dread. His pulse pounded in his ears.

The ground beneath him trembled.

Isaac staggered, feeling the earth shift unnaturally, a low, guttural rumble rising from below. His breath caught as the shaking intensified, and then—something burst through the soil.

It was massive, towering over the treetops, its body gnarled and twisted like ancient oak roots. Bark-like skin was mottled with patches of moss and fungus that glowed faintly in the moonlight. Its eyes were hollow voids filled with a sickly yellow light, and its mouth was a grotesque crevice that oozed sap-like ichor. Long, branch-like limbs extended outward, each one tipped with jagged, thorn-like claws. The creature moved with unnatural grace, its wood creaking and groaning like the protest of old ships at sea. The scent of decay emanated from it, suffocating and overwhelming.

Isaac's heart thundered in his chest as he turned and ran. His lungs burned with every frantic breath, and his legs threatened to give out beneath him. The monster's heavy steps followed, shaking the earth with each movement. He cursed under his breath, fear and frustration boiling in his veins.

"I can't let this thing get me," he hissed, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of the pursuit.

Then he remembered the gadget in his pocket. His fingers fumbled for it, shaking as he retrieved the small circular device. It gleamed faintly in the moonlight, its brass surface engraved with intricate patterns. Gears ticked softly inside, and a small lever jutted out from its side. The gadget was a bomb—one of Isaac's earlier inventions.

He pressed the lever down with a satisfying click and hurled it at the monster.

The gadget spiraled through the air, its gears whirring to life before it landed at the creature's roots. A sharp BOOM followed, an explosion of fire and light that lit up the night. Smoke billowed out, engulfing the monster, and Isaac stumbled back, chest heaving with exhilaration.

"Yes!" he shouted, euphoria washing over him. "Take that, you ugly piece of—"

But as the smoke cleared, his stomach dropped. The towering monstrosity was still there, entirely unscathed. Not even a scratch marred its bark-like body.

Isaac froze, horror sinking in as the creature's hollow eyes locked on him. It stepped forward, unhurried and unstoppable, its thorned limbs scraping the ground menacingly.

"Oh, no," Isaac muttered, panic surging anew. "Oh, come on."

Isaac's lungs burned as he sprinted through the thick forest, the gnarled roots and hanging vines forming a labyrinth of obstacles. He vaulted over a fallen tree, his boots crunching the leaf-strewn ground, then ducked low beneath a protruding branch that threatened to clothesline him. The forest seemed alive, shadows twisting as if the monster's presence had corrupted it. His breath came in sharp gasps, the scent of blood and decay still thick in his nostrils.

The monster's thunderous steps grew louder behind him. Isaac risked a glance back, his heart lurching as he saw it bearing down on him, limbs stretching unnaturally, thorned claws scraping the bark of trees as it pursued him with relentless determination.

"Not good, not good!" he muttered, weaving through the dense growth. He shifted his weight sharply to dodge a sprawling patch of brambles, his jacket catching briefly on a thorn before he yanked free and kept running.

Suddenly, a sharp, clean whistle cut through the cacophony of the chase. An arrow shot through the air, its flight unerring, and struck the monster squarely in its chest. The creature staggered with a horrible moan, its body convulsing as it toppled forward, crashing into the ground in a heap of snapping wood.

Isaac skidded to a stop, panting as he stared at the fallen monstrosity. His mind spun in confusion, heart still pounding from the adrenaline. Who had fired the arrow?

His answer came in the form of Maleko, who swung down effortlessly from the high branches of a tree. The young elf landed with a grace that made Isaac jealous, brushing a strand of his sleek, dark hair from his face. Maleko's sharp, angular features twisted in a smirk as he surveyed Isaac, his eyebrow quirking with mild disdain.

"Is this the world-renowned Aetherwing Brigade sent to save all of Antigua?" Maleko said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Isaac was too stunned to reply, his hands still trembling from his near-death encounter. He gaped as Maleko walked over to the monster, crouching beside it and running his smooth, dark fingers over its bark-like body, tracing the lines of its grotesque form as if searching for something.

"I heard about your little banquet idea," Maleko continued, not looking up. "If you think indulging in food and pleasantries is going to stop these monsters from appearing and tearing this place apart, you're sorely mistaken."

Isaac finally snapped out of his stupor, brushing twigs and leaves from his hair and clothes. He glared at Maleko, though his voice came out shaky. "I thought Bayu put up wards. The monsters should be neutralized."

Before Maleko could respond, rustling from the forest caught both their attention. Kai and Tomoya emerged, their expressions tense. Kai's glowing amber eyes swept over the scene, taking in the fallen monster and Isaac's disheveled state. He gave Maleko a nod of acknowledgment. "Sorry we didn't get here sooner."

Maleko rose to his full height, his annoyance evident in the set of his jaw. "How could the Aetherwing Brigade send just four soldiers to deal with this?" he demanded, his voice taut with anger.

Kai shook his head, moving closer to the creature and dropping to one knee beside it. "This one's bigger than the ones we fought back in Falmouth," he said grimly, his hand brushing the bark. With a firm tug, he broke off a small piece of the monster's blood-stained hide and slipped it into his pocket. "I'll send this to Bayu. He can examine it. Something about this doesn't add up."

Tomoya, who had been silent and brooding, turned his dark gaze on Maleko. "What are you doing here anyway? This entire area has been sectioned off. No one is supposed to enter."

Maleko straightened, adjusting the quiver of arrows strapped to his back. There was a flicker of hesitation in his expression before he spoke. "I saw something suspicious. That's why I came."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask what Maleko meant, the elf launched into a sweeping declaration, his voice steady and passionate. "Antigua is my home. I won't stand idly by while outsiders with fancy titles strut around pretending to care. You may be here for glory or duty or some higher calling, but I fight for my people. For our land. You cannot control where I can or cannot go, I am the son of the Chief. Antigua is my birthright."

Tomoya scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Spare us the speech, Maleko. What did you see?"

Maleko hesitated again, his defiance faltering. His sharp gaze softened, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, his voice quieter. His eyes took on a distant, misty quality as if replaying the memory in his mind. "But... it looked like an angel."